Whether you need a conversation starter or just want to know some fun and interesting facts about Atlanta, KNOWAtlanta Magazine has what you need. Here are 10 things you may not know about the Empire City of the South:

1. Atlanta’s symbol is a phoenix. It represents the city literally rising from the ashes, which it did after General Sherman burned it down during the Civil War. Only 400 buildings survived. And look at the city now.

2. The city’s famed AJC Peachtree Road Race, which takes place on the morning of July 4 every year, began in 1970. Today, it is the largest 10K event in the world, welcoming 60,000 participants annually.

AJC Peachtree Road Race. Photo credit: Atlanta Track Club/Paul Kim.

3. Atlanta—and portions of North Georgia—is home to the Eastern Continental Divide, which separates the two watersheds of the Atlantic Ocean: the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Seaboard.

4. The Bank of America Plaza, located in Atlanta, is the tallest building in the United States outside of New York or Chicago. The 55-story building stands tall at 1,023 feet and is actually the 107th tallest building in the world.

5. Atlanta has the third largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies within its city limits, placing it just behind New York and Houston.

6. In 1952, Buckhead was annexed. Today, it is one of the most coveted uptown districts of Atlanta and comprises the northern fifth of the city.

7. Tennis anyone? The Atlanta Lawn & Tennis Association (ALTA) is the world’s largest local tennis league with more than 70,000 members. Atlanta also has more tennis courts than anywhere else in the world.

8. Nestled among Atlanta’s impressive Midtown skyscrapers is the former home of Gone with the Wind author Margaret Mitchell. The historic house, which is now a museum and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, first served as an apartment building; Mitchell and her husband lived in Apartment 1 on the ground floor.

9. The Varsity, one of Atlanta’s most beloved landmarks, is the world’s largest drive-in restaurant. It can accommodate 600 cars outside and 800 people inside.

10. Shoppers rejoice! Atlanta has more shopping center space per capita than every other city in the country besides Chicago.

Atlantic Station is a great place to visit for shops, dining and entertainment near Midtown.