Kandi Burruss's weekend guide to Atlanta

Ranking among the top cities for US tourism, Atlanta consistently draws visitors with its dynamic contemporary art scene and iconic soul food, as well as its abundance of greenery and sprawling historic estates. One of the main epicentres of the hip hop industry, it has also secured its place in music history, nurturing a long line of homegrown talent – like Kandi Burruss, the Atlanta-born singer, songwriter, producer and star of The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

The future songstress was raised in the Atlanta suburb of East Point, where she attended Tri-Cities High School of Visual and Performing Arts and met the other members of R&B girl group Xscape; later going on to co-write the 1993 hit No Scrubs for TLC. Burruss joined the Real Housewives of Atlanta cast for its sophomore season in 2010, becoming a fan favourite and one of the longest-tenured housewives before leaving the show in 2024. Her latest venture takes her to New York City as she and her husband, Todd Tucker, co-produce the new Broadway production of Othello at the Barrymore Theatre, starring Academy Award winners Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal.

But Burruss is an Atlanta girl through and through. "I was born and raised in Atlanta, so I am Atlanta," she says. "This is home base for me."

Her time on Real Housewives allowed her to celebrate her Atlanta roots, and chronicled meeting her husband and the birth of her son, Ace. "It's been kind of cool to say I can go back and watch 14 years of my life," she says. "It was a great experience."

Cameras followed Burruss and her co-stars as they crisscrossed the city to attend fashion shows; local restaurants, like 80-year-old Mary Mac's Tea Room; and major landmarks like the Georgia Aquarium, which set the scene for one of the show's beloved end-of-season reunions.