Most people know Opera as a nightclub. However, when it's not operating as a dance club, it's an…read moreevent space officially known as the "Atlanta Event Center at Opera." It wasn't until I attended a fundraising event here a couple weeks ago that I learned this. Opera serves as a full service private event venue and caterer and has hosted corporate functions, class reunions, proms, wedding ceremonies and receptions, product launches, and even sumo wrestling matches.
Before the fundraiser, my previous visit to Opera was on a packed weekend night with hundreds of tipsy/drunk people and clubgoers packed onto the various dance floors with seizure-inducing strobe lights and DJs blasting EDM and hip hop at deafening levels. The fundraiser made me see Opera in a completely different light, literally. The space was brightened up and I could actually see the floors, walls, and ceilings. If you actually take a time to look at the design, decor, and architecture of the place, it's actually pretty nice.
The building was originally designed as an auditorium in the 1920s. It was used for, among other things, operas and live theater. Designed by the same architects behind Atlanta's Fox Theatre, it wasn't until the late 1980s that the building started to function as a nightclub. It became known as Opera in 2007. As an event venue, its maximum capacity is roughly 1,000-1,200.
After countless nights of clubbing, the staff manages to clean up the space well. There are hardwood floors, detailed and ornate walls, columns, and ceilings, intricate and sparkling chandeliers, arched entryways, and tall velvet curtains. There are multiple rooms and bars. Unfortunately, the carpeted area upstairs, which is used as the VIP section on club nights, smells awful. Presumably, it's the result of many a spilled drink in addition to excreted bodily fluids.
The event I attended had food, drinks, live music, and a silent auction. A multitude of local restaurants and vendors donated food. The fantastic lineup included JCT. Kitchen & Bar, Wrecking Bar Brewpub, Ration & Dram, The Luminary, Souper Jenny, Pig & Pint, Leon's Full Service, Bantam + Biddy, Home Grown, The Mercantile, Affairs to Remember Caterers, The Ice Cream Bar, Frozen Pints Craft Beer Ice Cream, and Taproom Coffee. The auction had all sorts of items up for bid including decorative art, furniture, gift certificates, club tickets to sporting events, and more. As far as I could tell, it was a success.
Parking close-by costs money. There's a surface lot directly next to the building accessible via Crescent Ave. There's also a parking garage across the street at the corner of Crescent and 14th. We parked there. The rate was $1 every 15 minutes up to a maximum of $12.
