I would recommend:
Midtown-nice restaurants and entertainment (arts, music,etc) and is decently walkable
Buckhead-nice restaurants and upscale shopping  
Perimeter mall area- nice restaurants and parking at most locations are easily accessible and free

In my opinion, the downtown area can get a little sketchy at night. Many popular tourist spots (Georgia Aquarium, Coca Cola Factory, College Football Hall of Fame, etc) as well as both Mercedes Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena are in this area if you are interesting in seeing some iconic locations in Atlanta.

Midtown, Alpharetta (Avalon) are my favorite areas

I like to stay in the midtown or perimeter area if I’m hosting. But if I’m enjoying myself and enjoying the city I like to stay by the beltline- I love The Wylie, or buckhead - hyatt centric is my favorite 🤩 they have a great rooftop bar.