March Madness is upon us, and that means it’s time to crown a college basketball champion—and to anoint one OTP downtown the best in metro Atlanta for the second year running.

Can last year’s winner, Alpharetta, be dethroned in this March Madness-style bout to determine the Best OTP Downtown? Who takes the Suburban Smackdown crown if so? Only time, and your votes, will tell.

But heads up—the format has changed since 2023.

Why? Because Urbanize Atlanta has changed since then (most notably, a paywall went live last month). And we’re trying to help ensure a fair and honest tourney.

A quick rundown of the rules this year:

  • 1. The 2024 contest is comprised of the 16 OTP downtowns and city centers that garnered the most pre-tourney NOMINATIONS last year. This gives each original contestant a fair shake, once again.
  • 2. Voting for all Round 1 contests opens right now, with 16 options to vote for.
  • 3. Round 1 voting closes promptly at NOON on Monday.
  • 4. The four contestants with the most Round 1 votes will constitute the Final Four.
  • 5.  The top OTP Downtown of 2024 will be crowned in early April, with thousands upon thousands of metro Atlantans watching.

Without further ado, here’s the hallowed bracket for ’24:

The top four vote-getters in Round 1 will advance to the Final Four in 2024. Shutterstock/Urbanize ATL

In short, expect three contests total. (Note: Our paywall allows for five free stories each month, which will permit proud OTP dwellers new to Urbanize Atlanta to vote in all three contests. Our new sign-in system should also help eradicate nefarious voting.) Nominations were open to any place within roughly a half-hour of the Interstate 285 perimeter.

Last year, after tens of thousands of votes, Alpharetta edged Duluth in the Championship to become the inaugural Suburban Smackdown victor.

Can another great OTP place rise up and snatch the title—and everlasting glory? The tourney begins now. We'll know soon. 

Let the eliminations begin!