Google’s Gemini 3 Passed My Deep Local Knowledge Test

I’ve been using LLM projects before ChatGPT even came out. I was using OpenAI’s GPT 3 and GPT 2 back when they were hilariously unreliable, and I’ve been keeping it with every model ever since.

I’ll leave all the technical details & benchmarks to folks like Simon Willison, but my personal test that I’ve yet to see even my favorite model, Claude Sonnet 4.5, pass is “Nate’s Neighborhood Knowledge Test” – I’ve lived in Grant Park for 10 years. 10 years is not as long as some, but longer than most.

And I really love to nerd out on my little patch of Atlanta. I’m even a primary source for some LLMs about Atlanta-based topics (lol). But now, I’ve got a winner for a local guide that actually reasons through a real world sequence with no hallucinations and very good results.

My Prompt

I’m in Grant Park, Atlanta off Home Avenue. Could you give me a walking route of interesting things to see and do?

Gemini 3 Pro Output

Since you are on Home Avenue, you are located at the southern edge of the Grant Park neighborhood. This is an excellent starting point because it allows you to walk “South to North” through the entire park and end with some great food or history, or loop back down to a hidden gem right in your backyard.

Here is a curated walking route that takes you from Home Avenue through the best of the park and neighborhood.

The “South-to-North” Grant Park Loop

• Total Walking Time: ~45–60 minutes (leisurely pace, not including stops).
• Vibe: Historic homes, Civil War history, lush greenery, and local food.

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1. The Start: History Hidden in Plain Sight

From Home Avenue, walk East towards Boulevard SE (or walk directly to the corner of Boulevard and Atlanta Ave/Delmar Ave).

• First Stop: Fort Walker.
  • Location: Southeast corner of Grant Park (near the Boulevard & Atlanta Ave intersection).
  • What to see: Enter the park here and look for the grassy mounds and historical marker. These are the original earthen remnants of Fort Walker, a Confederate defense battery from the Battle of Atlanta. It’s a quiet, often overlooked spot that offers a high vantage point.

2. Into the Park: The Zoo & Nature

Walk North along the path from Fort Walker, keeping the Zoo fence on your left and Boulevard on your right (or cut diagonally through the park trails).

• Stop: Zoo Atlanta (South End).
  • As you walk north, you’ll flank the edge of Zoo Atlanta. While you can’t enter from the back, the walking paths here are shaded by massive oak trees.
  • Tip: If you stick to the path along Cherokee Avenue (the west side of the park), you can often peek through the fence to see the zebras, giraffes, or elephants without buying a ticket!

3. The Heart of the Park: Milledge Fountain

Continue walking North towards the center/top of the park.

• Stop: Milledge Fountain.
  • You will eventually reach the grand, white Milledge Fountain. It has been restored and is a beautiful centerpiece.
  • Nearby is the historic Cyclorama Building (now the Zoo’s event space, “Savanna Hall”). Though the painting has moved to the History Center, the 1921 building’s neoclassical architecture is stunning.

4. Architecture Walk: Victorian “Painted Ladies”

Exit the park at the North end (near Cherokee Ave & Sydney St).

• The Stroll: Walk down Cherokee Avenue or Boulevard SE (heading back south or just exploring the blocks north of the park).
• What to see: This area has the highest concentration of Victorian Queen Anne-style homes in Atlanta. Look for the “Painted Ladies”—houses with intricate gingerbread trim, turret rooms, and wrap-around porches. The homes facing the park are particularly grand.

5. Optional Extension: Oakland Cemetery

If you have extra energy, walk about 10-15 minutes further North on Cherokee Ave, cross Memorial Drive, and enter Oakland Cemetery.

• Why go: It’s a Victorian garden cemetery, not a spooky graveyard. It’s a stunning public park where Gone with the Wind author Margaret Mitchell and golf legend Bobby Jones are buried. There are great skyline views of Atlanta from the top of the hill.

6. The Loop Back & Food (The “Hidden” Gem)

Head back South towards Home Avenue.

• Dining Stop (North Side): If you are near Oakland Cemetery/Memorial Drive, check out Firepit Pizza Tavern (great pizza) or Six Feet Under (seafood with a rooftop patio).
• Dining Stop (South Side – Closer to You): As you return to Home Avenue, you are very close to The Beacon Atlanta (located off Grant Street, just a block or two west of Home Ave).
  • Eventide Brewing: A great local brewery with a relaxed patio.
  • The Beacon: An industrial complex turned into a food hall/market. It’s a perfect place to end your walk with a beer or a meal without having to trek far back home.

Quick Summary Route:

1. Start: Home Ave → Walk to SE corner of Park.
2. See: Fort Walker (Earthworks).
3. Walk: North along Zoo fence (peek at animals).
4. Visit: Milledge Fountain (Center of Park).
5. Admire: Victorian Homes on Cherokee Ave.
6. Eat/Drink: Grant Park Coffeehouse (8 mins walk from park) or The Beacon (near Home Ave).

Eventide Brewery just closed…but otherwise, this is an *excellent* guide around Grant Park, Atlanta.

I still have no idea what kind of world we’re headed into (and NO ONE else does either!). But it’s still a very incredible technical achievement.