re: New Years Eve somewhere in the Southeast

Depends on what you are looking for. I'd definitely say NOLA or ATL for the party. If you are just looking for somewhere nice that you can see some interesting stuff, I'd say Savannah.

NOLA and Savannah both offer a historic district and have some nice things to see. Savannah is a bit more low key and while it does have some tourist trap type things, it isn't nearly as bad as NOLA.

ATL is huge, has shitty traffic, will be packed, but it will arguably have the largest variety of things to do just because of how big the place is. It will likely also have the largest New Years scene of the 3 places.

If you are looking for a nice get away with things to see and do, I'd recommend NOLA or Savannah. NOLA being a bigger party and more touristy area than Savannah, but still a lot of fun and definitely worth it at least once. Savannah is a bit calmer and more low key, but has some really nice history to see.

If you are looking for the biggest New Year's festivities, I'd say ATL followed by NOLA.