The merchants at Trademeet also sell some cool stuff, so it's definitely worth the trip.
If you didn't finish all the quests by Chap 3, you get a chance to return athkatla in CHap 6 to tie up all the loose ends before proceeding on to Chap 7 (the final chapter in SoA).
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"Butt-kicking for goodness!" - Minsc
"Cities always teem with evil and decay. Let's give it a good shake and SEE WHAT FALLS OUT!!" - Minsc
