Everything You Need to Know About the Atlanta Beltline

 

Atlanta, Georgia, has been growing for years. Just like any growing city, transit around the city has grown more and more difficult. A Georgia Tech grad student sought to create a solution. He submitted a Master's thesis, which suggested a loop to connect Atlanta's in-town neighborhoods. Thirty-three miles of multi-use trails now follow along twenty-two miles of unused railroad corridor, which are projected to run streetcars around the loop by 2030. The Atlanta Beltline project has become one of the largest urban mobility projects in the United States. There's a lot to love about the project.

 

Peachtree Hills and Piedmont Heights are at the top edge of the Beltline Loop, while the Pittsburgh and West End neighborhoods are at the bottom. Paved and unpaved trails connect these with the Eastern neighborhood of Inman Park, the Western neighborhood of Blandtown, and more. Along the trails, you'll find open green space, eight parks, and plenty of opportunities to get to know the city of Atlanta better. The core of Atlanta has never been more accessible than it is now, thanks to the addition of the Beltline. Stop at grocery stores, boutiques, and markets for shopping on the town! 

The trails which comprise the Beltline are 33 miles of space to spend outside. Traveling to other neighborhoods in the Atlanta core has never been easier, and all of the food, shopping, and neighborhood activities are more available than they ever have been before. Perhaps the biggest upside is that most of these benefits can be accessed directly from the trails. The Atlanta Botanical Gardens, Atlanta Memorial Park, and the Ponce City Market are a few of the popular access points.

The Beltline Project challenges each and every member of the community to get out and get some exercise. Ride your bike from place to place and breathe in the fresh Georgia air. Join a club that meets every week as a commitment to getting outdoors and improving your health. The Atlanta Track Club is just the club. Meet up with other members of the community every Thursday evening and run two to four miles. As the club partners with the Beltline, the reward is participating in events bigger than the weekly meetup. The 3k and 5k are a challenge to your mental game, your stamina, and your endurance, and you can find both on the Beltline. For more opportunities to explore new sections of the trails, check out the Run.Walk.Go. race series. The series seeks to inspire and motivate locals to get out and enjoy Atlanta through the world of exercise.

It's never a bad idea to reward yourself for all of your hard work. Perhaps you do this via self-care days at the spa, or maybe you prefer a little retail therapy to make the sad days better. While exercise is great for improving your mental health, so is shopping. In fact, the act of shopping can perform the function of aiding you to feel safe in your environment. By choosing whether or not to purchase an item, you are exercising your ability to control and regulate what's present in your life. Combine your daily exercise with the chance to shop, and you're in for a winning combination! And the Beltline is abundant with shops to wander into.

Take the Ponce City Market as a prime example. A wide assortment of shops and restaurants make up the ground floor of the market, right off of the Beltline. Luxury brands such as Cobbler Union, Rye 51, and Williams-Sonoma own storefronts inside the market. There are gifts for any occasion, homewares for any style, and brands that uplevel your daily routine.

Sometimes it's hard to choose where to eat, especially when there's a whole city's worth of restaurants to choose from. Luckily you can narrow it down to what's in the vicinity of the Atlanta Beltline, but this doesn't narrow it down enough to make a decision. An easy way to make up your mind? Dine at the Krog Street Market. A rich history and a beautiful location come together to result in the market you can visit today. What used to be a stove factory was transformed over time in the market. Originally seven retailers, Krog Street has grown over time, raking in the awards and acclaim in the process. Exposed brick walls and towering ceilings with exposed steel trusses are the backdrop for some of Atlanta's best eats. Head to the Inman Park area to devour all the best that the Krog Street Market has to offer. Dine on pasta at Varuni Napoli or have a sushi roll at Makimono, then head over to Xocolatl Small Batch Chocolate for a dessert afterward!

Dine inside the spacious Mediterranean restaurant Bazati or on its patio right off the Beltline. Stopping at Bazati on the Eastside Beltline is a treat any time of year. Their menu rotates seasonally, but you'll always find dishes made with local ingredients, not to mention a lengthy cocktail and wine list. Start your experience with house-made charcuterie and an ensemble of cheeses. Try the Australian lamb sirloin with whipped potatoes, grilled asparagus, and mint demi-glace — you won't regret it.

For a more intimate experience, head to their rooftop restaurant, Estrella. Casual Mexican cuisine meets the Atlanta skyline for an unforgettable experience. The menu is comprised of an ever-changing selection of small plates, tacos, and snacks. Since the cuisine is different, the drink list is different too. Have an Estrella Margarita, made with Cazadores Blanco, agave, fresh lime, and seasonal fruit.

Aside from making the downtown core easier to access for Atlanta locals and tourists, the Atlanta Beltline Project seeks to do more for the community. By 2030, the project wants to accomplish sizable goals. These include creating 30,000 permanent jobs, 1,300 acres of new green space, 1,100 acres of environmental cleanup, and much more. The community has established more opportunities with the addition of the Beltline and will continue to improve as they get closer to reaching each goal. Many of the objectives go hand-in-hand, such as the environmental cleanup and the green spaces. Soil that has been contaminated by industrial use is gradually removed and cleaned. The spaces left behind are turned into open green spaces, some with added amenities such as splash pads, playgrounds, and basketball courts. There hasn’t been any Atlanta local left out of consideration when planning the project. 

Whether you're spending the day alone, with family, or in the company of friends, doing so in a green space is beneficial for your mental health. Being outside can be as leisurely as lying in the sun and meditating or as vigorous as engaging in sport. This was understood and taken into account while planning the green spaces around the Atlanta Beltline. While some are merely grass and space, others hold amenities that cater to every outdoor need.

3.4 acres of the space has been dedicated to a project which strives to expand the communities' knowledge of the value of farming. Owned and operated by Andy Friedberg and Andrea Ness, the Aluma Farm is an urban farm. And in fact, the farm sits as the first agricultural site along the 22-mile corridor. The produce originating from the farm is grown without the use of fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. The importance of organic farming is shared with the community, as the produce gets sold locally. The owners continue to share their passion for making Atlanta more accessible for those who travel the greener way.

 

If it's not already apparent, there was a lot of thought and consideration put in for the community while planning and designing the Beltline Project.  Anyone can go out to shop and eat at any other place in the world, yet the Beltline is a place where you can see and experience artwork created exclusively by Atlanta artists. Throughout 11 miles of trails along the Beltline, over 45 installations showcase the best the local creators have to offer. Considered the southeast's largest temporary public art project, Art on the Beltline is a linear gallery of murals, sculptures, photography, and more.

For more information about the Atlanta Beltline and its current progress, you can visit the project's website. If living near the Atlanta Beltline sounds like a lifestyle you'd like to live, there's a house waiting for you. From the homes for sale in South Fulton to the McDonough estates, Joel Elliott and the Elliot Group have acquired the knowledge needed to find your dream property. Contact the Elliott Group today for a real estate agent who will get the job done right.

_{*Header image courtesy of Discover Atlanta}