I Walked the Atlanta Beltline—Here’s Where to Eat, Shop, and Soak up the Art

I sometimes cosplay as a nature girl who loves hiking in national park forests; however, what I actually love most are urban trails. Though it’s nice to occasionally get away from civilization, I appreciate how urban trails often bring people, restaurants, shops, and public art together in dynamic ways. The Atlanta Beltline is a perfect example of this, with 22 walkable miles looping the heart of the city (the shape even resembles a real heart). 

The Atlanta Beltline is 20 years in the making—with over a century of history behind it. This rail-to-trail conversion repurposes four railway belts built to circle the city center in the late 1800s. Today, the multi-use trails provide green space for urban dwellers and visitors, as well as a transportation hub connecting 45 neighborhoods with parks, public art, and a plethora of shops and restaurants. 

My older son moved to Atlanta this year, and we were eager to have a new-to-us place to explore. While attractions like the World of Coca Cola and the Georgia Aquarium are popular spots to visit, walking the Beltline gave me the truest sense of my son’s new hometown—along with an exquisite first taste of the city.

Speaking of taste, my family decided to have lunch before we hit the trail, using the hip Inman Park neighborhood as our access point to the trail. Known as Atlanta’s first suburb, Inman Park is home to grand Victorian mansions and a thriving historic district, with shops and dining. You can find everything from Southern classics to Ben and Jerry’s.

We decided to grab lunch at The Albert Atlanta. Not only does it have dedicated parking (a real plus in the city), but it is also a woman-owned restaurant that’s won multiple awards for its cuisine. The cool interior has the coziness of a neighborhood bar, combined with an upscale vibe. For a fun challenge, see how many vintage signs you can count with the word “Albert” on them. I opted for the chicken and waffles, which had a sweet blueberry compote to balance the heat from the Buffalo chicken. 

With full bellies, it was time to get walking. We hopped on the Eastside Trail and were immediately overjoyed by the city's vibrancy. We happened to visit on one of the first beautiful spring weekends, bringing Atlantians to the trail in droves. While many walked or jogged, bicycling and skateboarding are also popular ways to traverse. You might even spy some 1970s roller skates! We saw street performers break-dancing and drumming along the way, adding a perfect soundtrack to our stroll.

The Beltline is home to one of the nation's largest public art displays. We enjoyed the colorful graffiti-style work covering bridges, overpasses, and sculptures like the 21-foot-tall Wake piece by artist Mel Chin. Located in the Historic Fourth Ward Park, this massive sculpture evokes the bones of a clipper ship, fronted by a female figurehead looking toward the birthplace of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Nearby, an artist in a full-body pink unicorn costume was doing plein air painting, adding quirkiness to the scene, where people played and lounged in the park. A more formal look at art can be found just off the Northside Trail at The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia (bonus: it's free to visit!).

When you think of urban trails, you might not think of nature, but the Atlanta Beltline has that, too. During our spring visit, many trees were adorned with colorful blooms. While we didn’t make it to many of the parks, the Beltline has nearly a dozen lining it. You can find a 35-acre reservoir at Shirley Clark Franklin Park, a massive playground for wheels at the Thomas Taylor Memorial Skatepark, and a splash pad for the kids at the D.H. Stanton Park.

After enjoying the open skies, you might be ready for some shopping and snacks. Head to Ponce City Market to find it all. Built in a massive historic building that was once a Sears, Roebuck, and Co. store and warehouse, the market now features eclectic shops, art studios, and world cuisine, desserts, and drinks. As an extra surprise, a rooftop amusement park offers games, slides, mini golf, and more. 

While our tour of Atlanta’s Beltline didn’t include all 22 miles, we saw enough to see that the Beltline offers a great way for visitors to experience the city’s nature, neighborhoods, and culture. The good thing is that we left more to explore on future visits. Put the Beltline on your Atlanta to-do list—it will definitely be on ours for many return visits.