Underground Atlanta: Experience what lies beneath
Published: Feb 18, 2009
As a general rule, underground is not usually somewhere you want to be -- unless you're in Atlanta. Because in this city, Underground Atlanta is where people go to shop, dine and play.
The Alabama Street area, between Peachtree Street and Central Avenue, has had its ups and downs throughout the history of the city, but today it serves Atlanta residents and visitors as a thriving entertainment hub.
Underground Atlanta is in the heart of city, close to the State Capitol and the Martin Luther King, Jr. History Center. Ironically, it wasn't always underground. The area began as the Zero Milepost for the state charted railroad connecting Atlanta to Chattanooga. And the Alabama Street area turned into the new city center during the mid 1800s.
But it was heavily struck and brought to ruins by Union General William Tecumseh Sherman during the Civil War. When the war ended the city had to rebuild the area once again.
By the 1920 automobiles made it necessary to construct iron bridges to cross the railroad tracks. But in need of a better flow of traffic, the bridges were rebuilt in concrete and then connected at the bridge level to create a lengthy mall space above what were the original streets.
In order to continue serving customers at street level, merchants moved their shops up one level and left the original fronts for storage and service entrances; though many were turned into speakeasies during the Prohibition.
In 1968 the area was declared a historical site and city leaders got to work preserving Underground Atlanta. After a $142 million revitalization project in 1989, the site was turned into the go-to place for shopping, dining and entertainment we know it as today.
There are over a dozen restaurants and fast food choices. Visitors can go shopping for everything from jewelry to home decor. Eight nightclubs draw crowds with their later-than-usual closing times. And families are encouraged to come to fun area events, including the South's famous Peach Drop on New Year's Eve. The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority even built its Five Points station adjacent to Underground for easy access.
Because of its unique entertainment value and historical significance, Underground Atlanta is a must see, shop and dine for everyone.
- by Christine Foster, Atlanta Reporter for HelloMetro
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