Discover Atlanta’s urban hikes by walking the Atlanta BeltLine, quadrant by quadrant,

This past Saturday, January 22, 2011, the freshman class of Georgia Tech’s school of architecture stepped off of the Lindbergh MARTA station on 22 mile journey to walk the entire Atlanta BeltLine. As one of the tour guides for the official Atlanta BeltLine tour on the 35 passenger bus, I am a huge proponent of investing that 3 hours on a Friday or Saturday morning to really understand what the BeltLine is about. However, I still believe that nothing can compare to getting out and physically walking the corridor.

This intersection of active CSX railroad, Norfolk Southern tracks, and MARTA rails is an experience unique to an Atlanta BeltLine walk

If you’ve never walked the BeltLine, the impact of seeing exactly how this transit and trails project will connect our city will change your point of view. And I don’t mean politically or morally, but literally – it’s an entirely different way of seeing the city. And it’s awesome.

You've driven this road a hundred times, but have you ever seen interstate 85 from the perspective of abandoned rail lines?

Luckily, these walking tours are not limited to the freshman architecture class at Georgia Tech – you’re welcome to come, too. While you may have missed the first section (from the Lindbergh MARTA station), you can still catch the next three sections over the next three Saturdays.

You've probably driven uder these bridges a hundred times, too. This is looking northeast along the Buford Spring Connector - you know, that really long on/off ramp that runs beside 85 and connects Peachtree to Sydney Marcus.

The tours are led by Angel Poventud and are as follows:

• Saturday, January 29, 2011 – meet at the Inman Park / Reynoldstown MARTA station at 10 a.m. The walk will go to the West End MARTA station where you can take the train back. It should last about 4 hours and cover 6.5 miles.
• SUNDAY, February 6, 2011 – meet at the West End MARTA station at 10 a.m. and walk to the Bankhead MARTA station (this is a date change – it was originally Saturday)
• Saturday, February 12, 2011 – meet at the Bankhead MARTA station at 10 a.m. and walk to the Lindbergh MARTA station

The Ansley Golf Club will soon have trails and transit at its back door. This is a view looking across the golf course and towards Midtown Atlanta.

If you feel so inclined, you’re welcome to search for homes for sale in Ansley Park on the BeltLine – before they all get snatched up!

I love this natural creek running underneath the Atlanta BeltLine and connecting to the Piedmont Park expansion. You can almost see Monroe Drive across the field. These are the types of urban oases you should be on the lookout for when walking the BeltLine!

Would you like to enjoy this walk every day? Check out homes for sale in Morningside – across Monroe Drive from the Piedmont Park expansion! And we’ll see you out walking the BeltLine!