The Perfect Saturday on the Atlanta Beltline
It’s a clear spring day. You wake up around 10 a.m. after an eventful Friday evening, which left you with a slight headache, but you have no responsibilities on the calendar. You are so ecstatic about the unknown potential that you rush into the shower and throw on your favorite outfit. Out the door you go and head off to Muchacho. You have an iced Neapolitan coffee which fulfils your early morning sweet tooth but does not leave you feeling nauseous for the thousands of steps that are in your near future.
Given that it is a Saturday, you head up the beltline towards Breaker Breaker (bonus points if you head upstairs to Florida Man) for a late morning cocktail; maybe something traditional like a mimosa or bloody Mary. After denying a second round from the friendly bartender, you desperately chug a couple of waters in preparation for the day ahead.
Continuing up the beltline you decide to take a house tour through the beautiful neighborhood of Cabbagetown. The cute bungalows of old transport you to a simpler time, before the hustle of modern life consumed you. But no time to think about that and have yet another mid-life crisis, time for Estoria!
Enjoying the patio, you look up at the opportunistic rays of the sun shining through the trees that sprawl over the patio providing just enough sunlight. You are suddenly interrupted by a whiff of spray paint in the distance; you decide to investigate.
You find yourself in the iconic Krog Street Tunnel, with a constant rotation of authorized vandalism that makes the lightheadedness as you exit worth it every time. Maintaining your journey up the beltline, you are greeted by the gentle giant, Mellow Mushroom Guy!
Your mouth begins to salivate as you stare at the larger than life pizza and beer he is holding, as if it was strategically placed before the row of restaurants ahead to lure in hungry travelers. Well, it worked, as you find yourself entering Krog Street market district to gander at all the different vendors until something sounds right.
You end up grabbing a quick slice from Nina & Rafi's and continue on your journey which is shaping up to be one for the books. You quickly realize you should have put on your Hoka running shoes rather than the flimsy adidas gazelles that you thought you looked so cool in. Luckily, as you approach the intersection of the beltline and Irwin St, you are greeted by the abhorrent site of bright green and orange scooters littered across the sidewalk. Although unappealing to the eye, you can’t help but be thankful this city littering travesty exists. You scan the barcode and take off on your modern day steed.
After riding for just a few minutes you see a fantastic day party to your left at Ladybird. You decide to pop in and catch a song or two from the live band on stage. You find yourself sharing a picnic table with a few new friends and slurping down a bag of sweet alcohol juice that is sold like hotdogs at a braves game (did I say sweet??). As you bid farewell and hop on your colorful transportation you are reminded that one slice of pizza certainly cannot sustain this full day of activities.
You take a slight detour behind the Inman Park strip for a $6 sandwich from Victory (maybe two). Satisfying your hunger, you muster the energy to ditch the scooter and continue on foot, back on the beltline heading north. It is now mid-afternoon, and you quickly discover that half the city had the same idea as you. You begin to feel like an adrenaline junkie, quickly dodging barrages of cyclists weaving through the crowd, or packs of one-wheelers who have taken the governors off their speedy devices and maybe the Run Club pack of 1,000 runners or so. It is all very invigorating, and you can't tell if you are just a little tipsy or if the beltline really should have a speed limit... But you walk away unscathed and see the Ponce City Market sign in the distance.
By this point it has gotten a little hot and your sweet tooth has reemerged, desperately begging for a cold treat from Honeysuckle inside. You sit down and people watch the diverse community of Atlanta as you enjoy your cup of creamy goodness. At this point, you begin to feel grateful to live in a city where the experience of the citizen is paramount and where a project such as the beltline is a top priority. Leaving Ponce, you finish your long trek on the patio of park tavern with a nice cold one (and maybe chug another water).
You head home and collapse on the couch after your fun filled cardio event. You think that this is a great opportunity for a movie night, until your phone rings. It is your buddy who just posted up at Manuel’s Tavern. He has a plate of wings on the way and a barstool saved… You will be there in ten.
Written by: JP Tropea
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