From Market to Market on the Atlanta BeltLine
On a recent Saturday, I spent the day with a friend walking the Eastside Trail of the Atlanta BeltLine, a vibrant pedestrian and commercial corridor constructed on old abandoned railroads that formally encircled Atlanta. When completed the Beltline will be a 22-miles (35 km) loop of trails, shops, eateries, and parks, that will connect 45 in-town neighborhoods and will showcase Atlanta’s diverse arts and culture.
The Eastside Trail starts at the edge of Piedmont Park in the north and continues south to Inman Park and Old Fourth Ward. Along the way, there are plenty of previously industrial buildings have been adapted for use as residential units, offices, retail, dining, and shopping. On the north side of the trail is the ever-popular Ponce City Market and towards the south sits Krog Street Market. If you are driving, park your car at either end and enjoy the relatively easy walk between these two Atlanta landmarks while enjoying all the people, art, architecture, sites, and fresh air along the way. The distance between these two markets is a mere 1.3 miles (2 km), an easy walk to and from if you park your car at one end or the other and need to retrace your steps.
On this particular Saturday in late January, the weather was warm and lots of people were out walking, running, and even roller-skating along this vibrant section. Aside from people watching, there was art, including excellent graffiti art as well as some interesting sculptures along with the multitude of restaurants, shops, and open-air vendors to peak your interest. We parked our car and started our exploration on the south side of the Eastside trail at Krog City Market, walked north towards Piedmont Park and Ponce City Market, and back again.
Krog Street Market
This was my first time at Krog Street Market, and there looked to be something there to satisfy any and every craving. Part of the larger Krog District, this beautiful indoor food hall is filled with unique, non-franchise eateries including Szechuan cuisine at Gu’s Dumplings, Mexican at Bell Street Burritos, and sushi at Makimono. On my visit, we enjoyed the garlic fries and Korean cheesesteaks at Fred’s Meat & Bread. Compared to their regular cheesesteak, the Korean Cheesesteak is supposed to be spicier, but being from the Caribbean, I found it mild but very tasty just the same. The garlic fries are sized to share. Besides cheesesteaks, Fred’s has a variety of grilled sandwiches, burgers, po’boys, and more. All to be enjoyed with old-style sodas in bottles. I’ll be back to check out some other choices.
After filling up at Fred’s, we were tempted to get some craft beers at Hop City Bar, but as it was still early in the day, we left the market and strolled over to Just Add Honey tea shop for their take on southern afternoon tea. Inside this quaint tea shop is a small eat-in area and a larger shop with a variety of tea and tea serving accessories, such as teapots, strainers, infusers, and cute tea storage containers. We ordered jasmine tea and a dirty chai tea and took a seat outside, where there was a little music and plenty of comfortable seating where customers wait for their tea and pastries to be brought out to them. The staff was very friendly, and the service was quick.
How to get there: Along the BeltLine at Krog Street NE & Irving Street NE – Inman Park Neighborhood.
Ponce City Market
Once we had our fill of tea, we walked north on the Beltline towards Piedmont Park and spent half a day walking, exploring, and people-watching. Finally, we headed back the way we came and stopped in at Ponce City Market for dinner.
Located in the historic former Sears Catalogue building in the Virginia Highland Neighborhood, Ponce City Market has a nice, relaxed vibe and is similar to Chelsea Market in New York City. Aside from having the requisite variety of ethnic eateries serving Indian, Vietnamese, and even Iranian cuisine, there are vegan options including Bar Vegan and black-owned LaRayia’s Bodega for grab-and-go vegan salads, juices, and smoothies. Upstairs, Ponce City Market also has a mixture of brand and non-branded shops such as Anthropologie, Spicewalla, Archer Paper Goods, and locally owned and operated Ponce Denim Company
After a leisurely stroll through the shop upstairs, we settled on Chinese food at Jai. Don’t be discouraged if there is a line, it moves quickly, and the place is much larger than it looks. There are plenty of authentic Szechuan-inspired dishes on the menu as well as some familiar Americanized dishes. Afterward, we treated ourselves to gelato at Honeysuckle Gelato.
If you are new to Atlanta or passing through on a visit, make time to check out one or both of these markets. You won’t be disappointed.
How to get there: Along the BeltLine between North Avenue NE & Glen Iris Drive NE in the Virginia Highland Neighborhood.
_____________________________
More about Atlanta: 5 Simple Steps to Your First 5K Race in Atlanta