If you are not familiar with the Atlanta metro area, you might be surprised that there are places to live where a car is optional. However, most big cities are a collection of smaller neighborhoods, and Atlanta, Georgia is no exception. Many of these neighborhoods offer tree-lined streets, parks, shopping, dining and access to MARTA — all within steps of your home!
Below, we’ve put together a list of ten great walkable neighborhoods that you’ll find within Atlanta’s Perimeter. Looking for more Atlanta housing insights? Don’t miss our 2020 Atlanta Housing Market Guide.
1. Midtown
Located minutes from Downtown Atlanta, the Midtown neighborhood represents top-notch urban living while also boasting one of the city’s highest walkability scores. Great shops, fine dining, nightlife, green spaces, art and culture are within walking distance of most residences.
Enjoy breakfast at the famed Flying Biscuit Café and browse the shops at Colony Square before spending the afternoon exploring the Atlanta Botanical Garden at Piedmont Park. Then, grab dinner at Park 75 at the Four Seasons Hotel, and walk over to the Woodruff Arts Center to enjoy the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra or the High Museum of Art.
With so much to do, it is little wonder that Midtown remains one of Atlanta’s favorite walkable neighborhoods. Plus, with abundant public transportation access, you might go weeks without even needing your car.
2. Virginia-Highland
For a smaller, quieter, more eclectic vibe, be sure to check out Virginia-Highland (VaHi, if you’re a local), which is located just east of Midtown on the other side of Piedmont Park.
First developed at the turn of the 20th century as a “streetcar suburb” of Atlanta, today VaHi is mostly comprised of restored bungalows and historic homes along tree-lined streets, interrupted at intervals by several cute commercial centers featuring a great selection of restaurants and boutique stores. The neighborhood’s annual Summerfest is a favorite summertime event for Atlantans.
3. Old Fourth Ward
Located just east of Downtown, the Old Fourth Ward (or “O4W” for short) has a sense of urban flair all its own that is fed by this neighborhood’s rich history.
O4W is currently in the midst of a major revitalization movement fueled by its strong sense of community, with many old homes and buildings undergoing restoration and repurposing. For example, the former Sears, Roebuck & Company factory building is now the home of Ponce City Market, a vibrant marketplace of shops and restaurants modeled after New York’s Chelsea Market.
Residents of O4W also have access to the new Atlanta BeltLine via the Eastside Trail, adding to the neighborhood’s walkability factor. By exploring this neighborhood, you will get a feel for pure Atlanta — what it was, what it is and what it will be.
4. Inman Park
Located just next door to the Old Fourth Ward, historic Inman Park is a delightful Victorian collection of restored homes along gorgeous streets. As Atlanta’s first “trolley” suburb, Inman Park exudes historic charm.
You will find plenty of shops, restaurants and green spaces steps away, and every spring, residents enjoy the three-day Inman Park Festival, a citywide celebration of this tight-knit community. Inman Park connects to the BeltLine via the Eastside Trail, and residents can access other parts of the city via the Inman Park/Reynoldstown MARTA rail station.
5. Buckhead Village
While the popular Buckhead area doesn’t wholly classify as walkable — you need a car to navigate all of it — there are subdivisions within Buckhead that are walkable themselves.
Not the least of these is Buckhead Village, a vibrant, fast-growing neighborhood replete with eclectic restaurants and shops set at the feet of a growing number of high-rise condos and apartments. Yet blocks away, you are back into the winding, tree-lined roads with sprawling mansions.
6. Grant Park
Located just southeast of Downtown, Grant Park is a lovely historic community that surrounds its namesake green space, which happens to be Atlanta’s oldest city park.
Home to some of the finest examples of Victorian architecture in the city, the Grant Park neighborhood enjoys tree-lined, walkable streets, while the 130-acre park itself features miles of walking/jogging paths, as well as the ever-popular Zoo Atlanta.
As if that weren’t enough, Grant Park is also a BeltLine neighborhood, which gives residents even more opportunities to enjoy the outdoors — while growing their real estate investment.
7. Ansley Park
Situated just north of Midtown Atlanta, historic Ansley Park is known for its winding streets and abundant green spaces, including Winn Park, McClatchey Park and the park that bears its name.
Located right next door to Piedmont Park and the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Ansley Park residents have easy access to miles of walking and biking trails, including the BeltLine via the interim Northeast Trail, which runs through Piedmont Park and Ansley Golf Club to the north.
8. Reynoldstown
This revitalized neighborhood is rapidly becoming one of Atlanta’s chic hotspots, a haven for artists and creatives — not to mention one of metro Atlanta’s most walkable neighborhoods. Residents enjoy traveling to their favorite coffee shop or browsing the local boutiques and galleries.
Perhaps best of all, the BeltLine Eastside Trail runs right through the center of Reynoldstown from the Krog Street Tunnel to Memorial Drive, enabling residents to hike or bike all the way to Midtown, if they like. Straddling the dividing line between Reynoldstown and Inman Park is the Reynoldstown/Inman Park MARTA rail station, which provides residents convenient access to the rest of the city.
9. Ormewood Park
Situated just east of Grant Park and south of Reynoldstown, Ormewood Park is another Atlanta neighborhood undergoing a revitalization — and with the new Southside Trail of the BeltLine, Ormewood Park’s walkability factor just went up a few notches.
Of particular note is the new Glenwood Park development on the northwest side of the neighborhood. This new mixed-use area is a prime example of New Urbanism, featuring a mix of retail, townhomes and single-family homes all designed to favor pedestrians.
10. Cabbagetown
Originally developed as a community of cottages and shotgun homes as housing for workers at a neighboring mill, today historic Cabbagetown is a vibrant, walkable hub of arts and the new urban lifestyle. An abundance of community-supported murals and street art festoon buildings throughout Cabbagetown.
While many of the cottages and shotgun homes were restored to retain their cute, historic charm, developers transformed the Fulton Cotton Mill into the nation’s largest loft apartment community.
Today, residents enjoy the shops and restaurants along Carroll Street, browsing the murals along the walls of the Krog Street Tunnel and strolling and biking along the BeltLine’s Eastside Trail.
Find a Home in One of Atlanta’s Most Walkable Neighborhoods
If you are ready to search for your perfect home in one of these walkable neighborhoods, or other subdivisions inside Atlanta’s perimeter, contact us today. We are Atlanta’s real estate experts and would be happy to help you find your dream home!