I ventured into familiar territory as we started the trip, back to the same eastside of Atlanta that I’d explored just four months prior. That wasn’t a coincidence. I enjoyed the area so much that I wanted the whole family to experience it too. So it made perfect sense to fly into Atlanta and use that as our starting point.
Old Fourth Ward
That earlier article focused on a segment of the BeltLine trail straddling the border between two notably historic neighborhoods. Regrettably, I couldn’t dive deeply into either place at the time like I wanted, so I put them on my list of future possibilities.
Now the opportunity arose and much sooner than expected. So I picked an Airbnb location within the Old Fourth Ward Historic District just a couple of blocks west of the trail. That let me spend a couple of days on the vibrant streets where I could admire homes built around the turn of the last century and meet the people who lived there.
This neighborhood is one of the oldest in Atlanta and sits just east of Downtown. It underwent its share of ups and downs over the years like many urban areas. Currently it’s experiencing a cycle of vitality and rejuvenation around the BeltLine trail. The area we stayed in — the southeastern quarter — was historically a center of successful Black residents including doctors, ministers and lawyers. Homes located there still reflect refinement and prosperity along with an increasingly diverse population.
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park
Our temporary residence sat on the edge of the Birth Home Block, a part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park and Preservation District.
Dr. King’s father and grandfather both served as ministers at the nearby Ebenezer Baptist Church. They also fit the definition of community success and it made perfect sense for them to reside in the Old Fourth Ward. The home where Dr. King was born and lived for his first twelve years still stands at 501 Auburn Ave., NE. It is a cornerstone of the National Historical Park created in his honor.
The park also included several other facilities including a visitor center, the original Ebenezer Baptist Church, an historic fire house, and a path along a large pool of water with images from Dr. King’s impactful life. The final resting place of Dr. King and his wife Coretta Scott King occupies an island placed within the pool, their tomb surrounded by water. The entire setting is both humbling and inspirational.
Zoo Atlanta
I liked the neighborhood and I would have gladly remained there selfishly the whole time. However, we needed to make this an adventure that everyone would enjoy.
For instance, the older kid is pursing dual university degrees in Zoology and Entomology so naturally we visit a lot of zoos. As a result we devoted an entire day to Zoo Atlanta where we observed every animal and exhibit (map). Another day involved the Georgia Aquarium with the same basic objective (map). Even so, I got a pass on that one because I was taking a working vacation. Some days I worked and some days I vacationed.
More Breweries Too
Also, I still had some breweries nearby that I couldn’t reach on previous trips and I needed to add them to my list. Once again I realize this is more for my personal benefit than the Twelve Mile Circle audience. So if you want to stop reading this now and wait for the next installment I’ll understand.
Elsewhere Brewing
During the Atlanta trip in March I stopped at Eventide Brewing in the Grant Park neighborhood. Back then I failed to mention that another brewery called Elsewhere Brewing, sat literally around the corner just a few feet away (map). I had too much on the agenda so I saved it for later. Well, now was later. Summertime heat made it all but impossible to sit on the patio so we moved to the bar instead. We took it easy with some small pours because we had a couple more breweries in mind too.
Wild Heaven Beer
Next we headed a few miles away to the historic West End neighborhood. We were no strangers to this area either, having visited Monday Night Brewing in 2022. But just like the prior instance, we couldn’t experience everything in a single shot because so many other opportunities awaited.
The next brewery we stopped to see, separated by mere feet from Monday Night, was Wild Heaven’s West End Brewery. They were so closely located that they even shared the same general parking lot. It was getting towards Sunday evening so we had much of the large tasting room to ourselves. Nonetheless it still counted and we had one more place to go nearby.
Best End Brewing
So West End also has a Best End, as in… Best End Brewing. Also, it’s pretty easy to hit all three of the West End breweries in quick succession and on foot right around Mile 0 of the BeltLine trail (map). The total walking distance stretched hardly more than a quarter mile.
And it that wasn’t not enough, the same concentration of businesses included a craft beer bar and a kombucha shop. I wouldn’t advise hitting all of them on a single trip (and I didn’t even try). However, I’m definitely seeing the possibility of a curated and leisurely BeltLine bicycle brewery tour in my future. Gotta give this one some more thought before I return to Atlanta next time.
Articles in the Southern Heat Series
See Also: The Complete Photo Album on Flickr
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