When I reached Woodruff Park and as I walked along Peachtree St NW, I found another place that caught my interest to have a leisure walk and that was Underground. I first heard Underground place from my colleague at work based in Atlanta. And he recommended me to go there and have some time to look around. When I saw its name from a distance, I felt excited then I walked towards it. Next thing that I saw was the Peachtree Fountain Plaza and the 138-feet tower where the New Year’s Eve Peach Drop happens every year, the 138 feet of the tower symbolizes the 138 miles of the railroad run from Downtown Atlanta to Chattanooga Tennessee, an interesting facts that I learned somewhere. At Peachtree Fountain Plaza is where usually people of Atlanta celebrates the switching of year from old to new.
Peachtree Fountain Plaza
138-feet tower of lights where Peach Drop happens every year
I walked towards Lower Alabama Street and I walked inside Underground. First thing that I saw were kiosks of small retail stores lined along the street. Its kind of discovering a part of Atlanta.
Then, I saw an area where you can take photos of yourself. I was not able to take mine because I was not really good in taking selfie pictures. But it looks like it is a photo booth where you will pay for photos but if it closed at night, I guess you can take photos for free and if you have friends with you can even have a groupie photos.
Photo booth
While wandering inside the Underground, I found some information boards where it tells a historical piece of facts that is worth to know. One of the things that I found were about Architectural Cast Iron which used in buildings after Civil War, then it followed by Gate City Bank in 1885, where there were still remnants of stonework of original buildings that still visible at the time of my visit, the Block Building of 1882, the Pryor Street Railroad Crossing, the Humbug Square and Packing House Row.
Architectural Cast Iron
Gate City Bank
Block Building (Coca-Cola ads)
Pryor Street Railroad Crossing
Humbug Square
Alabama and Pryor Street
Packing House Row
Wandering along the streets of Underground I reached the other end of it which is at Central Avenue SW. Here I found some small exhibits and pieces of information about Underground with a matching of train station platform. It also explained why the Underground exist at all which kind of a solution that people thought at earlier years to resolve the problem between automobiles and trains in busy and crowded roadways through building a viaducts. And that was exactly happened why we have such Undergound in Atlanta.
After enjoying sometime at the Courtesy Station of Underground, I walked back and continued enjoying my walk along Lower Alabama Street. On my way, I found additional carriage stone, a stone for gentry to step on to when people come out of their carriages. And finally, I finished my walking adventure and walks towards reach Five Points MARTA station which located at the start of my walk just below Peachtree Street SW.
End of Lower Alabama Street
Carriage Stones
At Five Points Station
And that’s how I end my walking adventure in Atlanta that day, until then.
Notes:
1. Plan to visit Underground Atlanta ? – Please check latest information here
2. Entrance Fee – Walking in the city is totally free
3. Public Transportation Ticket – Use MARTA Breese Card, here’s the official website, here’s alternative site for the card
4. Directions to Underground Atlanta using train :
If you will ride within Red Line or Gold Line regardless which station you will come from, just remember to get-off at Five Points Station.
If you will ride in any of Blue or Green Line, you are required to transfer at Five Points Station and take Red or Gold Line and get off at Five Points Station.
From Five Points Station, there is direct exit towards Undeground Atlanta.