Parks in Atlanta
Atlanta's green space is composed of 343 parks, nature preserves, gardens, and public spaces (3,622 acres (14.66 km2) in all),[1] Piedmont Park having the role of "Atlanta's Central Park".[2][3] In addition, the BeltLine, a former rail corridor that forms a 22-mile loop around Atlanta's central neighborhoods, has been acquired and is being transformed into trails, with the possible future addition of streetcar lines; adjacent land has been acquired and is being turned into several major new parks. The Atlanta Botanical Garden is also a major attraction in the city.
Piedmont Park
Piedmont Park, site of the 1895 Cotton States Expo, is Atlanta's iconic green space. The Midtown park, which underwent a major renovation and expansion in 2010, attracts visitors from across the region and hosts various cultural events throughout the year.[4]
Downtown parks
Centennial Olympic Park forms a centerpoint for downtown visitors in and around which key visitor attractions are located; nearby Woodruff Park and Hurt Park cater to the downtown lunch crowd.[1]
Other prominent parks
Grant Park, located on the east side, is home to the city zoo, as well as the Cyclorama exhibit. Chastain Park, the primary recreational center for the northern Buckhead district, contains an amphitheater for live music concerts. Atlanta's largest park, Southside Park, is remote and nearly undeveloped, and the planned Westside Park in northwest Atlanta, which will be constructed on the site of a former gravel quarry, will eclipse Southside as the city's largest. Also, Perkerson Park in Southwest Atlanta is home to the city's only permanent Disc Golf course.[1] Atlanta's neighborhoods are dotted with hundreds of neighborhood parks such as John Howell Park in Virginia-Highland and Perkerson Park in the Capitol View/Sylvan Hills area.
Nature preserves
Several nature preserves line the south fork of Peachtree Creek in the Morningside neighborhood, including the Morningside Nature Preserve, while part of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area lies in the city's northwest corner.[1]
Atlanta Botanical Garden
The Atlanta Botanical Garden is home to the Canopy Walk, a 600-foot elevated walkway ambling 40 feet from the ground through a 15-acre forest of mature hardwoods, and the only canopy-level pathway of its kind in the United States.[5]
Trails
BeltLine
The BeltLine, a former rail corridor that forms a 22-mile loop around Atlanta's central neighborhoods, has been acquired and transformed into public space. Most of the corridor opened in the late-2000s as a walking path, with plans for development of multi-use trails and, eventually, public transit. A trail has already been constructed near the West End neighborhood, while another one, under construction as of 2012, will connect Piedmont Park to Inman Park. BeltLine projects will increase Atlanta's park space by 40%,[6] including two new parks: Historic Fourth Ward Park, now open, and Westside Park.
PATH
In addition to BeltLine trails, PATH maintains a network of biking and walking trails in Metro Atlanta, including one that traverses Atlanta's east side, traveling past the Carter Center and through Freedom Park.
PATH400 will be a major addition to the PATH network through Buckhead.
The Cheshire Farm Trail lines the South Fork of Peachtree Creek from Lindbergh Ave. to Cheshire Bridge Road, and Maiden Trail parallels Ponce de Leon Avenue in Virginia-Highland.
External links
References
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