Locate It: Atlanta

Piedmont Park is the premier green space and central gathering place of Atlanta, much like NYC’s Central Park, with postcard views of the Midtown Atlanta skyline. The picturesque park features walking/jogging paths, picnic facilities, playgrounds, tennis courts, public swimming pool, two ponds, and a dog park. Piedmont Park is home to many of Atlanta’s largest annual events including the Atlanta Dogwood Festival, Atlanta Jazz Festival, the Gay Pride Festival, and Screen on the Green. Bring along a picnic or visit the pubs, cafes and restaurants found within a short walk along the corridors of Piedmont Avenue, 10th Street and Monroe Drive, bordering the park.

Adjacent to Piedmont Park is the Atlanta Botanical Garden. An urban oasis in the heart of Midtown, the Garden includes 30 acres of outdoor gardens, an award-winning Children’s Garden, the serene Storza Woods highlighted by a unique Canopy Walk, and the picturesque Skyline Garden. The Garden is an ever-evolving destination where the horticulturally-minded, nature-inspired and fun-seeking families come together to feel human again. Renowned plant collections, beautiful displays and spectacular exhibitions make the Atlanta Botanical Garden the loveliest place in the city to visit.

The City of Atlanta maintains over 3,000 acres of parkland and operates 33 recreational centers. Five parks include off-leash dog parks. The city also operates three 18-hole golf courses – Browns Mill, Chastain Park and Tup Holmes – and the nine-hole Candler Park Golf Course.

The Atlanta BeltLine has increased the footprint of Atlanta’s greenspace significantly with some of the most sustainable and magnificent parks in the city. Each new park removed industrial contaminants from the ground and created beautiful new public spaces for the community to enjoy. Each park was achieved through partnerships with the public and private sectors and strong community involvement and support. The BeltLine will ultimately connect 45 intown neighborhoods via a 22-mile loop of multi-use trails, modern streetcar, and parks – all based on railroad corridors that formerly encircled Atlanta. Current open sections include:

• North: Northside Trail
• West / Southwest: Westside Trail, West End Trail, Southwest Connector Spur Trail, Gordon White Park, Perkerson Park
• South: H. Stanton Park, Boulevard Crossing Park, Arthur Langford, Jr. Skatepark
• East: Eastside Trail, Historic Fourth Ward Park, Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark, interim trails

On the northern edge of the city limits, in the Buckhead area, flows the Chattahoochee River, the 430-mile artery that starts in the North Georgia Mountains and flows across the state, becoming its western border with Alabama until it releases into the Gulf of Mexico. Buckhead’s Chattahoochee National Park is a sanctuary in the city, offering 10+ miles of both leisurely and challenging hiking, and water sports (river rafting, kayaking, fishing, and more).