Couple of quick photos while we were out at Atlanta Streets Alive and on the way back.
A bit of Atlanta history got covered on an international podcast -- listen in as two semi-goofy English historians try to wrap their heads around the KKK. The Atlanta scene only shows up in the third episode, with the founding of the second Klan (the first Klan started in TN),, but the whole thing is worth listening to if you want a better understanding of this region.
And here are a few other interesting pictures I took on my way to and from the beltline, along the Trolley Trail and the Stone Mountain Trail.
The trail currently ends at Boulevard SE, and the next segment for the southside is currently under construction. While exploring this new segment, I encountered two people who seemed unfamiliar with the beltline project as a whole. I'm guessing they live in that area and only paid attention to the local construction. I first encountered a man on a bike who loudly complained about how short the trail was ("10 minute bike ride") while looking at the work in progress for the southside trail. I tried to chime in with information about the expected completion date, but he cut me off to complain about how these things are always delayed and taxes are too high. I didn't bother to explain why I expect they will indeed complete it this summer to show off for the World Cup, or point out that there's a whole OTHER DIRECTION to the trail that extends past Piedmont Park. I also encountered a woman a Wyle street, where the beltline encounters the railroad trackes before turning to go through the Krog Street Tunnel. She simply asked if this was the end, and I described the path to her.
The construction here is more impressive than any other segment I've seen. The trail is often on hilly terrain and includes massive concrete ramps (unfinished) connecting to the neighboring areas.
The beltline made a big investment in planting many large trees along the new segment. Some are showing signs of water stress, so I hope they have a plan to water them, because we can't rely on the sky this year, and it would be a shame to lose those trees. The southern edge of the trail does seem to have a temporary irrigation system under construction.
There is also some nice graffiti where the beltline passes under a bridge. And here's a close up of the entrance mural by the artist seven.
I made it down to the new Beltline segment, completing the SE section. Here is my impression (and photos). At the opening by Glenwood road, there is a beautiful mural by Aysha Pennerman. It looks like an African savanna scene at sunset - pink and orange sky, and the silhouette's of acacia trees and elephants, where the elephants are highlighted with pink and sky blue.
The right-most panel is by a different artist (the Artist Seven) and shows a woman lying in the grass.
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