Daniel B.
Yelp
I thought I knew my city until I walked the BeltLine. The BeltLine has shown me parts of Atlanta that I've never seen before, places that I never knew existed. I'm so used to driving around Atlanta in my car. Walking it via the BeltLine has brought a totally different perspective of the city to me.
The Eastside Trail is the Atlanta BeltLine's first finished section. The trail is wide and nicely paved (I'm a fan of paved trails). At the time of writing this review, the trail connects Piedmont Park to the north with Old Fourth Ward and Inman Park to the south. Specifically, the trail starts at 10th and Monroe (southeast tip of Piedmont Park where Park Tavern is) and goes south through Midtown, Virginia Highland, Poncey-Highland, and Old Fourth Ward (passing right by Ponce City Market), and ends at Irwin St in Inman Park right near Irwin Street Market and Krog Street Market. It's about 2 miles long.
So far, I've been on two sections of the Eastside Trail: (1) a small stretch near Ponce De Leon Ave and Ponce City Market where the BeltLine food trucks gather ("Food-O-Rama" setup by the Atlanta Street Food Coalition) and (2) the stretch from Freedom Pkwy down to Irwin St. The trail goes over Ponce De Leon and underneath Freedom Pkwy and North Highland. The trail was busy during my visits which were on warm days in the late afternoon into sunset.
The folks that walk the trail are very diverse. You'll see all ages, races, and walks of life. There are casual strollers (most people on the trail fall into this category), joggers, runners, bikers, skateboarders, rollerbladers, dog walkers, and more. Since there are a lot of people, the trail never feels unsafe (at least not the parts I've walked). The trail opens at 6am and closes at 11pm, daily (City of Atlanta park hours).
It's neat to see restaurants, such as Parish and Kevin Rathbun Steak, from a different angle. I learned of a new one (Ladybird, new to me) just from walking the trail. Since Ponce City Market, Irwin Street Market, and Krog Street Market are all next to or near the trail, they are great places to take a break and grab a bite to eat or something to drink. Also, all the great stuff in Inman Park is available just off the trail south of Freedom Pkwy -- King of Pops (walk-up window), Kale Me Crazy (juice bar), Inman Perk Coffee, Victory Sandwich Bar, Fritti (pizza), BeetleCat (Ford Fry restaurant), Bread & Butterfly (cafe/bistro), and MF Sushi.
There's interesting artwork interspersed throughout the trail. In particular, there's colorful graffiti and murals underneath the bridges (e.g. Freedom Pkwy, North Highland) as well as creative installation art. Trees have been planted by Trees Atlanta in certain sections.
As for parking, I suggest looking for free street parking in Old Fourth Ward or Inman Park and entering the trail via Bernina Ave, Elizabeth St, or Irwin St from Freedom Pkwy towards the southern terminus. On the north side near Piedmont Park, there's a pay lot next to Park Tavern. Alternatively, you can street park for free in the residential neighborhoods nearby and walk over to the access point at 10th and Monroe. Just remember this is Atlanta, so you'll want to park in a well-lit and visible spot and remove/hide all valuables in your car.