The Atlanta BeltLine: A Complete Guide

The Eastside Trail is where it all started and where most people experience the BeltLine for the first time. This 2.25-mile paved path runs from Piedmont Park south through Old Fourth Ward and into Inman Park and Reynoldstown. It follows the old railroad corridor, and you can still see the tracks in some spots.

Walking it north to south, here's what you'll hit:

1. Piedmont Park entrance — tunnel under Monroe Drive, emerge into Old Fourth Ward
2. Ponce City Market — food hall, shops, rooftop amusement park (Skyline Park)
3. Historic Fourth Ward Park — stormwater retention pond that doubles as a beautiful lake, great for a bench break
4. New Realm Brewing — massive trail-side patio with skyline views
5. Irwin Street corridor — food and nightlife crossing (Staplehouse, The Luminary, and more nearby)
6. Krog Street Tunnel — constantly changing street art, the most photographed spot on the trail
7. Krog Street Market — second food hall, home to Ticonderoga Club and Fred's Meat & Bread
8. Inman Park section — winds past historic homes and crosses DeKalb Avenue
9. Reynoldstown — southern terminus, connects to Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall

Trail etiquette: Stay to the right. Cyclists, be patient with pedestrians. Everyone, watch for stroller traffic on weekends.

If you want a mellower experience, go on a weekday morning. Weekend afternoons on the Eastside Trail feel like a festival (which is either a selling point or a warning, depending on your personality).

The Westside Trail is 3 miles of paved path running from University Avenue north through the West End, Adair Park, and toward the Bellwood Quarry area. It opened in 2017 and has a completely different feel than the Eastside Trail: wider, less crowded, and more relaxed.

Key stops along the way:

• Lee + White — The anchor destination. A former warehouse complex converted into a food and beverage hub. This is where you'll find:
  • Monday Night Brewing Garage location (bigger space, more experimental beers)
  • Best End Brewing (lagers and lighter styles)
  • Wild Heaven taproom
  • Rotating food vendors and pop-ups
• West End neighborhood — One of Atlanta's most historic African American neighborhoods, with MARTA access at West End station
• Rose Circle Park — Green space along the route, good for a rest
• Westside Park — A 280-acre park built on the former Bellwood Quarry, with a reservoir, trails, and massive open space

Eastside vs. Westside	Eastside Trail	Westside Trail
Crowds	Heavy (weekends)	Moderate
Width	Narrower	Wider
Food scene	Two food halls + restaurants	Lee + White complex
Best for	People-watching, eating	Running, cycling, breweries

The Southside Trail is the next major section of the BeltLine. When complete, it will close the gap between the Eastside and Westside trails, creating a continuous loop on the south side of the city.

The planned route runs from Reynoldstown south and west through:

• Chosewood Park
• Grant Park
• Peoplestown
• Eventually connecting to the Westside Trail

Sections are currently under construction or in design.

Why this matters: The Southside Trail will pass through some of Atlanta's most affordable southeast-side neighborhoods. For East Atlanta Village, Ormewood Park, and Summerhill, this is the biggest infrastructure project on the horizon. Expect the same kind of transformation that happened in Old Fourth Ward and Reynoldstown.

Beyond the Southside Trail, here's what's planned:

• Northeast Trail and Northwest Trail (northern sections of the loop)
• Streetcar or light rail transit along portions of the corridor
• Additional parks and affordable housing along the route
• Full build-out of the complete 22-mile loop

The full build-out will take years. But the pieces that are open have already proven the concept: give people a safe, pleasant place to walk and bike, and they will.

The BeltLine has become one of Atlanta's best food corridors. Here's what's on (or steps from) each trail.

Eastside Trail highlights:

Spot	What It Is	Don't Miss
Ponce City Market	Massive food hall in a historic Sears building	Botiwalla, Honeysuckle Gelato, rooftop at 9 Mile Station
Krog Street Market	Second food hall, more intimate	Ticonderoga Club, Fred's Meat & Bread, Superica
New Realm Brewing	Trail-side brewpub	Skyline patio views, solid pub food
Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall	Outdoor beer garden in Reynoldstown	Warm-evening vibes, a step above typical beer garden fare
Two Urban Licks	Longtime BeltLine-adjacent favorite	Live music, wood-fired rotisserie

Irwin Street corridor (perpendicular to the trail in O4W): Staplehouse, Watchman's, The Luminary. Plus food trucks and pop-ups along the trail on weekends.

Westside Trail highlights:

• Lee + White — The hub. Monday Night Garage, Best End Brewing, Wild Heaven taproom, and rotating food vendors
• Lean Draft House — Near the West End MARTA station, craft beer and tacos

Planning a food crawl? Start early. The popular trail-side patios fill up fast on weekends, and reservations (where available) are a good idea. Check out our BeltLine restaurants guide for the full breakdown.

Living within walking distance of the BeltLine is a defining real estate category in Atlanta now. "Is it on the BeltLine?" is one of the first questions people ask when house-hunting.

Price tiers by BeltLine proximity:

Location	Relative Cost	BeltLine Access
Directly on Eastside Trail (O4W, Inman Park)	$$$$	Steps away
One block off the trail	$$$	5-minute walk
Westside Trail (West End, Adair Park)	$$	Direct access, lower prices
Southside Trail area (Chosewood Park, Peoplestown)	$-$$	Future trail access

The smart play if you want BeltLine access without top-dollar prices:

• Look at neighborhoods one or two blocks off the trail rather than directly on it
• Consider Westside Trail neighborhoods (West End, Adair Park), which are still more affordable than Eastside equivalents
• Watch the Southside Trail corridor (Chosewood Park, Peoplestown, east side of Grant Park) for areas where trail construction will eventually arrive

The BeltLine has changed the way Atlanta thinks about transportation and walkability. For years, this was a car-first city. The trail proved that people will walk and bike when you give them a safe, pleasant place to do it. That shift is probably permanent.

For a deeper dive into how neighborhoods compare, check out our Atlanta neighborhoods guide.