Old South and New South

Understand

This tour will begin and end at the Five Points Station, taking you through the following areas of Atlanta:

Downtown Midtown

Prepare

Consider buying a Breeze Card for MARTA. The price for a new card includes a $5 fee, which includes 2 rides. The total number of rides taken in this tour will be 4, and each ride is $2.50. A day pass for $8 may be a good deal, if you want to take extra rides.

Go

MARTA trains will be the easiest way to take this tour, as parking is limited and expensive in some areas, and the downtown traffic may cause extra headache.

Begins: Five Points Station Prior to entering the Five Points Station, walk around the adjacent Underground Atlanta. First, walk on the outdoor upper level, which is street level. Look to the left and you will see the Downtown Atlanta skyline and the neon Coca-Cola sign. Nearby is the tower where the Peach Drop is held every New Years Eve. At the end of the upper level, take the stairs down to the lower level. In the wide open area near Johnny Rockets is where the World of Coke used to be, until the new one was built by Centennial Park, where you will go later. Now that you are at the lower level, enter the doors and you will be below current street level and at the original street level, hence the name Underground. The lower level also looks like a brick street with numerous shops on both sides. You'll also see statues and monuments that give information about the history. There is also an old railroad adjacent to the shopping center. Continue onward and you will be able to enter Five Points Station from there.

Next Stop: King Historic District From Five Points, take the MARTA East-West line eastbound to King Memorial Station (E2). From there, go north and you will be in the King Historic District. First, stop by the Visitor's Center for maps and information. Within the King District is the King Center, a museum and information center dedicated to the life and dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as well as civil rights history. In addition, there is the birth home of Dr. King, as well as Ebenezer Baptist Church (the church he used to attend), and his memorial.

Centennial Park and CNN Center From King Memorial Station, take the MARTA East-West Line back westbound through Five Points Station and remain on board until you reach GWCC/CNN Center Station (W1). Exit the station and you will be in front of the CNN Center; walk around the corner and through Centennial Park, an important part of Atlanta's history with the 1996 Olympics. The park also has a memorial for the victims of the tragic bombing du

Returning

If you are ready to head back, you can catch the MARTA North-South Line from the Arts Center Station (N5), if you walked north, or the North Avenue Station (N3), if you walked south. Remember, the MARTA trains stop running around midnight, so you decide to enjoy the nightlife until late, you will need to catch a taxi. Otherwise, take the North-South line back to Five Points Station.

Straying

If you want to stray from the route, you can take the North-South Line further north to Buckhead Station (N7), another popular nightlife spot and upscale shopping.