Springtime strolls

Southern Living, Mar 2003 by Thompson, Annette

Park the car, and revel in the season amid the glorious blooms of Atlanta.

When the sky turns blue and redbuds send out purple blossoms above pink azaleas, I take to the streets. Just as the flowers emerge to shine in the warm day, I, too, shed any winter blahs with a springtime walk.

Some of the South's prettiest seasonal displays bloom this month and next in Atlanta. The city's neighborhoods invite us to park our cars and leave the traffic behind. Many times I explore alone or with a friend, better to concentrate on the glorious natural adornments of the handsome historic homes. Other times, I'll join a guided tour and learn some background on how these communities stay vibrant. So grab a map, and join me.

Ansley Park's Dogwood Days

Sometimes the best walks await just around the corner. Such is the case with Ansley Park, a garden neighborhood on the National Register of Historic Places and tucked between Peachtree Street's High Museum of Art and Piedmont Park. You can get there from the MARTA Arts Center Station. (MARTA is Atlanta's public transportation system.)

Ansley's curving streets offer sidewalks that meander under towering trees with Midtown's skyscrapers peeking between the tiny new leaves. Developed around 1905, the community has wide green lawns and pretty little parks that can keep you happy for half an hour or half a day. Bring along a picnic lunch to plop down at Winn Park. (Try carryout from Woody's. See page 18.) Here a lovely swing catches breezes, while a stream trips and falls between azaleas. The homes all show the affluence of their time, mixing Italianate villas with Romanesque, Craftsman, and Georgian styles.

The Atlanta Botanical Garden and Piedmont Park border the east side of Ansley. Both include traditional walking paths that stay busy with strollers on good-weather days.

Recently renovated Piedmont Park shows off its best side during the Atlanta Dogwood Festival (April 11 through 13). Springtime revelers fill this huge urban green space with three stages, dozens of musicians, hundreds of artisans, and the fun-to-watch Disc-- Dog Southern National Competition.

Suggested Ansley Park route (about 45 minutes): Park along Peachtree Circle, and walk south. Turn left onto Lafayette Drive at Winn Park. Turn right onto Yonah Drive. Turn right onto 15th Street, which leads to Peachtree Street. Walk north past First Church of Christ, Scientist; the Woodruff Arts Center; and the First Presbyterian Church. Then turn right onto 17th Street, which leads back to Peachtree Circle and your car.

Incredible Inman Park

Victoriana rules the architecture of Atlanta's first planned trolley suburb. Inman Park began in 1889, just 2 miles from downtown. The neighborhood fell into neglect after World War I; then rigorous restoration began in the 1970s. Today, it's a delightful area with lovingly maintained historic homes alongside some modern interpretations of traditional styles. Amid the dogwood blossoms, wisteria, and huge mounds of azaleas reside homes with elegant porches, intricate gingerbread, and towering turrets.

Inman Park is very accessible, and one of the best ways to explore it is on an Atlanta Preservation Center tour ($10 per person, March 1 through November 30). Meet at 2 p.m. on a Thursday or Sunday at the highly decorated Queen Anne-style 1890 King-Keith House bed-and-breakfast at 889 Edgewood Avenue. A chatty volunteer describes how this area, once devastated during the Civil War's Battle of Atlanta, became prime real estate in the waning decade of the 19th century. You'll stroll past the Tudor Revival Woodruff house with its 30 rooms as well as Asa Candler's 15,000-square-- foot Beaux Arts-style Callan Castle. You'll also see homes designed by Atlanta's first female architect, Leila Ross Wilburn.

Each April (25 through 27 this year), Inman Park holds a delightful Spring Festival and Tour of Homes. In addition to offering a street market with antiques and crafts, the event includes a juried arts-and-crafts show, a zany parade, and live entertainment.

Another wonderful area on the northern edge of Inman Park is the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. Each year flowers grace the entrance, while a 35-acre park entices visitors. There, walkways, blooming annuals, a wildflower meadow, and a rose garden surround two serene lakes and a waterfall. Runners, cyclists, and skaters travel along the PATH, a trail that stretches from near downtown to the eastern neighborhoods.

Suggested Inman Park route (about one hour): Park on Edgewood Avenue, near Inman Park Elementary School. Walk east past the Trolley Barn, and either turn left onto Elizabeth Street or Hurt Street. Turn left onto Waverly Way, and then right onto Euclid Avenue, which leads you back to Edgewood Avenue and your car. You can start on Hurt Street if you arrive via MARTA's Inman Park station.

Walking for Art's Sake

Once a month, 15 downtown art galleries are open from 5 to 8 p.m. for viewings, hors d'oeuvres, and chats with the artists. Turner's First Thursdays has transformed the business district into a fun and crowded spot. The venues include well-established ones such as the High Museum of Folk Art and Photography Galleries, APEX Museum, the Georgia State University Gallery, and the SunTrust Plaza Gallery, along with artists' workspaces and performance art spaces.