by Biloxi Von Lutz

Created on: October 14, 2009

Underground Atlanta is essentially a mall that's been built underneath a section of Downtown Atlanta. It was built when the city raised the level of the streets above and an area underneath was left over, so the city decided to make a mall out of it. Like many things in Atlanta, it's a good idea in theory, but executed poorly. The area is really neat architecturally, and it has always had the potential to be a great area to visit, but the City of Atlanta has never quite figured out how to attract the right clientele.

Underground Atlanta has a lot of things going for it esthetically. The cobblestone roads and the old lampposts create a historic feel, and all the stores are designed to look like early 20th century storefronts rather than just stores in a mall. Even the kiosks are designed to look like antique cars and trucks. There's even an entire strip of restaurants and clubs that are permitted to stay open later than others in the city so as to create a party district. The city has put a lot of effort into attempting to make Underground Atlanta a desirable tourist attraction, but they could never get it quite right.

Basically, Underground Atlanta attracts a rough crowd. In short, there's no real reason for you to want to go there. If you ride the Marta Shuttle to the Braves Game, you're required to walk through Underground to get to the buses to go to Turner Field. In all honesty, you can get your fill of Underground just walking the quarter-mile from the train to the bus. The shops all sell little trinkets and cheap t-shirts that no one really wants, and it's just not a pleasant place to be.

The original World of Coca-Cola was located near the entrance to Underground and that attracted many tourists willing to spend money, but it has since relocated to Centennial Olympic Park, which is a far more desirable locale. Even with a heavy police presence, you never feel particularly comfortable at Underground Atlanta. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's a dangerous place, but I've had people offer to sell me drugs there and homeless people will hassle you occasionally.

Atlanta has many great tourist attractions like the new World of Coke, the Georgia Aquarium, and many museums, but I'm sad to say that Underground Atlanta just isn't one of them. Perhaps in the future that will change, but for now, Underground Atlanta should just be avoided.

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