Underground Atlanta

Underground Atlanta covers the oldest, and in many ways most historic, part of downtown Atlanta. Atlanta's birth as a railroad terminus occurred here, and the central business district grew up around the rail lines and depots clustered in this area. As the area grew and developed, separating the rail lines from pedestrian and car traffic became necessary, and viaducts were built over the rail lines, essentially raising the street level one story and leaving the original ground floors of many buildings inaccessible from the sidewalks and streets one level up. For a half-century, the lower level was essentially abandoned, or used only for service and storage.

In the late 1960s, Atlanta's civic leaders recognized the cultural, architectural, and historic value of the area, and began planning a shopping and entertainment district located there. For a few years in the early 1970s, Underground Atlanta was the place to be for dining and entertainment in the downtown area. After only a few years, however, traffic fell off, venues closed, crime rose, and eventually the construction of the MARTA rail lines led to the destruction of several businesses, and the complete closure of Underground Atlanta in 1980

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