I spent this past Sunday morning walking around with a friend at the Grant Park farmer’s market and it reminded me of why this historical neighborhood is a favorite amongst the locals. I show a lot of homes to clients in Grant Park and thought it was about time that I create a list of things to do in Grant Park.
THINGS TO DO IN GRANT PARK
Dining:
Start out the morning by having breakfast at Ria’s Bluebird or Stone Soup Kitchen. Both are very popular spots for brunch on the weekend so be prepared to wait in line on the weekends. Both restaurants also serve up lunch too with some tasty sandwich and salad selections. If you want some other lunch options, head on down Cherokee Street to a cute corner featuring 2 quaint restaurants – Dakota Blue and Grant Central Pizza. Dakota Blue serves up a selection of sandwiches/burgers, tacos, & burritos. (My favorite is the bbq pork sandwich). Grant Central Pizza lets you build your own pizza or pasta but also offers their own specialty pizzas you can order as well. If fish is more your thing, don’t miss stopping by Six Feet Under off of Memorial. Get a shrimp po’boy and cocktail and head upstairs to their open patio and enjoy views of the Atlanta city skyline.
Oakland Cemetery:
If you choose to dine at Ria’s Bluebird, Tin Lizzy’s or Six Feet Under, cross the street and walk through the Historical Oakland Cemetery. It’s free to walk through but if you are one that wants to know more of the history, you can do a guided walking tour for $12 (adults)/$6 (kids). The Oakland Cemetery also hosts a number of events throughout the year. A fun one to enjoy is the Run Like Hell 5K held in April. Lace on your sneakers and take a jog through the cemetery — how many times do you get to do that?
Enjoy the Park:
The actual Grant Park is Atlanta’s oldest park and the 4th largest. Expect to find people jogging or walking around it at almost all times of the day. There is playground equipment to keep the children entertained, lots of open green spaces perfect for a picnic, a public swimming pool open during the summer, and the Grant Park Zoo, a popular spot for families to view an arrangement of animals. Residents that live near the zoo even hear the animals chattering once in awhile.
Grab a Coffee, Smoothie, & Pastry:
If you’ve worked up a small thirst or appetite after walking around Grant Park, swing on by Grant Park Coffeehouse (located just across from the zoo entrance on Cherokee St) for a quick break. They serve up an assortment of coffees, refreshing fruit smoothies, delicious pastries, and if you need something a little more, they also have some simple deli sandwiches you can order.
Victorian Houses:
If you want a victorian house in Atlanta, Grant Park is the place to be. Enjoy viewing historical victorian houses on pretty much every block in the Grant Park neighborhood. Grant Park has been growing in popularity for homeowners with its affordability and close proximity to downtown and major highways. Prices are much more affordable here vs other intown locations, but prices are steadily increasing. In fact, the average sales price has increased from 2013 to 2014 by ~10%. And thus far as of the end of August 2015, the average sales price has increased another 10% over 2014. The homes in Grant Park range from small homes (1,100 sq ft) to much larger victorian homes (2,000 sq ft+) with the current average sales price around $342,000. A majority of the homes are chopped up into many small rooms however more people have been renovating the interiors to allow a more open floor plan (and be ready to pay more for that too — think over $500K).
Farmer’s Market:
Don’t forget about the Grant Park farmer’s market that happens from 9:30-1:30 each Sunday in the park. This is located just off of Cherokee Street right near the northern section of park. This is one of the bigger farmer’s markets in Atlanta and showcases an assortment of fresh veggies, breads, jams/honey, meats, granola, and more.
The Beltline Coming Soon:
Many people have heard that the popular beltline trail will be making its way through Grant Park, and yes that is true (as far as I know anyways!). I think a lot of people expect the beltline trail to be right next to the park, but this is untrue. It’ll be located several blocks east of Boulevard along the old railroad track line. As you can see from my photo, it’s current state shows no signs of construction yet. When will the beltline actually be built in Grant Park? That’s a good question as the beltline construction process has been a long ongoing process for many years. However, I can tell investors are planning on the beltline phenomenon and I’ve noticed a lot of new construction happening closer on the east side of Grant Park in preparation for the beltline popularity. Grab a house now while it’s still affordable!
Hopefully this gives you a better insight of things to do in Grant Park. It’s a small, cozy neighborhood filled with friendly neighbors. If you think you may have interest in living in Grant Park, check out current homes for sale in Grant Park HERE.
