Midtown History

Midtown Atlanta is “the heart of Atlanta” because it is one of the city’s oldest and most densely populated areas. North Avenue is to the north, 14th Street is to the south, West Peachtree Street is to the west, and Piedmont Avenue/Ponce de Leon Avenue is to the east, depending on which side you’re looking from. The borders of Midtown are a little wonky. Still, they can get approximated by starting at North Ave., heading west until you reach I-75/85, then heading south until you reach 10th St. From there, go east until you get Piedmont Avenue/Ponce de Leon Avenue, then north until you reach 14th Street.

 

Living in Midtown Atlanta

Within one mile of downtown office buildings, Midtown has tree-lined streets that provide tranquility. On any given day of the year, residents of Midtown can enjoy sweeping views of our cityscape from Piedmont Park or the historic Oakland Cemetery. Midtown is also 18 minutes from an airport, 2 minutes from a MARTA station, and 13 miles from one of the world’s most significant annual sporting events, the Peachtree Road Race, for those days when residents want to mingle with the masses and partake in Atlanta’s award-winning restaurant scene.

 

Midtown is a vibrant neighborhood brimming with possibilities. It may be Atlanta’s newest “center” of gravity, but it is also the city’s oldest neighborhood, with Chastain Park on one end and Georgia Tech University on the other. It’s a neighborhood where corporate executives live next door to schoolteachers, where young people go bar-hopping next door to the business district, and where transit users can take a train into the city or neighboring counties.

 

What is Midtown Known For?

Due to its prime location, access to public transportation routes, walkability factor, and abundance of storefronts offering a diverse range of goods and services, Midtown has experienced tremendous growth in recent years. Midtown has been home to many of Atlanta’s landmarks, such as the Fox Theatre and The Coca-Cola Company headquarters. It now has over 70 restaurants and bars, 100 places of worship, including Christ Church Cathedral, a slew of art galleries and studios, and two performing arts centers: the Alliance Theater at Woodruff Park (founded 1920) and Symphony Hall (based 1947).

 

The Fox Theatre, Woodruff Arts Center, Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Piedmont Park, and The Varsity are landmarks you can find in Midtown. Piedmont Park and the Atlanta Botanical Garden were among the 856 acres (3.45 square kilometers) of green space in 2011.

 

Midtown Population data

The population density is approximately 12,000 people per square mile. Even though the city is only five square miles in size, it has over 100 distinct neighborhoods.

 

Midtown is a vibrant mix of people from all walks of life who share a desire to live in a thriving urban center with all the amenities of a cosmopolitan metropolis. Midtown’s western boundary is Peachtree Street NE, but it extends to Piedmont Avenue with a few exceptions. If you want to explore the oldest neighborhood in Atlanta, check out Downtown Atlanta.