Saturday, January 29, 2011

A Day On The Beltline: Southeast Atlanta

IMG_0163
Renown for its traffic jams, the Atlanta perimeter highway I285 is emblematic of the city's sprawling growth model and a commuting challenge for many who would venture from one part of town to another. In a bygone era, most goods were shipped by rail instead of roads. The remnants of that local system are being reimagined as a 22 mile inner loop for pedestrian and light rail traffic, the Beltline. Saturday a sizeable group gathered at the Inman Park-Reynoldstown MARTA station for a 6.5 mile urban trek along its corridor through southeast Atlanta, ending at the West End station.
IMG_0099
First we heard from Chris Campbell, proud owner of the first Volt in Georgia. This sleek hybrid car differs from the Prius et al in that its gasoline motor works only to charge the batteries. Like a locomotive, its impetus is entirely electric. The first 35 miles of travel are battery powered. Only then does the gasoline motor fire up. Fuel consumption from Washington, DC to Atlanta averaged 37 mpg, but he hasn't bought gas for it since arriving here in December. Overnight electrical charging from a standard outlet all but replaces the pump. Chris demonstrated the awesome electric torque while zooming in near silence 'round the parking lot.
IMG_0120
Our guide for the walk was Angel Luis Poventud, an urban cyclist and Wonderroot board member whose day job as a CSX freight conductor lent unique insight to the project. He even knew the archictect who created this stunning bit of trackside modernism.
IMG_0118
Enough digression: this is a fashion blog, after all. While creativity shows in the handpainting she lavished on these shoes, her ventursome spirit wore them on this ardurous hike. Check the old school film camera. 'Tis fun to see so many children of the digital age using analog media. Is theirs a yen for something personal and tangible, like a fountain pen and paper instead of Word and a computer?
IMG_0122
IMG_0121
The urbanscape provided ample photo ops for all of us.
IMG_0144
IMG_0125
IMG_0133
IMG_0128
IMG_0139
hat: greatgrandmother's
scarf: maid of honor gift
shades: vintage Ray-Ban Wayfarer
coat: Guess
cardigan: Nordstrom
jeans: WalMart
IMG_0154
"This is my to do laundry look," she laughed. Some people just know how to mix it.
jacket: Lucky Brand
shirt: GAP
cardigan: TJ Maxx
jeans: Express
bag: Parcel
IMG_0180
IMG_0175
IMG_0176
Our track walk may have ended at Allene Avenue, SW but the fashion show continued with an impromptu urban photo op en route to the West End MARTA station.
IMG_0182
IMG_0185
IMG_0188
IMG_0198
IMG_0209
For reasons best known to MARTA, it was necessary to change trains at the King Memorial station. This minor delay gave me yet another photo op, one with the talented Mister Friday. Rock that fixie!

6 comments:

  1. Great day indeed! Thanks for posting pics.

    ReplyDelete
  2. this is such a fun set of pictures, weather looks great over in the ATL =)
    xxomeli

    ReplyDelete
  3. @NT-You're welcome!
    @meligrosa-Fun it was and more segments of the loop will follow. Who knew about sunscreen in January?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Too funny. I ran this just a few hours before y'all walked it. Story here: http://rundaddy.blogspot.com/2011/01/get-on-good-foot.html

    ReplyDelete
  5. Just wanted to share a video about the construction of the BeltLine Tree House that you have pictured here. It was done during an Atlanta Pecha Kucha event.

    http://vimeo.com/7506406

    Enjoy.

    Angel Poventud

    ReplyDelete
  6. @Reid This weekend's walk from West End to Bankhead will occur on Sunday, not Saturday, allowing the trail to dry.

    @Angel Fascinating!

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...