Beltline: the Final Trail Link and Mark Your Calendars for Inman Park Fest

It's a landmark week for our corner of the city as we prepare for the final piece of the Southeast Trail to click into place. From surprisingly affordable housing wins to the return of festival season, there's a lot to keep up with in the neighborhood right now.

- News — With the final link in the Southeast Trail, our neighborhood's physical landscape is shifting in a big way this week. Also, mark your calendars for the Inman Park Festival later this month.
- Business — We're welcoming a first-of-its-kind THC shop and saying a sudden goodbye to a favorite O4W sports bar.
- Events — Festival season is officially in high gear with SweetWater 420 Fest taking over the park and a packed calendar of live music across our local stages.
- Government — Fulton County leaders are considering a massive $1.36 billion jail bond and a significant boost to paid parental leave for county employees.
- Construction — Between major resurfacing on Ponce and new pedestrian safety projects on Memorial and Moreland, your daily commute is in for some significant updates.

Referral Contest Update: Our current leading referrer has 3 referrals, so it’s still anyone’s game! As a reminder, whoever makes the most referrals by May 10th wins a $50 gift card to Fifth Group Restaurants. Spreading the word and helping us grow means a lot to us and allows us to keep this thing going.

Beyond referring family and friends directly, you can also post / comment your referral link on social (Reddit, Nextdoor, FB groups). Just do so in a helpful, relevant, non-spammy way or people will rightfully dunk on you for posting. As another reminder, you can win rewards beyond just the $50 gift card:

Let’s dive in.

NEWS

New MARTA bus rapid transit to connect downtown Atlanta to BeltLine
Your cross-town commute is about to get a high-tech facelift with MARTA moving forward on a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line designed to link Downtown directly to the East Side Beltline. It's a long-overdue transit upgrade that promises to make the jump from the South Park areas to the business district actually viable without having to wrestle for a parking spot.

Final segment of Beltline's Southeast Trail to open next week
Dust off your sneakers because the final piece of the Southeast Trail puzzle is officially opening its gates to the public next week. This milestone completes a critical link in the loop, allowing for a seamless trek from our neck of the woods further south without the usual urban obstacle course.

Some income-based apartments along Atlanta Beltline rent for under $100 a month, officials say
In a corridor where "luxury" is the default for every new mid-rise, officials are highlighting a rare win for economic diversity with new deeply affordable units hitting the market. For qualifying residents, some of these units are renting for under $100, a move aimed at ensuring the people who make the neighborhood run aren't priced out of living in it.

Beltline officially seeks builder for tricky section, crucial connectors
The Beltline is moving into its most ambitious construction phase yet, officially hunting for a contractor to tackle what has long been considered the most "complex" section of the trail. This project will eventually bridge the gaps between existing paved segments and the more difficult-to-reach terrain, moving us closer to that elusive, fully connected 22-mile loop.

Inman Park Festival & Tour of Homes
The Inman Park Festival is back April 25-26 with its trademark parade, artists' market, and a ticketed home tour through some of the neighborhood's best-preserved historic houses.

BUSINESS

Edibles.com - opening - Edible Brands has officially planted its flag in Inman Park with its first-ever THC retail storefront. It's a significant, sleek addition to the local retail landscape, arriving just as the neighborhood continues to evolve into a major hub for experimental brand flagships ahead of shifting federal regulations.

Big Game - closing - The popular Old Fourth Ward sports bar has unexpectedly shuttered, posting an "effective immediately" notice on its website. Its departure leaves a noticeable gap in the area's local nightlife, as the spot was a reliable destination for fans who wanted a front-row seat to the action without leaving the neighborhood.

EVENTS

It's a massive week for the Old Fourth Ward as the SweetWater 420 Fest returns to Shirley Clarke Franklin Park starting this Friday. Expect heavy foot traffic and a high-energy atmosphere along the East Side Beltline as one of Atlanta's premier music and craft beer festivals takes over the neighborhood.

Monday, April 13
- Dark Tranquillity | Soen | The Masquerade
- Atlanta Run Club: Monday Night Runs | Ponce City Market

Tuesday, April 14
- Allie X | Variety Playhouse
- Atlanta Veg Week Kickoff Party | Patagonia
- Guilt Trip & Malevolence | The Masquerade
- Voxtrot | The Masquerade
- Jonathan Butler | City Winery

Wednesday, April 15
- Melrose Avenue | The Masquerade
- Jazz on the Beltline (Live Music, Margarita & Wine Flights!) | Buena Vida Tapas
- Replay: Pon De Replay — A Rihanna Drag Show | Lore
- Glixen + Trauma Ray | The Masquerade
- Blackstreet & Jessica Care Moore & Malik Yusef & The Queen Sheba | City Winery

Thursday, April 16
- BlackGround Presents: The Big, Black, Beautiful Show | Dad's Garage
- Raf-Saperra - Heavy Steppin Tour | The Masquerade
- Red NOT Chili Peppers | The Masquerade
- Back to Black: An All Black Rock Revue | Lore
- Sip & Sculpt | Buena Vida Tapas Bar
- Taj Mahal & The Phantom Blues Band | Variety Playhouse
- Post Sex Nachos | Aisle 5

Friday, April 17
- SweetWater 420 Fest | Shirley Clarke Franklin Park
- ROAD TRIP! | Dad's Garage
- Improvised Action Movie | Dad's Garage
- Jordan Con 2026 | Plaza Atlanta
- Leonid & Friends | Variety Playhouse
- Club Colada | Lore

Saturday, April 18
- Scandal! - The Bare | Dad's Garage
- Psychedelic Rabbit Fest | New Realm Brewing
- The Primrose Friends LIVE! (Kid's Show) | Dad's Garage
- Food & Street Art Tour on the Atlanta Beltline | 99 Krog St NE
- Jeremy Piven | City Winery Atlanta
- Alice Phoebe Lou w/ John Andrews | Variety Playhouse

Sunday, April 19
- 2016 Throwback Day Party (Brought To You By ATL Friends) | The Masquerade
- Zo! & Tall Black Guy | City Winery
- VNV Nation | Variety Playhouse

GOVERNMENT

Note: it’s an unusually quiet week as many governing bodies take spring break; if you’re new here, you can see what this section usually looks like in prior issues

Meetings This Week
- Fulton County Board of Commissioners — Board of Commissioners, April 15, 2026 at 10:00 AM. The Board will consider a $1.36 billion bond issuance for major renovations and new additions to the Fulton County Jail, as well as funding for the 120-unit North & Oliver affordable housing complex in English Avenue. Other agenda items include the purchase of high-speed absentee ballot scanners for the 2026 election cycle and a proposal to increase paid parental leave for county employees to 12 weeks.

CONSTRUCTION

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Permits
- 348 Auburn Ave NE — A "cold dark shell" is being prepped for a new tenant in Sweet Auburn. The build-out includes polished concrete floors and new partitions, signaling a fresh commercial arrival on the historic corridor.
- 1087 Euclid Ave NE — Commercial conversion for a new restaurant in Inman Park. Work includes painting and new fixtures; a notable update for the neighborhood's dining scene.
- 429 Ponce De Leon Ave NE — Installation of a mobile order pick-up window. This storefront alteration reflects the shifting service model of high-traffic businesses along the Ponce corridor.
- 83 Fort St NE — Installation of a new bus charging station and electrical service. A utilitarian but important signal of expanding electric transit infrastructure near Sweet Auburn.
- 300 Chamberlain St SE — Temporary pole and fire sprinkler permits filed. These are the typical precursors to larger-scale construction or major renovations getting underway.
- 49 Blvd SE — Renovation of a leasing office, including significant fire sprinkler updates. It's a sign of reinvestment in one of the area's multi-family residential hubs.
- 675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE — Interior electrical upgrades for a suite inside Ponce City Market. Typical churn for the massive mixed-use hub as it adjusts for new or expanding office/retail tenants.

Road Work

Under Construction
- SR 8 / Ponce de Leon Avenue (Fulton County) — Resurfacing and maintenance work is underway between SR 3 and SR 42. Expect lane closures and potential delays on this primary corridor serving Ponce City Market and Poncey-Highland as crews work to repair the roadway surface.
- I-75 at Ralph McGill Blvd & Baker Street (Fulton County) — Tunnel lighting is being upgraded from high-pressure sodium to energy-efficient LEDs. This project near the Old Fourth Ward/Downtown border includes replacing conduit and wiring to improve visibility and safety.
- SR 154 / Memorial Drive (Fulton & DeKalb Counties) — Significant pedestrian safety improvements are active between Hill Street and Pearl Street. This multi-county project is adding a new mid-block crossing and Restricted Crossing U-Turns (RCUT) to better manage foot traffic and vehicle flow near the southern end of the East Side Beltline.
- I-75/I-85 Downtown Connector (Fulton County) — Resurfacing work is active from Memorial Drive up to the Brookwood Interchange. This is the first major maintenance on this stretch since 2016; plan for late-night or weekend lane shifts if you are heading in or out of the Sweet Auburn and O4W areas.
- SR 42 / Moreland Avenue at Arkwright Place (Fulton County) — Crews are transforming this intersection into a right-in/right-out configuration. A new median is being constructed to prohibit left turns, which will change how residents navigate between Inman Park and Reynoldstown.
- I-20 from Capitol Ave to Flat Shoals Road (Fulton & DeKalb Counties) — This multi-county project is upgrading the lighting system to LED fixtures. This impacts the southern commute for those traveling between Sweet Auburn and the East Atlanta neighborhoods.
- I-75 Corridor from I-85 to Memorial Drive (Fulton County) — Lighting systems along this stretch of the Connector are being modernized with new LED fixtures, poles, and conduit to improve nighttime safety for the downtown-adjacent neighborhoods.

Pre-Construction
- SR 10 (Ponce de Leon Ave to I-75) — Resurfacing and maintenance on the 0.2-mile stretch connecting the Downtown Connector to Ponce. Expect fresh pavement and likely nighttime lane closures once work begins.
- I-75/I-85 (Baker Highland Connector to Decatur St) — A scoping study is underway for a 1-mile section of the Downtown Connector. This is the early evaluation phase for future corridor improvements through the heart of the city.
- SR 42/US 23 (Moreland Ave between DeKalb Ave and Austin Ave) — Preliminary work to narrow travel lanes from 11.5 feet to 10 feet along this Inman Park/Little Five Points corridor. The project aims to manage speeds and improve safety in the high-pedestrian area.
- The Stitch: Phase I (I-75/I-85 Capping) — Pre-construction is moving forward for the massive pedestrian bridge and capping project over the Downtown Connector, designed to reconnect the city's core.
- SR 8 (Ponce de Leon Ave from Peachtree St to Ponce de Leon Pl) — Safety-focused median work is planned for this busy stretch of Ponce to protect vulnerable road users (VRU) and better manage turns.
- Peachtree St (Ellis St to Baker St) — This LCI project will reconfigure Peachtree Street from a traditional curbed road into a shared-space design between Marietta St and North Ave, prioritizing pedestrians.
- SR 8/US 23 at SR 42 (Ponce de Leon Ave & Moreland Ave) — (Fulton & DeKalb Counties) Major intersection upgrades are coming to this notorious bottleneck. The project will extend the westbound left-turn lane and add a new westbound right-turn lane on Ponce to help clear the queue.
- I-75 Bridge Preservation — Maintenance at four locations in Fulton County involving polymer overlays, joint replacements, and painting. This is essential upkeep for the highway structures surrounding the neighborhood.
- SR 154 (Memorial Drive from Connally St to Grant St) — Extensive corridor improvements are coming to the southern edge of the area. Expect expanded, ADA-compliant sidewalks and the addition of auxiliary through-lanes to help traffic flow between Sweet Auburn and Grant Park.

Utility Work

Atlanta Watershed
- Emergency Road Closure on Peachtree Street — Peachtree Street NW is closed between Auburn Avenue NE for emergency sewer mainline repairs starting April 15. This impacts the edge of the Sweet Auburn area; expect traffic delays and detours near the intersection.
- Emergency Road Closure on Juniper Street NE — The 800 block of Juniper Street NE and its nearby intersection are closed for emergency sewer mainline work starting April 15. While located in Midtown, this is a primary North-South artery for Old Fourth Ward and Beltline commuters; plan for significant neighborhood cut-through traffic and delays.

Service Requests
- Potholes — Seven reports of cratered pavement across the area, including the intersection of Washita and Sinclair Avenues, Jackson St NE, Bernina Ave NE, North Ave NE, and Piedmont Ave NE.
- Traffic Signal Repairs — Six reports for malfunctioning signals (one marked emergency) at major junctions including Moreland and Euclid, Charles Allen and Ponce de Leon, DeKalb and Krog, and Euclid and Austin.
- Litter & Illegal Dumping — Litter removal requests along N Highland Ave NE and an illegal dumping investigation on Colquitt Ave NE.
- Downed Trees — A report of a fallen tree at the intersection of Hurt St and Euclid Ave.