Category Archives: E2 King Memorial
MARTA to the BeltLine Eastside Trail
The BeltLine is Atlanta’s hopeful light-rail project that operate in a loop around intown Atlanta neighborhoods using existing rail beds. It will also include trails, the first of which will be the Eastside Trail, scheduled to open in 2012 and run from near the King Memorial MARTA Station to Piedmont Park.
MARTA currently crosses this trail in several places. Choose from:
- King Memorial Station – at street level turn right and walk about a block along Dekalb Avenue for the south end of the trail.
- Five Points and Candler Park Stations – board bus 3 on weekdays to reach the Eastside Trail in the Inman Park neighborhood. If getting on the bus at Five Points, make sure the destination of the bus is to the Candler Park Station. Exit the bus around Krog Street and Serpas. The bus will literally go over the trail.
- North Avenue, Candler Park and Decatur Stations – board bus 2 to connect with the Eastside Trail at Ponce de Leon Avenue and Ponce City Market. The bus travels underneath the rail bed and a new pedestrian ramp will be created there. Exit by the huge brick building at the stoplight (across the street is Whole Foods/Home Depot).
- Midtown Station – Bus 36 and 99 have stops next to the Eastside Trail, which runs along Park Tavern and Piedmont Park. Exit around 10th Street and Monroe Drive by the Grady High School stadium.
For more information, see:
How to Ride MARTA Buses
Best of MARTA: Fun/Recreation
10 Easiest Destinations to Get to on MARTA
King Memorial MARTA Station
The King Memorial MARTA station is located at 377 Decatur Street SE, on the blue and green rail line. It is an urban station near downtown Atlanta next to Oakland Cemetery, Pencil Factory Lofts, Cabbagetown, Memorial Drive and the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Site.
Directions
To get to the station on MARTA, you must be on a blue or green line train, which run east and west. If you are coming from the north or south (such as the airport or North Springs/Doraville, you must exit at the Five Points Station and follow the signs to the Eastbound platform to transfer to the first eastbound train that arrives.
Parking
There is no public parking at this station, only short-term spots for passenger drop off and pick up.
Buses
Bus 21 departs from the station and travels away from downtown on Memorial Drive, providing access to Cabbagetown. Weekdays on alternating trips, bus 99 also stops at this station and goes to the Georgia State station in one direction and past the King Memorial and up Boulevard to Piedmont Park and the Midtown Station.
Commute Times
It takes 3 minutes to get to Five Points and from Five Points, 16 minutes to the airport.
More Information
Exploring the King Memorial Station Area
King Memorial Station Restaurants
King Memorial Attractions
MARTA to the Cyclorama
The Cyclorama is a Civil War history museum that features a scroll painting depicting the Battle of Atlanta that has been on display since 1893. The museum also plays a 14 minute film of the battle and contains Civil War artifacts.
Located next to Zoo Atlanta, the best bet for getting to the Cyclorama is take bus 32 from the Five Points station.
For those who wish to walk, the closest station to Grant Park is King Memorial. Plan for a 15 minute walk to the edge of the park and another 10 to 15 minutes to walk to the museum (see walking directions and map).
For more information, see 10 Popular Atlanta Tourists Attractions and How to Get There on MARTA and how to use Google Maps for MARTA directions to get specific bus times and route information.
MARTA to Cabbagetown
Cabbagetown is an intown neighborhood next to Oakland Cemetery, with Memorial Drive on the south and Dekalb Avenue/rail lines on the north (see area map). It hosts the yearly Chomp and Stomp chili and bluegrass festival and is home to the Cotton Mill Lofts, Agave and Carroll Street Cafe.
The easiest route is to get on bus 21 at the Georgia State or King Memorial Station on the blue/green rail line, which goes down Memorial Drive. Exit at Boulevard for the restaurants on Carroll Street, or at Powell Street for more direct access to the neighborhood park. Another known attraction is the Krog Tunnel, which is at the northern edge of the neighborhood, and usually features event advertisements and artist graffiti.
Taking your bike on MARTA is another great option for getting to Cabbagetown. If you exit at the Inman Park Station you’ll have direct access to a bike path on Edgewood Avenue. Take Edgewood to Krog Street and turn left. The ride is only about 10 minutes to the park (see bike route map).
For those who wish to walk, the King Memorial Station is the closest to the neighborhood. It is about a 15 minute walk to the edge of the neighborhood, but a walk you’ll likely want to do in daylight. Turn left/south onto Grant Street after exiting the station and going down the stairs. Turn left again on Memorial Drive and walk past the cemetery to reach the neighborhood. You’ll also walk by other restaurants en route, including Young Augustine’s, The Republic, Tin Lizzy’s, Six Feet Under, Ria’s Bluebird and Mibarrio.
For more information, see:
Exploring the King Memorial Station
King Memorial Station Restaurants
MARTA to Grant Park
Grant Park sits in a historic district of turn-of-the-century homes and contains a large public pool, wooded paths, playgrounds, tennis courts, Zoo Atlanta and more. The park is also home to the Summer Shade Festival that takes place every August.
The closest station to Grant Park is E2 King Memorial. Plan for a 15 minute walk to the edge of the park and another 20 to walk the length of the park itself (see walking directions and map). Otherwise, you can take bus 32 from the Five Points or Civic Center station. This route also connects to the Georgia Aquarium if you want to combine attractions.
For more information, see other Atlanta tourist attractions and how to get there on MARTA.
MARTA to the Sweet Auburn Festival
The Sweet Auburn Festival takes place on Auburn Avenue, from Courtland Avenue to the King Center (see area map and festival map). The two closest MARTA stations to the event are the Georgia State and King Memorial stations. If you are coming from the north or south rail lines, you must exit at Five Points and follow the signs to the Eastbound platform. All eastbound trains go to both stations.
Expect to walk slightly less than 15 minutes to get to the festival from either station. Other things to consider: the walk from the Georgia State station is through the Georgia State University campus, (thus typically safer, though slightly longer) and the walk from King Memorial is through a newly developed area with apartment buildings.
- If you exit at Georgia State, take the Piedmont Avenue exit out of the station and turn right onto Piedmont. Walk about three blocks and you’ll reach the end of the festival near the Calhoun stage.
- If you exit at the King Memorial station, at street level cross over Decatur Street/Dekalb Avenue and walk north along Hillard Street.
You can also take bus 99 from the Midtown or Georgia State stations or bus 3 from Five Points or Candler Park (weekdays only) to get there as well.
For more information, see:
Exploring the King Memorial Station
King Memorial Attractions
King Memorial Station Restaurants
Using Google Maps for MARTA directions
10 Easiest Destinations to get to on MARTA
MARTA to Oakland Cemetery
The historic Oakland Cemetery is right next to the King Memorial Station (see map). It is very easy to get to on MARTA. If you are coming from the north or south, exit at the Five Points station and follow the signs to the Eastbound platform. You can take any eastbound train to King Memorial and upon exiting the station, turn left to walk along Hillard/Grant Street and the entrance to the cemetery will be a couple blocks away.
The cemetery has regular events, including Halloween tours and Sunday in the Park, along with a new event this year called the Tunes from the Tomb, a two-day music festival that supports the cemetery.
For more information, see:
King Memorial Station Restaurants
Exploring the King Memorial Station Area
10 popular Atlanta tourist attractions and how to get there on MARTA
MARTA to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and Historic Site is near downtown Atlanta and offers many free programs and tours along with nearby Ebenezer Baptist Church and the home where King was born. The nearest MARTA station to the King Center is the King Memorial Station on the blue/green rail line. You can walk 15-20 minutes to reach the site, though it is still somewhat in a transitional area and best walked during the day time and in a group. From the station, cross over Decatur Street and walk straight ahead on Hillard Street to Auburn Avenue and turn right (see the walking map).
It is better to take a bus to the historic site. There are two routes you can choose from:
- Bus 3 travels to the area on weekdays, departing from Five Points and the Candler Park Station.
- Bus 99 departs from the Georgia State Station and King Memorial Station weekdays on alternating trips (weekends just Georgia State) and also at North Avenue weekdays non-peak and all other times at Midtown Station. The King Memorial is located closest to the Georgia State and King Memorial stations.
For more information, see:
10 Atlanta Tourist Attractions and How to Get There on MARTA
Exploring the King Memorial Station Area
King Memorial Station Restaurants
How to use Google Maps for MARTA directions
How to Ride MARTA Buses
Walking to the Atlanta Zoo
Zoo Atlanta is no short stroll from the closet MARTA station, but if you are up for urban exploring or exercise, it is about a 30 minute walk, which you can also break up with brunch, lunch, dinner or drinks.
The closest MARTA station to the zoo is King Memorial. The station sits at the corner of Decatur Street and Grant Street. Make a left on Grant Street (Hillard Avenue is the name of the street going the opposite direction) heading southbound. Memorial Avenue is the first stoplight. Cross over the street then left onto Memorial. Here you will find several restaurants, including a good brunch spot – Ria’s Bluebird, a gastro pub – Young Augustine’s, and a couple other restaurants with rooftop views, including The Republic, Tin Lizzy’s and Six Feet Under.
Turn right at Ria’s Bluebird onto Cherokee Avenue. This street will take you over I-20 and runs alongside Grant Park. On the way you’ll go by Grant Central Pizza & Pasta and Dakota Blue, other eateries.
The zoo entrance is toward the southern end of the park. For other options, see the bus route to/from the Atlanta zoo.
For more information, see:
Top 5 Most Walkable MARTA Stations
How to Use Google Maps for MARTA Directions
10 Popular Atlanta Tourists Attractions and How to Get There on MARTA
MARTA to the Atlanta Zoo
Zoo Atlanta is located in Grant Park, southeast of downtown Atlanta. The zoo is known for having pandas, and it also features a children’s area and regular events such as Brew at the Zoo and Jazzoo.
The closest MARTA station is the King Memorial Station, but unless you want to walk 30 minutes, it is best to take a bus (see walking directions from the King Memorial Station if you would like to walk and combine travel with eating at an area restaurant).
Bus 32 goes to the zoo from the Civic Center and Five Points Stations. Tell the driver your destination for an easy commute. The bus runs every 30 minutes on the weekend and every 20 minutes weekdays, plus additional bus service during rush hour. Riders can print schedules online or pick up a printed copy of the bus schedule at the Five Points Station. If you plan to connect to the bus at Five Points, the bus picks up at the intersection of Alabama and Forsyth Streets. Take the Forsyth Street exit out of the station and turn left. Once on the bus, the ride from Five Points to the zoo is about 10 minutes (see area and bus stop map).
The zoo is not very visible from the street, but sits in the southern end of the park. Next to the zoo you will also find the Cyclorama and Civil War Museum, which has the world’s largest painting (of the Battle of Atlanta).
For more information, see:
How to ride MARTA buses
How to Use Google Maps for MARTA Directions
10 Popular Atlanta Tourists Attractions and How to Get There on MARTA
