Virginia Highland is one of the most popular neighborhoods in Atlanta, full of walkable restaurants, bars and nightlife/music venues.  The closest rail station to Virgina Highland is the Midtown Station, though it is nearly a two-mile walk (roughly 35 minutes) to the heart of the neighborhood.  If you don’t want to walk, the better option is to take a bus.  There are three options:

• Bus 16 departs from the Five Points Station.  This is a great route that leaves from downtown and commutes up North Highland all the way to Loehmann’s Plaza at N. Druid Hills.  It includes stops in Poncey Highlands as well as restaurants north of Virginia Avenue and into Morningside.
• Bus 36 is a more common choice, and this route departs from Midtown and Avondale stations and travels to Piedmont Park as well as the center of the Virginia Highland neighborhood with stops near Murphy’s, Noche, La Tavola, Yeah Burger, Highland Tap, George’s and more.
• Bus 2 departs from North Avenue, Candler Park and Decatur Station and travels down Ponce de Leon Avenue.  Exit at Ponce and North Highland.  This route is frequent, but puts riders much further away from Virginia Avenue.   It does provide access to many of the bars such as Neighbor’s, Hand and Hand and Atkins Park.

If you plan to walk, turn right on 10th Street from the main Midtown Station exit and walk until the road dead ends at Monroe Drive.  Turn right on Monroe then a quick left on Virginia Avenue, which goes up a steep hill.  Walk another 15-20 minutes to reach the commercial district.

Helpful Tips

• Bus 36 does not run very late in the evening.
• Keep in mind that you can always take one bus there and a different bus back, especially if you don’t want to wait for a specific route.  You can look up bus schedules ahead of time online or on your smartphone.  Printed copies of schedules are located at the Five Points Station.
• For sightseeing, consider taking bus 36 and then walk south on N. Highland Avenue to look at shops and have a bite to eat.  Walk to Ponce de Leon Avenue and explore Poncey Highlands and take bus 2 or bus 16 back to a rail station.

For more information, see:
How to Ride MARTA Buses
Using Google Maps for MARTA directions
5 Most Walkable MARTA Stations
Top 5 MARTA Stations to Park and Ride
Train Schedules and Frequency
MARTA Neighborhood Guide