Take a Scenic Drive Through Atlanta

By Mary Welch

Published October 31, 2023
Last Updated May 24, 2024

Atlanta is known as the “City of Trees” with good reason. The city sits beneath a canopy of maples, Southern pines, dogwoods, oaks and magnolias. Also perched below those trees are beautiful homes, historic homes, even mansions. Take a leisurely drive through Atlanta neighborhoods. Enjoy the trees and see some spectacular homes.

Ansley Park

If you love historical homes should plan a drive through Ansley Park, an intown neighborhood listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Development of the neighborhood began in 1904. Its streets are populated with homes designed by renowned architects including Neel Reid, Philip Trammell Shutze and P. Thornton Mayre. Ansley Park was the first Atlanta “suburban” neighborhood designed for automobiles. Its wide, winding streets are testament to that. Among home styles you will find are Colonial, Federal, Italian Renaissance and Queen Anne. Winn Park and McClatchy Park bring even more greenery into an already well-landscaped area.

Just across Peachtree Street from Ansley Park sits Rhodes Hall, know locally as The Castle. A venue for events and weddings, Rhodes Hall originally was the residence of Rhodes Furniture founder Amos Rhodes. today, the upper floors are the headquarters for the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation.

Where: Ansley Park resides north of downtown Atlanta and west of Piedmont Park, between Piedmont Avenue and Peachtree Street. Rhodes Hall is located at 1516 Peachtree Road NW.

Downtown

The two-story Queen Anne-style home at 501 Auburn Ave. is the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr. Built in 1895, the house is located in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Historical Park on Auburn Avenue. Tours of the interior are limited to 15 people and are filled on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of the tour. Admission is free as is admission to Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park.

Where: 501 Auburn Ave.

Grant Park

The Grant Park neighborhood is located in a 131-acre green space known as, well, Grant Park. It is one of the city’s oldest residential neighborhoods, in southeast Atlanta. Homes vary from Victorian-era mansions to cottages, Queen Anne-style dwellings and Craftsman bungalows. Grant Park also is where you’ll find Zoo Atlanta so don’t miss a chance to visit the zoo while you’re in Grant Park.

Where: Cherokee Avenue

Northside Drive

Northside Drive is perfect for driving in a sports cars because there are lots of twists and turns and pretty scenery. But a better idea is slow down and look at the gorgeous houses — well, mansions. Take your time, there are beautiful abodes on East Conway Drive, Jett Road and Garmon Road.

Inman Park

Inman Park is a hip intown neighborhood known for its cafes, Krog Street Market, the annual Inman Park Festival and Tour of Homes and its inventory of Victorian, Craftsman and Greek Revival homes. Notable houses to look out for are the Woodruff House, former home of early Coca-Cola Co. President Robert Woodruff. Today it is a bed and breakfast listed on the National Register of History Places. Among its amenities are 12-foot ceilings, heart-of-pine floors, antiques, oriental rugs, fireplaces and a Charleston-style walled garden. Look for the Queen Anne Beath-Dickey House, built in 1890. It is located on Euclid Avenue. And don’t miss the Callan Castle, also known as the Candler Mansion, a 1902 Beaux-Arts style home.

Elizabeth Street is the main north-south road in historic Inman Park, Atlanta’s first planned neighborhood. You’ll notice that many of the houses feature a butterfly, which is the neighborhood logo. The butterfly has two faces, one symbolizes the past, the other the future. Created around the turn of the century, Inman Park counted business moguls such as Asa Candler, founder of the The Coca-Cola Co., among its residents.

Where: Inman Park is nestled between Little 5 Points and the Old Fourth Ward.

Tuxedo Park

Tuxedo Park is a Buckhead neighborhood listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The neighborhood includes Blackland Drive, Habersham Road, Paces Ferry Road and Tuxedo Road. The Atlanta History Center is located on Paces Ferry Road, and the Swan House is one of several things to see there.

The Georgia governor lives on West Paces Ferry Road. The governor’s mansion is a three-floor, 30-room, Greek Revival style home built in 1967. Designed by Georgia architect A. Thomas Bradbury, the 24,000-square-foot mansion stands on approximately 18 acres.

Where: Atlanta History Center is located at 130 West Paces Ferry Road NW. The Georgia governor’s mansion is located at 391 West Paces Ferry Road NW.

Midtown

The house where Margaret Mitchell wrote “Gone With the Wind,” is located in Midtown, and it is a part of the Atlanta History Center. Mitchell lived in an apartment inside this home when she wrote her famous novel. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Margaret Mitchell House has been closed for renovations and is expected to open in early 2024.

Where: 979 Crescent Ave. NE

West End

 Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and one of Atlanta’s Historic Districts, West End claims historic homes designed and built in various turn-of-the-century architectural styles. Many of the neighborhood’s trees are as old as some of the houses. Home styles include Craftsman bungalows, Queen Anne and Folk Victorian. One of the most notable homes in West End is the former home of Joel Chandler Harris, creator of the Uncle Remus stories. Known as the Wren’s Nest, the Queen Anne-style Harris Home is, today, a museum that is open for tours.

Where: 1050 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd. SW

Hammonds House

The Hammonds House Museum focuses on artists of African descent. Its 250-piece collection features the work of African American artists from the late 19th century through the present day. Hammonds House Museum offers exhibitions, artist talks, book signings, film screenings, classes, youth programming and other events

Where: 503 Peeples St. SW

Travel north of the city for Scenic Drives and Must-See Waterfalls Near Atlanta.

Journalist Mary Welch writes business and lifestyle stories for local and national publications.