Ponce City Market features a free bike valet right off the Eastside Trail.
Ponce City Market features a free bike valet right off the Eastside Trail. (Sarah Doria)

The New Fitness Scene in Atlanta Is Just Peachy

The city has taken a turn toward smart development, livable neighborhoods, and high-energy amenities.

Ponce City Market features a free bike valet right off the Eastside Trail.
Chris Cohen

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Long synonymous with urban sprawl, Atlanta is now home to a wide variety of outdoor activities.  

Eastside Trail

Part of the Beltline project that will eventually circle the inner city with parks and light rail, this 22-mile trail already connects a string of neighborhoods for runners and bike commuters. 

Sope Creek Trails

Seven miles of mountain-bike-legal singletrack just 20 min­utes from downtown. 

Chattahoochee National Recreation Area

The perfect place for rafting, beer-­drinking, and jumping off 30-foot cliffs.

Tree Climbers International

Atlanta has retained an impressive canopy of enormous oak trees, and TCI will get you started climbing them—with a rope and har­ness—at its be­ginner clinics.

Phidippides

​The indie running store has been slinging Nikes since the seventies running boom. 

Piedmont Park Active Oval

The half-mile gravel loop is a Strava proving ground: the current course record is 2:36. 

The Fish Hawk

The staff will gear you up whether you’re chasing North Georgia trout or salt­water trophies. Once you’re outfitted, get a lesson at the in-house school, run with rod maker Sage. 

Outback Bikes

Show up on Wednesday evenings to catch the rowdy 20-mile group ride through the surrounding neighborhoods.

Dick Lane Velodrome 

An outdoor track with weeknight races. No bike? No problem. There’s a rental fleet on hand.

Ponce City Market

A former Sears warehouse that was converted in 2014 into shops and apartments. It features a dining hall full of pet projects by local chefs and a free bike valet right off the Eastside Trail. 

From Outside Magazine, July 2016 Lead Photo: Sarah Doria
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