The website for Emory University libraries has a nice selection of old maps of Atlanta, including this one from 1927. I’ve included a section of it below that shows the area of South Downtown just southwest of Underground Atlanta. The coolest part of the maps on the Emory site is that they overlay with modern street maps.

Related: maps maps I love maps!

Let’s look at a particular set of streets from this image – round about the intersection of Forsyth Street and Trinity Avenue. Notice the dark blocks that show where city buildings were. This area was full of activity in 1927.

Now lets looks at a satellite view of what’s currently at this location. Notice that the buildings – most of them, anyway – are gone. Instead, we’ve got surface parking lots that stay empty most of the time.

What will it take to get the owners of these parcels to use them in a more productive way? I’ve been waiting to see something good happen in this spot since 1993 when I used to hang out at the Homage Coffeehouse on Trinity. It looks today just like it did then, minus one coffeehouse.

If you’ve got ideas for how to improve this or any other part of South Downtown, you can put them in the survey on this page via the Share Your Thoughts button.

If this image sounds familiar to long time readers, it’s because I posted a very similar thing one year ago, with different images. I’ll keep posting about it until something happens! This is the historic heart of the city. Plus, there’s a MARTA rail station just out of view – shouldn’t we be using this rail-adjacent property in a better way? City leaders? Anyone?

And speaking of past posts – this month marks the five year anniversary for this blog. I started it just before my family moved to Downtown Atlanta, so the site is mostly a chronicle of my observations on the city after having moved to the center of it. Thanks to all of my followers for reading along.