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Urban Hikes: Twilight Tours
By Collin Kelley, Managing Editor
 Walkers meet on the steps of First Church of Christ Scientist at Peachtree and 15th streets for the Ansley Park hike.
Put on your walking shoes and bundle up as the Atlanta Preservation Center wraps up its 2006 Twilight Guided Walking Tours this month with strolls around Midtown, Druid Hills, Ansley Park and Inman Park.
According to tour founder and organizer Rebecca Roberts, the early-evening strolls were created two years ago to beat the summer heat. "We were doing the tours in the morning and afternoon and it was just too hot," Roberts recalled. "We decided early evening might bring us more participants."
The 90-minute walks begin at 6 p.m. and are led by guides who know their neighborhood history and architectural details, Roberts said. "The guides talk about how the neighborhoods were created, who lived there and their place in history," she said.
Roberts said each group averages about 10 people, so it’s easy to keep up and listen to what the guide has to say. "We think the October tours will be especially lovely with lights coming through the old windows," she said.
The tours cost $10 each ($5 for students), and tickets should be purchased in advance by calling (404) 688-3353.
Historic Midtown , Oct. 5: Starting with the Peters House in 1883, Midtown was developed along three streets, Piedmont and Penn avenues and Myrtle Street, which are featured on the tour. Meet at the parking lot of the former Mansion Restaurant (Peters House) at the corner of Piedmont and North avenues. (Parking is $2).
Druid Hills, Oct. 13: Planned in 1893 by world-renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Druid Hills is noted for its landscape and diverse residential styles designed by Atlanta’s top architects. Meet at St. John’s Lutheran Church, corner of Ponce de Leon Avenue and Oakdale Road.
Margaret Mitchell’s Ansley Park, Oct. 14: Developed beginning in 1904, Ansley Park is Atlanta’s first driving suburb and home to Margaret Mitchell for most of her life. Meet on the steps of First Church of Christ Scientist at Peachtree and 15th streets.
Inman Park, Oct. 19: Dating from 1889, Inman Park is a showplace of elegant Victorian homes, whose owners included Coca-Cola magnates Asa Candler and Ernest Woodruff. Meet at King-Keith Bed and Breakfast, 889 Edgewood Avenue.
More details: www.preserveatlanta.com
To measure your mileage, visit www.ustaf.org and click on road running.
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