Decatur, GA Road Trips

Decatur is the county seat of DeKalb County. This historic city was founded in 1823 - before neighboring Atlanta. It has beautiful homes, historic places of worship and several institutions of higher learning. Centered on the historic Decatur Courthouse, Decatur has become a hot destination for college students and young professionals who want hip bars, great restaurants, and walkable neighborhoods, as well as for families who are drawn to the excellent independent school district. In addition to the single-family homes in old neighborhoods surrounding the central business district, there are several mid-rise condominium developments in the downtown area, breathing life into the downtown community. While it may appear to be a typical southern city, Decatur marches to the beat of a different drummer. It declined to become a railroad transportation hub for the southeast in the 19th century, resulting in the founding of Atlanta to its west. Both delegates from DeKalb County voted against secession in 1861. Decatur is one of the few parts of the sprawling Atlanta area that blends a small-town feel with an open-minded, freewheeling, artsy sensibility. Decatur remains notable for its diversity. Founded by Scottish, Irish, and English immigrants, the city remains majority Caucasian, but there is also a substantial African-American population, a lesbian community and Ethiopian immigrants. North of the city is a Greek-American community, and northeast of the city (around Church St., Scott Blvd./Lawrenceville Hwy.

1 Your Dekalb Farmers Market, 3000 Ponce De Leon Ave, ☏ +1 404 377-6400. Although a grocery store is not high on most tourists' list of things to see, this international market is a spectacle that is worth the trip. The enormous store employs people from around the world (their name tags tell which languages they speak) and has nearly any type of meat, vegetable, fruit, spice, or otherwise edible item you could imagine. The cafeteria closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but has reopened. Open 7 days a week. (updated Sep 2025) 2 DeKalb History Center, 101 E. Court Sq (in the Decatur Courthouse). Step outside on the north side of the courthouse to view the "seated statues" and the south side to view the Decatur Square, home to various restaurants and prominently featured in TV and film productions, most notably HBO's 'Watchmen'. Walk down to West Trinity Place to see the History Center's historic complex of three antebellum structures. 3 Decatur Cemetery (on Commerce Drive about two blocks northeast of the square). One of the oldest operating cemeteries in Georgia. Check out the Civil War graves (to your left at you enter), sit in the pleasant gazebo, or take a stroll around the lake. Look out for the ducks, which are aggressive. Also check out the circa-1880 Fraser Building, at the Church Street entrance to the cemetery. 4 Emory University. Check out the excellent Michael C. Carlos Museum, 571 South Kilgo Cir., +1 404 727-4282 [2]. Walk around the English Renaissance Lullwater House and nearby Candler Lake (formerly Lullwater Lake).

Listen to a hot local act at neighborhood institution Eddie's Attic,directly south of the square. Bands usually play an all-ages and an adults-only show. Eddie's Attic is located at 515 N. McDonough (on the second floor of the former Belk's Department Store). 1 OnStage Atlanta, Suburban Plaza, 2597 North Decatur Rd, ☏ +1 404 897-1802. Atlanta's 3rd longest running theatre. 2 PushPush Theater, 121 New St (at College Ave), ☏ +1 404 377-6332. Known for pushing boundaries, this live theater has almost 300 events a year and hosts the "New Street Art House". 3 Donna and Marvin Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, ☏ +1 404 727-5050. Emory University, multi-use performing arts center in a building was designed by Michael Graves. 4 Theatre Decatur (formerly Neighborhood Playhouse), 430 West Trinity Place, ☏ +1 404 373-3904. Local, live performances. 5 Dalton Gallery, 141 E. College Ave, ☏ +1 404 471-5361. Gallery at Agnes Scott College. 6 Mingei World Arts, 427 Church Street, ☏ +1 404 371-0101. Antiques, folk art, jewelry, and fine craft from the world over. 7 Predicate Gallery, 121 Church St, ☏ +1 404 370-6050. Studio and meeting space. 8 Sycamore Place Gallery & Studios, 120 Sycamore Place, ☏ +1 404 377-7747. Twelve artist studios and gallery space. 9 The Seen Gallery, 415 Church Street (Downtown Decatur), ☏ +1 404 377-0733. Bike, run, or walk: The tree-lined streets can make for a great run or bike ride, but central and northern metro Atlanta has steep, hilly terrain.

Decatur is known for its outstanding locally-owned restaurants, and patrons travel here from all over metro Atlanta. Despite the presence of Ted's Montana Grill & Ruby Tuesday's, the national chains are not prevalent here. There are over 70 restaurants and pubs—primarily clustered in the downtown area, Oakhurst and north of Decatur. There are also sandwich shops, pasta restaurants and local chain pizza joints that have great food, but they are not listed below. The restaurants are located on or near picturesque Ponce De Leon Avenue and around the Decatur (courthouse) Square. Here are some of the better restaurants: 1 Cafe Alsace, 121 E Ponce de Leon Ave, ☏ +1 404-373-5622. Excellent small Alsatian (French with German influence) restaurant with limited outdoor seating - one of Decatur's finest restaurants. (updated Jan 2017) 2 Cafe Lilly, 308 W Ponce de Leon Ave, ☏ +1 404-371-9119. Excellent American/Eclectic/Mediterranean cuisine. One of Decatur's finest restaurants. (updated Jan 2017) 3 Iberian Pig, 121 Sycamore St, ☏ +1 404-371-8800. Excellent Spanish Tapas bar with an extensive wine list. (updated Jan 2017) 4 Leon's Full Service, 131 E Ponce de Leon Ave, ☏ +1 404-687-0500. Upscale American restaurant in a former early 20th Century service station with bocce court. (updated Jan 2017) 5 Raging Burrito and Taco, 141 Sycamore St, ☏ +1 404 377-3311. Wide variety of tasty burritos and related fare. Very large open-air dining section in the back, secluded from the hustle of Decatur.

1 Brick Store Pub, 125 East Court, ☏ +1 404 687-0990. Square. Brick Store's appeal is in its excellent beer selection—which at 17 beers on tap, over 100 in the bottle and a "Belgian bar" is better than many bars elsewhere. People come for its rustic all-wooden interior, including a small but comfortable bar upstairs. (updated Jan 2017) 2 The Corner Pub, 627 E College Ave, ☏ +1 404-377-0603. A pub at East Decatur Station which relocated from Oakhurst. (updated Jan 2017) 3 Oakview Coffee, 707 East Lake Dr B, ☏ +1 404-371-1113. Oakhurst's newest wine, coffee and food establishment that opened in 2007. The food is light (salads, hummus, cheese, etc.), but is beautifully presented and is designed to go with their wine and beer list. (updated Sep 2025) 4 Twain's Billiards and Tap, 211 E Trinity Pl, ☏ +1 404-373-0063. Church St. and Trinity Pl. Has a solid beer selection and quality pool tables; wifi. (updated Jan 2017) 5 Chocolaté, 2094 N Decatur Rd (In North Decatur Center), ☏ +1 404-982-0790. North Decatur & Clairemont; one of the better coffee houses with good indoor seating, but outdoor seating overlooks a strip center parking lot; Wi-Fi. (updated Jan 2017) 6 Dancing Goats, 419 W Ponce de Leon Ave, ☏ +1 404-687-1100. Decatur's newest coffee house - slick retro design. (updated Jan 2017)

1 Courtyard Atlanta Decatur Downtown/Emory, 130 Clairemont Ave, ☏ +1 404 371-0204. The best hotel in downtown Decatur; has an indoor pool; one block from Decatur Square and near MARTA's Decatur Station. (updated Jan 2017) 2 Super 8 Motel, 917 Church St, ☏ +1 404 378-3765. An economy motel located a few blocks northeast of Decatur Square. (updated Jan 2017) 3 Emory Conference Center Hotel, 1615 Clifton Rd (north of Decatur on the Emory University campus), ☏ +1 404 712-6000. Good hotel, but not within walking distance of Decatur Square. 4 Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites, 2183 N. Decatur Rd, ☏ +1 404 320-0888. 1.5 miles north of Decatur Square in a cluster of nondescript strip shopping centers. 5 University Inn at Emory, 1767 N. Decatur Rd (in the Druid Hills neighborhood adjoining Emory University), toll-free: +1-800-654-8591. Within walking distance of Emory University, but not Decatur Square.

Downtown Decatur is on the east-west MARTA Blue rail line to 1 Decatur Station (E6). The station is directly behind the courthouse (under Decatur Square) and has two access points. Exit east (Church St.) for the pedestrian and taxi entrance to the station; exit west (Commerce) to transfer to MARTA buses. The city of Decatur includes two additional MARTA rail stations: 2 East Lake (E5) and 3 Avondale (E7). Avondale Station is located at the southern end of the Decatur Heights neighborhood, and not the City of Avondale Estates. Average time from Decatur Station to Five Points Station is 13 minutes. There are connecting MARTA buses to neighborhoods in and around Decatur. Decatur is accessible from Atlanta via Ponce de Leon Avenue, which is a direct route, but is a slow-moving surface street with many lights. It is also accessible from the Perimeter (I-285) via several exits, and indirectly via I-20. However, parking is limited in downtown Decatur. Street parking is free after 6PM Monday–Saturday and all day Sunday. The city website lists off-street parking lot locations. Decatur is also accessible via the PATH walk/bike trail. The trail runs from Atlanta to Stone Mountain through the city of Decatur.

Downtown Decatur is highly walkable, but like all of metro Atlanta, public transportation is limited and you will likely have an easier time getting around by car. MARTA buses leave from each of the three Decatur rail stations to various points in the county. Decatur participates in Zipcar, a national program where environmentally-friendly cars are located throughout the downtown area that members may rent by the hour. Locations are posted at [1].

The Decatur Police Department protects the city of Decatur. The department headquarters is at 420 W. Trinity Place in downtown Decatur. The non-emergency number is +1 404 373-6551, but call 911 in an emergency. * Outside of the city of Decatur in unincorporated DeKalb County, the DeKalb County Police Department has jurisdiction. The main department's non-emergency number is +1 404 294-2000, but call 911 in an emergency. Visitors to Decatur should avoid neighborhoods immediately east and south of Memorial Drive. The primary DeKalb County jail and DeKalb County's new Juvenile Justice Center are located east of Memorial Drive (near I-285). MARTA's Kensington Station (E8), which is west of Memorial Drive, is within walking distance of these facilities. Areas immediately east and south of Memorial Drive, as well as the Kensington MARTA station, are not tourist-oriented and are best avoided even if MARTA has police patrolling their rail stations.