Have you seen the Sightseeing tour bus rolling down West Paces Ferry and wondered what the guides are saying about our beautiful neighborhood? For a few years now, the Atlanta Sightseeing Bus Tour has been showing off sections of Valley Road, Tuxedo Road, and West Paces Ferry throughout the heart of Buckhead. We decided to board the bus to see what we might learn about our community.
Neighborhoods in Buckhead are a small part of the Atlanta Sightseeing Bus Tour. Only about 45 minutes out of the five-hour tour takes place in Buckhead. The rest of the tour winds through downtown Atlanta, Old Fourth Ward, Midtown, and more. Let’s begin at the beginning…
I booked my tour online (look for a Groupon) and then I met my tour guide, Don Moore, in the Hub food court under Peachtree Center downtown. Moore is a cordial Atlanta native who says he has learned a lot about his city during his time as a tour guide. I explained that I too am an Atlanta native, and I was looking forward to learning about my hometown.
Downtown History
We began our tour inside Peachtree Center. Moore explained that Peachtree Center was originally designed by John Portman in the 1960s. Portman was instrumental in re-imagining the Atlanta skyline in the ‘60s and ‘70s by designing many of the iconic downtown buildings. The Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta Merchandise Mart, and the Atlanta Marriot Marquis just to name a few.
Moore led me outside to connect with some late-arrivals to the tour, and the group was treated to more downtown history. A binder with historic photos was brandished by Moore throughout the day to emphasize and illustrate how the buildings along the tour have evolved over the years. Did you know that Atlanta’s flatiron building on Peachtree Street pre-dates the one in Manhattan by five years? It is Atlanta’s oldest standing skyscraper.
After more informative descriptions of downtown’s landscape, our group boarded the sightseeing bus. The bus traveled a circuitous route through downtown, effectively making several loops down Peachtree Street, past State Farm Arena, GA State University, and more. Each block invited stories from Moore about past and present buildings, events, and famous Atlantans. Civil War battles and Atlanta’s subsequent reconstruction were a regular part of the tour. Moore pointed out battle sites from downtown to Buckhead as we went along.
The bus crossed Freedom Parkway on the Jackson Street bridge to show the group possibly the most famous view of the Atlanta skyline. This iconic view is in countless movies and TV shows, including the poster art from The Walking Dead.
Historic sites
The bus moved east toward the Sweet Auburn neighborhood, where the group exited the bus to visit Ebenezer Baptist Church and the King Memorial. I had not visited the King Memorial before, and I was glad to make the trip with an experienced guide. After a tour and a brief visit to the museum, we boarded the bus and made our way toward Inman Park.
After a brief stop at the Krog Market food hall, the bus made its way to Fourth Ward Park for a visit to the Atlanta Beltline trail. One of the highlights of this stop was a brief harmonica performance by our guide, Don, as he jammed with a musician named Kermit Walker, who was playing drums along the Beltline.
Before long, the group was back in the bus to explore the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood. I found it interesting that Moore included the price of an average home as we passed through each neighborhood. I found out the source of his real estate knowledge later when we went to Buckhead.
We stopped to discuss the history and development of Ponce City Market, before taking 40 minutes to eat lunch in the food hall. H&F Burgers is among my favorite restaurants in the city, so this was a particularly fun stop for me!
The Buckhead connection
After lunch, we found the bus in front of Ponce City Market and headed for Buckhead. Moore was great about constantly pointing out interesting buildings and sites, even as we were traveling up the interstate on the way to Northside Drive. Once the bus was heading east on West Paces Ferry, the tour took on more of a “Tour of Homes” vibe, with Moore pointing out the mansions of past and present famous Atlantans.
Our driver, Audrey Tobin, has a background in real estate, so she is quite knowledgeable about current home prices in Tuxedo Park and throughout the city. She would mention the recent sale prices as Moore explained which billionaire or celebrity occupied each home.
Moore pointed out rapper T.I.’s house, and mentioned that golf legend Bobby Jones’ family lives a few doors down. Unfortunately, neither of those properties are home to either T.I. or the Jones family! Other famous homes we past formerly belonged to Kenny Rodgers, Robert Woodruff, and countless business and sports figures. Driving through Atlanta’s wealthiest neighborhood prompted Moore to read a list of Fortune 500 companies that are based in Atlanta. Much of the Buckhead section of the tour related to how much money is in Atlanta, and who has it.
Back downtown
The bus pulled back onto West Paces Ferry to pass the Governor’s Mansion and The Cherokee Town & Country Club on the way to the Atlanta History Center. After a brief stop to view the Swan House from the bus windows, we made our way past the Cathedral of St. Phillip and back to Peachtree Street. Park Place on Peachtree brought up stories of Elton John’s recent condo sale, and more Civil War stories followed us south on Peachtree Street.
The tour followed Peachtree Street through midtown, past the High Museum and Colony Square. Finally we ended up back at Peachtree Center, where the tour concluded and we went our separate ways.
The Atlanta Sightseeing Bus Tour was a fascinating experience for a native Atlantan. There was a lot of history that I was unaware of, even though I was here when it some of it happened! I did not expect to learn so much through the Buckhead section of the tour , but I was pleasantly surprised. Moore shared multiple stories about the neighborhood and its residents that I had never heard, even if a few of the details were a bit less than accurate. You may be surprised by what you learn when you view your hometown from a different angle!
