Decatur Guide

About

In 1822, Decatur started with one building: a courthouse to serve Atlanta’s eastern residents in the newly-established DeKalb County. One year later, the city of Decatur was incorporated. From that 1822 courthouse, Decatur grew outward, with retail and commercial businesses popping up around what is now known as Decatur Square. The original courthouse and buildings have long since been replaced, and today Decatur is a vibrant area filled with everything from independent bookstores to acclaimed restaurants and plenty of parks and greenspaces. It is home to Emory University, Atlanta’s prestigious private research university, as well as Agnes Scott College.

Just six miles from Downtown Atlanta, Decatur is a premier place to live; according to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2019, there were 25,000 residents in Decatur with a median household income of $106,088. Additionally, Decatur is one of Atlanta’s most racially diverse neighborhoods and a youthful one, with many young professionals and families in its midst. Decatur is also home to many students, thanks to Emory University and Agnes Scott College both being located here.

Rental homes and apartments in Decatur range from single-family-style residences to traditional low-rise complexes. You will also find loads of apartments above shops and restaurants in Decatur Square.

Decatur has its own small but strong school system in which it services approximately 5,000 K-12 students. The system includes Clairemont Elementary School, Glennwood Elementary School, Oakhurst Elementary School, Westchester Elementary School, Winnona Park Elementary School, Fifth Avenue Upper Elementary, Talley Street Upper Elementary, Renfroe Middle School, and Decatur High School.

Getting Around

Decatur is an excellent choice for those looking to make the most of public transportation. The Decatur MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) station is located in Decatur Square, just a few steps from the aforementioned courthouse. A part of the Blue Line, Decatur station swiftly takes visitors to some of Atlanta’s biggest tourism destinations such as The Georgia World Congress Center, the CNN Center, State Farm Arena (home of the professional basketball team, the Atlanta Hawks), and Mercedes-Benz Stadium (home of the professional football team, the Atlanta Falcons and the American professional soccer club, Atlanta United). A quick change of trains to the Red or Gold Line at Five Points will also take Decatur MARTA riders to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Overall, Decatur has three MARTA rail stations and 14 bus lines.

As with the rest of Atlanta, cars are the most common mode of transportation. There’s no shortage of parking in Decatur, with 300 metered spaces and 2,200 deck and lot spaces located around the city center. And many area restaurants and shops offer parking validation. There is accessible street parking as well, much of which is monitored through the Park Mobile app.

Decatur is a bicycle-friendly part of town. It has bike lanes and sometimes even valet bike parking. Decatur has also organized six bike-friendly routes with Map My Ride for residents looking to both exercise and explore. 9.2 miles of bicycle and pedestrian trail improvements are slated between now and 2026.

Food & Drink

With over 100 dining options, Decatur is definitely a foodie destination. Restaurants in Decatur range from critically acclaimed establishments such as raw bar Kimball House and Italian concept No. 246 to casual dining at eateries such as Atlanta-based taco-joint Taqueria del Sol and Indian street food restaurant Chai Pani. Both offer flavorful meals in low-key atmospheres. Decatur also prides itself on having “coffee all day and beer all night.” Coffee shops include Dancing Goats Coffee Bar, B Side, Kavarna, and Starbucks. Beer brews can be found at Independent Distilling Company, Inner Voice Brewing, Sceptre Brewing Arts, Three Taverns Brewery, Twain’s Brewpub & Billiards.

You’ll find the typical grocery stores in Decatur, such as Publix, Whole Foods, and Sprouts, but Decatur is also home to Your Dekalb Farmers Market. The market is housed in a 140,000 square-foot warehouse and services over 100,000 customers per week. The market accepts cash, checks, debit cards, and EBT (no credit cards).

Shopping

In many ways, Decatur is an original, albeit accidental, live-work-play community since most of the shopping and dining options are on the square with apartments, condos, and lofts above many of the establishments. One must-shop-spot is the well-known independent bookstore Little Shop of Stories, which has been in operation since 2005. It is an anchor store in the square and paved the way for other booktiques such as nearby Brave & Kind Books, a second independent book store dedicated to stocking titles focused on diversity. There are clothing boutiques, jewelry stores, and gift shops on the square too. A short drive will land you at Kudzu Antiques, a 35-year-old antique store filling more than 25,000 square feet of space with the best in antiques and vintage.

Things to Do

Decatur is filled with things to do, especially for families. A favorite destination in Decatur’s Druid Hills neighborhood is the Fernbank Museum. Part science/part nature experience, Fernbank offers opportunities for both indoor and outdoor exploration. Its Giants of the Mesozoic dinosaur exhibit is sure to delight children (and grownups) of all ages. Another crowd-pleaser in the Fernbank Museum is the Giant Screen Theater showing movies made for Giant Screen and IMAX® . Step outside, and you’ll find WildWoods and Fernbank Forest, featuring 75 acres of outdoor exhibits, trails, and a canopy walk among the treetops.

The city is well known for its many festivals. Decatur Book Festival is one of the largest independent book festivals in the country, hosting round-tables and other activities with some of the world’s best authors. The city also hosts an annual art festival, a beer and wine festival, and other events throughout the year. Finally, Decatur is part of music history thanks to the entertainment venue, Eddie’s Attic. Here legends like John Mayer got their start. Eddie’s hosts open mic nights and concerts regularly.

A city with over a dozen parks, Decatur has no shortage of greenspaces where you can enjoy the outdoors. There are large parks such as 8-acre Oakhurst Park with multipurpose fields and 17-acre Glenlake Park, where you’ll find picnic areas, basketball courts, a dog park, a swimming pool, and a playground. There are also quieter parks such as Waddell Park and Parkwood Park. The latter has just a half-mile of trails, ideal for simply taking in nature.

In addition to its many parks, Decatur has more than 60 miles of sidewalks within its 4.5 square miles. It has three outdoor public pools for cooling-off from Atlanta’s summer heat and one indoor pool for year-round enjoyment. There are also three dog parks for four-legged family members.

Colleges & Universities

One of Decatur’s residential areas most impacted by the railroads is at the intersection of College Avenue and South Candler Street. It was here in 1889 that the Decatur Female Academy, today known as Agnes Scott College, was founded. The school remains a women-only institution and is considered one of the South’s versions of the “seven sisters.” Emory University, Atlanta’s prestigious private research university, is also in Decatur. The school consistently ranks among the top universities in the country. Its campus covers more than 600 acres, and it has a student enrollment under 16,000. Emory Healthcare is the largest healthcare system in the state of Georgia and has seven major hospitals within the state. The school works in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Cancer Society, both of whom have locations near campus.