Artsy Downtown Norcross while Traveling at the Speed of Bike

There are a bunch of cute, revitalized downtowns along railroad tracks in Metro Atlanta. The City of Norcross has been working on it for awhile, and I have a number of friends who are heavily engaged citizens there. In fact, my friend Connie Weathers founded and chaired the Sustainability Commission when the Atlanta Regional Commission's Green Communities program launched (coinciding with when I did that as well when my nearby suburb became the newest city in the USA in 2008). Connie and her team brought Norcross to the Platinum level, the highest a city can go, and the impact of those efforts is clear throughout historic Downtown Norcross. 

It's not the best city, in general, for low-stress bike riding, however, and there are needed improvements yet to come, which is why I'm limiting the length of this tour to a mere mile or so. It's a mile that's worth it, however, and a lot is packed into this tour. You'll most likely get lots of ideas for your own city. Plus, you'll be in a handy dandy spot to support local businesses from start to finish. I end you on a little uphill (sorry) but I did want to take you past the Kudzu Art Gallery and that was the only way to close the loop so consider walking your bike that last block or so. Also, reminder to "take the lane" when riding so that drivers don't try to squeeze past you — the motor vehicle traffic is relatively slow so this should not feel too uncomfortable. "Friendly waves" seem to be the way to go in this friendly downtown.

I believe this deck and open-air bar were added as a result of the pandemic. It looks great.

Even the commercial trash area is artsy.

This is the community garden. It's un.locked and open to the public and you are welcome to check out all the features here. Very impressive. (I was loosely involved in an earlier iteration of this garden.)

I love the thematically-related bike racks at the community garden.

The Eastern Continental Divide artwork that goes with this sign is fascinating and beautiful. I'm gonna let you discover it for yourself!

This is Cameron. He is the driver of the super-cute Norcross Trolley, which circulates around this compact downtown. This photo is part of my Today's Nice Stranger photo series. Cameron told me that the trolley is new and not yet open to the public due to COVID-19. But hopefully soon.

Bike riders shop locally more, and more often, than those in cars. Support the local businesses in Norcross, if you can, while you're Traveling at the Speed of Bike there. .