Atlanta's Underground Zero Mile Explained | ABANDONED

below the Streets of Atlanta is a maze of passages and spaces from another time this is Atlanta's forgotten underground the remains of an era when the original city was 12 ft lower and known by a different name but how did this lost city end up here and what was left behind join me to find out as today we discover the history of Atlanta's underground I'm your host Ry soash and you're watching its history to understand the story of Atlanta's underground we need to First understand the story of the city itself the story starts with Atlanta's founding at the end of the railroad in the middle of Georgia the zero mile post in the heart of Atlanta marks where the Western Atlantic railroad once ended and a settlement called Terminus was founded in 1837 the zero mile post eventually became the marker for the center of pre-1 1850 Atlanta terminat was built by John Thrasher who called the settlement thrasherville in anticipation of the western and Atlantic railroads end with the railroad build it provided a link to the north for other Georgia railroads this attracted railroads like Monroe RR who accepted Thrashers $25,000 bid to lay the foundation for a future Junction with the Western and Atlantic within a time frame of 2 years to carry out his contract Within the given time Thrasher hired a large Workforce and built rough shelters to house them as a result thrasherville ticked off a number of Atlanta firsts its first store its first religious service its first labor trouble and its first social event and in terms of American History its first baby however the settlement was officially named Marthasville in honor of the then governor's daughter Terminus was just another nickname for the activity generated by the settlement just like like thrasherville Terminus meaning the end of a railroad functioned as a railroad Junction town with at least six major Rail lines entering the city from there Marthasville was incorporated in 1843 but was renamed Atlanta or the feminine for Atlantic in 1845 but the new city had issues issues that would soon become prominent upon a massive influx of new residents at the turn of the century Atlanta's population had doubled and the city began rebuilding Itself by incorporating new structures Banks and Railways at this point people began to realize that having a railroad Junction in the middle of downtown was noisy dirty and most importantly dangerous there were many places where pedestrian traffic intersected with trains entering the city at railroad crossings but it soon became apparent that Atlanta needed better infrastructure if not to speed up travel across the city then at a minimum to safeguard pedestrians from fast moving rail the solution to this problem was viaducts viaducts are long bridge-like structures supported by arches peers or in this case columns that can carry a road or railroad across a Valley Road or river construction on the viaducts began in the 1920s and were used as bridges over many railroad crossings in Atlanta with bumpers built on the pillars to prevent trains from damaging the bridges above them this allowed traffic and business to be conducted above the tracks without worrying about train accidents the first Viaduct was built on Broad Street and was rebuilt several times from there new buildings were constructed against the viaduct as store owners began moving businesses to the second floor turning their previous ground floor storefronts into basements eventually it got to the point where you could no longer tell when you were on the ground level or on the viu by the end of the 1920s the street level had risen by 1 and a half stories and by the mid 1930s much of downtown had been elevated above the Rail lines over the next 40 years Atlanta continued to grow at the new street level leaving a 12 acre of abandoned area of land behind and beneath the city part of this underground area is called The Gulch formerly a railroad yard that served both Union and terminal stations and so it was the original city of Atlanta was now underground out of sight and out of mind but it would only take a few decades for those Origins to once again be rediscovered in the 1960s the original brick work of the buildings built around the zero mile Outpost was discovered survived and intact these buildings have significant historic value because they were built during the post Civil War Reconstruction Era boom upon Discovery a constitutional amendment naming the area a historic site was passed in the state of Georgia and now the city was left with a new historic area which was Atlanta's heart and Bedrock decades after the underground was created the city restored its landmark structures and rebranded it as a place for nightlife becoming Underground Atlanta Underground Atlanta officially opened to the public on April the 8th 1969 at both Street and ground level with new restaurants bars nightclubs and music venues these were established in the area's old storefronts and housed classic spots such as Dante's Down the Hatch and the M shaft at its Inception Underground Atlanta was a huge success in the first year alone $17 million was generated from attracting patrons and other revenue streams making it one of the most profitable years for Atlanta ever part of its success was due to the county containing Atlanta one of the few counties at the time that were lack on their drinking laws since the underground area was hidden from view Juke joints and speak eases some of which were from the original prohibition era found their home here thanks to these factors Underground Atlanta thrived as an entertainment hotspot throughout the 1970s that all changed when neighboring Decalb County relaxed its laws causing Underground Atlanta to lose its lore its draw declined in the 1980s and Underground Atlanta struggled to attract returning visitors in the late 1980s Renovations transformed the place into more of a shopping area than an entertainment hotspot even so these changes and the World of Coca-Cola museum that opened next door brought back the crowd in fact Underground Atlanta was even the central rallying point for the 1996 Summer Olympics but even so surprisingly it continued to struggle financially with over $9 million in upkeep and debt payment pents every budget cycle Chasm Reed then mayor of Atlanta decided to sell the underground to wrs for $35 million in 2017 and perhaps this move was for the best as recently Underground Atlanta has gone through something of a rebirth for starters WR rs's $450 million plan to redevelop the area included apartments office spaces shops and restaurants this project called block three seemed out of scope for the developer who by this time was mostly experienced in developing Walmart and Verizon stores unfortunately however in 2020 development on the project and downtown Atlanta was halted due to the covid-19 pandemic but fortunately stagnation didn't last long as in 2021 the spot was scooped up by chenil Lani CEO of the billionaire funding group and Lani Ventures anyhow this Visionary believed that his firm was well enough positioned to finance the project and see it through the results didn't take long in fact since the purchase Underground Atlanta has resurfaced as a center for art culture and entertainment from that time Underground Atlanta hosted over 150 events including several music and art exhibitions the art of Banksy exhibit Atlanta Fashion Week Atlanta United block party and several music concerts have all been featured at the spot along with Atlanta's iconic peach drop an ongoing tradition of the underground this 800 lb peach rings in the New Year time and again Underground Atlanta continues to offer diverse cultural experiences featuring New Creations of entertainment technology and art such as nightclubs and restaurants the vibrant Hub is conveniently connected to the Five Points train station just a short walk from the Broad Street Boardwalk however I'd also note that visitors often say that they feel unsafe in the area which can sometimes come across as an eerie area of Urban Decay however you can put those safety concerns aside as tourists and locals alike can get acquainted with the Underground through a famous walking tour titled onscene underground led by Jeff Morrison a local architect and history buff the tour takes you through the city's hidden infrastructure around five points and Gulch we're sightseers are able to see the underside of Atlanta and step foot on its ground floor for the first time they'll see the zero mile post in a small state-owned building surrounded by train tracks and parking lots the State Bar of Georgia and its historical marker commemorate thrasherville and The Gulch in all of its Glory now its empty arches have been turned into parking lots serving Atlanta stadiums scars and cracks and the asphalt can still be seen as reminders of the Railway sidings that once were the city is currently engaged in a Redevelopment deal to fill the area in with more elevated streets and new commercial and residential buildings meaning that in a sense the underground might continue to expand today the fast growing city of Atlanta maintains its reputation as a Transportation Hub for the country and the entire world and although the current claim to fame might not be the railroads the Marvel that is Hartsfield Jackson at Atlanta's International Airport is the world's busiest in Daily passenger flights meaning it's still a Crossroads of America in other words Atlanta's underground only shows that the city has been and always will be a transit town evolving in every way possible to grow and expand and I'd also point out that it gives the city a certain mystique and appeal qualiity ideal for anyone looking to experience a sense of exploration and we'll leave it there for today thank you for watching until next time I'm Ryan soash signing off

Channel: IT'S HISTORY

Views: 294,657

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Id: bEkx6m0OEiE

Length: 11min 4sec (664 seconds)

Published: Thu Mar 21 2024