A popular block of Atlanta’s Edgewood Avenue that’s lined with restaurants, bars and clubs will be closed to car traffic every weekend this summer.
The city will install barriers to make the stretch of Edgewood between Jackson Street and Boulevard a pedestrian-only corridor from 10 a.m. on Fridays to 10 a.m. the following Monday.
The block includes popular spots like Cafe Circa, Esco Seafood, Joystick Gamebar and Georgia Beer Garden. The Atlanta City Council passed a measure implementing the road closure in May; it went into effect last weekend and will run until Sept. 12.
The Council said the closure will make Edgewood, which has struggled to rein in street racing and street parties in the past, a safer place for pedestrians and patrons.
“Business owners and residents have been lobbying the city to act for some time. These summer closures are meant to bring the situation under control in a way that improves the public welfare and strengthens the business environment,” Councilman Amir Farokhi, who sponsored the resolution with Councilwoman Natalyn Archibong, wrote in a recent newsletter to constituents.
In the past, the road was sometimes blocked off on busy nights, but there was no consistent schedule, business owners said.
Many nightlife establishments on Edgewood, a historic and diverse corridor, saw a drop in revenue during the pandemic as fewer people went out to bars and clubs. They expect business to pick back up this summer.
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