Underground Atlanta, is in the heart of Atlanta, GA located right near Five Points. As you may already know, Underground Atlanta is a shopping center opened in 1969. What makes Underground so unique is the fact it was built over Atlanta’s many Underground Railroad systems which are where the name came from.

As soon as you enter the vicinity, you’re greeted with a beautiful staircase that leads down to the mall. There are other entries into the building, but this by far is the most scenic and memorable one. Standing at the entrance, you can tell the mall is very…vintage. It almost gives you a feeling that you’ve stepped into a time machine of some sort and traveled 50 years into the past. The store vendors help sell this euphoric feeling with many boutique vendors not even having complete “store fronts” but only having carts with their merchandise on top.

From my disbelief, the store merchant claimed there was a “no photo policy” (I still manage to sneak a few here-and-there). But, while we’re on the subject of merchants I wanted to the point of the fact as soon as I walked in many started waving me down to get my attention to purchase something. I felt like I was in a farmers market where everyone has their store set up, and everyone tries to persuade you to buy their products. This was a whole new experience for me coming from the traditional mall of just walking into a store you were interested in and an employee helping you if you seemed “lost.” For the sake of maybe not going out, empty handed I agreed to buy something if she let me take a photo of her merchandise and which she happily agreed. I was supporting a small business, and I got to take a picture for the project, so it was a win-win for both us.

Unfortunately, over the years many stores in Underground have been closed down. I spoke to a few store merchants there, and they informed me that not as many people shop there anymore. Much “higher up shops” moving onto Midtown for the bustling shopping center. This became very apparent when I started to walk further into the Underground noticing the lack of people and many “for rent” signs and closed for business food court stations. It was a signal that a significant historical mall is maybe seeing the end of its days.