Me and my friend, Morgan. Taken by friend, Jordan Thompkins at Underground Atlanta.

The Underground Atlanta area has amped up its security in the recent years due to its decreased attraction and audience populating the area. Also, since over half of its stores, clubs, and venues have been closed down, security guards have been posted and patrolled the areas seeking about any potential trespassers.

During my visits in the area, I have not been been across any situation where violence or crime struck. Also, the area would seem averagely populated with small families and shoppers. However, because half of the Underground Atlanta area is closed down, security is posted and are patrolling the area to alert and warn any potential and sometimes accidental trespassers from entering these areas.

I’ve personally have faced two separate times where I hadn’t realized that friends and I were in areas we weren’t supposed to be in. And usually, it’s because we’re not allowed to take pictures in those closed down areas even if we are sitting in an area that is a part of the food court in which the main food court itself is still open.

Picture I took of my friend, Teyah, at Underground Atlanta before we went down that flight of stairs on the far right and a security guard stopped us and told us we couldn’t go down there.

The first one occurred in late September when I was taking pictures of my friend for a personal photography project. We entered the area through the lower entrance on Lower Alabama Street and worked our way to the bridges in Kenny’s Alley that were just outside and on the same level as the food court inside. We were about to walk down a flight a stairs until one security guard had warned us we couldn’t go down there because the area was closed. Since I already gotten most of the shots I wanted and needed for the shoot, I wasn’t upset about the situation. However the second time, another friend and I were having our pictures taken by a photographer friend of mine. While we were in the food court, we sat in a general area that was full of chairs and tables, but we were further from where the main area was. The area we sat at was being watched over by two security guards, and even though that the court was open despite no one else but the three of us sitting in that back area, the two security came up to us informing us that we couldn’t take pictures unless we have spoken and were given permission by management to do so since that back area was closed down. Unlike the first incident, the second one upset all of us because the photographer had planned to use that area as part of the shoot. What made us really upset was that we weren’t able to use that particular area to take pictures. I believe we weren’t being whiny or complaining about it because we discussed how if we were able to take pictures at more areas in Underground Atlanta and post them on social media networks that it would be a great promotion for the place itself. We continued on saying that if people were to inquire us on where we took the pictures that it’d possibly be great exposure for the site where other people can go check out the area for themselves not only to take pictures but eventually come and go as regular visitors.

Photographed by Jordan Thompkins. Picture of me and Morgan at the Underground Atlanta food court before the security guards told us we couldn’t take pictures in that area.

However, Underground Atlanta isn’t the only underground shopping area in the city. A few blocks down, Peachtree Center is located and connected to the Peachtree Center MARTA Station as Underground Atlanta is connected to the Five Points MARTA Station. The two areas and alike in similar ways though are different in terms of design, location, businesses and crowds. Underground Atlanta is designed with bricks floors and walls and concrete as Peachtree Center is designed with tiled floors and glass windowed stores. Also, Underground has a dark and dimmed lighting to the area where as Peachtree is well lit. Though both shopping areas have food courts, retail stores, it’s likely that tourists and visitors prefer Peachtree Center over Underground Atlanta. Also, most retail businesses in Peachtree Center are gift shops while Underground Atlanta has more to choose from. Also, even though both areas are connected to MARTA stations, Underground is connected to a larger station where all rail lines, North, South, East, and West, meet and intersect. At Peachtree, the only rail lines are the North and South bound lines. Because Underground is adjacent to a larger station where multiple lines meet, it’s likely for more incidents such as violence to occur. Since Peachtree has only two platforms and multiple entrances on each side of Peachtree Street, it’s less likely to have many incidents of violence and crime to occur.

When I started taking MARTA this semester, I usually attempt to steer away from going onto or getting off of Five Points since the area is usually surrounded by homeless, struggling and potentially could-be-violent individuals. When I began to use Peachtree Center as my go-to and drop-off, I felt safer because I have always passed at least one or two security guards on my way to and from the station. And usually, I cut through the Peachtree Center Mall just to get to the station platforms. And in the mall depending on the time of day, there’s usually crowds of people sitting and eating or going through the general mall area. This type of liveliness at the well lit Peachtree Center Mall with security guards walking around the area captures a safer environment than the dimmed and ran-down Underground Atlanta area.

Because of the accidental incidents friends and I have been in with the security guards as well as the differences and similarities that Underground Atlanta has with Peachtree Center, other main factors have occurred setting Underground Atlanta up for failure. Because of the lack of businesses, the excessive violence and crimes that have been committed, as well as the location and design of the area have driven people away from visiting the site. Also, though security guards are posted to turn away any potential trespassers from closed down areas, that has caused tourists from wanting to return to the Underground Atlanta area. That leads to them expressing their feelings about their experience in the area documenting them and recommending others to follow suit by not visiting the area stating that “it’s a waste of time”.

Underground Atlanta still has a nostalgic-vintage historic feel to it and has became a popular attraction from time to time whether if it’s the rise of the nightlife scene, the 1996 Summer Olympics, or towards the end of the year at the annual Peach Drop; however, it’s worn-out, dark interior and dreary location has attempted wanting to bring audiences in but sometimes has forced them from entering and to stay out.