When we drove up to Ponce City Market in Atlanta my expectations were lukewarm. I thought we’d have a nice brunch, walk around a little and then head out. We stayed all day!
Forget crisscrossing the city going to this restaurant and that shop, avoid the traffic and head straight here. Ponce City Market (PCM) is the perfect place to escape into a day (and night) of rooftop games, unique retail and craft-kitchen food.
PCM, nestled in the heart of Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward neighborhood, is a mixed-use entertainment destination and it’s HUGE – 2.1 million total square feet and around 330,000 of that dedicated to shopping and restaurants. Plus, it's continuing to grow, according to the developer's website.
PCM is stretched across a collection of buildings, but the main attraction is a nine-story building that was once a showroom and warehouse distribution center for Sears Roebuck & Co beginning in the 1920s.
The site’s history as a place for entertainment traces back to 1903, long before Sears bought the site. Dubbed “the Coney island of Atlanta,” the area was previously the Ponce de Leon amusement park, a history honored with the PCM's rooftop Skyline Park.
We started our day with brunch at Pancake Social. Yum! Warm syrup over large buttermilk pancakes with a side of creamy grits and bacon. Southern appetite satisfied.
With bellies full, the exploring commenced.
PCM's look and feel is everything you expect a repurposed warehouse to be. Brick, concrete walls, huge pillars and exposed ventilation piping are everywhere. Large metal beams stretch overhead and industrial-style lights hang from the ceiling.
My favorite part of the building’s design was the restored wooden floors (if those aren’t the original floors, then they fooled me). The floors were dark and looked oiled. They creaked under foot with a vintage sound that seemed to connect the building’s history with its modern, industrial-style present. Interesting side note, the building is included on the National Registry of Historic Places.
It was a beautiful day during our visit, so we paid for admission to the building's top-floor, outdoor attraction, Skyline Park. We boarded an enormous freight elevator inside the Ponce City Market Tower for our ride up. As a nice bonus, you can see out a window as you travel.
The rooftop’s theme pays homage to the market's amusement past with a series of boardwalk-style games, including skee-ball and a basketball toss. There’s also a two-story slide, a small tower ride and miniature golf.
The putt-putt course is not great, which kind of made it more fun and hilarious. Everyone around us was having fun playing, too.
The biggest highlight was the panoramic view of Atlanta. We felt lucky to see the skylines of midtown and downtown on a sunny day with practically no clouds in sight. Gorgeous!
The entire area is called The Roof at Ponce City Market. In addition to Skyline Park, it’s also home to 9 Mile Station, a nice-casual restaurant and bar featuring craft beer and cocktails. The restaurant is named for the streetcar line that used to shuttle people to the area in the 1920s.
The restaurant’s best feature is the huge outdoor terrace. Again, the views! Thanks to individual igloos placed over tables, you can enjoy dining on the rooftop even as the weather cools.
After my husband finally won a prize in the basketball toss, we headed back downstairs to explore the rest of the market.
The building’s first two floors feature the Central Food Hall and small retailers interspersed around. The ceilings are high and the second floor is open in the middle with balcony railing. Iron staircases connect the two floors, including an especially cool circular one.
The food hall’s selection of cuisine is everything from a cold treat at Honeysuckle Gelato to po’boy sandwiches at W.H. Stiles “Dub’s” Fish Camp, which is helmed by the James Beard Award winning chef, Anne Quatrano. There are flavors from around the world including Indian, Asian, Latin and French.
PCM is the perfect spot to find artisan-made gifts, especially at Citizen Supply. It features a large collection of independent vendors and makers offering everything from skincare products and jewelry to vintage clothing and original T-shirt designs. As a nice added bonus, Citizens Supply includes Excuse My French, a cafe and cocktail/coffee bar.
Outside the building is an extra-wide breezeway lined with more shops, including upscale national and boutique retailers such as Williams-Sonoma, Allbirds, Buck Mason, Madewell and Lululemon. Men's clothier Rye 51, a self-titled "textile distillery," actually has a whiskey bar inside.
Another popular shopping attraction is "Artists & Fleas." This open-air market is held every Saturday and features pop-up shops with everything from vinyl records to original jewelry and clothing.
We visited PCM close to Halloween and a trick-or-treat event was in full swing. People of all ages were in costume, vendors were handing out candy and spooky decor was everywhere. The list of PCM's special events is long and ongoing. Art classes, coffee hour book clubs, outdoor yoga and trivia nights are just a tiny sampling.
With the holidays coming up, so are the themed activities at PCM, including rooftop ice skating – Skate the Sky – beginning Nov. 24. Friday nights are reserved for adults-only, retro skating with a D.J. spinning music from the ‘80s and ‘90s.
The 12 Cocktail Bar on the top floor of Ponce Market Tower will host holiday mixology classes beginning Nov. 17. And, the tower lobby will be transformed into a Holiday Social Bar.
If you plan on visiting Ponce City Market here are some tips:
• Expect to use the parking garage. Pay by the hour. Additional time can be added by the phone app.
• Walk or bike right up to the market thanks to the Eastside Trail of the Atlanta Beltline. The beltline, which intersects the market, is a 22-mile long network of trails, transit and parks over what was once a railroad corridor.
• Admission to The Roof for viewing only is $15. It’s an additional $15 for unlimited games at Skyline Park. A wristband indicates you’ve paid for unlimited games. Food and drinks are not included. There are concessions for purchase on The Roof.
• No admission cost to go to The Roof to eat or have drinks at 9 Mile Station, just the cost of your meal. But, if you want to also play unlimited games at Skyline Park, buy a $10 wristband before going up the freight elevator. If you buy the wristband once at 9 Mile Station, it’s regular price.
• Skyline Park is family-friendly, except after 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights when it’s 21+. The last admission time on those nights for anyone underage is 6 p.m.
• Reservations are a smart idea for special events like Skate the Sky and the igloo dining.
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