Food Access along the Beltline

Many residents of the Old Fourth Ward currently reside in what is known as Food Deserts.  Food deserts are in food insecure areas which do not provide residents access to fresh fruits and veggies within a one mile radius of their homes.  There are two supermarket grocery stores within the Old Fourth Ward, Publix and Whole foods.  However, the Eastside Trail of the Beltline connects several others within walking distance of those along the Beltline trail.  Beltline Kroger, now closed and under construction, as well as Trader Joe's are both accessible by the Beltline on foot or bicycle.  Often, residents can be seen walking or biking to/from Trader Joe's, as it is currently the only open grocery store with access from the Beltline.   The Beltline provides access to grocery stores for these communities through active transportation. This is a feature of the built environment as it relates to public health and nutrition. In addition to these two grocery stores, there are various restaurants and shops along the trail and walking distance from the trail that provide healthful food and beverage items for local residents.  Krog Street Market has several healthful restaurant, as does Inman Park Village.  Inside of Ponce City Market, there are also various healthy restaurants, although it does have its share of trendy, comfort food too. This photo is of the sign and location of where Kroger will be rebuilt in the near future. It was taken in March of 2017. Access to fresh fruit and veggies sources are critically important to the overall health and well-being of communities and the people that live in these communities.  Without access to these food sources, adverse health outcomes would increase dramatically and those living in areas without access to fresh fruits and veggies suffer disproportionate rates of lifestyle related illnesses such as diabetes, child and adult overweight, and obesity leading to cardiovascular disease as well as hypertension and high cholesterol among other adverse health outcomes.