Report: Surge in Midtown visitors underscores subdistrict’s explosive growth

It should come as no surprise that Midtown is one of Atlanta’s fastest growing communities, with cranes dotting the skyline and construction fencing lining the sidewalks.

Now, new data compiled by Midtown Alliance illustrates how the seemingly unending development boom has impacted the subdistrict’s ability to attract people from near and far.

Roughly seven million people ventured through Midtown last year, the organization estimates.

That’s almost a million more visitors than the area lured when similar figures were collected in late 2014, Midtown Alliance officials tell Curbed Atlanta.

The most popular destination—and the largest, of course—in 2019 was Piedmont Park, drawing some 3.5 million people to its sprawling greens and gardens.

That represents a roughly 400,000-visitors uptick since the 2014 study. (On nice days, the park certainly does feel busier.)

That’s just one Midtown destination that’s welcomed more people over the past few years.

Midtown Alliance

Between the 2014 report and today’s, the Woodruff Arts Center watched its visitorship climb from 1.4 to 1.6 million annually; the Center for Puppetry Arts seated 380,000 people last year, a jump from 320,000 in 2014; and the Museum of Design Atlanta saw its annual visitation hike from 25,000 to 28,000 during the same timeframe.

It doesn't hurt that three new hotels have come online in Midtown since the 2014 study.

Last year, Midtown hotels hosted an estimated 1.5 million guest stays, whereas 2014 numbers show just 1.2 million nights. (Surely, last year’s Super Bowl factors in, though.)

The latest study tallied 4,300 hotel rooms in Midtown—up from 3,795—which account for about 4 percent of the metro Atlanta total (96,903).

“And today there are four projects under construction that include hotels,” notes Midtown Alliance spokesman Brian Carr.

In the near future, new hotel components are expected at 640 Peachtree Street, 1105 West Peachtree, 425 West Peachtree, and at 17th and Spring street’s Midtown Union.