If you spend any time at all driving through the heart of Georgia’s capital, you’re going to end up on "Ponce." It’s the city’s most famous artery. It’s gritty, beautiful, expensive, and historical all at once. But here is the thing: Juan Ponce de León, the 16th-century Spanish explorer, never actually set foot in Atlanta.
Not even close.
While the explorer was busy navigating the coastline of Florida and looking for gold (or the Fountain of Youth, depending on which legend you believe), the land that would become Atlanta was still deep in Muscogee (Cree) territory. So, why is the most iconic street in the city named after him? Honestly, it’s basically a 19th-century marketing stunt that worked a little too well.
The Myth of Ponce de Leon in Atlanta
The story starts in 1868. Atlanta was still smoldering from the Civil War. A group of railroad workers digging near what is now the Old Fourth Ward stumbled upon two natural springs. One of the workers, who was reportedly feeling pretty under the weather, drank the water and claimed it cured him instantly.
Word spread. Fast.
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Enter Dr. Henry Lumpkin Wilson. He was a retired physician with a keen eye for a business opportunity. He saw people flocking to these springs and decided they needed a name that screamed "longevity." He dubbed them the Ponce de Leon Springs. He wasn’t suggesting the explorer had been there; he was just leaning into the "Fountain of Youth" branding to sell more water.
By 1871, Wilson was bottling the stuff and delivering it across the city. People were obsessed. They piled into mule-drawn carriages just to spend a day by the water. Eventually, the name "Ponce de Leon Avenue" was given to the unnamed road leading to the site.
From Springs to Sears: The Evolution of an Icon
If you want to see where those springs actually were, you just have to go to Ponce City Market.
It’s kind of wild to think about. Before it was a massive food hall where you can get a $15 cocktail, it was an amusement park called the "Coney Island of the South." In the late 1880s, the area had a lake, a theater, and even a circus. But by the 1920s, the "leisure" vibe shifted toward industry.
The lake was filled in to build a ballpark for the Atlanta Crackers, and Sears, Roebuck & Co. erected a massive 2.1 million-square-foot distribution center. This building is a behemoth. It’s the largest brick structure in the Southeastern United States. If you look at the floors today, you can still see the original marks from where heavy machinery once sat.
Why the Pronunciation Matters
If you want to sound like a local, don’t use the Spanish pronunciation. In Atlanta, it is "PONSS-duh-LEE-on."
Saying it correctly is a bit of a shibboleth. It marks you as someone who actually knows the city. It’s a linguistic quirk that has survived even as the street itself has undergone massive gentrification.
The Landmarks You Can't Miss
You can’t talk about Ponce de Leon in Atlanta without mentioning the architectural whiplash you get while driving down it.
On one corner, you have the Georgian Terrace Hotel, a Beaux-Arts masterpiece where the premiere gala for Gone with the Wind was held in 1939. Right across from it sits the Ponce de Leon Apartments, which opened in 1913. It featured the city's very first penthouse. These buildings represent the "Old Atlanta" elite—the folks who wanted to live on a grand boulevard similar to those in Paris or New York.
Then, there’s the Clermont.
The Clermont Hotel and its basement-dwelling sibling, the Clermont Lounge, are legendary. The lounge is Atlanta’s oldest strip club, but it’s not what you think. It’s a dive bar where celebrities like Bill Murray and Lady Gaga have been spotted. It’s famous for a dancer named Blondie who crushes beer cans with her breasts. It is gritty. It is unfiltered. And it is perfectly Atlanta.
The Modern Day "Fountain of Youth"
Today, the avenue is the epicenter of the Atlanta BeltLine movement.
In 2025 and early 2026, the city completed major streetscape projects here. We're talking wider sidewalks, better bike lanes, and those fancy raised medians. The goal was to make the area walkable again, moving away from the car-centric sprawl that dominated the mid-20th century.
You’ve got:
- The Plaza Theatre: The city’s oldest continuously operating cinema (opened in 1939).
- Mary Mac’s Tea Room: Where you go for the "official" soul food of the city.
- The Kodak Building: A crumbling but iconic piece of history currently being preserved.
The irony isn't lost on anyone. A street named after a man searching for eternal life has become the one place in Atlanta that refuses to die. It just keeps reinventing itself.
Actionable Insights for Your Visit
If you’re planning to explore this stretch of the city, don't just stay in the "polished" areas. To truly understand the history of Ponce de Leon in Atlanta, you need to see the layers.
- Start at the BeltLine bridge: Walk from Ponce City Market toward the Fourth Ward Park. This gives you the best view of the Sears building's scale.
- Visit the Rooftop at PCM: It costs a few bucks, but it’s the only place you can see the entire skyline while playing carnival games. It’s a nod to the 1880s amusement park that used to be there.
- Check the Plaza Theatre's schedule: They often run 35mm prints of classic films. It’s one of the few places left where the "old world" cinema experience is alive and well.
- Mind the parking: Honestly, parking on Ponce is a nightmare. Use a rideshare or take the MARTA to North Avenue station and walk. You'll save yourself a massive headache.
The story of the explorer might be a myth, but the street itself is very real. It’s the heartbeat of the city. Whether you’re there for the history or the food, you’re walking on ground that has transitioned from sacred springs to a industrial powerhouse to a modern playground. That’s a pretty good legacy for a guy who never even visited.
To get the most out of your time on Ponce de Leon Avenue, download the Atlanta BeltLine map to see the newest access points completed this year. You should also check the Clermont Hotel's rooftop bar for sunset views—it’s one of the best vantage points in the city to see how the Midtown and Downtown skylines connect. Moving forward, keep an eye on the ongoing restoration of the Kodak Building, as new retail spaces are expected to open there by the end of the year.