Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Happy New Years! So starts the beginning of a brand new year. I was lucky enough to work on the day of New Years Eve instead of in the evening. I headed towards downtown Atlanta to try and capture some of the crowds and excitement surrounding the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at the Georgia Dome and the inaugural weekend for the new Atlanta Streetcar system. Thousands upon thousands of people flocked to the area surrounding the Dome including Centennial Olympic Park, the Georgia World Congress Center and the College Football Hall of Fame as Ole Miss was set to take on TCU. An early afternoon game meant the crowds were fairly tame as compared to the usual shenanigans of the historical 7 p.m. start. The Atlanta Streetcar is also up and running as of the new year. With 12 stops around the city center, you can pick up a ride for free for the next 90 days, and it will only take about a half hour to make a round trip from any one point. Each of the streetcars can hold around 200 passengers, which will potentially lessen the traffic load around Centennial Olympic Park, Auburn Ave., Georgia State University, Woodruff Park and other stops. There will be three trolley type cars that will be running at any one given time about 15 minutes apart from one another. Ambassadors were aboard the train I caught at Centennial and were giving history lessons to passengers as they peered out of the windows watching landmarks pass by them.
Charla Hodges (left) reaches for her niece Avery Thomas’ hand as they cross Marietta St. in front of the College Football Hall of Fame on their way to watch the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on Wednesday, December 31, 2014.
Drew Hershman (right), Tommy Bruhn and other fans pass by the College Football Hall of Fame on their way to watch the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on Wednesday, December 31, 2014.
Tasha Grace (left), Marilyn Carrithers and Grace’s son Riley walk through Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta with thousands of other people to watch the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at the Georgia Dome on Wednesday, December 31, 2014.
Brett Horner (left), Casey Cagle and Noah Hancock cheer for Ole Miss as thousands of people walk towards the Georgia Dome in Atlanta to watch the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Wednesday, December 31, 2014.
Emily Walden (left), Michael Walton and Hailee Pipes carry a TCU flag as thousands of people walk towards the Georgia Dome in Atlanta to watch the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Wednesday, December 31, 2014.
Katie Easterling (left) and her sister Karlie stop to have their photo taken in front of the Georgia Dome in Atlanta as thousands of other people walk past the Georgia World Congress Center to watch the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Wednesday, December 31, 2014.
Marie Mattox (right) walks towards the Georgia Dome in Atlanta with thousands of other people to watch the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Wednesday, December 31, 2014.
Ivy Way (left), her son A.G. and Carl Holt wait for an Atlanta Streetcar at the Centinnial Olympic Park stop on Wednesday, December 31, 2014.
Shelby Jones (right) and her brother Dalton wait at the Centennial Olympic Park stop as an Atlanta Streetcar pulls up on Wednesday, December 31, 2014.
Ivy Way (right) holds her son A.G.’s hand as they climb aboard an Atlanta Streetcar at Centinnial Olympic Park on Wednesday, December 31, 2014.
Hannah Queen (left) and her mother Marti have their photo taken by Ambassador Justina Rivera in an Atlanta Streetcar on Wednesday, December 31, 2014.
Betty Jordan (center) looks out of the window as she rides in an Atlanta Streetcar on Wednesday, December 31, 2014.
Yohai Yisrael (center) sits in his aunt Angelyn Love’s lap as people board the Atlanta Streetcar on Wednesday, December 31, 2014.