Auburn Avenue, east of downtown, was the heart of Black Atlanta for the first half of the twentieth century. The historic stretch between Peachtree Street and Boulevard contains the King birthplace and tomb, Ebenezer Baptist Church, the Apex Museum of African American history, the Royal Peacock Lounge, and the WERD radio station building — the country's first Black-owned and operated radio station.
The neighbourhood declined sharply after the 1960s and has only recently begun to recover through redevelopment around the King site and the BeltLine. Still mostly raw — a working neighbourhood with significant landmarks rather than a polished tourist district.