Decatur in Georgia is an incredibly vibrant city where, when the weather is good enough, there's so much street life going on it's as if there's a permanent party happening. Think porch fests, music fests, food fests, and art fests. In Decatur they even daub the sidewalks, walls of the buildings, and just about anything that doesn't move with flamboyant murals and street paintings to add that extra note of color to the environment.
Art everywhere and outdoor entertainment aren't the only great things Decatur has to offer visitors. Decatur has an intriguing history related to the American Civil War which you can discover by visiting the city's museums or taking a tour of the historic cemetery. Forget manic mall shopping here as in Decatur they make their purchases in a more calm and civilized way by strolling down the main street to see which boutique has the latest sale on. Eating out is just as relaxed too and you're more likely to find yourself dining under the stars than you are indoors under ceiling lights.
Relaxed shopping and dining or even strolling through a graveyard can't be done when you're dragging a suitcase around with you. Leave your bags at a Bounce luggage storage service in Decatur and once you're baggage-free, you'll be able to be as laid back as everyone else in this amazing city.
Luggage Storage In Decatur
Bounce is a luggage storage service that operates on a worldwide scale, providing luggage lockers for travelers. You'll find Bounce luggage storage facilities in convenient locations in Decatur and in many more cities around the globe. Bounce achieves this widespread service by partnering with reputable local businesses so no matter where you are in the world, you'll always find a secure, easily accessible, and economical place at hand to stow your bags.
Decatur City Guide
Top Things To Do
Don't get too caught up in this city’s street party atmosphere or you'll be heading home realizing you've missed out on doing most of the top things there are to do in Decatur. Take time out to have a look around the museums, go shopping Decatur-style, and most of all to immerse yourself in the city's southern hospitality.
Museums
Where you go to learn about the history and past of Decatur can be done inside or outside. You'll be able to choose between a center housed in an old courthouse, a center where you can discover in-depth the stories of Decatur's African-American community, or a cemetery that's the final resting place of some well-known historical figures.
- DeKalb History Center: The DeKalb History Center is dedicated to preserving not just the history of Decatur, but DeKalb county in its entirety. The center is chock full of artifacts, documents, and photographs relating to various eras and events in the county's history dating from the plantation days through the Civil War, both World Wars and up to the present day.
- Beacon Municipal Center: To get a proper insight into the African-American society existing in Decatur in the past and the role it played in the city's development, you need to go to the Beacon Municipal Center. The center houses permanent exhibitions relating to the African-American community of Decatur's Beacon Hill district.
- Decatur Cemetery: It's people who make history, and even when they're long gone, they're remembered for the things they do. Head over to the Decatur Cemetery, pick up a brochure from the cemetery office and take a self-guided tour of the fifty-eight acres of graves, some of which date back to the early 1800s. One of the more prominent figures buried there is the 19th-century poet Dr TH Chivers.
Shopping
Decatur has four great shopping districts and they're all old-style shop-lined streets, so put on a comfortable pair of walking shoes before heading out on a spree. Whether you go to Downtown, West Ponce, Oakhurst, or the Old Depot, you'll probably be entranced into spending a lot more in the boutiques than you had planned for.
- The Square: The Square is a fifteen-block section of Downtown Decatur and where most of this part of the city's retail outlets are located. At the center of the square is the courthouse so you'll always have a recognizable landmark as a point of reference in case you get disoriented from the wide selection of goods on display in the shops which ranges from clothes to books and items for the home.
- Old Depot District: It's quite possible you'll spend just as long browsing the street art in the Old Depot District as you do the shops. There's art everywhere here and that can be very distracting to say the least. The boutiques stock arty stuff too so if you're searching for a gift or souvenir you're more than likely to find something that fits the bill here.
- West Ponce: Go to West Ponce for a spot of shopping and you're more likely to find yourself seated on a cafe terrace sipping a drink and listening to some live music than you are making a purchase. All the stores here are small concerns which offer personalized giftware, handmade jewelry, and unique fashion items. Buy anything here and not only will you have something great to take home, but you’ll also be supporting a local artisan too.
Dining
The one thing you'll notice about the restaurants in Decatur is that the interior designers really went to town when they were doing their job. It'll be a pleasant surprise to discover you're dining in a converted gas station, a renovated railway station, or somewhere that looks like the inside of a rustic farmhouse. What will you be eating? Mostly southern-style American comfort food with an added twist, Italian, Spanish or Indian.
- Leon's Full Service: You won't get a whiff of gasoline at Leon's Full Service which is housed in an old gas station just the aroma of good food cooking. The outside dining space is the best place to grab a table and tuck into tasty morsels like smoked chicken, a hanger steak, or a juicy burger.
- Kimball House: From the outside, it's easy to guess what the building the Kimball House restaurant used to be, from the inside, it's not quite so easy. This old railway station has been given a new lease of life with thoughtful, vintage-style décor that's contemporary while still reflecting the building’s past use. Here you'll be dining on classic American dishes or choosing shellfish from their extensive raw bar.
- Revival: Revival is the name and revival is the style of this Decatur restaurant. Housed in a building constructed in the 1900s, the now renovated premises are a delight of bare brick and polished wood. At Revival, you'll be able to tuck into some great southern dishes like fried catfish, meatloaf, and pork chop smothered in Creole gravy. All the entrees come with cornbread on the side and you can't get much more southern than that.