Atlanta's second largest park wasn't supposed to be a park. What is now Freedom Parkway was conceived as a limited access, multi-lane toll road with 5 bridges over neighborhood streets to connect downtown to Stone Mountain Expressway and allow traffic to flow rapidly through "blighted urban neighborhoods". In the 1960's and early 70's, 219 acres of land, including approximately 600 residential housing units, commercial spaces and churches, were condemned and bulldozed.

In 1972, a Blue Ribbon Panel commissioned by Governor Jimmy Carter, declared that the road would not be built "at this time." The following years produced many plans and ideas of how to use the land, labeled the Great Park. One plan involved museums, an amphitheatre and housing.

The cleared land lay idle, overgrown with kudzu, until 1981 when ex-president Jimmy Carter, Mayor of Atlanta Andy Young and Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Tom Moreland struck a deal to create the Presidential Parkway, locating the Carter Presidential Library in the right-of-way. This new version of the expressway had amenities including "Tot Lots," playgrounds just a fence away from the high-speed, multi-lane road. Five bridges would go over neighborhood streets. Brown pavement would be used to "soften its appearance." Or, as the neighborhoods saw it, "lipstick on a pig". The same old pig.

The Friends of Ponce Library Book Sale

Friday, May 6, 4-6 pm Members Only Preview Sale
Memberships are available for purchase at the door for $5/person and $10/family

Saturday, May 7, 10 am to 2 pm 
Open to the public.

Books will be priced at $1 for a hardback and 50 cents for a paperback. Coffee table books are $2 and higher.
Membership proceeds and book sale proceeds all benefit the Atlanta Fulton County Library branch at 980 Ponce de Leon Ave, Atlanta 30306. These funds are used to purchase books and supplies for the branch as well as support community programs hosted at the library.

Friends of the Ponce Library is a non-profit volunteer organization to help promote and support neighborhood library. We meet the fourth Wednesday of every month to discuss ways we can fund raise and work with the library staff to ensure the library continues to be a great community resource.

We encourage library patrons to become members of the Friends Group. Applications are available at the circulation desk and at all library books sales. If you've checked out even one book from the branch, then you've covered the $5 cost of an individual membership. Family memberships are $10 and you receive a Friends magnet for your car!