Atlanta, Georgia
BBW Atlanta: Casual Meets on the BeltLine and Beyond
BBW, big man or admirer, spend a casual Saturday with someone who likes you as you are: the Green Market, a BeltLine walk, then lunch.
Four things that make an Atlanta meet easy
Casual, one to one, with BBW, a big man or an admirer: that's what Fat F-Buddy is for, and you say so on your profile before anyone says hello. Atlanta's part is the setting and the ride. Most of metro Atlanta lives outside the city, so “near me” can mean another county; BBW near me shows how to set your distance.
- Trains until 1 a.m.
- MARTA rail starts at 4:45 a.m. on weekdays and 6 a.m. on weekends, and runs until 1 a.m. every night. No train runs through the small hours, so plan the last ride before the first drink.
- The BeltLine
- More than 16 miles of trail are open on a loop planned at 22, with Piedmont Park on the Eastside stretch.
- Neighborhoods
- Midtown, home to the High Museum of Art, has three MARTA stations, and Old Fourth Ward keeps its bars and restaurants along Edgewood Avenue and Decatur Street.
- County health centers
- Fulton County's Board of Health runs sexual health sites on a sliding fee scale. Names and hours are in the testing section below.
A Saturday daylight plan: market, trail, lunch
- First
Meet at the Green Market
Piedmont Park covers about 200 acres in Midtown, open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., and entry costs nothing. The park lists its Green Market on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Then
Walk the Eastside Trail
The BeltLine's Eastside segment links Piedmont Park with Old Fourth Ward, Inman Park and Reynoldstown, and the trails cost nothing. Side by side is easier than face to face when the small talk runs out.
- Next
Lunch at Ponce City Market
Ponce City Market fills an old Sears, Roebuck and Co. building, with a food hall at its center, a rooftop park and, by its own count, 56 locally owned businesses, about ten steps from the BeltLine.
- Last
Decide by one o'clock
The market wraps up at 1 p.m., and the last train is hours away. Carry on, or say a good goodbye.
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for Hartsfield-Jackson Airport put the average high at 54.0°F in January and 90.1°F in July. Rain stays between about 3.3 and 4.8 inches a month, wettest in July and driest in October, so an October Saturday gives you the best odds of a dry walk.
How late MARTA lets the evening run
| When | What runs | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Weekdays | Rail, 4:45 a.m. to 1 a.m. | Red, Gold, Blue and Green Lines. No rail runs overnight. |
| Weekends | Rail, 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. | A later start and the same 1 a.m. finish. |
| After 8:30 p.m. | Trips to some northern stations | MARTA says these may need a transfer at Lindbergh Center. |
Used to trains that never stop? New York's subway runs around the clock, and so do Chicago's Red and Blue Lines (see BBW New York and BBW Chicago); Atlanta's stop at 1 a.m. MARTA's rail stations serve towns including Brookhaven, Chamblee, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, East Point, College Park, Doraville and Decatur, and the network sits almost wholly within Fulton, Clayton and DeKalb counties.
Get tested in Atlanta, walk-in or booked
Fulton County's Board of Health lists 10 Park Place Health Center and Adamsville Regional Health Center, each open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., plus Neighborhood Union Health Center, open Wednesday through Friday, and a site in Alpharetta, in the north of the county. It uses a sliding fee scale. AID Atlanta, a nonprofit, also tests for HIV and STIs.
A clinic or your own doctor can say what suits you; the safer casual sex guide sets out the official advice.
Video call before you travel; the guide to spotting a fake profile lists the warning signs. On Fat F-Buddy you chat under a username, so your real name stays yours until you choose to share it; the safety page and the features page list the tools.
Good to know for an Atlanta meet
Is the BeltLine a good place for a first meet?
It's a public trail that costs nothing to use. The Eastside segment passes Piedmont Park and Old Fourth Ward, and Ponce City Market sits about ten steps off the trail, so there's always somewhere to stop. Go by day; the first-meet guide covers the rest.
How do I get from Atlanta's airport to the city by train?
The Domestic Terminal holds MARTA's Airport Station, between the North and South baggage claims, and the Red and Gold Lines run straight to it. The Plane Train connects the terminals, and a shuttle between the Domestic and International Terminals runs all day and night.
Can I walk in to a Fulton County health center?
The Fulton County Board of Health says its sexual health sites take walk-ins and appointments, though booking is recommended. AID Atlanta, a nonprofit, says walk-ins are welcome for its HIV and STI testing, which it offers at no charge. Hours differ by site.
Is the Green Market on every Saturday?
Nearly. Piedmont Park lists its Green Market on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through the fall, with a couple of Saturdays off, so look at the market's calendar before you suggest a date.
More for your meet
Who's coming to the Green Market with you?
Suggest Saturday morning, and the BeltLine does the small talk for you.
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