Wednesday, February 25, 2015

The Urban Amphibious

A Civil War battle. A conduit for Atlanta's waste. A watershed that drains most of Atlanta north of Dekalb Avenue and east of Marietta Boulevard.

Each of these describes Peachtree Creek, and each a motivation to pull the Creek out of the obscurity that it harbors in the minds of most who live here.

David Kaufman's 2007 book of the same title is a must-have for current and former Atlanta residents wanting to develop a stronger sense of place, for Peachtree Creek (along with other creeks) defines this City over a longer and more historical respect than even its famous highways do. Kaufman demonstrates a profound curiosity for the sights, history, physical dynamics and people associated with the Creek.

Moreover he shares with the reader his sense of adventure, and by experiencing Peachtree Creek first-hand his accounts of it become alive. For thirteen years Kaufman explored Peachtree Creek and its tributaries by canoe, braving the hazards of flash flooding, polluted water, and human activity largely ungoverned by civilized existence occurring on the stream banks and bridges above.

While I have limited experience paddling, there was much in this book that felt familiar to me. Several years ago a friend of mine and I bicycled the Atlanta BeltLine while it was still mostly kudzu and abandoned rails. Had I read Peachtree Creek beforehand, I probably would have made more of an effort to document what turned out to be an epic journey. Sadly that moment is now gone.

Let this book stoke your sense of urban adventure, a desire to find a grounding with your surroundings, and a curiosity to learn what might be hidden literally underneath your feet.