If I were given a choice between trail running or city running I would choose trail running every time.  Unfortunately, trail running is sometimes logistically difficult to fit into my schedule, and inevitably, I do run in urban settings quite often.  I don’t necessarily hate running in cities, but I don’t enjoy running the same route every day or running routes that involve waiting at a stoplight every other block.  Luckily, I have found a few routes in Atlanta that are surprisingly decent.

One of my favorite routes is what I have dubbed the “Mansion Run,” which involves running around the Druid Hills area by Emory University.  The streets are wide and tree-lined, and I get to run by tons of large historic homes.  If I lived in Atlanta permanently this would definitely be my dream neighborhood.  Just to give you an idea of the houses in the area, here is one of my favorites that is currently for sale.

Bargain price of $2.65 million

Whenever I don’t have time to run until after 8 p.m. this is where I end up doing any night runs, because it is a pretty safe area.  I like running at night because there is something very peaceful about having the roads and sidewalks to yourself.  Admittedly I sometimes have questionable judgement when it comes to running in inclement weather or trail running, however I try to be smart about running at night.  I never run anywhere sketchy and I always pay attention to traffic.

Recently, my night Mansion Runs have been particularly entertaining, because a lot of the houses have put up fabulous Halloween decorations.  There’s a special place in my heart for people who decorate elaborately for Halloween.  And running by Halloween decorations on a crisp fall night under the stars is basically the ultimate fall activity in my book.

I love the holiday spirit of those Druid Hills residents

While my Halloween night Mansion Runs have been stellar, what I am really excited for is Christmas light runs in December.  I mean, if this is the caliber of decorations that this neighborhood is putting out for Halloween, which is sometimes a more ignored holiday, then I can only imagine the visual delights that await me in December.  I will be in Atlanta for just one week after Thanksgiving, so I will definitely have to make it count!