ATLANTA—Why do people want to live along the Atlanta Beltline? What aspects of these neighborhoods are attracting multifamily dwellers? Some of those reasons explain the Atlanta Beltline multifamily boom I wrote about earlier this week.

In this installment of my exclusive interview with Tim Schrager, board chairman of the Atlanta Apartment Association. He's also CEO of Perennial Properties, I drilled deeper. What's really drawing people to this area?

Simply stated, Schrager points to the opportunity to lead an active lifestyle with ease. In fact, he says that one attribute is appealing to residents of all ages.

“People want to be able to travel between hot neighborhoods like Midtown and Inman Park without fighting Atlanta traffic, and the BeltLine makes that possible,” Schrager says. “That's an attractive benefit to young professionals, families and retirees alike.”

What's more, he says, the BeltLine has become a social setting. While often used for exercise and transit, he explains, it's started to develop into a locale for social gatherings as well, connecting people in different neighborhoods and providing a setting to make new friends.

“Its presence has given nearby neighborhoods the small boost they needed to get going development-wise, and trendy restaurants and retail have popped up in BeltLine-accessible areas, bringing even more renters in,” Schrager says. As an example, he points to Krog St. Market, a converted 1920s warehouse that opened last summer at the south end of the Eastside Trail. He says it has become one of Atlanta's top dining destinations.

“The 'west coast-style' market includes acclaimed stalls Yalla and Gu's Dumplings, as well as restaurants from chefs Ford Fry, Jey Oh and Top Chef alum Eli Kirshtein,” Schrager says. “Krog St. Market wouldn't have been nearly as popular 10 years ago, but now the BeltLine brings people to its doorstep in droves, so some of Atlanta's best chefs made sure they were included in the project.”