ATLANTA — In less than two weeks, the City of Atlanta will ring in the new year with the iconic Peach Drop. Around 70,000 people are expected to flock to Underground Atlanta to get a glimpse of the eight-foot-tall, eight-foot-wide, 800-lb. peach and count down to 2025.
The city canceled the Peach Drop last year after redirecting funds to put on different events celebrating 50 years of Hip-Hop in Atlanta. The Peach Drop was last held in Atlanta in 2022, and before that, it had been on hiatus for several years due to the pandemic.
But this year, public safety is at the top of organizers' minds.
Shaneel Lalani, CEO of Lalani Ventures, owns Underground Atlanta. He said this would be the first year Underground stays open during and after the Peach Drop. Lalani bought the 12-acre property in 2020 and has invested millions in sprucing up the property. More businesses have since filled in once-vacant space. More lights, security cameras and security guards have also been added to make the experience safer at a spot that holds a lot of history in Atlanta.
"We want people to come out, enjoy, hang with the family and call in the New Year with us in the city," Lalani said. "The property will be blocked off from all different angles. To come into the event, you have to go through metal detectors and safety checks."
Lalani encouraged people to use rideshare services or MARTA to get to the Peach Drop. He said Underground has hosted one million people this year, and he sees promise in the future of the area. He said he would ultimately like to see more restaurants, businesses, hotels, student housing, affordable housing, and apartments built to attract more people to Underground.
Nicolette Valdespino owns Pigalle, a theater and speakeasy inspired by the Parisian red light district. She said family inspired her to open the business, which she officially opened to the public this month. Pigalle transports a person back in time with a host of memorabilia and decorations reminiscent of a 1940s-era lounge.
"This place is just a collection of a series of memories and treasures," Valdespino said. "It's the idea that we just protect these treasures for the next generation. Every bit of this place reminds me of how hard my family worked to be here, how proud they are to be Americans, how proud I am that I got to know them. I’m just proud I get to share this with people.”
Valdespino said she's felt safe in the two years it's taken to get her business up and running. She said she's aware of the history of neglect in Underground Atlanta, but she's noticed several changes in that same time period.
"There’s always going to be something," Valdespino said. "You have to be aware; that’s just part of being a human. But I’ve been here in parts and pieces for two years, and I’ve never had an interaction with anyone that was full of ill intent. I’ve never encountered anyone aggressive; I haven’t felt that way at all. I think people are just trying to live and survive, and we need to help them. Underground has been fantastic in making sure there is security, looking up at signage, doing all the things that help fix and mediate these problems.”
With the FIFA World Cup set to arrive in Atlanta in 2026, Lalani said he is currently working with the city and other organizations to come up with the best way to use the coveted land sandwiched between some of Atlanta's biggest tourist attractions, its biggest transit station and government buildings. Lalani said Underground has already gone from 25-percent filled to 75-percent filled just in the last four years.
"This is literally where the city started. You can’t replace a location," Lalani said. "We’re really putting out a message that Underground and the city are ready to do big events. We’ve got the World Cup coming in 2026, so this is a message that we’re telling the world: Atlanta is ready, Underground is ready to do big-scale events.”