Hotel's Old Fourth Ward Atlanta

Originally built as The Garner-Wallace Hotel, 551 Ponce de Leon Avenue opened its doors to the public in 1929. Its grandeur was short-lived in the wake of the Great Depression — but, like Atlanta itself, the building was resilient. It found new life in the ‘30s as the Hotel Ponce de Leon, and by 1956, the cozy nooks of its basement became home to Mrs. P’s restaurant, a beloved lunchtime spot for those from the nearby Sears building (now the iconic Ponce City Market).

The swing of the 1960s saw the transformation of Mrs. P’s from a quaint lunch spot to Atlanta's pioneering LGBTQ-friendly bar. Here, the city witnessed its very first drag show, led by the legendary Diamond Lil. But with progress came resistance, and while police raids were frequent, they didn’t stop the revelry.

By the 1980s, Mrs. P's had taken its final bow, but its impact and legacy in Atlanta's LGBTQ scene remained indelible. The basement of 551 Ponce metamorphosed into various bars and clubs, including Zippers, the Joy Lounge (where the iconic Diamond Lil performed), Club 551, and — in 1994 — the earliest version of legendary nightlife staple MJQ. In September 1997, the club moved a few blocks east, and our building adapted yet again.

For a period of nearly two decades, 551 Ponce transitioned into the Ponce Student Suites, providing affordable housing for students of nearby universities like Georgia State, Georgia Tech, and Emory until 2017. And today? It stands proud as the 111-room Wylie Hotel: a true neighborhood treasure, once again welcoming all across its threshold.