Neighborhoods

Below, I have listed a number of neighborhoods where my clients have bought or sold homes. I have written a little description of each (with the help of Wikipedia because there you can find off the wall information that is fun and interesting.) Enjoy!

Avondale Estates

Avondale Estates is a small city located in the Decatur area where they boast “diversity in every way, while valuing their traditions and embracing new opportunities". Avondale has a small town feel –and yet, close to in-town Atlanta. There are some gorgeous homes, some fun restaurants, and some serious cops so don’t speed.

Buckhead

Largely located in “uptown” Atlanta, Buckhead supposedly gets its name from a story of Henry Irby, who had a general store and tavern at what is now the intersection of West Paces Ferry Road and Roswell Road. He killed a large buck deer and placed the head in a prominent location and thus became the area known as “buck-head.” My friend, Courtney, who lives in Chastain Park in Buckhead also wants you to know that Chastain is the largest park in Atlanta with some 260+ acres of parkland. Buckhead also boasts the North Fulton Golf Course, a fabulous public golf course which is located in the heart of Chastain Park. The park also features Chastain Amphitheater, one of Atlanta's premiere outdoor venues. Buckhead is a large oasis for many of its residents!

Cabbagetown

Cabbagetown is a funky little neighborhood consisting of 8 total blocks near the heart of Downtown Atlanta. It surrounds what was once the Fulton Bag and Cotton Mill which began in 1881. The workers who lived in Cabbagetown were mainly from the Appalachian Mountains — and some of the descendents still live there today. The shot-gun houses were built to house the workers and like most mill towns, the streets are narrow as heck. Cabbagetown is home to Carroll Street which boasts great restaurants, bars and shops. It has a lively artist community and the Fulton Bag and Cotton Mill has been made into great lofts and apartments.

Candler Park

Home of the original Flying Biscuit, Candler Park is a great neighborhood surrounding—you guessed it, the actual Candler Park—a 55 acre City of Atlanta Park that includes a 9 hole golf course, tennis courts, a swimming pool, and an athletic field. Candler Park offers residents everything from bungalows to Victorian homes and is a cool in-town neighborhood.

Castleberry Hill

Known for its fabulous warehouse lofts, Castleberry Hill is located close to the Central Business District. This City of Atlanta Landmark District (which preserves the neighborhood in its original form) has become the place for great art crawls and wonderful refurbished old brick warehouses that house true city lofts. You must go to the Art Stroll every 4th Friday of the month.

Decatur

Located between downtown Atlanta and Stone Mountain, this wonderful little city has so much to offer. Great schools, fabulous homes, and a kickin' business district, it is certainly a nice place to live. The Decatur Square has plenty of restaurants, bars, and shops, and I enjoy walking to breakfast at Sweet Melissa's with Brutus, Little Girl, and Alison on the weekends.

Downtown

[photo: Vortex skull] While Downtown has often been known for its businesses, CNN building, or Centennial Olympic Park, it has slowly offered Atlantans much more. Extremely nice condos and lofts have popped all over the downtown area — which includes Five-Points, Fairlie-Poplar and Centennial Hill. Many classy restaurants and bars have opened up and more and more residents are finding themselves Downtown rather than just in Midtown and Buckhead. I am hopeful that this growth will continue!

East Atlanta Village

The Village — as the locals call it — consists of an array of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, stores, and everything else in between. Located across I-20, this area has seen a huge resurgence in the past few years. Lots of good homes and great values are to be had here! East Atlanta is home to several great events throughout the year including the East Atlanta Beer Festival, East Atlanta Strut and Battle of East Atlanta. Much of the money raised at each event goes directly back into the neighborhood.

East Lake

East Lake is one of Atlanta's more historic neighborhoods — and my own neighborhood. Located on east side of the city, East Lake has lots of 1940's bungalows, cottages, and of course, new construction. Like most of the East Atlanta area, East Lake has enjoyed a major rebirth in recent years. The neighborhood of East Lake is on part of a plantation owned by Civil War Col. Robert A. Alston, whose home, known as Meadow Nook, still stands across from the East Lake Golf Course. This home was built in 1856 for his South Carolina bride, and was occupied, but not destroyed, during the Civil War. It is the second oldest home in Atlanta, and one of the few that Union General Sherman and his troops did not burn. How cool is that?

Grant Park

Grant Park is a neighborhood surrounding, you guessed it again — Grant Park, the oldest park in our city. Grant Park is Atlanta’s largest historic neighborhoods and not only has a fabulous park to play in, but also is the home of Atlanta Zoo and the famous Cyclorama.

Inman Park

Home to one of the best (if not the best) neighborhood festivals, Inman Park is a neighborhood that boasts gorgeous refurbished Victorian homes. Inman Park also has some cool lofts and condos popping up and of course some of the best restaurants in the city. Yum.

Kirkwood

In the past few years, the “downtown” area of Kirkwood has just blossomed into "the small town in the big city,” hosting its own post office, newly constructed fire station, police precinct and public library. The area along Hosea Williams Drive also includes lots of shopping and good eating! I walk to this area a lot with my pups and enjoy this neighborhood.

Lake Claire

Lake Claire sits below Candler Park and not on any lake. In fact, there is not lake to be found here. The name comes from an old intersection of Lakeshore and Claire Drives. A wonderful neighborhood, lots of families walk to the restaurants on McClendon (including the Flying Biscuit of course.)

Little Five Points

What can I say about Little Five Points? There is the big skull of the Vortex Bar and Grill, there is the Junkman’s Daughter store, and then there are all the bars. There are also a lot of wonderful independent shops—and you are never bored if you go shopping in this area. Never. Always good people watching.

Midtown

Midtown Atlanta has in the past 10 or so years been a fast-growing community with some serious appreciating land and property values as residents have moved from the burbs back in-town. Midtown offers a fabulous mix of restaurants, museums, shops, and of course plenty of extremely nice condos and homes.

Oakhurst

Oakhurst is like a little urban Mayberry. I love it. Everyone knows everybody, people walk their dogs and kids around, we eat at the Universal Joint or my favorite, Mescalitos. Great schools as it is in the City of Decatur and wonderful newer homes and older bungalows.

Old 4th Ward

If there is one in-town neighborhood that has seen and continues to see such an amazing resurgence, it is the Old 4th Ward. Home of Martin Luther King Jr. and his family, this historic and wonderfully diverse neighborhood just keeps growing. Close to Inman Park and the Virginia Highlands, there are tons of restaurants and shops and certainly a sense of community abounds here.

Ormewood Park

The Ormewood Park area — in between Grant Park and East Atlanta — was once the territory of the Creek Indian Nation until around 1825 when the Governor of Georgia began forcing the Creek from their lands. After the Indians were booted out, many residents of Atlanta began constructing Victorian homes in that area – and after World War I, there was a construction boom in Ormewood during which Craftsman style homes, shotgun style homes and small brick bungalows were constructed. Ormewood, like most neighborhoods in Atlanta, has gorgeous old growth trees everywhere.

Virginia Highland

This amazing neighborhood began as a streetcar community and has grown tremendously in the last few years and continues to be the place to be for many residents of Metro-Atlanta. Packed with bars, restaurants, shops and close to Piedmont Park, this neighborhood is always packed with people. Something I did not know is that this year, Virginia-Highland became the first carbon-neutral zone in the U.S., through cooperative work with Verus Carbon Neutral and the Chicago Climate Exchange. Who knew we were so cutting edge?