Lost part of Midtown (Atlanta: houses, shop, moving)

[Will Dockery]

This is a memory that I can't pin down too well, perhaps some old timers of Atlanta can illuminate a bit.

Back in late 1980-early 1981 I had a friend from the job I worked back then, in the warehouse of Carolina Lumber & Supply, and went by his house with him 3-4 times after work. His house was on a street at the end of Piedmont, or where Piedmont becomes one way just past Piedmont Park, an area which is now clustered with massive skyscraper type buildings as the traffic sharply veers right and into Peachtree Street et cetera.

Back then, there were some older houses almost straight ahead from the turn, into what is now the one way street, and general "can't get there from here" obstructions along with a "move along" hub bub that prevents me from having time to think about it... this would be another part of Midtown from the 10th Street houses, older, more "run down" places in a row.

I have little doubt this section of Midtown has been covered by modern buildings, and I didn't get the name of the street(s) or after 30+ years have forgotten them.

This street ran east-west and Piedmont Road et cetera run north-south, and led right into it, more-or-less.

The last time I made much of an attempt to locate this street or streets was back around 1995, where I found the relatively nearby Old New York Bookstore, a favorite from way back in the 1970s, was gone also, although the house it was based from was still there.

I know this isn't my most descriptive prose, and hope it makes enough sense to ring some bells with someone out there..?

[bryantm3]

i don't really understand what you're talking about; can you be more specific?

[Gulch]

The area between Juniper and Piedmont maybe?

[JMatl]

I'm guessing 13th or 12th streets between Juniper & Piedmont like gulch mentioned.

[Clayton white guy]

I really think he is referring to the southern tier of Ansley Park around 16th Streetish.

[Nast]

I was thinking the same thing. The Piedmont intersection with 15th has been reconfigured so that you can no longer access 15th street. Additionally, there are some very old, run down houses along that stretch that have been torn down and replaced with town homes. However, the New York Book Shop shows up as being on Juniper, in the still standing house next to Einsteins. I suppose it's possible there were some side streets coming off of Juniper that have since been bulldozed.

As an aside, I was trying to find a site that has old street maps from the 80s. I can find plenty for downtown, but none for Midtown. Anyone know of an online resource that might have it? I didn't see anything on the Atlanta Time Machine.

[J2rescue]

But he mentions that Piedmont becomes one way and having to turn right towards Peachtree which is 14th Street. I don't think any of the towers in that area existed during the time frame the OP is referring to and its likely those towers replaced single family homes. It sounds like he's describing 12th, 13th, or 14th.

[koko339]

At one time didn't Juniper not extend far enough to intersect with 14th?

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by Will Dockery

This is a memory that I can't pin down too well, perhaps some old timers of Atlanta can illuminate a bit.

Back in late 1980-early 1981 I had a friend from the job I worked back then, in the warehouse of Carolina Lumber & Supply, and went by his house with him 3-4 times after work. His house was on a street at the end of Piedmont, or where Piedmont becomes one way just past Piedmont Park, an area which is now clustered with massive skyscraper type buildings as the traffic sharply veers right and into Peachtree Street et cetera.

Back then, there were some older houses almost straight ahead from the turn, into what is now the one way street, and general "can't get there from here" obstructions along with a "move along" hub bub that prevents me from having time to think about it... this would be another part of Midtown from the 10th Street houses, older, more "run down" places in a row.

I have little doubt this section of Midtown has been covered by modern buildings, and I didn't get the name of the street(s) or after 30+ years have forgotten them.

This street ran east-west and Piedmont Road et cetera run north-south, and led right into it, more-or-less.

The last time I made much of an attempt to locate this street or streets was back around 1995, where I found the relatively nearby Old New York Bookstore, a favorite from way back in the 1970s, was gone also, although the house it was based from was still there.

I know this isn't my most descriptive prose, and hope it makes enough sense to ring some bells with someone out there..?

If you go to a library, chances are they have old metro street atlases. Just find an old year and look it up. Some even have old aerial photos of Atlanta. Tech does but I've heard they are moving most of their stuff to a warehouse. The new age of libraries is coming.

[Will Dockery]

Originally Posted by Nast

I was thinking the same thing. The Piedmont intersection with 15th has been reconfigured so that you can no longer access 15th street. Additionally, there are some very old, run down houses along that stretch that have been torn down and replaced with town homes. However, the New York Book Shop shows up as being on Juniper, in the still standing house next to Einsteins. I suppose it's possible there were some side streets coming off of Juniper that have since been bulldozed.

As an aside, I was trying to find a site that has old street maps from the 80s. I can find plenty for downtown, but none for Midtown. Anyone know of an online resource that might have it? I didn't see anything on the Atlanta Time Machine.

Yes, this was a couple of streets (or maybe more) of old, noticeably run-down houses that sound like the ones you describe... older maps from the late 1970s - early 1980s would sure illuminate this.

Now, this was also an era when the Fruit Jungle still stood across from Ansley Mall, the old Midtown Krystal, where the "hippie strip" of Peachtree Street once ran, all that. These old houses definitely belonged to that time, a time demolished and swept away.