Vine City (Atlanta, Washington, Martin: fit in, foreclosure, houses)

[Atlantasfinest]

Hey Pless...Did you run through the Vine City N'hood...if so I'm interested to here your take on the area and its potential.

[plessthanpointohfive]

I did. From the GA Dome I went north up Northside, then west on Thurmond, south on Walnut, west on Rhodes, south on Vine, then hit MLK to head towards Grant Park.

The streets I was on seemed to hold up to what I've heard...that one street will have all new construction or rehabs but the next street will be shabby. Running down Walnut I saw a group of people who belong to a HUD-like group who were there to do a clean-up and some work on a house. There were a bunch of folks sitting outside the church that I believe is at the corner of Walnut and Foundry.

There was another lady taking exercise on Walnut. She was speedwalking. The neighborhood folks hanging out in front of the church watched us go by and responded to greetings of "Good Morning" with likewise.

I'd say that Vine City has some time yet in the trenches. It's nowhere near West End, etc. But it's obvious some rehabbing is going on.

[plessthanpointohfive]

Let me see if this will work...posting picture of my route:

[Atlantasfinest]

On your next run I invite you to journey a bit further down Martin Luther King Blvd to the Westside Village portion of Vine City/Washington Park and check out Washington Park and the residential/commercial district bordering the Atlanta University Center and The Ashby Marta Station.

In this portion of the city you will find new townhomes/condos and a commercial restaurant district (Busy Bees, Publix, Old Pashcals, Food For Life Cafe, etc.).

The energy in this area is much better and noticeable than in Vine City proper and I have no doubt that It will continue to rebound and flourish because of the 10,000 plus students/administrators in the area and it's close proximity to the city/Marta Rail access/less than a mile from Centennial Olympic Park/Downtown and IMO it has a better location that West End/Westview since it's closer to the city.

[davesm]

I've got nothing but love for Vine City. Busy Bee and Publix on MLK are in my rotation. My wife has gone to the Food For Life Cafe, but I haven't made it yet. I always pass it and say to myself I can't believe I haven't gone there yet. And the candy colored townhomes in Westside Village are ace.

Question for Atlantasfinest, I live on the other side of AUC from you and have noticed most of the new neighbors I meet have relocated from other intown neighborhoods. My best buddy in Ormewood Park has noticed newbies coming in from the burbs. I'm not in anyway suggesting that there is an exodus of any sort, but was wondering if the move to the west side is an easier transition for a seasoned intowner. What are you seeing in Vine City and Westside Village?

[atl-gal]

Not sure if this has been mentioned previously, but the AHA has scheduled demolition of Herndon Homes on Northside Drive which should help further spur new development in Vine City.

[Atlantasfinest]

Originally Posted by davesm

I've got nothing but love for Vine City. Busy Bee and Publix on MLK are in my rotation. My wife has gone to the Food For Life Cafe, but I haven't made it yet. I always pass it and say to myself I can't believe I haven't gone there yet. And the candy colored townhomes in Westside Village are ace.

Question for Atlantasfinest, I live on the other side of AUC from you and have noticed most of the new neighbors I meet have relocated from other intown neighborhoods. My best buddy in Ormewood Park has noticed newbies coming in from the burbs. I'm not in anyway suggesting that there is an exodus of any sort, but was wondering if the move to the west side is an easier transition for a seasoned intowner. What are you seeing in Vine City and Westside Village?

I think that very well may be the case with regards to people re-locating to the Vine City/Washington Park neighborhood. Most people who 1st move here have never heard of the aforementioned areas but are generally looking for areas cheaper and just as centrally located than the more gentrified areas on the East Side of Atlanta so that leads them to West Side neighborhoods of Vine City/Washington Park & West End/Westview. I think as the Upper Westside takes off you will see even more people look into Vine City/Washington Park area since it's the only large scale residential (Single-Family Home not condos and apartments which is what is mostly being built in the Upper Westside area) close to the Upper Westside District and close to everything else in Atlanta without having to drive on a interstate which is a great benefit of living in the area.

Once the economy turns around the Westside Village commercial development will continue to grow and I can really see the MLK corridor taking off. I believe their are many factors with regards to Vine City Development the development plans I've read above address many of those factors. Sales have slowed at the townhomes and condos like everywhere else in Atlanta but they are still reasonably priced but the commercial development of the Westside Village has to commence in order for potential homeowners to see the potential in the area.

Also University Homes is being demolished as we speak http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXkRENLRdLY which was one of the 1st Public Housing for African-Americans in the country and the longest standing in the country (http://books.google.com/books?id=Rk7...esult&resnum=4) which is going to be a huge help for the AUC schools in attracting business and commercial/retail/residential development around the colleges which should further spur Westside Development.

All of these developments are all positive for the Westside moving forward.

[Midtownatl]

What is the Upper Westside area? Is that where the new park is being built? Can't we come with a more original name for it?

[Atlantasfinest]

Actually the area I was referring to is called West Midtown not the Upper Westside which is further Northwest of the aforementioned West Midtown...Which is roughly the area west of Northside Drive/Atlantic Station, North of Bankhead Highway/Donald Lee Hollowell and South of I-75.

Westside Park is going to be located here http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=...-8&sa=N&tab=wl which is due West of West Midtown and due North of Vine City/Washington Park/English Avenue and located in what is considered Grove Park and Knight Park but to most it's the general area entrance to the Bankhead Corridor.

Westside Park Annoucement and Information
City of Atlanta Online (http://www.atlantaga.gov/media/nr_quary_063006.aspx - broken link)

NFT - Not For Tourists - Atlanta - Westside / Home Park

Atlanta’s West Side

I think the general consensus of what most people have been calling the area West of Downtown and North of Martin Luther King Blvd is "Westside" but of course alot of the neighborhoods have their own names and identities that distinguish each neighborhood from each other.

[plessthanpointohfive]

Atlantasfinest,

I sure will do that. I like to run different streets for every 10 miler. I never do the same route twice. I'll definitely head a little more west soon - maybe this Saturday!