What areas in Atlanta are revitalizing ?? (Marietta, East Point: apartments, loft, condos)

[nb1968]

I know places like Grant Park and East Atlanta have already exploded.
I am looking to buy a house, and I am willing to take a risk on a new up and coming area. Hopefully close to downtown.
Is "West End" up and coming? What about the areas adjacent?
Does anybody think that Vine City or the English Avenue area will ever improve? It is so close to downtown, and prices are so cheap there.
I am NOT looking for something like Virginia Highlands (successful with high prices already)
I am looking for something that is just starting the rejuvination/revitalization process.
thank you

[atl-gal]

Maybe Capitol View? If you can deal with a lot of breakins, of course. I have friends who bought there but have experienced a lot of crime. Despite that, it does seem to be attracting a lot of new homeowners who are fixing up homes. There are some beautiful houses in that area for cheap.

East Point is also beginning to explode and has a nice downtown area. Try the Conley Hills neighborhood and surrounding areas for nice homes in a safe neighborhood.

[nature's message]

Virginia Highlands was never really in a bad shape. It was always pretty well kept while places like Inman Park were is rough shape.

Yes, the Westide has a very promising future. It's revitalizing pretty rapidly, with a lot of good developments going on. Castleberry Hill is also a hotspot. It a pretty place with a lot of historical value, and is a hotspot for the contemporary artists. Lots and lots of art galleries.

Here are some pics of Westside.

[shalc]

Westside and West End are two different things. VA Highlands began to gentrify in the 80s, I think. You may also want to look in Kirkwood or East Lake.

[jurban8]

Glad to see someone get use out of my Flickr pictures lol

[LovinDecatur]

Originally Posted by shalc

Westside and West End are two different things. VA Highlands began to gentrify in the 80s, I think. You may also want to look in Kirkwood or East Lake.

More like the late 70's. The story about the revitalized commercial district was that a native Atlantan moved back from San Francisco (where she had experienced the gentrification movement already well under way there) and bought the entire block located on the SE corner of Virginia and N. Highland. At that time, virtually all of the block was boarded up, but after some improvements she began to acquire tenants (Capo's, Texas Drilling Co., Purple Parrot et al). After her success, improvement in the entire district began to snowball.

[nb1968]

Originally Posted by shalc

Westside and West End are two different things. VA Highlands began to gentrify in the 80s, I think. You may also want to look in Kirkwood or East Lake.

thank you.
I have been to the West end. Nice restored historic houses in some areas, and what looks like hi crime nearby.
Where is "WESTSIDE" and what can you tell me about it?
Thanks again

[davesm]

Originally Posted by nb1968

Where is "WESTSIDE" and what can you tell me about it?
Thanks again

Westside is basically a re-branding of Industrial/Residential mixed neighborhoods west of the connector around Northside/Howell Mill/W. Marietta. There are no definite boarders, because it's not a designated neighborhood. It is part of Blandtown, Knight Park, and any place within a couple of miles that put "WESTSIDE" on their building. I'm not knocking it, because I eat and shop there all the time. So to answer you question it's businesses, apartments, condos, and a sprinkling of single family homes. Most of the people you see there don't live there kind of place. However, Atlanta sorely needed a place like "Westside", "Midtown West"... whatever you want to call it.

[castleberrybrad]

I live in Castleberry Hill and really enjoy it. I actually walk to work and most of downtown. My car rarely leaves the garage due to the easy and cheap taxi's to about anywhere in the city. The neighborhood also is opening new shops and restaurants and is the leading art gallery area in the city. The assoc is also very involved with making things happen. Don't know what your time line is like but there is the yearly loft tour at the end of Sept. It drew close to 5k people last year. Also there is something called 4th Friday where all the gallery's have new showings the 4th Friday of every month. It's always packed and it is a good way to see the area.

West Midtown (pictures above) is a nice area but still leaves you pretty car dependent most of the time. West End and English Ave are going to be no go zones for quite awhile.

[davesm]

Originally Posted by castleberrybrad

West Midtown (pictures above) is a nice area but still leaves you pretty car dependent most of the time. West End and English Ave are going to be no go zones for quite awhile.

I agree with you on the Westside being car dependent for the most part, but West End being a "no go zone"? C'mon, what do you base this on? If you look at Crime Mapping data Castleberry Hill has more crime occurrences then West End and it's half the size. In the current report more residential burglaries happened in Grant Park, Ormewood Park, Kirkwood, and East Atlanta then in West End. Are those neighborhoods "no go zones" too?

For what it's worth, Castleberry Hill is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Atlanta.