Castleberry Hill? (Atlanta, Stone Mountain, Lithonia: real estate, apartments, lofts)

[Timmo]

Hey all,

I had some knock-off time yesterday and decided to take a little tour. I read some of the praises of Castleberry Hill and other areas of downtown so I took a trip.

I remember some members wrote that Castleberry Hill was like Soho and Tribeca. Who wrote that?? Why are I upset? Because Castleberry Hill is NOTHING like Soho! I'm thinking: Has this person EVER been to Soho and Tribeca (really the Lower West Side)??? See, I'm familiar with these areas. Don't write the area is "like" a place so people don't come with false expectations. To me, it seemed more like a Black Williamsburg. Imagine the hipsters of Williamsburg, but now they're young Black kids, instead of White ones, who want to look and be like Beck. The architecture is entirely different (2-3 story Italiantate? warehouses/storefronts). Soho is known for that cast-iron, Renaissance Revival, 19th C Warehouse styles. I didn't see any of that on Peters, Walker St.

So, I wonder: Was it just a realtor lying on this board, or an idiot? What are your thoughts?

[Jonas1950]

This will enlighten you...very nice area consisting of loft conversions


Castleberry Hill Neighborhood Association

[Atlantasfinest]

Interesting article about what's going on in Castleberry Hill in the infamous AJC....

Is Castleberry Hill 'the new Buckhead?' | ajc.com (http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2008/07/26/castleberry_hill_party.html - broken link)

The same things go on in Virigina Highlands for the most part but with VAHI it's mostly white yuppie patrons and a traditionally white neighborhood so no complaints from the locals there because it's good for business & it's not scene as a threat.

Castleberry has more of a mixed resident base but It's still mostly white but it's located downtown around mostly black neighborhoods and that's where the problem begins. People are afraid to admit it but many non-blacks are still scared of an all-black clientele, even it's an upwardly-mobile "Buppie" (Yup Black Yuppies) set that visits Castleberry-Hill frequently. These are not thug hoodlums and hoochie mamas parading up and down Peters Street, these are college educated 21-35 year olds dining/eating/drinking/socializing just like people do anywhere else in other cool neighborhoods.

It's wrong to attempt to compare Castleberry to the old Buckhead scene as it's not even close. I probably go to Castleberry Hill about twice per month at the most and the scene is very nice and people are respectful, yes there might be some load music blaring from some vehicles but no one cruises on Peters Street...lol, cruising is more associated with the hood culture that permeates Atlanta, not the upwardly mobile young-black professional set.

I think Castleberry Hill has tons of potential but If the Black patrons who frequent it so much want a bigger voice in the bar hours not being curtailed they need to INVEST in the area by way of real estate, residing in apartments & lofts, starting businesses.

Without those key component the people who go there for the nightlife will never have a voice or "say so" in the community. It's not like the majority of the people who come to Castleberry can't afford to live there because there are tons of Black Professionals with good jobs who should be financially have the means to invest in Castleberry Hill.

One of the problems is many Blacks are steered or have family in areas like Stone Mountain, Lithonia, Camp Creek, Cascade outside of the city and by the time they might discover a cool intown neighborhood they are already vested in the community they moved to from the start.

If you invest in the area you live/work/play in you can have a broader say In and more influence than a customer/reveler.

Educated Blacks (Who have the financial means) in Metro Atlanta really need to move towards establishing live/work/play communities that are unique with restaurants that cater to our tastes WITHIN the city limits of Atlanta (25-55 something all encompassing like VAHI) because as you can see they are not opening up their arms signing Kumbaya (Shout out to AtlantaGreg) when you walk into their establishments.

[gt6974a]

Originally Posted by Atlantasfinest

Interesting article about what's going on in Castleberry Hill in the infamous AJC....

Is Castleberry Hill 'the new Buckhead?' | ajc.com (http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2008/07/26/castleberry_hill_party.html - broken link)

These are not thug hoodlums and hoochie mamas parading up and down Peters Street, these are college educated 21-35 year olds dining/eating/drinking/socializing just like people do anywhere else in other cool neighborhoods.

The article specifically says they don't have a problem with the college kids, it's the hood rats that started coming into the n-hood to party, i.e. how Buckhead turned into Freak Nik.

If you don't want the places to shut down and accept Black patrons, then they need to not loiter outside and shell out the cash. They're not going to care what color you are as long as you're paying them. It's the same for all races.

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by gt6974a

If you don't want the places to shut down and accept Black patrons, then they need to not loiter outside and shell out the cash. They're not going to care what color you are as long as you're paying them. It's the same for all races.

Actually, I agree.

I've heard from more than one business owner here: "It's not white or black I care about - it's GREEN. If you're not pulling out the green... move on!".

Sounds snotty as hell, but it's true and whether business owners admit it or not, it's a very common attitude. People are in business to make a living. They're not making a living from people hanging out in parking lots or cruising around, regardless of color. If an area has too large of a problem with that, and someone with enough money gets tired of it, then that person will do something about it with their own "green" (such as in the case of the Buckhead Triangle area).

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by Timmo

Hey all,

I had some knock-off time yesterday and decided to take a little tour. I read some of the praises of Castleberry Hill and other areas of downtown so I took a trip.

I remember some members wrote that Castleberry Hill was like Soho and Tribeca. Who wrote that?? Why are I upset? Because Castleberry Hill is NOTHING like Soho! I'm thinking: Has this person EVER been to Soho and Tribeca (really the Lower West Side)??? See, I'm familiar with these areas. Don't write the area is "like" a place so people don't come with false expectations. To me, it seemed more like a Black Williamsburg. Imagine the hipsters of Williamsburg, but now they're young Black kids, instead of White ones, who want to look and be like Beck. The architecture is entirely different (2-3 story Italiantate? warehouses/storefronts). Soho is known for that cast-iron, Renaissance Revival, 19th C Warehouse styles. I didn't see any of that on Peters, Walker St.

So, I wonder: Was it just a realtor lying on this board, or an idiot? What are your thoughts?

This happens way too often in Atlanta: "Castleberry Hill is the SoHo of Atlanta, L5P is Atlanta's Greenwich Village, blah, blah, blah..."
It's common practice in this town, and it does just what it did to you: sets up unrealistic expectations, and then comes the let down.
It's not to say that they won't be on that level one day soon, but they're not there yet.

[Atlantasfinest]

I've lived close (walking/biking/jogging distance) to the Castleberry Hill area for 10 years off and on and I can attest that their aren't any more "hood rats" than what you would find in VAHI/Midtown on any given night. I dine/eat/shop/drink/socialize in all those areas very frequently and it's really yuppies being yuppies, just so happens the yuppies who visit the nightlife in Castleberry Hill are black and in a neighborhood where home ownership is majority white it's always going to be a problem. I know 3 restaurant/bars/lounges in Castleberry that are owned by Blacks and I can tell you 1st hand that they don't have any problems with the patrons who visit. Simple as that.

[atlantamoi]

This is my favorite part of that article... smart guys:

"Messer and his partner bought a 17,000-square-foot building in 1993 for $165,000. It's now appraised for $4.3 million, he said."

[Merin]

I have only been to Castleberry Hill once, in the evening, and didnt notice disrespectful behavior. With that being said, I would not want to hear loud music all night, and have bars illegal operating as clubs, in my neighborhood.

[MitchellM]

I saw people out on downtown streets just before everything closed at 11pm. There must have been at least, oh I'd say, 4 people all out walking downtown, right next to that fancy steakhouse- Steak and Ale. True there's not Duane to be found here, but I hear there is even a place to get bagels downtown if that whats you like.

So, it's pretty clear Atlanta is on it's way if not there already, what with the worlds biggest airport and all the above.