Castleberry Hill:The next "Midtown West"?...Finally?New Developments ,FLUX NIGHT etc.. (Atlanta: transplants, apartment)

[afonega1]

I live close to this area and I have friends that live in Castleberry Hill also.I have always been aware of how cool it is and its potential.

What I do know is that it suffers from many people who don't live Downtown,know nothing about it or even heard of it.
Its often ignored and people who speak of Downtown having a lack of decent in-town walk-able neighborhoods are oblivious to its existence.

At Flux last night I could tell by the thousands of people there,it was a new area yet to be discovered by the Buckhead and Midtown crowd.

In fact when I mentioned it to many of my friends who almost all don't live downtown,they were like where is that?Never heard of it.I was not even surprised because many of them are transplants from around the world.They have been told there is nothing downtown and its dangerous.

Exceptions like Castleberry Hill are never mentioned.You could throw Summerhill and Peopleston in that category also.

I noticed at Flux night that all those empty storefronts that sat vacant in that building that was built just before the housing crisis is probably now about 80% leased.

I saw new restaurants,boutiques,art galleries,bars and unique stores less than a year old.Some less than a month or two.

Does anyone know what are the plans for the future and how much development and exposure with all these events like FLUX Nights are planned?Also what can we expect for the immediate future?
It been interest for some time but has not materialized into a boom yet.Is this the beginning?

Is this the next "Midtown West"?Its made for apartment development.Maybe even a streetcar expansion in that area could do what its done for Edgewood Ave.

[CCATL]

I don't know the answers to your questions about future planned development, but I agree with you on your points about the potential of the area. Flux night is an awesome event, and I've gone for the past 3 years (maybe 4?). Every year, but especially this year, I have noticed a LOT more abandoned storefronts being filled. My wife and I both really love that area, and as there is more to do, will probably bike over there a lot more often from Grant Park. The area has HUGE potential as an urban, walkable neighborhood. I think more so than areas like West Midtown, mainly because it already has the infrastructure to be what West Midtown needs to become - sidewalks that aren't busted, rail access nearby (Garnett and Phillips Arena stops), bike lanes, and a decent street grid.

You're right, a streetcar would help tremendously for connecting the neighborhood. Right now, I think the Gulch is the main barrier for improvement in that area because it is seemingly very disconnected from downtown. If the walk was made nicer, or signs were put up to inform the many people visiting the Centennial area of downtown that there are bars, hookah bars, restaurants, and boutiques (open late!) no more than a 10 minute walk from Phillips Arena, people would probably start going. But as is, the walk is not pleasant, and there is no way for people to know that all of that is a short stroll from the downtown area. The neighborhood is also surrounded by what is perceived as the bad parts of town. South downtown and Mechanicsville aren't exactly known for their safety, and Castleberry Hill is sandwiched between them.

[bigstick]

It is such a cool area, I love No Mas Cantina.

[gerrythesnake]

You are late. Every 2nd Friday they have an art stroll and it is packed

[afonega1]

Originally Posted by gerrythesnake

You are late. Every 2nd Friday they have an art stroll and it is packed

I have been for that but FLUX was much bigger than Art Stroll.

[gerrythesnake]

Originally Posted by afonega1

I have been for that but FLUX was much bigger than Art Stroll.

I agree. What I ment was that I think more people know about the area than you think. They just dont have a good reason to go visit that area unless something is going on

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by afonega1

What I do know is that it suffers from many people who don't live Downtown,know nothing about it or even heard of it.
Its often ignored and people who speak of Downtown having a lack of decent in-town walk-able neighborhoods are oblivious to its existence.

At Flux last night I could tell by the thousands of people there,it was a new area yet to be discovered by the Buckhead and Midtown crowd.

I don't think Flux night is that far off the radar screen. I've seen plenty of Buckhead and Midtown people there in past years. Just guessing, but probably some OTP folks as well.

[Atlanta_BD]

I haven't been to this area. I'll have to check it out these events. As an artist myself, this sounds pretty cool.

[testa50]

Castleberry could be way BETTER than West Midtown in my opinion. Much better transit, much more compact, much more historic. It could truly be a great neighborhood.

They just need a significant amount of DENSE development around its fringes, particularly on those lonely blocks just to the west, to inject some day-to-day life into the streets. Flux was awesome, but I've been there on non-event nights and during the day and it can be quite dead.

[tikigod311]

Went to Flux Saturday and was blown away. I have been to No Mas and driven through the area before but it never seemed very friendly or welcoming. However, I was very impressed Saturday night. They made great use of the urban setting for many of the exhibits. I kinda kept thinking to myself "Wow, way to go Atlanta!" the whole time, and I'm already a big fan of the A! I felt like it was an event you would see in the coolest parts of NYC, but better


Walking around the area opened my eyes a quite a bit. I am going to return to area for drinks or dinner soon as I loved the area.

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