ATL’s hidden gems

It took a tornado to keep visitors from crowding into the Spring Atlanta Home Show last March. The high winds and flying debris also zapped the enthusiasm of many neighborhood associations that had signed up to be part of the Atlanta’s Secret Places exhibit.

But now that it’s time for the fall home show, those same folks are ready again to show off their neighborhoods. Residents from several city communities will be at the Cobb Galleria from Sept. 25-28, armed with Power Points, brochures and photo spreads to highlight the amenities, affordable housing and special characteristics of their home turf. The exhibit focuses on the city’s “secret” residential gems and aims to spotlight the perks of living inside the city limits.

Enlarge this image

Kimberly Smith/Staff

East Atlanta bustles with activity at the intersection of Glenwood Avenue and Flat Shoals Avenue. A thriving commercial district offers restaurants, shopping and night life.

Enlarge this image

Joey Ivansco / Staff

Vine City — where Drew and Diane Henley enjoy the sunset over the Atlanta skyline — will be singing its praises along with other intown neighborhoods at a home show in late September. The project is called Atlanta’s Secret Places and was conceived by a city councilwoman as a way to convince homeowners to move closer in.

Enlarge this image

Ryan Blakey / Staff

Neighbors from Capitol View (above) and nearby neighborhoods created a presentation to highlight the assets of their area.

Home design stories

• Urban design excellence is rewarded 
• Designers find common cause with global artists 
• Latest design ideas jostle for attention at ICFF 

• Back to Home & Garden

The project, sponsored by Atlanta city Councilwoman Mary Norwood and the Neighborhood Housing Coalition, hopes to convince more people to move intown. Since Norwood came up with the concept earlier this year, the intown communities have gotten a boost from another source — high gas prices.

“That $4.50-a-gallon gas doesn’t hurt us,” said Derek Duckworth of Adair Park. “In the last six months, we’ve had a number of home sales.”

Duckworth and neighbors from three other adjacent communities — Capitol View, Capitol View Manor and Sylvan Hills — joined forces to come up with a presentation that highlights the assets of their area.

“We share a lot of the same qualities and amenities,” said Duckworth, who lives in a renovated 1919 house. “We are all centrally located, close to downtown, along the Beltline and a few minutes from the airport. We don’t necessarily have the same styles of houses: Adair Park has more Craftsman bungalows, and Capitol View has more Victorians. But we all appreciate the older qualities of the neighborhoods.”

Duckworth’s presentation will highlight the area’s popular Perkerson Park, skyline views of downtown and the proximity to the airport. “We don’t just want to point out the new or remodeled houses,” he said.

The key to the exhibit is that it’s being staged by the people who know these neighborhoods best, Norwood said.

“They will be at home talking about the features and benefits of living intown, of being near transit and the interstates, and about their parks and libraries,” she said.

In the case of those looking for info on Adamsville, resident Cathy Richards said people may see some new photos. “We had some water damage to our last display,” Richards said. “This time, we’ll have some new ones and others that we kept on the computer that we’ve had to print out all over again.”

What makes a hidden gem?

Here’s a glimpse at some of the neighborhood info you can pick up at the Atlanta Home Show.

Adamsville

Richards has lived in this part of southwest Atlanta for almost 40 years. “It’s still about 65 percent people who are 55 and older, but we’re now starting to see younger people moving in,” she said. “Nobody knows this neighborhood is here unless they have relatives they visit here.”

Richards and several of her neighbors worked on a photo display and Power Point presentation that will be at the Home Show later this month.

“We want to show that our neighborhood is transitioning from old to new,” said Richards. “In the past 10 years, there’s been no real development; it was just an old settled neighborhood. But we have more people coming in, refurbishing the older homes, and we’ve had some infill as well. So we have a lot of variety in home styles and prices.”

Surprise factor: “We may be the only Atlanta neighborhood located outside I-285,” Richards said.

Amenities: Close to I-20, I-285, the airport, downtown, Fulton Industrial Park; neighborhood health center; close to shopping at Camp Creek and Cascade Road.

Interesting historical fact: Adamsville dates to the early 1800s, when it was a farming community. “We have an old Civil War home here where Sherman supposedly boarded his horses,” Richards said.

Neighborhood trivia: The early records of the area show it was called Lick Skillet.

Vine City

Lawyer James Doyle amassed 170 photos of old and new homes to showcase his Vine City neighborhood. He moved into a 2,000-square-foot house there last year and was thrilled to find a house close to downtown that was still affordable.

“I think this neighborhood has been ignored for a long time,” he said. “Yet it’s very close to the highways, the aquarium, Castleberry Hill and the Dome, and we’re very diverse. There’s such a promising future here, but I think people’s perceptions have killed it.”

Houses are much cheaper than they were six months ago, Doyle added. “There are houses here now from $10,000 to $200,000, from old shotgun bungalows to new.”

Surprise factor: “Our rare claim to fame is that we have two MARTA stations, Ashby and Vine City,” Doyle said.

Amenities: Close to downtown; new Publix and post office; large passive green space.

Interesting historical fact: Vine City is home to the historic Herndon mansion.

Neighborhood trivia: “This used to be an area of greenhouses, back in the late 1800s,” Doyle said. “Now it has lots of new homes.”

Westview

Scott Smith and Mark Malaguerra were hunting for old Craftsman-style houses that they could fix up — “that wouldn’t make us house poor” — when they stumbled into Westview in 2001.

“The price was right; it was very cute; and the structure was good,” said Smith.

Yet when he talked to real estate agents, he didn’t hear anything positive. So he and his neighbors have been doing their own advertising. “We started a walking and driving tour for people who want to learn about the neighborhood,” he said. “We talk about the challenges, the kinds of houses, everything.” The same group put together the Westview presentation.

Surprise factor: “Most of the houses on market now are $120,000 or less,” Smith said. “There are a lot of Craftsman bungalows from 1910s to 1930s, with 10-foot ceilings. We also have affordable brick ranches.”

Amenities: Close to the walking trails of the proposed Beltline; close to I-20, downtown, the airport; neighborhood Kroger.

Interesting historical fact: Home to the historic Westview Cemetery, where many notable Atlantans are buried.

Neighborhood trivia: The neighborhood was formed in 1910 as West End Park but eventually became known simply as Westview.

East Atlanta

As president of the neighborhood business association, Marc Takacs was part of a group that assembled the showcase on East Atlanta. “It’s a good way to get people to come over here,” he said.

Takacs renovated a house there and has enjoyed the community spirit as well as the various styles of homes. “There’s an old-time feel here. You can get to know people around you,” he said. “There are tons of neighborhood events — a beer festival, parades, the Taste of East Atlanta, and on Halloween, the businesses give candy out to all the kids. We’re also trying to be the first commercial district to have its own recycling program.”

Surprise factor: Just a block off Moreland Avenue is a thriving district of restaurants, shops and bars.

Amenities: Walking distance to restaurants, stores, services; close to I-20, downtown, Decatur; neighborhood park with tennis courts and community center

Interesting historical fact: During the Civil War, the Battle of Atlanta took place in much of the area.

Neighborhood trivia: Two Civil War generals, one from each side, were killed in the fighting in the area and both are remembered with monuments.