Visitors to the spring Atlanta Home Show this weekend may be surprised to find a corner of the Georgia World Congress Center crowded with folks from more than a dozen city neighborhoods jostling for their attention.

The intowners are anxious to show off their PowerPoints, brochures and photo spreads that highlight the special characteristics of their home turf.

They're all part of an exhibit on "Atlanta's Secret Places," designed to introduce showgoers to those "hidden" residential areas that offer amenities, affordable housing and the perks of living inside the city limits.

The project is sponsored by Councilwoman Mary Norwood and the Neighborhood Housing Coalition in the hopes of convincing more people to move intown.

"It makes all the sense in the world to have employees of companies in the city who go to the Home Show see for themselves what's going on in the intown neighborhoods," said Norwood, who put the word out that she was looking for neighborhood residents to create a display and man a booth at the show.

"I didn't know if we'd get five or 50," she said. "So far, we have 16, from Adamsville and Collier Heights to East Atlanta. These are communities that people don't usually know too much about."

They'll know plenty about Derek Duckworth's Adair Park neighborhood if they talk to him at the show. Duckman and neighbors from three 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 [the planned loop of transit, trails and parks], 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, said Norwood. "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."

The exhibit includes experts in real estate, banking and home buying who will provide information on available houses, mortgages and the details of buying a house.

What makes a 'hidden gem'?

A glimpse of some of the neighborhoods highlighted at the Atlanta Home Show this weekend.

ADAMSVILLE

Cathy 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 PowerPoint that will be at the Home Show this weekend.

"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: One of the few Atlanta city neighborhoods located outside I-285.

> Amenities: Close to I-20, I-285, the airport, downtown, Fulton Industrial Park, and shopping at Camp Creek and Cascade Road.

> History: Adamsville dates back 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 May 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 [Georgia] Dome, and we're very diverse. There's such a promising future here, but I think people's perceptions have killed it."

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

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

> History: Vine City is home to the historic Herndon mansion.

> Neighborhood trivia: "This used to be an area of greenhouses, back in the late 1800s," said Doyle. "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 the market now are $120,000 or less," said Smith. "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 and the airport.

> History: Westview is 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.

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 and Decatur; neighborhood park with tennis courts and community center.

> History: 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 there with monuments.

IF YOU GO

The Home Show opens today at the Georgia World Congress Center, from noon to 6 p.m. It continues tomorrow from noon to 8 p.m.; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Information is online at www.atlantahomeshow.com and by phone, 770-798-1997.