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Central

Midtown, a center for culture, commerce and condos, is one of Atlanta's most urban neighborhoods. It is home to the High Museum of Art, the Fox Theatre, Piedmont Park, a skyline that rivals downtown and a growing supply of swanky housing such as the new Metropolis mixed-use high-rise on Peachtree Street. The community's Outwrite Bookstore and Backstreet nightclub are among businesses catering to the neighborhood's thriving gay community.

Virginia-Highland, a district of shops and restaurants, has some of the city's most bustling sidewalks. Meanwhile, quiet, almost suburban neighborhoods of large homes are just around the corner in long-established neighborhoods such as Morningside and Ansley Park.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Historic District and Old Fourth Ward, which hug the eastern edge of downtown, are among the city's most central neighborhoods. Both are attracting new home buyers and builders. Large mixed-use complexes are being developed, adding to the area's urban flair. At the heart of the district is the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, a major tourist attraction and frequent backdrop for civic gatherings such as peace rallies and prayer vigils.

North

Yogi Berra's famous oxymoron "Nobody goes there anymore -- it's too crowded" could describe Buckhead. The way some Atlantans talk, you'd think they don't care for Buckhead. Too many college kids getting drunk there. Too much traffic. Sky-high condo prices.

The way Atlantans act, you'd think they love Buckhead. They flock to it for July Fourth fireworks and the lighting of a huge Christmas tree atop Lenox Square. They shop at Lenox more than anywhere else. And someone must be able to afford those condos, because they keep building more.

Speaking of pricey, take a drive through Tuxedo Park. With its winding driveways and magnificent mansions, it is one of the city's most glamorous neighborhoods. The area, north of West Paces Ferry Road, is rich in historical houses, built for the Who's Who of Atlanta. Since the late 1960s, Georgia governors have resided there in a Georgian mansion behind tall wrought-iron gates. Some of the city's leading architects, including Philip Shutze and Neel Reid, left their legacy in numerous estate houses.

South

Not far from downtown, south of I-20, the Grant Park neighborhood was once the property of Col. Lemuel Grant, who is said to have watched Atlanta burn in 1864 from the front porch of his house. Grant subdivided his vast holding and donated a significant portion to the city.

That became Grant Park, the city's second-largest green space and home to Zoo Atlanta and the Cyclorama. Many grand houses were built after the Civil War.

After interstate expansion destroyed part of the historic neighborhood, many of the remaining houses fell into neglect.

More recently, newcomers have renovated and restored the elegant two-story Victorians and Queen Anne cottages. A strong neighborhood association takes on issues of crime, traffic and partying in the park.

West of Grant Park are several affordable neighborhoods attracting urban pioneers. The streetscape around Turner Field in Summerhill has been re-created with new townhouses and two stores designed in the style of the neighborhood's original Victorians.

In-fill projects and loft developments are starting to appear in low-income neighborhoods such as Mechanicsville and Pittsburgh. Young buyers are moving into Capitol View despite the surrounding area's reputation as an open-air market for crack cocaine and prostitutes.

East

The eastern edge of Atlanta, toward Decatur, has been considered cutting edge for so long that the description barely fits anymore. It's a popular, re-established residential part of town.

Decades ago, Inman Park became one of the first intown neighborhoods to see a resurgence. A late-1800s trolley "suburb," Inman Park has an impressive collection of restored Victorian homes. That makes it popular with movie crews shooting period pieces. It also makes it popular for families that want an idyllic big house with a fireplace, dog and white picket fence -- in the heart of the city. Houses don't stay on the market long.

In the next neighborhoods to the east, Candler Park and Lake Claire offer modest, somewhat more affordable homes for young couples who want to live similar American dreams.

South of I-20, Ormewood Park and East Atlanta are neighborhoods of brick bungalows and frame cottages. Kirkwood and East Lake, two older communities long abandoned and ill kept, have been rejuvenated by newcomers moving into Victorian homes and cottages. Former commercial and retail buildings -- and even a few former schoolhouses -- have been reconfigured as lofts. Kirkwood and East Lake have benefited from the restoration of the historic East Lake Country Club.

In this part of town, East Atlanta Village has replaced Little Five Points as the epicenter of white alternative youth culture. Little Five Points remains a live theater district. Its shops and sidewalks attract a more ethnically diverse crowd.

West

Vine City, just across Northside Drive from the Georgia Dome, faces an uncertain future. A recent flood that forced some residents to swim through sewer water to escape has claimed some homes. The city condemned many homes and plans to level an entire section for a storm drainage project that will remain under construction for years.

Farther west, around Washington Park, new homes have been built and are being built as the west side finally sees a bit of the intown housing boom. Neighborhood amenities include the park, new commercial outlets, such as a supermarket and a video store, and old ones such as Paschal's Restaurant and MARTA access at Ashby Station.

The historic West End neighborhood has its share of urban blight but is getting some real estate buzz. This Victorian neighborhood of cottages and bungalows, as well as new single-family homes, townhouses and condos, features several large churches, a few historical sites and a commercial district along Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard. The Wren's Nest, the home of Joel Chandler Harris, author of the "Uncle Remus" tales, is a major attraction.

Up-and-coming African-Americans buying homes have turned the Cascade Road area southwest of downtown into a booming housing market. Residents enjoy the area's convenience to downtown, the airport and shopping at Greenbriar and Cumberland malls. From West End, Cascade Road meanders through suburban-style neighborhoods built in the 1950s and 1960s. Many of these older houses sit on spacious lots beside wide streets.