Kesha McNair is a 25-year-old entrepreneur who has found what she wanted — a place to live and work all in one spot — in the Castleberry Hill area, just south of downtown Atlanta.

In January, she moved into a one-bedroom loft with 1,250 square feet at Fair & Walker Lofts and became the first person to open a business there.

She may have set the pace, but she estimates 70 percent of the owners plan to also open businesses.

Her shop, Dymond Wayz Accessories Heav'n boutique, takes up 300 square feet and features high-end costume jewelry and leather bags.

She loved Fair & Walker Lofts the moment she saw it.

"Although it's brand-new construction, when you see the details — like the classic hardwoods — you feel the building is 120 years old but beautifully renovated."

She uses her den as an office space and enjoys the loft's flow.

French doors lead to a patio, and another favorite touch is a stairwell leading to her rooftop terrace.

It's easy to feel at ease in the neighborhood, she says. The Clark Atlanta University graduate with a fine arts degree is originally from west Los Angeles, and "this reminds me of home."

With art shops dotting the neighborhood, "I love the way the whole area looks, and I love having neighbors of all races."

One of them is 42-year-old Haitian painter Pierre Leon, who has a two-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath loft at Fair & Walker and lives above his new art gallery, Emergence Gallery, which he opened on the street level.

For two years, Leon ran a gallery in the East Village area of New York, but relatives here suggested he move back to Atlanta. Initially, he had no interest.

"I said, 'Pay for my ticket and I'll come visit.' But when I got here, I was surprised to see there really was a lot of potential."

An article in The New York Times listing Castleberry Hill as the next SoHo caught his eye, and Fair & Walker Lofts wound up being an especially good fit because of the live/work setup.

He was "so excited" about finding a place he could use for an art gallery but also call home. "It's like the icing on the cake."

Leon is "a spiritual abstract artist," and Emergence Gallery features his work and that of artists from around the world.

"My New York gallery was 5,000 square feet, so I was worried at first about how I would do everything I wanted to in 1,600 square feet," he said.

But because the loft is on four levels, with retail space on the bottom, living space on the second and third floors and then a rooftop terrace, "I am able to use my whole house as a gallery.

He says:"I had dreamed of something like this, and I'm sure the universe called me to be a part of this place."