Virginia-Highland
Encyclopedia
Virginia-Highland is a neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, founded in the early 20th century as a streetcar suburb
Streetcar suburb
A streetcar suburb is a residential community whose growth and development was strongly shaped by the use of streetcar lines as a primary means of transportation. Early suburbs were served by horsecars, but by the late 19th century cable cars and electric streetcars, or trams, were used, allowing...
. It is named after the intersection of Virginia Avenue and North Highland Avenue, the heart of a busy commercial district at the center of the neighborhood. The neighborhood is famous for its bungalows and other historic houses from the 1910s-1930s. It has become a destination for people across Atlanta with its eclectic mix of restaurants, bars, and shops and for the Summerfest festival and other events.
In 2011 Virginia Highland was voted "Best Overall Neighborhood", by readers of Creative Loafing
Creative Loafing
CL Inc. is the Tampa, Florida-based publisher of three city newsweeklies and their associated websites. Each of the papers focuses on local news, politics, arts and entertainment, and restaurants...
, and in June 2011, Atlanta Magazine designated Virginia Highland "favorite neighborhood overall".
History
The first record of settlement of the area that is now Virginia-Highland was in 1812, when William Zachary bought and built a farmFarm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
on 202.5 acre (0.81948915 km²) of land there. In 1822 he sold his farm to Richard Copeland Todd
Richard Copeland Todd
Richard Copeland Todd , was a pioneer from Chester, South Carolina. In 1822 Todd and his wife Martha settled in what is now Virginia Highland neighborhood of Atlanta, buying their farm from William Zachary who had bought it in 1812. Their descendants resided on the original Todd homestead site at...
(1792–1850). Todd's brother-in-law Hardy Ivy
Hardy Ivy
Hardy Ivy is said to be the first person of European descent to permanently settle in what is now the city of Atlanta, GA.By 1821 the last of the Native Americans who held claim to the land east of the Chattahoochee River ceded their land to the state of Georgia in the "Creek Indian Cession of...
settled in 1832 in what is now Downtown Atlanta
Downtown Atlanta
Downtown Atlanta is the first and largest of the three financial districts in the city of Atlanta. Downtown Atlanta is the location of many corporate or regional headquarters, city, county, state and federal government facilities, sporting facilities, and is the central tourist attraction of the city...
and the road between their two farms came to be known as Todd Road (a portion of which still exists in Virginia Highland).
"Nine Mile Circle"
In the 1880s, Georgia Railroad executive Richard PetersRichard Peters (Atlanta)
Richard Peters was an American railroad man and a founder of Atlanta.Grandson of Judge Richard Peters, Jr...
and real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
developer
Land development
Land development refers to altering the landscape in any number of ways such as:* changing landforms from a natural or semi-natural state for a purpose such as agriculture or housing...
George Washington Adair organized the Atlanta Street Railway Company
Atlanta Street Railway Company
The Atlanta Street Railway was the first streetcar system in Atlanta.Originally chartered by the state of Georgia on February 23, 1866 by George Hillyer, Dr...
. Their first project was the Nine Mile Trolley
Nine-Mile Circle
The Nine-Mile Circle was a streetcar line of the Atlanta Street Railway, later the Atlanta Consolidated Street Railway which went from downtown Atlanta to today's Virginia Highland neighborhood as follows:...
, which started serving the area sometime between 1888 and 1890 . At first, patrons used this streetcar line to visit "the countryside" outside the city, but the line also enabled later development in the area. Adair built his home at 964 Rupley Drive (still standing and divided into upscale apartment
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
s). The iconic curves in the street at the intersections of Virginia Ave. with N. Highland and Monroe are remnants of the trolley line which required gentle curves. The Trolley Square Apartments (now "Virginia Highlands [sic] Apartments") near Virginia and Monroe were built on the site of trolley maintenance facilities.
Residential development
The majority of the houses and streets in Virginia-Highland were constructed between 1909 and 1926.Important subdivisions include:
- Highland Park (1911) - Greenwood (north side), Drewry, and Highland View between N. Highland and Barnett; Adair (south side) between N. Highland and Todd Rd.
- Vineyard Park (1911) - built on the grounds of the Adair MansionAdair MansionThe Adair Mansion, originally named Wood Cliff is located in the Virginia Highland neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia at 964 Rupley Drive, and is as of 2011 divided into upscale apartments....
- Todd Road (east side), Adair Avenue (north side) and Rupley Drive - North Boulevard Park (phase one from 1916 phase two from 1926), where Cooledge Avenue was named after E.J. Cooledge, vice-president of the North Boulevard Park Corp., and Orme Circle (And later the eponymous park) were names for A.J. Orme, its secretary-treasurer.
- Virginia Hills (from 1921)
- Virginia Highlands (from 1922) (with an "s" – note that this was before "Virginia Highland" came to refer to the entire neighborhood).
In 1916 the Arc Light Controversy
Arc Light Controversy
The Arc Light Controversy raged between neighbors in what is now the Virginia Highland neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia, and was front-page news in late January and early February 1916....
raged between neighbors on Adair Ave. and N. Highland Ave.
Commercial development
Some businesses opened around the intersection of Virginia and N. Highland starting in 1908, with many more opening starting in 1925. At the same time development started in the Atkins Park commercial district around St. Charles. Ave. and N. Highland, including in the present-day Atkins Park Restaurant (1922) which reportedly got what is now Atlanta's oldest liquor licenseLiquor license
-Alberta:In Alberta, liquor licences are issued by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission.-United Kingdom:Throughout the United Kingdom, the sale of alcohol is restricted—pubs, restaurants, shops and other premises must be licensed by the local authority. The individual responsible for the...
when it became a bar and restaurant in 1927. Between 1928 and 1930, the Howard Dry Cleaning Company and the Phelps Millard Grocery opened, anchoring the Amsterdam and N. Highland business district.
The Samuel N. Inman School, named after the nineteenth-century cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
, was built in 1923. In 1924, fire station 19 was built on N. Highland at Los Angeles Ave.
Streetcar service to Virginia-Highland ended around 1947, along with all of the other trolley lines into and out of central Atlanta.
Decline
Virginia-Highland, like most intownIntown Atlanta
Intown Atlanta is a term very frequently used in metro Atlanta to designate an area containing parts of the City of Atlanta and bordering communities...
Atlanta neighborhoods, suffered decline starting in the 1960s as residents moved to
White flight
White flight has been a term that originated in the United States, starting in the mid-20th century, and applied to the large-scale migration of whites of various European ancestries from racially mixed urban regions to more racially homogeneous suburban or exurban regions. It was first seen as...
the suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s. Less-affluent residents moved in, some single-family houses were turned into apartments, and crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
increased. Some businesses closed and were replaced by lower-rent tenants such as pawn shops. Others, such as Moe’s and Joe’s (which opened in 1947) and Atkins Park Restaurant, stayed open. Many buildings deteriorated.
Threat and defeat of I-485
What could have been the death knell for the neighborhood sounded in the mid-1960s, when the Georgia Department of TransportationGeorgia Department of Transportation
The Georgia Department of Transportation is the organization in charge of developing and maintaining all state and federal roadways in the U.S. state of Georgia. In addition to highways, the department also has a limited role in developing public transportation and general aviation programs...
proposed building Interstate 485
Interstate 485 (Georgia)
Interstate 485 was a proposed U.S. Interstate Highway in Atlanta, Georgia, heading eastwards and then northwards from downtown. The 5.9 mile-long route would have begun at the Downtown Connector and used the proposed State Route 410 east to the junction with the also-proposed State Route 400...
to connect what is now Freedom Parkway
Freedom Park (Atlanta)
Freedom Park is one of the largest city parks in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The park forms a cross shape with the axes crossing at the Carter Center...
through the neighborhood and to what is now Georgia 400 at Interstate 85. It would have included an interchange
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
at Virginia Avenue where John Howell Memorial Park
John Howell Memorial Park
John Howell Memorial Park is a 2.8 acre park in the Virginia Highland neighborhood of Atlanta.-History:The park is built on the site of 11 houses demolished in the mid-1960s, when the Georgia Department of Transportation proposed building Interstate 485 to connect what is now Freedom Parkway...
is today. Despite the I-485 proposal moving forward, a few middle-class families began moving back into the neighborhood, renovating homes.
In Fall 1971, Joseph (Joe) Drolet and others founded the Virginia-Highland Civic Association (VHCA), whose mission was to defeat I-485. They along with residents of Stone Mountain
Stone Mountain, Georgia
Stone Mountain is a city in eastern DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 5,802 at the 2010 census. It is an outer suburb of the Atlanta Metropolitan Area.-Geography:...
, Inman Park
Inman Park
Inman Park was planned in the late 1880s by Joel Hurt, a civil engineer and real-estate developer who intended to create a rural oasis connected to the city by the first of Atlanta's electric streetcar lines. The East Atlanta Land Company acquired and developed more than 130 acres east of the city...
, and Morningside finally defeated I-485, and became a political force to be reckoned with. The current Neighborhood Planning Unit (NPU
Neighborhood planning unit
The Neighborhood Planning Unit is a neighborhood-scale governmental structure used in the city of Atlanta, Georgia.The system was established in 1974 by Atlanta's first black mayor, Maynard Holbrook Jackson...
) system is an outgrowth of these events. In 2009, the original north/south freeway (connecting 675 to 400) was again put on GDOT's to-do list, but this time running in a tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
underneath the neighborhoods, with buildings to vent exhaust
Exhaust gas
Exhaust gas or flue gas is emitted as a result of the combustion of fuels such as natural gas, gasoline/petrol, diesel fuel, fuel oil or coal. According to the type of engine, it is discharged into the atmosphere through an exhaust pipe, flue gas stack or propelling nozzle.It often disperses...
fumes
Gas
Gas is one of the three classical states of matter . Near absolute zero, a substance exists as a solid. As heat is added to this substance it melts into a liquid at its melting point , boils into a gas at its boiling point, and if heated high enough would enter a plasma state in which the electrons...
and smog
Smog
Smog is a type of air pollution; the word "smog" is a portmanteau of smoke and fog. Modern smog is a type of air pollution derived from vehicular emission from internal combustion engines and industrial fumes that react in the atmosphere with sunlight to form secondary pollutants that also combine...
above ground.
Between 1972 and 1975, property values increased from 20 to 50 percent. Home ownership levels rose 20 percent. A tour of thirteen renovated homes started in 1972. The Georgia Department of Transportation began selling properties it had acquired for I-485, virtually all of them for infill
Infill
Infill in its broadest meaning is material that fills in an otherwise unoccupied space. The term is commonly used in association with construction techniques such as wattle and daub, and civil engineering activities such as land reclamation.-Construction:...
housing. The 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) of land on Virginia Avenue where 11 houses had been taken and demolished to make way for a Virginia Avenue exit, however, was finally opened in 1988 as John Howell Memorial Park, in memory of Virginia-Highland resident and anti-freeway activist John Howell, who died from complications of HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
in 1988.
During the 1970s and 1980s the VHCA also worked to improve the city's process of home inspection, to develop a resource network of quality, affordable service providers to aid homeowners in renovation, and to encourage developers to lease renovated commercial buildings “as is” at low rates in order to encourage new and unique businesses, and thus a truly distinct commercial district.
In the early 1980s, Atkins Park restaurant was renovated. Meanwhile, Stuart Meddin bought and renovated the 1925 commercial block at North Highland and Virginia.
In 1988, the turn-of-the-century trolley barns on 5 acres (2 ha) on Virginia Avenue on the east side of the BeltLine (today's Virginia Highland Apartments) were torn down despite the City Council and VHCA's attempts to save them. Although previously assuring local residents that he favored saving the historic structures, Mayor Andrew Young
Andrew Young
Andrew Jackson Young is an American politician, diplomat, activist and pastor from Georgia. He has served as Mayor of Atlanta, a Congressman from the 5th district, and United States Ambassador to the United Nations...
then vetoed the resolution, and the Council's vote of 11-3 was not enough to override it. Young cited the discovery of asbestos in the buildings and other hazardous materials on the property.
Metro-wide destination
As the neighborhood continued to regentrify, property values increased rapidly; the shops and restaurants became progressively more upscale. Towards the end of the 90s, the neighborhood-oriented character of the business districts gave way to businesses serving patrons from across greater Atlanta. VIrginia-Highland wrestled with traffic and parking issues. Apartments affordable to students became more difficult to find.A spat between organizers of Summerfest in 2000 and the resulting power-play within the civic association threatened the continuation of the festival, the main source of funding for the VHCA's activities. However, Summerfest did continue as usual in 2001 as one of Atlanta's highest profile neighborhood festivals.
Preservation and balance
In November 2006, the Georgia Trust for Historic PreservationGeorgia Trust for Historic Preservation
The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation is the country's largest statewide, nonprofit preservation organization with more than 8,000 members...
added Virginia-Highland to its list of "places in peril" due to an acceleration of teardowns and infill projects by real estate developers and newcomers to the area. However, Virginia-Highland remains one of the most architecturally historic, distinct and vibrant neighborhoods in Atlanta.
Residents, through the VHCA, succeeded in getting the city council to pass zoning legislation prescribing development that fits the scale of the streets, rolling back loose zoning ordi
nances passed in the 1960s. The new zoning also prescribes a maximum number of each type of establishment - restaurants, bars, retail and other types.
The zoning aims to preserve a vibrant mix of enterprises while keeping control noise, parking and traffic issues but also addresses specific problems which came up in 2005-2008:
- Avoiding Virginia Highland suffering the same fate as Buckhead VillageBuckhead VillageBuckhead Village is a neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia, one of 42 neighborhoods in the larger Buckhead district and the community's historic business district. The Village as defined by the city as the area between Piedmont Road, Peachtree Road and Pharr Road....
, where a large number of bars opened, eventually attracting crime from other areas of the city. - Fighting a liquor permit for the 700-seat Hilan Theatre).
- Opposing "The Mix@841" project at 841 N. Highland Ave., originally proposed to be 80 feet tall.
In December 2008 the VHCA bought the land land for New Highland Park
New Highland Park
New Highland Park is a small 0.41 acre park at the northeast corner of North Highland Avenue and St. Charles Place in the historic Atkins Park neighborhood of Atlanta, often considered a part of the larger Virginia Highland neighborhood....
, a small 0.41 acre (0.16592126 ha) park at N. Highland and St. Charles.
In Autumn 2010, a rash of seven muggings occurred, statistics which were far lower than those of the 1980s when the neighborhood was edgy, but in 2010 shaking up the neighborhood. Partly in response, the local security patrol, FBAC, expanded patrol coverage to the entire neighborhood. Shortly thereafter in Nov. 2010 Charles Boyer was murdered during a mugging, for which the "Jack Boys" were indicted in Jan. 2011. Police continued to step up patrols and since then Virginia Highland has returned to its status as one of Atlanta's lower-crime neighborhoods.
Currently the neighborhood is enjoying adjacent development projects including a new biking and walking trail along the BeltLine
Beltline
The Beltline is a region of central Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The area is located immediately to the south of Calgary's downtown , and is sometimes considered part of downtown...
from Piedmont Park
Piedmont Park
Piedmont Park is a urban park in Atlanta, Georgia, located about northeast of Downtown, between the Midtown and Virginia Highland neighborhoods. Originally the land was owned by Dr. Benjamin Walker, who used it as his out-of-town gentleman's farm and residence...
to Inman Park
Inman Park
Inman Park was planned in the late 1880s by Joel Hurt, a civil engineer and real-estate developer who intended to create a rural oasis connected to the city by the first of Atlanta's electric streetcar lines. The East Atlanta Land Company acquired and developed more than 130 acres east of the city...
, as well as the pending redevelopment of Ponce City Market, the old Sears building, which later became City Hall East. Ponce City Market is slated to become a major multi-use development including a gourmet food hall of national importance. Behind Ponce City Market is the brand new (2011) Historic Fourth Ward Park
Historic Fourth Ward Park
Historic Fourth Ward Park is a park built on the site of the old Ponce de Leon amusement park, in the Old Fourth Ward of Atlanta, just south of Ponce City Market and just west of the BeltLine trail. It will eventually cover .-Sections:...
.
Location
Virginia-Highland is bounded on the north by Amsterdam Avenue and the neighborhood of MorningsideMorningside-Lenox Park
Morningside/Lenox Park is a residential neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia founded in 1931. It is located north of Virginia-Highland, east of Ansley Park and west of Druid Hills...
, on the east by the Atlanta city limit/Briarcliff Road
Briarcliff Road
Moreland Avenue is a major city street that runs from southeast of Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and then along its eastern border. Upon crossing Ponce de Leon Avenue, it becomes Briarcliff Road, which is also an arterial road and runs past the Atkins Park and Virginia Highland neighborhoods of Atlanta,...
and the Druid Hills
Druid Hills, Georgia
Druid Hills is a community which includes both a census-designated place in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, as well as a neighborhood of the city of Atlanta. The CDP's population was 14,568 at the 2010 census...
neighborhood, on the south by Ponce de Leon Avenue and the Poncey-Highland
Poncey-Highland
Poncey-Highland is a neighborhood on the east side of Atlanta, Georgia, located south of Virginia-Highland. It so named because it is near the intersection of east/west Ponce de Leon Avenue and north/southwest North Highland Avenue. This Atlanta neighborhood was established between 1905 and 1930,...
neighborhood, and on the west by the BeltLine
Beltline
The Beltline is a region of central Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The area is located immediately to the south of Calgary's downtown , and is sometimes considered part of downtown...
which is the border with Piedmont Park
Piedmont Park
Piedmont Park is a urban park in Atlanta, Georgia, located about northeast of Downtown, between the Midtown and Virginia Highland neighborhoods. Originally the land was owned by Dr. Benjamin Walker, who used it as his out-of-town gentleman's farm and residence...
and Midtown
Midtown Atlanta
Midtown is the second largest financial district in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, situated between the commercial and financial districts of Downtown and SoNo to the south and the affluent residential and commercial district of Buckhead to the north...
.
Atkins Park
Within these boundaries is Atkins ParkAtkins Park
Atkins Park is an intown neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia, nestled in the southeast corner of Virginia Highland neighborhood west of Briarcliff Avenue and north of Ponce de Leon Avenue . It consists of just three streets:* St. Louis Place...
, a neighborhood listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The City of Atlanta recognizes Atkins Park as a separate neighborhood, however, Atkins Park is a part of the Virginia-Highland Civic Association.
St. Charles-Greenwood
St. Charles-Greenwood had its own neighborhood association in the 1980s, but was then absorbed into Virginia Highland.Commercial districts
Virginia Highland is one of many intown Atlanta neighborhoods characterized by commercial space of two sorts:- groups of small commercial units clustered where the streetcars used to stop (e.g. N. Highland Ave. at St. Charles and Virginia)
- commercial space in former warehouses and industrial buildings, especially, but not exclusively, along the BeltLine (e.g. Amsterdam Walk and Ponce de Leon Place)
Virginia and North Highland
The retail node at the corner of North Highland and Virginia is the neighborhood's namesake and main shopping and dining area. It has been well known since the 1990s for its restaurants. Atlanta institution Murphy's is located at the southwest corner. Such is Virginia Highland's fame that Jeff Fuqua, developer of the 600000 ft2 Town Brookhaven complex in Brookhaven, described his effort to attract "local, chef-driven" restaurants to Town Brookhaven, and said that he wanted his complex to be a "Virginia Highland North". As of 2011, gourmet food trucks gather every Wednesday night at the corner of N. Highland Ave. and Briarcliff Place.The "Corner Virginia-Highland" shops on the northwest corner were developed in 1925, renovated in the 1980s and are currently owned by The Meddin Company. In 2009, the property became the first carbon-neutral zone in the U.S., through cooperative work with Verus Carbon Neutral and the Chicago Climate Exchange
Chicago Climate Exchange
The now defunct Chicago Climate Exchange was North America’s only voluntary, legally binding greenhouse gas reduction and trading system for emission sources and offset projects in North America and Brazil....
.
St. Charles and North Highland
Near the corner of St. Charles and N. Highland are numerous restaurants, pubs, and other businesses including:- the Hilan Theatre (1932)
- Atkins Park Tavern (1922)
- Belly, a delicatessen, formerly the Atkins Park Pharmacy (1914), later Fleeman's Pharmacy
Amsterdam and North Highland
At the northwest corner of Amsterdam Ave. and North Highland Ave. is a complex of restaurants and shops built partially in old industrial space and sharing a parking lot, including the U.S. Post Office, San Francisco Coffee Roasting Company, Highland Pet Supply and restaurants Mali (Thai), DBA Barbeque, and the Original El Taco.Amsterdam Walk
At the far west end of Amsterdam Ave. between Monroe Ave. and the Belt Line is Amsterdam WalkAmsterdam Walk
Amsterdam Walk is a retail and entertainment complex in the Virginia Highland neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia. It is housed in former warehouse space located at the far west end of Amsterdam Ave. between Monroe Ave. and the Belt Line...
, over 25 businesses in old warehouse space adjacent to the BeltLine and Piedmont Park. There is a large gym, bars, nightclubs, and specialty retailers selling furniture, jewelry, clothing, floral design, antiques, baked goods, cooking accessories, rugs and more.
The complex was originally part of the Campbell Coal Company warehouse. (Another part of the Campbell complex used to house The Cove nightclub and has now been razed and is being developed as the Piedmont Gardens section of Piedmont Park.) It later became the Thoben Elrod appliance depot, which caught on fire in 1964 with losses of $646,000. In the 1990s it opened as the Midtown Outlets, renamed in the early 2000s as Amsterdam Walk.
Ponce de Leon Avenue
Ponce de Leon Avenue, which forms the southern border of Virginia Highland is also a major commercial artery, some parts of which still show the area's former decline. In June 2011, Jamestown Properties bought City Hall East (the former Sears building), on Ponce at the BeltLineBeltline
The Beltline is a region of central Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The area is located immediately to the south of Calgary's downtown , and is sometimes considered part of downtown...
, technically in the Old Fourth Ward
Old Fourth Ward
The Old Fourth Ward, often abbreviated The Fourth Ward or O4W, is a neighborhood stretching east from Downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The Old Fourth Ward is one of the city's most rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods, but is also one of the city's most eclectic, containing a burgeoning nightlife district...
. They plan its conversion to Ponce City Market, a retail, culinary, office and residential complex of regional significance, which promises to give a huge boost to commercial activity on Ponce.
Ponce de Leon Avenue in the City of Atlanta is included in the Ponce/Moreland Corridors Plan as part of the city's comprehensive development plan. As of April 2011, the Georgia Department of Transportation has decided to begin the design of safety improvements for pedestrians on the two-mile stretch of Ponce between Piedmont and N. Highland/Moreland. Changes proposed include the conversion of an eastbound traffic lane into a two-way left turn lane. The land would include intermittent islands and "HAWK" pedestrian crossing signals at selected crosswalks where no traffic signals currently exist.
Other commercial districts
- There is a small commercial district at Virginia Ave. and Rosedale Drive
- Backing up to the BeltLine, Ponce de Leon Place, just north of Ponce de Leon Blvd., has old warehouse space housing a gym, fitness studio, Spot doggie day care and boarding, offices, and the huge Paris on Ponce antique emporium.
Strip malls
Just across the BeltLine from the western border of Virginia-Highland are two major strip mallStrip mall
A strip mall is an open-area shopping center where the stores are arranged in a row, with a sidewalk in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a unit and have large parking lots in front...
s, adjacent to each other and stretching half a mile along the old rail line. Midtown Place opened in 2000 on the site of the old Atlanta Crackers
Atlanta Crackers
The Atlanta Crackers were minor league baseball teams based in Atlanta, Georgia, between 1901 and 1965. The Crackers were Atlanta's home team until the Atlanta Braves moved from Milwaukee in 1966....
baseball field (Ponce de Leon Park
Ponce de Leon Park
Ponce de Leon Park, also known as Spiller Park or Spiller Field during 1924-1932, was the primary home field for the minor league baseball team called the Atlanta Crackers for nearly six decades. The Crackers played here in the Southern Association and the International League...
, or Spillers Park) and is accessed from Ponce de Leon Ave. just across from City Hall East. It includes a Home Depot, Whole Foods
Whole foods
Whole foods are foods that are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed and refined as little as possible, before being consumed. Whole foods typically do not contain added ingredients, such as salt, carbohydrates, or fat. Examples of whole foods include unpolished grains, beans, fruits, vegetables...
, and a PetSmart
PetSmart
PetSmart, Inc. is a retail chain doing business in the United States and Canada engaged in the sale of specialty pet supplies and services such as grooming and dog training, PetSmart PetsHotel dog and cat boarding facilities and Doggie Day Care.- History :...
. Midtown Promenade is accessed from Monroe and 8th, or from Virginia Ave. just east of Monroe, and has a Trader Joe's
Trader Joe's
Trader Joe's is a privately held chain of specialty grocery stores headquartered in Monrovia, California. , Trader Joe's had a total of 365 stores. Approximately half of its stores are in California, with the heaviest concentration in Southern California, but the company also has locations in 30...
supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
, an art film cinema
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
multiplex. and numerous restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s and other businesses.
Ponce City Market
In July 2011, the Jamestown property development company acquired City Hall East (the former Sears building) located where Ponce de Leon Avenue crosses the BeltLineBeltline
The Beltline is a region of central Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The area is located immediately to the south of Calgary's downtown , and is sometimes considered part of downtown...
, immediately adjacent to Virginia Highland. Jamestown plans to develop the building into Ponce City Market, with office, retail and residential space. It is to include a nationally significant gourmet food hall, which Jamestown compares to Chelsea Market
Chelsea Market
thumb|267px|The Ninth Avenue entrance to Chelsea MarketChelsea Market is an enclosed urban food court, shopping mall, office building and television production facility located in the Chelsea neighborhood of the borough of Manhattan, in New York City...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, which Jamestown developed, or also to Seattle's Pike Place Market
Pike Place Market
Pike Place Market is a public market overlooking the Elliott Bay waterfront in Seattle, Washington, United States. The Market opened August 17, 1907, and is one of the oldest continually operated public farmers' markets in the United States. It is a place of business for many small farmers,...
and San Francisco's Ferry Building
Ferry Building
The San Francisco Ferry Building is a terminal for ferries that travel across the San Francisco Bay and a shopping center located on The Embarcadero in San Francisco, California. On top of the building is a large clock tower, which can be seen from Market Street, a main thoroughfare of the city...
.
It is hoped that this significant development will anchor the area of the four neighborhoods (Virginia Highland, Midtown
Midtown Atlanta
Midtown is the second largest financial district in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, situated between the commercial and financial districts of Downtown and SoNo to the south and the affluent residential and commercial district of Buckhead to the north...
, the Old Fourth Ward
Old Fourth Ward
The Old Fourth Ward, often abbreviated The Fourth Ward or O4W, is a neighborhood stretching east from Downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The Old Fourth Ward is one of the city's most rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods, but is also one of the city's most eclectic, containing a burgeoning nightlife district...
and Poncey-Highland
Poncey-Highland
Poncey-Highland is a neighborhood on the east side of Atlanta, Georgia, located south of Virginia-Highland. It so named because it is near the intersection of east/west Ponce de Leon Avenue and north/southwest North Highland Avenue. This Atlanta neighborhood was established between 1905 and 1930,...
) that meet at the property's edge.
Name
Newspaper articles from the early 1920s refer to the "Virginia Highland" section of Atlanta with regard to the area around the intersection of Virginia Avenue and Highland Avenue. Later in the 1920s, southeast of this intersection the "Virginia Highlands" (with an "s") subdivision was built. However, neither term appeared again in the press until the 1970s.During the revolt against the construction of the I-485 freeway through Morningside and what is now Virginia-Highland, a pro-highway group called themselves the "Highland-
Virginia Civic Association", claiming to speak for the neighborhood. When Joe Drolet and other residents formed a group to oppose the highway in Fall 1971, they chose the name "Virginia-Highland Civic Association". With the victory of the anti-highway forces, the Virginia-Highland name stuck and started to appear in the press in reference to the entire neighborhood between Amsterdam, Ponce, Piedmont Park and Druid Hills.
Around Atlanta, "Virginia-Highland", "Virginia Highlands" and "the Highlands" are all commonly heard. However, only "Virginia-Highland" is the official name of the neighborhood. The other terms are even included in some business names, but are incorrect.
The term VaHi, imitating the New York style of naming neighborhoods (SoHo, TriBeCa), first was used in the Atlanta newspapers in 1998. It is now in common use as a shortened, playful form or in URLs of neighborhood media and organizations (examples are www.vahi.org, www.vahinews.com and vahi.patch.com).
Architecture
Virginia-Highland is best known for its oldest residences - the Craftsman bungalows that line the streets closest to which or on which the Nine Mile trolley ran: Virginia Avenue, North Highland Avenue, St. Charles Avenue, etc. Other architectural styles include English Vernacular Revival and Colonial Revival, and other house types include English Cottage and American FoursquareAmerican Foursquare
The American Foursquare or American Four Square is an American house style popular from the mid-1890s to the late 1930s. A reaction to the ornate and mass produced elements of the Victorian and other Revival styles popular throughout the last half of the 19th century, the American Foursquare was...
.
Besides the commercial buildings noted above, and the churches noted below, some other landmarks of note are:
- Fire station 19 (1924), built in 1924 in the bungalow style. Atlanta's oldest operating fire station at 1063 N. Highland Ave.
- The Adair mansionAdair MansionThe Adair Mansion, originally named Wood Cliff is located in the Virginia Highland neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia at 964 Rupley Drive, and is as of 2011 divided into upscale apartments....
at 964 Rupley Drive, now divided into apartments - Briarcliff HotelBriarcliff HotelThe Briarcliff Hotel, now the Briarcliff Summit, is located at 1050 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE in the Virginia Highland neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia....
(1925) (photo), 1050 Ponce De Leon Ave. at N. Highland.
Virginia-Highland and Atkins Park are both listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), with Atkins Park having in addition the status of historic overlay district
Historic overlay district
A Historic overlay district is a layer of local planning regulation in the United States which incorporates the restrictions of the underlying zoning for a given geographic area, with the main goal of preserving the historic character of the neighborhood....
which, unlike a NRHP listing by itself, actually provides for measures to enforce preservation. The VHCA is investigating the possibilities of designating Virginia Highland a historic overlay district as well.
Government
Virginia-Highland is a neighborhood of Atlanta, which unlike in many other cities, are officially defined and organized and given specific areas of control. The Virginia Highland Civic Association consists of a volunteer board and oversees matters controlled at the neighborhood level such as community festivals, community safety, beautification, and efforts to improve parks, sidewalks, etc. As noted above, the Atkins ParkAtkins Park
Atkins Park is an intown neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia, nestled in the southeast corner of Virginia Highland neighborhood west of Briarcliff Avenue and north of Ponce de Leon Avenue . It consists of just three streets:* St. Louis Place...
neighborhood, while having its own neighborhoods association, participates in the VaHi association much as if it were part of VaHi. Planning, building permits, etc. are controlled by the Neighborhood planning unit
Neighborhood planning unit
The Neighborhood Planning Unit is a neighborhood-scale governmental structure used in the city of Atlanta, Georgia.The system was established in 1974 by Atlanta's first black mayor, Maynard Holbrook Jackson...
F, which also includes Morningside-Lenox Park
Morningside-Lenox Park
Morningside/Lenox Park is a residential neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia founded in 1931. It is located north of Virginia-Highland, east of Ansley Park and west of Druid Hills...
, Piedmont Heights
Piedmont Heights (Atlanta)
Piedmont Heights is a neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia, founded in the early 20th century. It is located between the BeltLine on the west across which is the Sherwood Forest neighborhood, I-85 on the north across which is an industrial area , and Piedmont Avenue/Road and Morningside-Lenox Park on...
and Lindridge-Martin Manor
Lindridge-Martin Manor
Lindridge/Martin Manor is an intown neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia. It consists mostly of the single-family homes located off of Lindbergh Drive in between I-85 and Cheshire Bridge Road. In addition, it includes a small commercial area of three streets west of I-85 bounded by Peachtree Creek,...
.
Crime-prevention
Virginia-Highland serves as a model for other neighborhoods of Atlanta in implementing a comprehensive range of safety measures:- Virginia-Highland is part of APD patrol zone 6.
- FBAC is the neighborhood security patrol, funded by members, run by volunteers and staffed by off-duty APD officers.
- The VaHi Civic Association organizes a neighborhood watch program via its Safety Team.
- VHAlerts is a system which leverages the text-message features of TwitterTwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
to allow members to text-message all other members in case of a dangerous situation in the neighborhood.
Parks
Virginia-Highland borders:- Atlanta's landmark Piedmont ParkPiedmont ParkPiedmont Park is a urban park in Atlanta, Georgia, located about northeast of Downtown, between the Midtown and Virginia Highland neighborhoods. Originally the land was owned by Dr. Benjamin Walker, who used it as his out-of-town gentleman's farm and residence...
(vastly expanded in 2011) - the BeltLineBeltlineThe Beltline is a region of central Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The area is located immediately to the south of Calgary's downtown , and is sometimes considered part of downtown...
, a former railroad line, now a 22-mile trail around the central neighborhoods of Atlanta. The BeltLine features dozens of outdoor artworks along its length through the Art on the BeltLine project.
Within the boundaries of Virginia-Highland are:
- John Howell Memorial ParkJohn Howell Memorial ParkJohn Howell Memorial Park is a 2.8 acre park in the Virginia Highland neighborhood of Atlanta.-History:The park is built on the site of 11 houses demolished in the mid-1960s, when the Georgia Department of Transportation proposed building Interstate 485 to connect what is now Freedom Parkway...
, along Virginia Ave. between Barnett and Arcadia Streets - Orme ParkOrme ParkOrme Park is a park in Atlanta, Georgia. It is located along Clear Creek in the Virginia Highland neighborhood.-2011 renovation:In 2011 a $203,000 renovation was completed, funded by "Friends of Orme Park", the Virginia-Highland Conservation League, the City of Atlanta, and a grant from...
, bounded by Brookridge Dr. and Elkmont Dr., through which Clear CreekClear Creek (Atlanta)Clear Creek is a stream in Intown Atlanta that feeds into Peachtree Creek, and eventually into the Chattahoochee River. It is the Creek that played to the Union's advantage in their Civil War victory at the Battle of Peachtree Creek. The apparent start is in Orme Park in Virginia Highland near...
runs - New Highland ParkNew Highland ParkNew Highland Park is a small 0.41 acre park at the northeast corner of North Highland Avenue and St. Charles Place in the historic Atkins Park neighborhood of Atlanta, often considered a part of the larger Virginia Highland neighborhood....
, which the civic association bought in 2008 and are to be developed in 2011 as an eco-friendly park and rain garden
"Neighborhood Arboretum"
Virginia Highland has one of seven Atlanta "neighborhood arboreta", which are in fact walking routes of trees (identified by markers) in yards, sidewalk planting strips, and parks. A brochure maps out the route and the trees along each route, as well as educating visitors about the trees.Festivals
The VHCA hosts the yearly Summerfest and Virginia-Highland Tour of Homes. In May, Taste of the Highlands in John Howell Park features samplings from favorite neighborhood restaurants and live music.Religion
Virginia-Highland is home to a number of churches:- Church of Our Saviour (Anglo-Catholic Episcopalian) - current building mid-1930s
- Druid Hills Presbyterian Church - built 1923, expanded 1940, 1963
- First Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church - built 1924
- Virginia Highland Church (formerly Baptist) - built 1923
The Chabad Intown synagogue is located on Ponce de Leon Avenue.
Eruv
The Virginia Highland Eruv covers nearly all of Virginia-Highland as well as part of the Morningside-Lenox Park neighborhood up to E. Rock Springs Road/E. Morningside Drive. The eruv is "marked off" by defining utility poles as "sides of the doorways" and the wires as the "lintels" (tops of doorways). Within its boundaries observant Jews are allowed to do certain things on the Sabbath that they would not normally be allowed to do outside the home, such as carry keys or food.Education
Atlanta Public Schools
Atlanta Public Schools is a school district based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. APS is run by the Atlanta Board of Education with interim superintendent Erroll Davis...
.
Zoned schools include:
- Springdale Park Elementary
- Inman Middle School http://www.inmanmiddleschool.org/joomlaroot/index.php?option=com_content&task=category§ionid=5&id=17&Itemid=30
- Henry W. Grady High SchoolHenry W. Grady High SchoolHenry W. Grady High School is located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States in Midtown. It serves as the Communication Magnet school for the Atlanta Public Schools...
Transportation
Virginia-Highland is served by the following MARTA bus routes which also connect it to MARTA rail lines:- 2 along Ponce de Leon to North Avenue rail station or to both Inman Park and Candler Park/Edgewood rail stations
- 6 along Briarcliff to Emory or to Inman Park rail station
- 16 along N. Highland (southbound turns onto Ralph McGill ending at Five Points rail station)
- 36 from Midtown rail station, Virginia Avenue, north on N. Highland, east on Decatur to Emory, Decatur and Avondale rail station
- 99 west from Monroe and Virginia along 10th Street to Midtown rail station; south from Monroe and Virginia along Boulevard
The neighborhood was long served by streetcar line #15 which later became bus line #45. Line 45 was discontinued in 2010.
External links
Neighborhood organizations and events- Virginia-Highland Civic Association
- Virginia-Highland Summerfest
- Virginia Highland Business Association
- Atkins Park Neighborhood Association
- Virginia-Highland Connect
- VHAlerts: Virginia-Highland "emergency broadcast system"
- Virginia Highland FBAC Security Patrol
About Virginia-Highland