Atkins Park

This neighborhood has only three streets but it is a thriving area for many reasons. It is in the southeast corner of Virginia Highlands and it is near midtown.

Atkins Park has a rich history as with many neighborhoods in this part of the city. The Atkins Park Restaurant has been in business since the 1920s and is still going strong. There are other shops and restaurants that line up right behind the homes so it is an easy to walk to pick up a few things.

The homes a variety of styles from Colonial to Tudor. There are arches and gateways into the neighborhood that add to the charm. The homes are quite pricey but it is rare to see them up for sale.

You will not be at a lose for entertainment because there are many venues close by. Ponce de Leon is the main road running through to the downtown area so you can get to the Fox Theatre and other events in the city.

The traffic in this area can get congested, even on the weekends if there are events at the parks nearby.

All in all it’s a nice place to live if you are a professional single or couple.

Were it not for the gorgeously ancient stone archways (maintained on a volunteer basis by rightfully proud residents) heralding its entrances on St. Charles and St. Louis streets, you might miss this teensy enclave tucked between the Atlanta-famous Virginia-Highland area and Poncey-Highland. And that would be a shame, because it’s quite a stunning example of an original Atlanta planned development.

The hundred or so homes are all historic and all beautifully maintained and landscaped, but no two are alike. English cottage-esque Tudors share fences with elegant Georgian Revivals and simple, white-columned craftsmans. Here and there you’ll spot something that looks like it’s been plucked off a cobbled street in France or Spain.

I’m pretty sure you’ll have a hard time scoring real estate here – this is an old neighborhood where people really invest themselves in their homesteads (obviously, it shows). The rare homes that do have a For Sale sign in the front yard will probably set you back a tidy sum, given the desirability of the locale as well as the value of the homes themselves. (There are a few complexes off Ponce that promise to be much more affordable for the average single or couple looking to call the area home; and it never hurts to see if some of the Park's houses themselves are actually duplexes in disguise).

The Atkins Park restaurant is right across the street, and has been since the 1920s. Inside, the place looks like it hasn’t changed much, and patrons can cozy up in dimly lit dark wood booths and lose themselves in the ambiance (and what is quite possibly the best vegetarian sandwich ever to grace a plate – their veggie mmmmmuffaletta).

Oodles of equally noteworthy dining, shopping and nightlife options are a short walk away, thanks to the VA-Highland influence. Unfortunately, that also means that by 9 p.m. on weekend nights the area is crawling with drunk OTPers (outside-the-perimeter folk), most of whom appear to be all the people I couldn’t stand in college. Ah well, it’s a small price to pay for the privilege of being an Atkins Parker (especially compared to your mortgage payment). Cheers!