Cabbagetown

One of those rare country-style neighborhoods in the city, Cabbagetown has seen it’s share of ups and downs. Its rich history began in 1881 as an industrial settlement. Through various closures, reopenings, fires, and tornados this community has seen it all but continues to bounce back.

Though it saw a decline in the 1950s and 1960s, residents fought to bring it back to life. Artists moved into the area and started revitalizing the neighborhood in the 1980s. From that point the community continued to grow and become one of the most popular places to live.

The homes are renovated warehouses and row houses that lend to the neighborhood charm. During the industrial age the homes were built to house the factory workers. The mill owners also maintained the homes until it closed.

There are various shops and restaurants in the revived neighborhood. There is a strong artist community as well as schools and churches that creates a close knit community.

In March 2008 a tornado tore through the neighborhood, destroying and damaging many homes and business. Despite the destruction the residents have rebuilt and carries on the strong tradition.

The neighborhood was not build for a lot of vehicle traffic so it can get quite congested on the narrow streets. The neighborhood is convenient to I-20 and downtown for work and pleasure.

Cabbagetown’s origin as a mill town is evident in the persistence of its narrow, perpendicular streets and lingering “shot-gun shacks” – some shabby, some repainted in vivid shades of yellow, teal and pink, and some impeccably upcycled into quaint, artsy cottages with herb gardens and bottle-trees. The reason behind the odd name remains in contention (my personal favorites are the story of the overturned train and the cry of “free cabbages!,” and the pervasive smell from the cooking pots of the mostly poor, Scottish-Irish-born mill workers). Whatever the legend, the name has stuck.

Today, Cabbagetown has become a popular home for artists, musicians, activists and other renaissance-makers who have gravitated toward the affordable, history-rich community to establish galleries, coffee houses, non-profits, and add their calling cards to the layers of graffiti bedecking the Krog Tunnel. Carroll Street - a street so narrow it requires that one car stop to let the oncoming car squeeze by – is a one-stop neighborhood gathering ground, complete with java fix (Carroll Street Café), watering hole (Millhouse Arms Tavern), pizza joint (Village Pizza), date-night destination (Agave), and the prerequisite tattoo parlor (Graveside). From here you can glimpse the east border of Oakland Cemetery, with its vast expanse of beautifully decomposing headstones and equally vast collection of ghost stories.

No doubt the geographic juxtaposition of this monument to death with the spirited rebirth of the surrounding community has not gone unnoticed by Cabbagetown's resident artists, who would likely find it perfect fodder for a mixed-media installation. Cheers!