I remember when John Wieland Homes broke ground on Highland Park. It was the first new construction many of us had seen for a few years, thanks to the Great Recession. There was a collective gasp when the introductory price in the $300K range was announced for these townhouses. That seemed like such a high price point at the time. You have to remember that, at the depth of the recession, we had seen houses in the Old Fourth Ward go for as little as $15,000. Of course, the desirability for … [Read more...]
Ponce City Market Inches Toward Big Reveal
By now, the re-purposing of the "Old Sears Building"/"City Hall East" as Ponce City Market is practically synonymous with the BeltLine itself. Sitting about halfway along the East Side Trail at Ponce de Leon Ave., the largest building redevelopment in the city promises to be something of a dream come true: retail and restaurants, a food market, office space, residential units and plenty of room to park your bike. So when do we get to see it?? As with most development opening dates, Ponce City … [Read more...]
My BeltLine Sojourn of ’94
In his remarks at the BeltLine Eastside Trail dedication, Mayor Kasim Reed expressed mock surprise at not uncovering dead bodies while clearing the former rail corridor. For too many years it was that sort of urban wilderness, a scary place where only outlaws and the homeless would go. This I know from a sojourn down those tracks in the spring of 1994, No, I did not imagine that morning rails-to-trails redevelopment, a distinction belonging to Ryan Gravel. My selfish purpose had more to do with … [Read more...]
New Horizons: Adair Park and the Westside Trail
Let me just say from the outset that I’m a park guy. I devote a lot of energy to preserving old and establishing new greenspace in the urban landscape. The BeltLine is a linear park, so you'll understand my affinity. When I moved to the Old Fourth Ward in 2004, the BeltLine was a vision, but the reality was a corridor covered in kudzu – wrong kind of greenspace. Parts of the neighborhood had begun to show some life, but from where I lived a walk to Cabbagetown was the closest beer. Edgewood … [Read more...]
Saturday Morning on the Eastside Trail
That's Sugar pictured above. She loves to walk...and meet people….and eat. So do I! That’s why we spend our Saturday mornings on the BeltLine Eastside Trail.. We start our morning routine on Auburn Avenue in the King Historic District in The Old Fourth Ward which is just a couple of blocks west of the BeltLine. We stroll past Lotta Frutta offering a nod and a “Good morning” to the folks sitting outside enjoying their Latin American fruit cups, smoothies, and breakfast fare. Then we cross over … [Read more...]
East Avenue Cottages – New Homes in O4W
Although cottage may be a bit of a misnomer, East Avenue Cottages are reminiscent of craftsman-style architecture -- just in a two and three-story, attached kind of way. This collection of twelve unique duplexes offer a killer intown location, embedded as they are in one of Atlanta's hottest neighborhoods. Some of the city's best public amenities like the BeltLine Eastside Trail, Historic Fourth Ward Park and Freedom Parkway Trails are within a few steps of these homes. Nearby Historic Fourth … [Read more...]
Highland Park Has #1 Amenity Sought by Home Buyers
A 2008 report by the National Association of Homebuilders touted greenways and trails as the number one amenity that people look for when picking a new neighborhood. Highland Park sales certainly seem to substantiate that claim. One third of the planned 66 townhomes have sold or are pending so far this year for John Wieland Homes. The builder can't seem to build them fast enough. And at mid-300 to high-600 thousand dollars a pop. The development sits at the juncture of Inman Park and Old … [Read more...]