Driving around Atlanta, it won't take long to notice a lot of mysterious oval Euro-style EAV bumper stickers. EAV stands for East Atlanta Village, and the stickers' ubiquity is telling of the sense of neighborhood pride that East Atlantans have for their oasis of cool and community.
East Atlanta is located about 3 miles east of Downtown Atlanta, and little more than a mile directly south of Atlanta's epicenter of counterculture - Little Five Points. The residential neighborhood is centered around a refreshingly walkable retail, restaurant and nightlife district known as East Atlanta Village, or simply The Village.
Before the European conquest, the area now known as East Atlanta was home to the Creeks, and the current Flat Shoals Road was a Creek trail used for trading with their Cherokee neighbors who lived on the north side of the Chattahoochee River. After the forced removal of the Creek people, the area was sparsely populated until well after the Civil War. In 1915, the growing suburb of East Atlanta was annexed by the City of Atlanta, and the new Atlanta neighborhood continued to attract new residents and businesses for several decades.
In the 1960s, East Atlanta was targeted by Civil Rights groups as an example of a racially segregated neighborhood (and home to leaders of the Ku Klux Klan). Middle Class African-American families took advantage of the Fair Housing Act, and moved into the neighborhood, and many long-time European-American residents moved out. In their rush to join the "White flight," many sold their homes at ridiculously low prices to slumlords which, in turn, caused the neighborhood to decline in value and appearance. Like too many in-town Atlanta neighborhoods, East Atlanta continued to suffer from low property values, blighted buildings, and high crime for too many years. In 1981, the East Atlanta Community Association was formed, but it wasn't until the late 1990s that the association's efforts began to attract new residents and businesses.
Over the past decade, East Atlanta has become not-so-arguably the hippest and edgiest neighborhood in the city - while managing to create an authentic and solid sense of community. Long-time African-American families live peacefully next door to purple-haired hipsters in craftsman bungalows. Aspiring young rappers mingle with heavily tattooed aging punks at Joe's coffee shop, and the Earl has become the most important indie music spot in the entire city. The gay community has set up shop in East Atlanta in a big way, and Mary's is now one of the best gay bars in the city, while a few doors down, My Sister's Room is the most popular lesbian bar in Atlanta.
In spite of the "happening" nature of East Atlanta, the vibe is still surprisingly laid-back and not pretentious. It really does feel like a small town - a very cool small town - but a small town nonetheless, and in terms of subject matter for this project, it definitely did not disappoint. The textures, and colors, and street art, and points of reflection that so often define Atlanta's neighborhoods, are in no short supply in East Atlanta.
Before the European conquest, the area now known as East Atlanta was home to the Creeks, and the current Flat Shoals Road was a Creek trail used for trading with their Cherokee neighbors who lived on the north side of the Chattahoochee River. After the forced removal of the Creek people, the area was sparsely populated until well after the Civil War. In 1915, the growing suburb of East Atlanta was annexed by the City of Atlanta, and the new Atlanta neighborhood continued to attract new residents and businesses for several decades.
In the 1960s, East Atlanta was targeted by Civil Rights groups as an example of a racially segregated neighborhood (and home to leaders of the Ku Klux Klan). Middle Class African-American families took advantage of the Fair Housing Act, and moved into the neighborhood, and many long-time European-American residents moved out. In their rush to join the "White flight," many sold their homes at ridiculously low prices to slumlords which, in turn, caused the neighborhood to decline in value and appearance. Like too many in-town Atlanta neighborhoods, East Atlanta continued to suffer from low property values, blighted buildings, and high crime for too many years. In 1981, the East Atlanta Community Association was formed, but it wasn't until the late 1990s that the association's efforts began to attract new residents and businesses.
Over the past decade, East Atlanta has become not-so-arguably the hippest and edgiest neighborhood in the city - while managing to create an authentic and solid sense of community. Long-time African-American families live peacefully next door to purple-haired hipsters in craftsman bungalows. Aspiring young rappers mingle with heavily tattooed aging punks at Joe's coffee shop, and the Earl has become the most important indie music spot in the entire city. The gay community has set up shop in East Atlanta in a big way, and Mary's is now one of the best gay bars in the city, while a few doors down, My Sister's Room is the most popular lesbian bar in Atlanta.
In spite of the "happening" nature of East Atlanta, the vibe is still surprisingly laid-back and not pretentious. It really does feel like a small town - a very cool small town - but a small town nonetheless, and in terms of subject matter for this project, it definitely did not disappoint. The textures, and colors, and street art, and points of reflection that so often define Atlanta's neighborhoods, are in no short supply in East Atlanta.
Fascinating as always! Great graffiti in East Atlanta.
ReplyDeleteYou have a new viewpoint in your photos that is refreshing.
ReplyDelete