Photograph by Caroline C. Kilgore
The quirky enclave of Cabbagetown, next to the Old Fourth Ward, sprung up as a mill village in the late 1800s. Young professionals have replaced textile workers, but the close-knit sense of community remains: You’ll find neighbors chatting on their porches, digging in the community garden, or gathering at the local tavern.
See and Do
Carroll Street is home to most local hangouts, including Carroll Street Cafe, a bohemian brunch spot that turns into a tapas bar at dinner. The retro Little’s Food Store, which opened as a grocery in 1929, offers burgers and onion rings along with tofu sandwiches. A few blocks east, Sweet Cheats sells cupcakes in decadent flavors like strawberry cheesecake. Burn off the sugar rush at Cabbagetown Park, a greenspace and playground on a former schoolyard.
Living Here
Brightly painted bungalows and shotgun homes may be tiny, but their front porches, decorative trim, and white picket fences are big on period charm. For a more industrial feel, lofts at The Stacks—the former Fulton Bag and Cotton Mills—feature exposed brick, tall windows, and polished cement floors. One-bedrooms start in the $140s.
When to Visit
Chomp and Stomp, a chili cook-off and bluegrass festival, celebrates eleven years on November 2. Start the day with a 5K and a triumphal beer, then work your way through more than 100 chilis. Next door, special events at Historic Oakland Cemetery, the resting place of Margaret Mitchell, peak this month.
Quoted
“The common thread that runs through all of us is a really honest, deep-seated, free-spirited love of life and expression. There seems to be a desire among Cabbageheads to not only take good care of ourselves and our families, but to take care of each other.” —Kyle F. Bidlack, Cabbagetown resident since 2000
Report Card
Median home value: $185,160
5-Yr Appreciation: 4/5 stars
School Quality: 2/5
Walkability: 5/5
Safety: 1/5
Hip & Trendy: 5/5
Gay Friendly: 5/5
Ratings versus national averages by NeighborhoodScout.com. NeighborhoodScout.com is the most widely used neighborhood search engine in the world. It is owned by Location Inc., a leading builder and source of location-based data and tools for businesses and consumers nationwide.
*$187,620 Atlanta overall.
This article originally appeared in our October 2013 issue.
