Neighborhoods

In Fayetteville, 15 miles south of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and just across the street from Pinewood Atlanta Studios, Pinewood Forest is designed as the kind of mixed-use community where “positive collisions” happen among neighbors—and where picturesque streets might serve as the backdrop of a Hollywood blockbuster.

The reimagined Polaris opens to the public June 10. The iconic revolving restaurant that first opened in 1967 now houses two living room spaces, a bar, and a small restaurant. There's a definite emphasis on cocktails and socializing over dining.

"A community's personality can really be reflected in signs and typography," says graphic designer and SCAD Atlanta professor James Burns, whose Reynoldstown alphabet includes graffiti, church signs, storefronts, and a steel plant.

“On this cool, cool, cold night, we feel the warmth of the love of those in the Fourth Ward,” said Fort Street United Methodist’s pastor Joseph Crawford as he delivered the benediction, thanking God for “the relationship we have with one another.”

Atlanta’s emerging public art scene is exciting—murals and installations enliven our city and make it more engaging, and yes, they draw outsiders to parts of town that might otherwise be overlooked. But the controversy over the Krog Tunnel underscores the need to balance arts promotion and the concerns of communities that serve as the backdrops for street art.

As Hollywood continues to choose Atlanta as a prime filming destination—Georgia productions generated more than $9.5 billion in impact last year—actors, crews, and other talent are infiltrating Atlanta neighborhoods and sometimes even setting down roots. From Buckhead to Midtown to Pinewood Forest, here’s where they hang their hats.

Atlantic Station’s debuting a Halloween attraction loosely pegged to Atlanta’s railroad history. “Containment,” a 25,000-square-foot, quarter mile long maze will be the largest haunted house inside the Perimeter this year.

Atlanta’s suburbs are getting more urban. Metro residents crave proximity to walkable city centers and are flocking to reinvigorated, historic towns like Alpharetta and Hapeville—or newly invented places like Trilith and Serenbe. Here are 10 communities with newly vibrant downtowns.