If you're looking for an intown neighborhood that combines eclectic architecture, fabulous shopping and dining, good schools and involved neighbors, then look no further than the intersection of Virginia and North Highland Avenues. The surrounding Virginia-Highland neighborhood is one of the most vibrant and sought-after urban communities in Atlanta.
Founded in the early 20th Century as a streetcar suburb, Virginia-Highland is organized as seven distinct commercial villages alternating with short blocks of charming bungalows. The Virginia-Highland Historic District is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is noted for its Craftsman, Colonial Revival and English Vernacular Revival homes. Virginia-Highland features both renovated historic homes and new construction in the period style of the original neighborhood.
Just as eclectic as the architecture is the wide range of shops, restaurants and clubs that make Virginia-Highland a destination for living as well as for play. Sample restaurant cuisines ranging from tapas to thai, pasta to pan asian, tex-mex to tofu barbecue, and on and on. Shop the boutiques for the trendiest apparel, antiques, contemporary furniture, rare cigars, gourmet cookware, whimsical home décor, fresh flowers, folk art, jewelry, music and more. Stop by Highland Hardware for a demonstration by its nationally renowned woodworkers. Enjoy a trip to a hip salon or full-service day spa. No matter your mood, Virginia-Highland also offers your choice of nightspots including Blues dives, Irish pubs, martini bars, taverns, gay bars, coffee houses and neighborhood watering holes. All of these amenities and more are within walking distance from most of the homes. And in 2009, as if Virginia-Highland wasn't already one of the coolest neighborhoods around, the neighborhood's commercial community became the first carbon-neutral zone in the U.S., through cooperative work with Verus Carbon Neutral and the Chicago Climate Exchange.
The highly active members of the Virginia-Highland Civic Association help keep Virginia-Highland one of the most livable urban communities in America. The main event for the Association is Summerfest, which each year celebrates the beginning of summer with a festival offering art, great food, live music and weekend long activities. Voted the "Best Neighborhood Festival" in Creative Loafing and considered by art professionals to be on of the best artists' markets in the Southeast, Summerfest is a great event for the entire family.
Virginia-Highland also boasts some of the best schools in the City of Atlanta, including the gorgeous new Springdale Park Elementary, affectionately known as SPARK, as well as Inman Middle School and Grady High School.