First Round: (2) Reynoldstown vs. (15) East Atlanta

[Reynoldstown via Wikimedia Commons. Photo by Keizers.
EAV via Sagamore Properties.]

Round One of the Curbed Cup, our annual award for Atlanta's neighborhood of the year, draws to a close today one last head-to-head challenge before the entire tournament bracket is revealed tomorrow. This is serious business. The final two contenders for the title and the gleaming (fake) trophy are Reynoldstown and East Atlanta. Ooooooooh, this is gonna get good. Which will advance to the next round? You have 24 hours to decide.

(2)REYNOLDSTOWN:
Supporters of #2 seeded Reynoldstown insist that 2014 is Reynoldstown's year to win. And it's true that there's a lot happening along the neighborhood's narrow, winding streets and lanes. Starting with what's already great about Reynoldstown, we can look at Trees Atlanta, the Beltline, Home Grown, ParkGrounds, walkability, artiness and diversity. But what about the things that are in the works? The new WonderRoot campus, the Moda Rtown development, Rtown Lane, the Beltline stage, possible plans for the former Atlanta Dairies complex, the list goes on and on. On the downside, all that hotness comes at a price and houses are getting snatched up in a jiffy over there these days.

(15) EAST ATLANTA:
It's tough to believe this is East Atlanta's first year in the Curbed Cup. It is, after all, a neighborhood where parks, affordable homes, small shops and restaurants, and some of the city's best nightlife are all served with a heaping side of character. Unpretentious and eclectic bars such as Mary's, The Earl, Argosy, Midway and Graveyard (to name but a few) turn the streets into a party by night while community-wide events like East Atlanta Strut, Corndogorama and the East Atlanta Beer Fest bring all of Atlanta together. There might be no better place in Atlanta to kick back on a patio and do some people-watching. Residents have created a great sense of community and homes are inexpensive compared to many areas of the city, but crime, particularly late at night in EAV, continues to be on the high side.