Half the field has been eliminated in the sacred quest for 2014's Curbed Cup, and those left standing comprise this year's Elite Eight in Atlanta! The survivors include new faces (Reynoldstown, Adair Park, West End) and brawny veterans (Virginia-Highland). This first Round 2 match-up pits two heavyweight neighbors — and past Curbed Cup champions — against each other: Old Fourth Ward and Inman Park. They last squared off in the 2012 Finals, when O4W nosed ahead by just 87 votes (of more than 3,000) to capture the glorious fake trophy. Back in 2011, Inman Park rolled to become Atlanta's inaugural Neighborhood of the Year champ. This week we'll have two matchups apiece on Monday and Tuesday — with the polls left open for 24 hours — and by Wednesday only four contenders will remain. (For a refresher on how the bracket was compiled in the first place, please see here). Now, let the eliminations continue!
(8) OLD FOURTH WARD:
Atlanta's epicenter of change, Old Fourth Ward, survived a fairly close call with powerhouse Midtown in the first round, capturing 586 of 1067 votes. This 2012 Curbed Cup champion could be benefiting from thousands of new residents who've flocked to apartment communities and rehabbed homes in recent years — those residential options that have come to be ubiquitous in O4W. Of course, it never hurts to have a global tourist attraction preparing to debut in your backyard, either.
(16) INMAN PARK:
In the opening round, Inman Park trounced the tournament's most nominated competitor, Brookhaven, by snagging more than 70 percent of votes. Some might not find that surprising, given IP's revived mojo in 2014. Atlanta's first planned suburb has seen an explosion of culinary and retail attractions at Krog Street Market and along the Highland Avenue corridor, with plenty more on the horizon. But for all that positive momentum, one could argue that IP's scrappy northern neighbor has just as much — or more.
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