Half the field has been eliminated in the Curbed Cup, our annual award to the Atlanta neighborhood of the year. This week we'll have two match-ups apiece on Monday and Tuesday—with the polls left open for 24 hours—and by Wednesday only four contenders will be left vying for the prestigious fake trophy. Let the eliminations continue!
The next Elite Eight face-off pits a neighborhood with a world-famous, historic golf course against another with a world-famous, historic shopping/dining/living/working destination. Let's welcome Old Fourth Ward and East Lake to the Curbed Cup quest to become Atlanta's "Neighborhood of the Year."
The phrase "Neighborhood of the Year" is about as subjective as it gets, but Old Fourth Ward (No. 3) has been on a perennial roll since the Beltline's Eastside Trail debuted in 2012, which is when O4W bested Inman Park in the finals to be crowned Curbed Cup champion. A coincidence? We think not. This year saw the rolling out of Ponce City Market's inner retail workings and a wave of intriguing home remodels and modern new-builds. Edgewood Avenue continued to party on, while big redevelopment ideas emerged on O4W's western flank at the Atlanta Civic Center site.
Meanwhile, East Lake (No. 11) cheered the news in 2015 that its very own commercial village — dubbed "Hosea and 2nd" and anchored by several restaurants and cafes — will soon emerge, up the street from the modernistic marvel that is Drew Charter School. Key selling points for East Lake continue to be tight-knit neighborliness, proximity to other places — Oakhurst is next door, and downtown is maybe 10 minutes via Interstate 20 — and relative affordability. Last summer, median home sales prices were in the $330,000s. It's cool enough that former NFL running back and all-around great guy Warrick Dunn calls East Lake home.
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