The Curbed Cup, our annual award for the Atlanta Neighborhood of the Year, is kicking off with 16 areas vying for the prestigious (fake) trophy. This week we'll have two matchups per day, and all the results and the full tournament bracket will be reviewed on Friday. Voting for each pairing ends 24 hours after it begins. Let the eliminations commence!

Chamblee

It’s no wonder that Chamblee collected more Curbed Cup nominations than any other Atlanta neighborhood or ITP city to earn a No. 1 seed in 2016: This north DeKalb County community of about 16,000 is in full reinvention mode, especially as it pertains to the former factory-and-warehouse-oriented spine of Chamblee, Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. No less than three major projects are plowing ahead — Peachtree Crossing, The Olmsted, and Parkview on Peachtree — that will soon inject the city with hundreds of new residences and shopping to include a Whole Foods. Combine that with a charming downtown district (with an antiques row that pleases both hipsters and their grandmas), plus a burgeoning dining scene, and it’s clear there’s a lot going on here.

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Pine Hills

Wikipedia.org

Sure, Pine Hills is just one piece of the very broad Buckhead pie, but supporters of this sylvan nabe next to Lenox Square came out in droves to specifically cast nominations for it, earning a long-shot No. 16 seed. (Which is more than can be said for Buckhead at large). This is a gorgeous, hilly area known for creeks, smalls streams, and picturesque postwar housing stock that includes some really swinging midcentury modern pads. Established in 1951, Pine Hills is also known for being tight-knit, with a thriving garden club.