Edgewood

Judging by the tone of pre-tourney nominations, Edgewood could be out to prove something in 2016. This scrappy neighborhood of cutesy bungalows, large traditional dwellings, and stylish moderns wedged between Reynoldstown, Candler Park, and Kirkwood has long been searching for its own identity (beyond the handy but maddening Edgewood Retail District), and 2016 may have provided just that: Edgewood is embracing its transit-connectedness, and this past year, the neighborhood has become a bustling hub of multifamily construction near its MARTA station, where townhomes of various styles, home renovations, and even a pocket neighborhood are cropping up next to MARTA’s inaugural venture into transit-oriented development, Spoke. So Edgewood embraces its past, with eyes firmly set on a less car-dependent, more walkable future.

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Grant Park

Atlanta Intown

Atlanta neighborhoods don’t get much more postcard-worthy than grand old Grant Park. Which helps explain why this architecturally rich nabe with a bustling retail strip along Memorial Drive and one of Atlanta’s most incredible greenspaces is usually a strong Curbed Cup contender — although so far, it hasn’t quite been able to capture “Neighborhood of the Year” immortality. (Grant Park lost an epic Finals showdown in 2013 to champion Kirkwood by just 23 votes of more than 6,600 cast). Last year, GP trounced Chamblee only to be bounced by then-reigning champ Reynoldstown. But big things are popping in Grant Park that could provide a little extra steam this year, including the in-the-works Beacon project at the neighborhood’s eventual Beltline section, the Larkin on Memorial food-and-necessities destination, and even a progressive parking deck that could replace Zoo Atlanta surfacing parking on Boulevard with a three-story structure topped by an amphitheater, athletic fields, and a restaurant. The stuff of champions? We shall see.