The Curbed Cup, our annual award for Atlanta’s “Neighborhood of the Year,” pits 16 neighborhoods vying for the prestigious (fake) trophy. (Seeding from 1 to 16 was determined by reader nominations). Now, at long last, it’s time for The Finals. Polls will be open until 10 a.m. Jan. 2, so cast a vote and let the 2017 winner be crowned!

Westview (1)

From very early in Curbed Cup proceedings, 2017 has felt like Westview’s year. But most folks were saying the same thing about hard-charging dark horse College Park last year, which ultimately lost by a nose.

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Westview scored by far the most nominations this year (thus the top seed) then carved a warpath to The Finals through newcomer “Upper Westside,” esteemed former champion Reynoldstown, and then College Park. Pretty impressive for Westview’s Curbed Cup debut.

But now Westview faces an inspired neighbor in West End, which basically separates it from Castleberry Hill and duly celebrated the arrival of the Beltline’s Westside Trail this year. Both love their porch parties and inimitable housing stock.

Beyond the multi-use trail, Westview cheered the announcement of federal cash to boost a neighborhood park in ‘17 and the openings of non-greenspace attractions such as Greens and Gravy. Meanwhile, Westview Cemetery—the largest civilian graveyard in the Southeast—remained as stoic and beautiful as ever.

But in Westview, less-celebrated initiatives are just as important, as one nominator recently relayed: “Our newest venture ‘This Old House’ supports seniors in our neighborhood who need repairs to their homes, but cannot afford it. The latest was Ms. Hattie, who has been in the neighborhood for a number of years. The community got together and did repairs to her home, including repairing her roof, painting her entire house along with other repairs. I proudly nominate WestVIEW!”

West End (11)

As a motivated Curbed Cup contestant, West End is again striving to make history in ‘17. Two years ago, this community banded together to set voting records and snatch the glorious, nonexistent hardware from Kirkwood’s hands—becoming Atlanta’s first champ west of downtown.

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As with Westview, 2017 in West End will likely be remembered as the year the Beltline arrived, bringing with it new investments in local restaurant options (Lean Draft House) and large-scale adaptive-reuse (the Lee+White complex).

Beyond the Beltline, West End is home to the storied Wren’s Nest—former residence of 19th-century writer Joel Chandler Harris and Atlanta’s oldest house museum—and architecturally stunning community stalwarts such as West Hunter Street Baptist Church and St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, with popular greenspaces including Howell and Gordon-White parks. It’s been listed on the National Register of Historic Places for nearly 20 years.

In an interview last year with Curbed Atlanta, one neighborhood leader described West End’s unique appeal: “[There’s] genuine diversity—socioeconomic, age, racial, religious, sexual orientation, etc. We not only tolerate each other, but there is actually a sense of community pride that this is a place where people from all walks of life can feel at home and thrive.”

Sound like Atlanta’s first repeat “Neighborhood of the Year” champ? Maybe so.

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Those are 2017’s venerable Finals contestants. Now, which among them will join this, the hallowed pantheon of past Curbed Cup Atlanta champions:

2016: East Atlanta (reigning but booted)

2015: West End

2014: Reynoldstown

2013: Kirkwood

2012: Old Fourth Ward

2011: Inman Park