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In Old Fourth Ward, fanciful ‘designer renovation’ house discounted by $170K

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The 1914 relic on Highland Avenue looks to join a half-dozen O4W houses recently sold for more than $1 million

By Josh Green
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A tall house with lights inside and huge trees around it.
Period detailing is visible from the backside of 692 Highland Avenue NE.
Photography courtesy of Marc Castillo, Coldwell Banker Atlanta

Despite its stratospheric rise in popularity and outlier status in terms of property value gains around Atlanta, the Beltline bedfellow that is Old Fourth Ward hasn’t seen all that many standalone houses fetch north of $1 million.

Roughly a half-dozen, in fact.

Since the end of last summer, this thoroughly reimagined Highland Avenue relic from 1914 has been aiming to join them.

Accurately called a “designer renovation,” the dressed-up dwelling borders the small Highland Avenue parking lot where Jack’s Pizza once staged Jell-O wrestling on a grand scale. A branch of the PATH Trail is just beyond the backyard gate, linking to the nearby Eastside Trail.

It initially listed for $1,199,000 in August and has been adjusted twice since, now asking $1,029,000 via Coldwell Banker Atlanta, a difference of $170,000.

A tall grey house with a brick base and blossoming pink tree beside it.
A sideview, with the front porch that faces Highland at left.

What’s not working? For a million-dollar home, even in a hot zone like O4W, the overall room count (three bedrooms, two full baths) and lack of covered parking could be sticking points. The 2,264 square feet is dwarfed by newer construction in the same pricing echelon in this and nearby neighborhoods.

Newer houses, however, can’t deliver the level of creaky-chic character found here.

Period detailing melds with modern new components throughout, like the exposed brick beside fresh white marble and Thermador appliances in the kitchen. Or the antique staircase that leads toward dramatic light fixtures and chandeliers.

A basement labeled as unfinished could boost the space or provide storage, which is nice. Beyond that, the master bathroom is described as “unrivaled” and the backyard an “oasis.”

It’s possible that neither description is an exaggeration, as O4W offerings go.

A staircase in a home with white walls and white drapes and porthole windows.
Upon entry, a staircase with antique balusters.
A living room with big drapes and a chandelier.
Cozy vibes in the main living space.
A small white bathroom with the tops of columns on the wall.
The downstairs powder room fuses antique and new elements.
A renovated chef’s kitchen with a brick wall and white tile.
Brick accents in the kitchen meet a waterfall of white marble.
A master bedroom with many giant mirrors.
Master suite.
A white bedroom with a ceiling fan.
An original fireplace accentuates a guest bedroom.
A huge master bathroom with a big tub.
Impressive proportions and a vessel tub in the master bathroom, overlooking the verdant backyard.
A guest bathroom done up in white and gray.
A guest bathroom described as spa-like.
A white and screened-in back porch.
Fanciful design continues in the screened back porch.
A basement with a large couch and gray walls.
Additional space in a basement.
A fire pit in a deep backyard, with green trees all around.
The “entertainer’s backyard” is highlighted by a very permanent fire pit.

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