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There is no shortage of neighborhoods in Atlanta, Georgia. While they are not as ethnically diverse as many major world cities such as New York City, they are distinct in their own right. One of the best parts of Atlanta is that you can feel like you are living in a small town, while having all the variety and amenities of a big city.

You may be asking yourself what makes a neighborhood one of the best neighborhoods in Atlanta? This Atlanta neighborhood guide was written for locals and visitors alike to help them discover parts of the city that are the most walkable, safe, full of great street art, have fun things to do, and lots of good food. While I hope this guide helps you learn more about the neighborhood options if you are looking to move to Atlanta, the focus is not on where to live in Atlanta, but instead where to explore.

While downtown Atlanta is home to many of the city’s biggest attractions, leave downtown behind and check out these cool neighborhoods in Atlanta!

The Best Neighborhoods in Atlanta

Little Five Points

If you are looking for cool neighborhoods in Atlanta, look no further than Little Five Points (L5P) on the east side. It is a smaller neighborhood centered around the intersection of Moreland Ave NE and Euclid Ave NE. Originally designed as a commercial area for the bordering neighborhoods of Inman Park and Candler Park, it is now the center of alternative culture in Atlanta.

In this hipster neighborhood you’ll find restaurants, bars, tattoo parlors, vintage shops, and alternative music venues and theaters. Need some unusual clothing? Head to Junkman’s Daughters. Searching for crystals and stones? Then wait in the ever present line to enter Crystal Blue.

There are a lot of different options for where to eat and drink. One of the most popular spots is the burger place, The Vortex. With the big skull out front, you can’t miss it! A few blocks south you will find Fox Bros BBQ, one of the best BBQ places in the city. The Porter Beer Bar and Wrecking Bar Brewpub are among the better places to grab a drink.

It’s a great neighborhood to search for street art. With murals filling the alleyways between the businesses you won’t have to look very hard. There is a Tiny Door located at the 7 Stages Theater too.

Old Fourth Ward

Twenty years ago Old Fourth Ward (O4W) wasn’t the neighborhood you wanted to be in. It was full of crime. It wasn’t undergoing gentrification as rapidly as other in-town neighborhoods were experiencing. Now it is one of the many up and coming neighborhoods in Atlanta. Within the heart of the city, it is the perfect mix of old and new.

O4W is one of Atlanta’s oldest and largest neighborhoods. The Sweet Auburn Historic district is within O4W. MLK Jr was born, raised and buried here. At the MLK Jr Historic Park you can tour his childhood home and learn more about him at the King Center. Older homes fill the surrounding area. A few bars and restaurants at Edgewood Ave & Boulevard provide the nightlife in the area.

Much of the newer development can be found within the eastern portion of the neighborhood. The Eastside BeltLine trail runs through this section. It has brought a lot of new apartment buildings and places to eat. Ponce City Market is one of the most well-known. The big draw of the market is the indoor food hall. There are also many other stores and restaurants around the area. The rooftop offers food, drinks, entertainment and views.

In addition to the BeltLine and the PATH Freedom Park Trail running through the neighborhood, there is also Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark and Historic Fourth Ward Park. They both host a lot of events.

Inman Park 

Inman Park, on the East side, was Atlanta’s first suburb. In the 1880s many well off residents of the city quickly moved to Inman Park. Gorgeous Victorian mansions were built. In the mid 1900s most of these elite families moved further out of the city and the homes were turned into apartments and boarding houses. Starting at the end of the 1900s restorers began working on the homes to return them to their original grandeur.

Today the neighborhood is a beautiful place to walk around and admire the homes. Every spring there is an Inman Park Festival where you have the opportunity to tour some of the beautiful Victorian houses here. I can’t wait until Covid passes and the festival resumes. Atlanta is full of flowers, trees and other greenery, but Inman Park is one of the top areas for flora!

Not to mention Inman Park has the perfect location. Situated along the Eastside BeltLine trail it is easy to reach from many different parts of the city. The Freedom Park PATH trail also crosses through Inman Park.

It is the perfect neighborhood for any foodie as well. Just off the BeltLine on North Highland Ave NE you will find a trendy area with Delbar Middle Eastern, BeetleCat, Barcelona, Fritti, Bread & Butterfly and other top restaurants in the city. A little farther north is Folk Art, one of the best brunch places in Atlanta. I love their chicken fried biscuit smothered in sausage gravy. In the other direction check out Krog Street Market for a plethora of foodie options.

Cabbagetown 

Cabbagetown is a residential neighborhood tucked in between Reynoldstown, Inman Park, Old Fourth Ward, Grant Park and Sweet Auburn. With the Eastside BeltLine trail passing through the neighborhood, Cabbagetown is well connected to many of the best neighborhoods in Atlanta.

The current Fulton Cotton Mill Apartments are renovated apartments within the former Fulton Bag and Cotton Mill factory buildings. In the late 1800s and early 1900s shotgun cottages and bungalows were built in the surrounding area for the factory workers. Many of the original houses still remain. Cabbagetown is mostly houses and smaller parks. I love the colorful houses with abundant greenery in almost every yard.

Along Carroll St SE there are a few different restaurants. Carroll Street Cafe is a great place to have brunch in Atlanta. Next to Cabbagetown Park is the bakery Sweet Cheats. You’ll be tempted with their cupcakes and other sweet treats. Memorial Drive SE borders Cabbagetown and several other neighborhoods. The street is full of great restaurants.

The neighborhood is quite artsy as well. It is one of the best places to find murals in Atlanta. The annual event, Forward Warrior, brings artists to the neighborhood to paint murals along Wylie St SE.

Grant Park 

Grant Park, south of Cabbagetown, is one of the largest and oldest neighborhoods in the city. Lemuel P Grant, an engineer for the Georgia Railroad, lived and owned the land in the mid and late 1880s. He gave a good portion of the land to the city. Middle and upper middle class families began living in the area in the 1890s.

The neighborhood has gone through periods of decline and restoration like several other parts of the city. Other than Inman Park, it is one of the only places in the city you can still see historic Victorian houses.

Grant Park is most known for its large park, of the same name. The park is the oldest park in the city. One of the biggest draws of the park is Zoo Atlanta. Oakland Cemetery is another highly visited spot within the neighborhood. It is the final resting place of many notable Atlantans such as Margaret Mitchell and Bobby Jones. It is also a beautiful place to go for a walk in Atlanta.

While the area is mostly residential, other than the park and cemetery, there are pockets of the neighborhood with great places to eat. As mentioned with Cabbagetown, Memorial Drive SE, which borders the two neighborhoods, has a lot of delicious spots. A block from the NW corner of the park are several local places, such as Grant Central Pizza & Pasta. To the south of the park you will find The Beacon, a new complex of restaurants and retail businesses.

Summerhill

Head south to Summerhill if you want to check out one of the up and coming neighborhoods in Atlanta. Just west of Grant Park, the neighborhood is starting to see a lot of revitalization. While many of the great neighborhoods in Atlanta have gone through periods of decline and then revitalization, Summerhill is one of the most recent. 

Summerhill was established in 1865 and by the 1900s businesses along Georgia Avenue were the central point of the neighborhood. Georgia Avenue is once again becoming the heart of Summerhill. There’s already a variety of restaurants and businesses here, but more are coming soon. Wood’s Chapel BBQ is one of my favorite BBQ spots. In addition to delicious meats and sides they have a nice outdoor eating area with picnic tables.

The Hank Aaron Shops are a mixed-use project in the works. It will include a variety of shops, restaurants, a Publix grocery store and other retailers. Townhomes and apartment buildings are also being built.

East Atlanta Village 

Another one of the best neighborhoods in Atlanta for a more hipster vibe is East Atlanta Village (EAV). It is a smaller neighborhood located mainly along Flat Shoals Ave SE and Glenwood Ave SE. Originally it was known for its late night scene. The Basement is a popular dancing spot. The Earl is known for being the place to go for live music.

Now in addition to the nightlife, EAV is a popular spot all hours of the day. There is a nice community feel and a lot of street art. Every Thursday EAV is home to a great farmer’s market full of local produce and goods. There’s even a Tiny Door in the garden!

The neighborhood may be small, but restaurants of various cuisines abound. The Asian fusion, Mushi Ni is one my favorite restaurants in the entire city. It’s located in We Suki Suki, a mini international food hall. Comfort Zone, also within We Suki Suki, is a delicious soul food place that serves southern meats and sides.

For a European beer and a place to watch soccer, go to the Elder Tree Public House. They also have great burgers and deals every Wednesday. The Midway Pub is another local favorite with a large patio.

Virginia-Highland 

Another one of the city’s earliest neighborhoods was Virginia-Highland (VaHi). Just west of Piedmont Park and Midtown, VaHi is in an ideal location. The Eastside BeltLine trail runs along the western border.

Little clusters of local commercial areas with shops and restaurants can be found at various intersections. The main one is at Virginia Ave and Highland Ave, which the neighborhood was named after. Murphy’s is a popular spot for brunch and everyone loves a gelato from Paolo’s Gelato Italiano. Further up Highland Ave is Mali, a great spot for Thai food.

VaHi hosts two main events every year. Summerfest is a music and arts festival, in the summer of course. The Virginia Highland Tour of Homes every December is a chance to go inside different homes of various styles. Both events are fundraisers to preserve the historic community. At any time of year stroll around on the tree lined streets to enjoy the nice homes.

Decatur 

Decatur is its own city and technically not a neighborhood. I am including it as one of the top neighborhoods in Atlanta because it takes about 20 minutes to drive from downtown Atlanta to Decatur, which is about the same amount of time it takes to drive to the neighborhood of Buckhead in the north. Plus you can’t tell when Atlanta ends and Decatur starts!

If those aren’t reasons enough, Decatur has such a cute town square. Everything you could want is within a few blocks of the square making Decatur a very walkable area. There are too many dining hotspots and boutique shops to name them all. Little Shop of Stories is an awesome book store and Chai Pani is a delicious, inventive take on Indian street food. You can learn about the history of the area at the Dekalb History Center Museum and about the African American community at the exhibit at the Beacon Municipal Center.

It is also a very artsy city, which makes walking around even more enjoyable. From Decatur’s own set of secret doors to large wall murals, there is art all over. “Look up Decatur” is a new initiative to encourage people to enjoy their surroundings instead of staring at their phones. Look up at the light poles and you will find tiny murals!

In addition, Decatur is a good area to stay in Atlanta. You can hop on MARTA’s blue line, and in 20 minutes be in downtown Atlanta. You are close to all the big attractions, but the small town feel of Decatur is much nicer for walking around in at night. The Courtyard and Hampton Inn and Suites are both downtown Decatur and walking distance to all the best spots in Decatur.

Whether you live in Atlanta or only have three days in Atlanta, venture out to different parts of the city to discover all the nice neighborhoods in Atlanta! 

More in Atlanta

ACTIVITIES:

• 3 Day Itinerary
• Festivals
• When to Visit
• Date Ideas

ART:

• Tiny Doors
• Murals by Neighborhood

FOOD:

• Casual Restaurants
• BeltLine Restaurants
• Breakfast Restaurants
• Brunch Places
• Atlanta BBQ
• Chicken & Waffles
• Donuts
• Mystery Picnic

OUTDOORS: 

• Chattahoochee River Trails
• Places to Walk
• Hiking Near Atlanta
• Walkable Neighborhoods

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