East Atlanta - Atlanta, GA

Rich with heritage and steeped in alternative art, music and theater, East Atlanta is a patchwork of significant history and unique culture.

As a main hub for the Confederates during the Civil War, Atlanta stood out as a key target for the Yankees. Hence, Lemuel P. Grant set up the entire city's fortifications in part to keep his plantation to the east of Atlanta, now known as Grant Park, safe. However, no one was safe during the Battle of Atlanta, which took place right in East Atlanta. Details and the cyclorama of this battle can be found at Grant Park's Civil War Museum.

East Atlanta recovered speedily after the war and now embodies a trendsetting vibe. Every year you can down a homemade brew, catch some live tunes and buy a quirky piece of art from one of the vendors at the East Atlanta Village Strut

Cool graffiti art, underground music venues, and fun bars characterize the restaurant and nightlife of East Atlanta. Satisfy a sweet tooth or fill up on meat pies with your friends or kids at the Australian Bakery Cafe. Sink your teeth into the steak and mushroom pie or a vegetarian spinach and feta pie, then round off the meal with a hedgehog slice, the Aussie's version of a brownie. For an unusual twist on Mexican cuisine, venture a taste of the beef tongue or shrimp taco, and wash it down with an organic margarita at Holy Taco.

This neighborhood houses a mecca of music venues with both local and nationally known bands playing somewhere on every night of the week. Stir it up on a Wednesday night at Union with weekly drink specials and live trap music (an '80s beat with hip-hop vocals).

Standing between two main highways, Georgia 154 and US 23, residents of East Atlanta have an easily accessible drive to work or sporting events and other events that take place in downtown and midtown Atlanta. Having said that, the MARTA bus and metro prove useful in some situations such as heavy traffic or tricky parking for big events in other parts of the city.

Walking is also an option, especially for those living in or near East Atlanta Village. Some residents bike around the neighborhood, but the streets don't usually have bike lanes so it can be dangerous. Uber and numerous taxi service options are available if you don't need a car all the time. Street parking is happily free of charge being one of the few Atlanta areas skipped by the "PARKatlanta takeover."

The pride of East Atlanta as far as outdoor spaces go is hands-down Grant Park, which contains the Zoo Atlanta and Civil War Museum. Young hipsters, singles, kids and dogs will find something fun to participate in at this free expanse of greenery.

Children and grown-ups alike can cool off for fun or with classes at the Grant Park Pool, and then join some community sports or classes at the Rec Center, basketball and tennis courts. For more casual recreation, jog, bike or walk along the winding, paved trails that zigzag through the park, and settle at a picnic pavilion to chow down. If kids get bored, take them to the nicely sized playground for all ages.

Take the family, a date or a group for an all-day outing at the Zoo Atlanta, within the park grounds. You can step around the steep ticket prices, at least the first time, by joining any Atlanta Public Library branch and receiving four free tickets to the Zoo. Brush up on your history, with the cyclorama painting of the Battle of Atlanta within the Civil War Museum. Tickets are $10 per adult for a Civil War history film.

As an up-and-coming, quirky cool neighborhood for families, singles and professionals, East Atlanta holds right at the city's average cost of living. Almost 75 percent of the inhabitants rent rather than own.

Ten percent higher than Atlanta's average rent for a one-bedroom unit, the average of East Atlanta sits at $1,028. Take the MARTA bus or rail at $5 round trip to downtown Atlanta, and if you commute regularly into the city center, take the $95 for a 30-day pass rate.

A stop by the typical local pub will run you about $5 for a beer, and stop by a typical East Atlanta gas station to load up at ten percent above the national average.

The highest concentration of stores for clothing, food, gifts, and just about anything you can think of describes the streets of the EAV section of East Atlanta. Though everyday low-priced groceries can be bought at the Kroger on Moreland, at a step up in price level, Publix and the local East Atlanta Village Farmer's Market provide other fresh options. The farmer's market runs on Thursday evenings from 4-8 p.m. mid-April through mid-December. Stop by Kaboodle Home for interesting and unique locally made art, furniture, and other creations.