Home Park - Atlanta, GA

Once known as Chastaintown, the first business to set up in Home Park was Atlantic Steel Company in 1901. Several companies followed, including Exposition Cotton Mill, the Miller Union Stockyards and the White Provisions Company, all of which helped spur residential growth, leading to incorporation of the neighborhood in 1909. The first elementary school was built two years later. The former site of the Atlantic Steel Company was turned into neighboring Atlantic Station.

Between 1960 and 1980, the population largely shifted from older residents to students thanks to the expansion of Georgia Tech's campus into a few of the neighborhood's residential streets beginning in 1970. Today, Home Park remains home to young people who want to live near the city at relatively lower costs.

The closest museum to Home Park is the Millennium Gate Museum in Atlantic Station. The neighborhood has several art galleries, including the Westside Cultural Arts Center, Watson Gallery, Sandler Hudson Gallery and Saltworks Gallery. It also houses the Fabrefaction Theatre Conservatory, a non-profit organization that provides artistic opportunities to performers of all ages.

Many restaurants serve standard American fare, including Southern style cuisine, barbecue and seafood. You can also find establishments that serve Italian, Mexican and Asian delights. Most restaurants sit along Howell Mill Road and 14th Street.

Better Half serves up five-course offerings fit for a foodie. From crispy squid and sweet potato risotto with pork belly to duck and beet salad to swordfish, the menu changes with the seasons but does not disappoint. Look to the side streets along 10th for free parking because the restaurant lacks valet service. Sit near the open kitchen to watch the chefs work their magic on the other side of the bar. Better Half has been named Atlanta’s Best New Restaurants by Creative Loafing, named on Atlanta Journal Constitution’s 50 Best Atlanta Restaurants list and mentioned in an October 2014 article in USA Today.

Hidden in the back of the Star Provisions market lies Bacchanalia, where even your handbag gets a stool. This establishment offers a five-course meal, where each course has at least five selections for you to choose from. Visit on your birthday and receive a special three-layer cupcake with “Happy Birthday” and balloons drawn on the plate with icing.

An arts venue that hosts many types of events, including concerts and food-swaps, the Goat Farm Arts Center features live farm animals running around a setting of dilapidated structures, which may make you feel as if you are on the set of a horror film. In fact, shows such as the Walking Dead have been filmed at this location.

Hang around the Compound and you might just spot a celebrity or two. A huge nightclub that spans three buildings, this establishment holds spaces both inside and outside. You can pay for VIP access if you want to bypass the huge line and pay to park in the lot or park on the street for free.

At House of Hookah, the servers come by to refill the coals and wipe down the tops of the hookahs regularly. The good ventilation allows customers to enjoy the experience. Afterward, enjoy some cheap beer, a pool table and a live blues band at Northside Tavern. The heavy pour on mixed drinks allows you to get more for your money.

Walking, bike riding and public transportation are popular ways for residents to get around Home Park and other nearby neighborhoods. The nearest Marta station lies just on the other side of I-85 from Home Park, on West Peachtree Street. Residents also have the option of booking a ride with Uber or calling a taxi.

You won’t find much public parking available, but the city offers special street parking permits to residents of Home Park, which allows parking in excess of posted parking limits. I-85 lies on the neighborhood's eastern border, which provides easy access to other highways and expressways.

As Atlanta’s 24th most walkable neighborhood, the residents of Home Park can accomplish some errands on foot. The neighborhood has some bike lanes and other accommodations for bike riders.

Home Park does not offer any actual parks to speak of, but the closest dog park is in nearby Atlantic Station off 17th Street, just a block north of Home Park’s 16th Street boundary.

The cost of living in Home Park hovers 12.5 percent higher than the average for the rest of Atlanta. Goods and services, groceries, transportation and utilities remain comparable in cost to the Atlanta average, however higher housing costs are higher in Home Park. Typical rent for a one-bedroom apartment hovers just over $1,700.

Home Park’s center of commerce lies scattered around the intersection of Howell Mill Road and 14th Street. This area features both high-end and high-value local boutiques and chain stores, and there is an IKEA conveniently located nearby.

Besides the usual chain supermarkets, two smaller markets also service the neighborhood. Star Provisions, on Howell Mill Road, sells staples such as meat and cheese alongside prepared foods. Sitting outside of Star Provisions lies the Local Farmstand, which sells high-quality, locally-sourced produce, including organic varieties. Home Park does not host a farmers market, but nearby Grant Park does.