The New Cool: Castleberry Hill
By Kathy Vogeltanz
Artists are often the first to see beauty and potential in overlooked places. Visionary investors are close on their heels, followed by smart businessmen and savvy homebuyers. That’s definitely been the case with Castleberry Hill.
“You really feel you’re a part of something here; you know your neighbors and watch out for each other – something you don’t expect to find in a big city like Atlanta,” said Castleberry Hill Neighborhood Association President Tammi Donnelly. “Another draw, especially now, is the restaurants and galleries. The art galleries have been here for a long time, but now you can stroll the galleries, stop for dinner and a glass of wine, then stroll some more.”
Even if you aren’t familiar with the neighborhood, a drive down a couple of the streets – the two main thoroughfares are Peters and Walker streets – will familiarize you quickly and you’ll want to get out and walk to discoveries of your own.
Uri Vaknin of Coldwell Banker The Condo Store, which is marketing the DUO Condos in the district, said. “People are attracted to Castleberry Hill because....they get the excitement and diversity of Atlanta and nearby access to everything in the city.”
One of the oldest neighborhoods in Atlanta, Castleberry Hill is on the southwestern edge of Downtown just south of the Georgia Dome and CNN Center. It’s the most complete surviving warehouse district in Atlanta and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places earlier this year.
Castleberry Hill has had many incarnations. It was an area of questionable repute called Snake Nation in the 1840s-50s and, during the Victorian period, a middle-class residential neighborhood. By the start of 20th century, it was converting to an industrial warehouse district along the railroads. Peters Street was lined with retail buildings where Atlanta residents came to buy essential goods – everything from furniture to farming tools.
Vaknin explains that that the current Castleberry Hill boom actually began in the early 1990s when Trinity Art Gallery & Coffeehouse set up shop in the area. “At the time, the gallery was surrounded by housing projects, industrial buildings and active train tracks. But Castleberry Hill offered a unique opportunity; there were no creatively designed lofts in Atlanta back then – and here were affordable, historic buildings prime for reuse.”
The area’s creative spirit has continued to attract people, and Castleberry Hill is now enjoying a renaissance. The strong neighborhood association hosts the annual loft tour (See article, page 49) and improves the streetscapes. Art galleries, boutique shops, coffeehouses and restaurants have sprung up. Many of the older structures are converted into loft homes, and new developments are being built. Over the years, Castleberry Hill has become a walking community and art gallery hub.
Jason Wertz has created a space that reflects his artistic sense in the Wertz Contemporary Gallery – and now he’s extended it to a coffee, cocktail and dessert lounge, also in the 100-year old building at 264 Peters St. “With the direction that Castleberry Hill is going, I think the pieces of the puzzle are falling into place,” Wertz said. “There’s a great synergy in this community, much like Soho or the Meat Packing District in New York. There’s now a very broad array of things for people to enjoy with the visual arts and restaurants we have here.”
There are quite a few other places to enjoy a wining or dining experience in Castleberry Hill.
• WASABi, a sushi and sake lounge, was opened recently by gallery owner Benjamin Krause on Walker Street.
• The newly opened No Mas Mexican Cantina is adjacent to new No Mas! retail space, also on Walker Street.
• Baltimore Crab & Seafood, a chain eatery on Peters Street.
• Coffee Loft, also on Peters Street.
• Studio Grille, locally owned and open for breakfast, lunch and dinner on Peters Street.
• Elliot Street Deli & Pub, offering hearty sandwiches and bar food.
• Slice, for good pizza on Peters Street.
According to the Neighborhood Association’s Donnelly, more eateries are on the way, including OWC wine bar and restaurant, Studio 281, Chix gourmet chicken, Smiley’s sports bar and M-Bar, serving martinis, music and margaritas.
Miller Gallman Developers has had a string of successes in the neighborhood. The company’s philosophy of retaining historical integrity by converting underutilized space has been a good fit with the community. It has recently announced its latest project, Castleberry Point – a four-story building that will serve as the gateway to Castleberry Hill on Centennial Olympic Park Drive.
The Condo Store’s Vaknin points out that, although artists started the recent renaissance, Castleberry Hill is now home to more than 900 residents in more than 500 lofts, everyone from first-time homebuyers to empty nesters. “Atlanta artists were looking for a cool, funky place to live,” he says. “They uncovered a treasure for the entire city.”
For more information visit. www.castleberryhill.org
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