Gourt Home::Gourt :: Buckhead (Atlanta)
Buckhead (sometimes Buckhead Village and denoted on some signs as Buckhead Community) is a community, comprising several neighborhoods, forming roughly the northern one-fifth of Atlanta, Georgia.
History and Layout
Buckhead acquired its unusual name from a long-gone local tavern that prominently displayed a large stuffed buck's head. It was annexed by Atlanta in 1952, following an earlier attempt by mayor William B. Hartsfield in 1946 that was voted down by residents.
The main east-west street is West Paces Ferry Road, named for a former ferry across the Chattahoochee River. Hardy Pace, one of Atlanta's founders, operated the ferry and owned much of what is now Buckhead, and as far west as Vinings. The main north-south street is Peachtree Road, which extends south into the heart of the city as Peachtree Street. This name change is significant in that it defines a border between Buckhead and midtown. The area north of Buckhead, beyond the Atlanta city limit, is Sandy Springs.
Buckhead is one of Atlanta's most important business districts, and includes Atlanta's wealthiest neighborhoods, with the Georgia Governor's Mansion, a part-time residence of Elton John, and the Atlanta History Center, a museum. Buckhead was also the home of golfing legned Robert Tyre (Bobby) Jones until his death in 1971. Although there are some moderately priced homes in the area, a majority of the homes and condos start around the $500,000 mark and extend well beyond $10,000,000. Buckhead is also an entertainment and shopping mecca, including Lenox Square Mall, Phipps Plaza, two of the most sought after shopping destinations in the Southeast. Lenox is notable for its size and many prestigious retailers, including a J.W. Marriott Hotel, while its cross-street rival, Phipps Plaza, is nationally known as one of the most upscale shopping centers in the United States. There are several other luxury hotels in the area, as well as somewhat more modest lodgings. Many restaurants, bars, and nightclubs are to be found in the neighborhood also. Local residents, with some justification, often call Buckhead the "Beverly Hills of the South." Robb Report magazine has ranked Buckhead one of the USA's 10 "Top Affluent Communities" for "some of the most beautiful mansions, best shopping and finest restaurants in the southeastern United States" between Old Bel-Air and Upper East Side Manhattan.
During the late 1990s Buckhead saw a fair share of problems due to an increased crime rate around the area's nightclubs and shopping districts. With a view towards ameliorating the situation, beginning in 2004, residents of the immediate area have taken measures to reduce nightlife in the village, thus reestablishing a more residential character for the neighborhood. The Buckhead Coalition was instrumental in getting the Atlanta City Council to pass an ordinance to close bars at 2:30 a.m. rather than 4 a.m., and liquor licenses were made more difficult to obtain. The combination of these two factors left the village with a third of its storefronts vacant by late 2005. A number of projects, under proposal or under construction, have been initiated to replace these vacant properties, most being oriented towards upscale patrons.
The Buckhead village of Atlanta is of no relation to the town of Buckhead, Georgia, about 50 miles or 80km to the east-southeast.
Education
Buckhead, like all areas of Atlanta, is a part of the Atlanta Public Schools district.
The following public elementary schools serve Buckhead:
- Morris Brandon Elementary School
- Garden Hills Elementary School
- Warren T. Jackson Elementary School
- Margaret Mitchell Elementary School
- Sarah Rawson Smith Elementary School
- E. Rivers Elementary School (replaced Peachtree Heights School)
The area is served by Sutton Middle School and North Atlanta High School.
Local private schools include the Westminster Schools, The Lovett School, Atlanta International School, and Pace Academy.
Also located in Buckhead is the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business Executive Education Center. This facility houses the e.M.B.A. program and Terry Third Thursday, a lecture series featuring business leaders. It also serves as an Atlanta base for the Terry College, putting the school closer to the business community.
Trivia
- Buckhead is heavily featured in Tom Wolfe's novel A Man in Full.
See also
External links
"Buckhead (Atlanta)"