A hip residential area close to all the hot spots, Midtown features the inimitable Piedmont Park, lots of cool watering holes, and the benefit of something happening anytime of day (or night). Midtown runs the gamut of housing from historic Arts & Craft style homes to high-rise condos and apartments.
The history of Midtown spans more than a century. (Visit the Walking Tour) In the 1870's, Peachtree Street was the most prestigious residential street in Atlanta, with the Governor's Mansion and other fine homes gracing it. Residents ventured further from downtown as streetcar lines were extended all the way out to Sixth Street and Piedmont Avenue and as The Gentlemen's Driving Club was established in 1887 (now the Piedmont Driving Club). A series of cotton exhibitions began in 1881 on the site of what is now Piedmont Park. Ponce de Leon Avenue was a destination for scenic picnics to its springs (located under the present City Hall East, the old Sears Building), which were thought to have healing powers. An amusement park was located across from the springs during the 1880s. Residential development then proceeded along Ponce de Leon Avenue. The fire of 1917 which devastated approximately 2000 homes south of Ponce was arrested in its path when Mayor Asa Candler created a fire trench line by dynamiting homes between North Avenue and Ponce de Leon. Due to a housing shortage during World War II, many of these large homes were subdivided and rented out as rooms. The post-war period led to a general decline of the neighborhood through the early 1970s. The bottom was hit during the mid-1970s with the end of the Strip, with its "Tight Squeeze" area at Peachtree and Tenth Streets, which had become a gathering place during the 1960s for drug users and prostitution. (based on research by Tom Leslie and Pat Willis) Today, Midtown has experienced much rejuvenation and has become a dynamic and vital intown neighborhood, sporting the most exciting skyline in Atlanta. Residents appreciate the diversity brought about by many different lifestyles, which is precisely what gives Midtown the real neighborhood feeling. A neighborhood association was established in 1969 through the efforts of area ministers who encouraged members of local churches to join with other residents to develop a sense of community and to express their commitment to the City of Atlanta. The community newspaper, The Midtown Story, was first published in 1974 and is now published bi-monthly as the official voice of the Midtown Neighbors' Association.
Some information provided by www.midtownatlanta.org
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