Buckhead (Atlanta)

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Buckhead (sometimes Buckhead Village and denoted on some signs as Buckhead Community) is a community, comprising several neighborhoods, forming approximately the northern one-fifth of Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

A small portion of the Buckhead skyline

1 History and layout
2 Education
3 Trivia
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] History and layout

Lenox Square

Buckhead acquired its unusual name from a long-gone local tavern that prominently displayed a large stuffed buck's head. The community 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 Pace's 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 with its museum and library. Buckhead was also the home of golfing legend Bobby Jones until his death in 1971. Although there are some moderately priced homes in the area, the price of most homes and condos starts at around $500,000 and extends well beyond $10,000,000. Buckhead is also a shopping mecca for the south, where shoppers spend in excess of $1 billon a year. The primary shopping district comprises Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza. Located diagonally across the street, these sister malls together feature more than 350 shops and boutiques, including Gianni Versace, Jimmy Choo, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Club Monaco.

Many affluent and famous people have stayed in one of Buckhead's several luxury hotels, which include the InterContinental, the JW Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton. The area also includes more modest lodgings, as well as many restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. Local residents often refer to Buckhead the "Beverly Hills of the South", and Robb Report magazine has ranked it 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".

To reverse a downturn in the village area during the 1980s, minimum parking spot requirements for bars were lifted which quickly led to it becoming the densest concentration of bars and clubs in the city [1]. During the late 1990s Buckhead experienced an increased crime rate around the area's nightclubs and shopping districts. Beginning in 2004, residents sought to ameliorate this situation by taking measures to reduce the community's nightlife and re-establish a more residential character. The Buckhead Coalition was instrumental in persuading 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.

Buckhead's heritage as an entertainment district has continued but in a much safer manner. Today, over 50 bars and restaurants thrive in Buckhead.

[edit] Education

Buckhead, like all areas of Atlanta, is 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 Atlanta International School, The Galloway School, Holy Spirit Preparatory School, The Lovett School, Pace Academy, and Westminster Schools.

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.