Buckhead (Atlanta)
Encyclopedia
Buckhead is the uptown
district
of Atlanta, Georgia
, United States
, comprising approximately the northern one-fifth of the city. Buckhead is a major commercial and financial center of the Southeast, and it is the third-largest business district in Atlanta, behind Downtown
and Midtown
. The district's high-rise office buildings, hotels, and condominiums form a highly urbanized core along Peachtree Road
. Surrounding this dense core are Buckhead's suburban neighborhoods, which feature large single-family homes situated among dense forests and rolling hills.
and tavern
at the northwest corner of the intersection. The name "Buckhead" comes from a story that Irby killed a large buck deer and placed the head
in a prominent location. Prior to this, the settlement had been called Irbyville. By the late 1800s, Buckhead had become a rural vacation spot for wealthy Atlantans.
by Atlanta in 1952, following an earlier attempt by Mayor William B. Hartsfield
in 1946 that was voted down by residents.
In 1956, an estate known as Joyeuse was chosen as the site for a major shopping center to be known as Lenox Square
. The mall was designed by Joe Amisano
, an architect who designed many of Atlanta's modernist buildings. When Lenox Square opened in 1959, it was one of the first malls in the country, and the largest shopping center in the south. Office development soon followed with the construction of Tower Place in 1974.
To reverse a downturn in Buckhead Village
during the 1980s, minimum parking spot requirements for bars were lifted, which quickly led to it becoming the most dense concentration of bars and clubs in the city, such as BAR, World Bar, Lulu's Bait Shack, Mako's, Tongue & Groove, Chaos and John Harvard's Brew House.
and re-establish a more residential character. The Buckhead Coalition's president and former Atlanta Mayor Sam Massell, along with councilwoman Mary Norwood were instrumental in persuading the Atlanta City Council to pass a local ordinance to close bars at 2:30 a.m. rather than 4 a.m., and liquor license
s were made more difficult to obtain. Eventually, most of the Buckhead Village nightlife district was acquired for the confusingly named "Buckhead Atlanta" (formerly "Streets of Buckhead") multi-use project, and many of the former bars and clubs were razed in 2007.
In June 2008, a newsletter
by the Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation began circulating that proposed the secession
of Buckhead into its own city after more than 50 years as part of Atlanta. This came on the heels of neighboring Sandy Springs, which finally became a city in late 2005 after a 30-year struggle to incorporate, and which triggered other such incorporations in metro Atlanta
's northern suburb
s. Like those cities, the argument to create a city of Buckhead is based on the desire for more local control and lower tax
es.
Buckhead roughly covers the interior of the "V" formed by Interstate 85
on the east and Interstate 75
on the west. Buckhead is bordered by:
According to Forbes Magazine, Buckhead is home to the ninth-wealth
iest zip code in the nation (30327), with a household income in excess of $341,000 per year and is the location of the wealthiest of Atlanta's neighborhoods. Home to the Georgia Governor's Mansion
, the area's real estate
market is also the most expensive in the state of Georgia
with an average home value in 2005 of approximately $761,000. Two of the nation's fourteen Mobil
five-star
restaurant
s — Seeger's and The Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton
Buckhead — can be found here. The Robb Report
magazine has consistently ranked Buckhead one of the nation's "10 Top Affluent Communities" due to "the most beautiful mansion
s, best shopping, and finest restaurants in the Southeastern United States
". Due to its wealth, Buckhead is sometimes promoted as the "Beverly Hills of the East" or "Beverly Hills of the South" in reference to Beverly Hills, California
, an area to which it is often compared.
s in the United States
. The majority are located at Lenox Square
and Phipps Plaza
, sister regional malls located diagonally across from each other at the intersection of Peachtree St. and Lenox Rd. The malls are home to designer boutiques, mainstream national retailers, as well as 6 major department stores.
This commercial core also has a concentration of big-box retailers (Target
, DSW
, Sports Authority
, Dick's Sporting Goods
, etc.), many in multi-story complexes.
The confusingly named "Buckhead Atlanta" (formerly "Streets of Buckhead") mixed use development originally aimed to bring even more exclusive boutiques, restaurants, hotels, condos and office space to Buckhead. In May 2011 new developer Oliver McMillan bought the property and plans to build a scaled-down version: "not...a Rodeo Drive-type development", the level of restaurants and retail "somewhat different". It is now to be an "urban village" woven into the community with 300000 square feet (27,870.9 m²) of retail and restaurants, 40000 square feet (3,716.1 m²) of boutique offices and two 20-story luxury apartment buildings.
Other neighborhood shopping areas in Buckhead, mostly suburban-style shopping centers, include Lindbergh Center, Powers Ferry Village, Chastain Square, and Paces Ferry Village.
, in 1986, was the first 400+ foot (121+ m) condominium. 1986 Also saw the completion of the 425-foot (129 m), 34-story Atlanta Plaza
, then Buckhead's tallest and largest building. In 2000, Park Avenue Condominiums upped the ante, pushing the record to 486 feet (148 m). Since that time, a wave of development has followed. The 660-foot (201 m) Sovereign and 580-foot (177 m) Mansion on Peachtree were completed in late 2008. Today, Buckhead has over 50 high-rise buildings, almost one-third of the city's total.
.
The following public elementary schools serve Buckhead:
The area is served by Sutton Middle School and North Atlanta High School
.
, the Atlanta Speech School
, Christ the King School, the Atlanta Girls School, The Galloway School
, The Heiskell School, Holy Spirit Preparatory School
, Trinity School, The Lovett School
, Pace Academy
, and The Westminster Schools
.
's Terry College of Business
Executive Education Center is located in Buckhead. This facility houses the University's executive MBA program and Terry Third Thursday, a lecture series featuring business leaders.
and the private, catastrophic care hospital Shepherd Center
which specializes in spinal cord injury
and acquired brain injury
. The two hospitals are located adjacent to one another along Peachtree Road. This location is known as "Cardiac Hill" by runners of the annual Peachtree Road Race
.
The main north-south street of Buckhead is Peachtree Road, which extends south into the heart of the city as Atlanta's main street
, Peachtree Street
. This name change is significant in that it defines a border between Buckhead and Midtown
. The main east-west street is Paces Ferry Road, named for a former ferry
used to cross 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
. In addition to Peachtree and West Paces Ferry Roads, other arterial road
s include Piedmont Road (Georgia 237), Roswell Road (Georgia State Route 9
), and Northside Parkway.
In the early 1990s, after a bitter fight against GDOT by residents, Buckhead was split in two by Georgia 400, a tolled extension of a freeway connecting I-285 to I-85. However, MARTA
's new north line was put in the highway's median, providing mass transit for Buckhead and Sandy Springs residents.
MARTA has three stations in Buckhead, the southernmost being Lindbergh Center
. Just north of there, the original northeast (orange) and later north (red) lines split, with Lenox
at the southwest corner of the Lenox Square parking lot
, and Buckhead
on the west side of the malls where Peachtree crosses 400. A free circulator bus called "the buc" (Buckhead Uptown Connection) stops at all three stations. The proposed Peachtree Streetcar project would provide street-level service with frequent stops all the way to downtown Atlanta, complementing the existing subway
-type MARTA train service.
, the Consulate-General of Japan, and the Consulate of Greece
.
Uptown
The term uptown often refers to a specific portion of a city in contrast with the local downtown area or in British English the main area of the city center. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada...
district
District
Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...
of Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, comprising approximately the northern one-fifth of the city. Buckhead is a major commercial and financial center of the Southeast, and it is the third-largest business district in Atlanta, behind Downtown
Downtown Atlanta
Downtown Atlanta is the first and largest of the three financial districts in the city of Atlanta. Downtown Atlanta is the location of many corporate or regional headquarters, city, county, state and federal government facilities, sporting facilities, and is the central tourist attraction of the city...
and Midtown
Midtown Atlanta
Midtown is the second largest financial district in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, situated between the commercial and financial districts of Downtown and SoNo to the south and the affluent residential and commercial district of Buckhead to the north...
. The district's high-rise office buildings, hotels, and condominiums form a highly urbanized core along Peachtree Road
Peachtree Street
Peachtree Street is the main street of Atlanta. The city grew up around the street, and many of its historical and municipal buildings are or were located along it...
. Surrounding this dense core are Buckhead's suburban neighborhoods, which feature large single-family homes situated among dense forests and rolling hills.
19th century
In 1838, Henry Irby purchased 202 1/2 acres surrounding the present intersection of Peachtree, Roswell, and West Paces Ferry Roads from Daniel Johnson for $650. Irby subsequently established a general storeGeneral store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
and tavern
Tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
at the northwest corner of the intersection. The name "Buckhead" comes from a story that Irby killed a large buck deer and placed the head
Taxidermy
Taxidermy is the act of mounting or reproducing dead animals for display or for other sources of study. Taxidermy can be done on all vertebrate species of animals, including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians...
in a prominent location. Prior to this, the settlement had been called Irbyville. By the late 1800s, Buckhead had become a rural vacation spot for wealthy Atlantans.
20th century
Buckhead remained dominated by country estates until after World War I, when many of Atlanta's wealthy began building mansions among the area's rolling hills. Despite the stock market crash of 1929, lavish mansions were still constructed in Buckhead throughout the Great Depression. In 1930, Henry Aaron Alexander built one of the largest homes on Peachtree Road, a 15000 square feet (1,393.5 m²) house with 33 rooms and 13 bathrooms. The community was annexedAnnexation
Annexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
by Atlanta in 1952, following an earlier attempt by Mayor William B. Hartsfield
William B. Hartsfield
William Berry Hartsfield was an American politician. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and served as its 49th and 51st Mayor from 1937 to 1941 and again from 1942 to 1962, making him the longest-serving mayor in Atlanta history....
in 1946 that was voted down by residents.
In 1956, an estate known as Joyeuse was chosen as the site for a major shopping center to be known as Lenox Square
Lenox Square
Lenox Square is an upscale enclosed super regional shopping mall located in the Buckhead District of Atlanta, Georgia. Lenox Square comprises more than of retail space, with 250 stores on four levels, including a large food court. The mall is home to three anchor stores: Macy's, Bloomingdale's,...
. The mall was designed by Joe Amisano
Joe Amisano
Joe Amisano was an American architect.-Works:* Woodruff Arts Center* Lenox Square mall* Civic Center * The Lollipop House...
, an architect who designed many of Atlanta's modernist buildings. When Lenox Square opened in 1959, it was one of the first malls in the country, and the largest shopping center in the south. Office development soon followed with the construction of Tower Place in 1974.
To reverse a downturn in Buckhead Village
Buckhead Village
Buckhead Village is a neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia, one of 42 neighborhoods in the larger Buckhead district and the community's historic business district. The Village as defined by the city as the area between Piedmont Road, Peachtree Road and Pharr Road....
during the 1980s, minimum parking spot requirements for bars were lifted, which quickly led to it becoming the most dense concentration of bars and clubs in the city, such as BAR, World Bar, Lulu's Bait Shack, Mako's, Tongue & Groove, Chaos and John Harvard's Brew House.
21st century
Beginning in 2000, residents sought to ameliorate the crime situation by taking measures to reduce the community's nightlifeNightlife
Nightlife is the collective term for any entertainment that is available and more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning...
and re-establish a more residential character. The Buckhead Coalition's president and former Atlanta Mayor Sam Massell, along with councilwoman Mary Norwood were instrumental in persuading the Atlanta City Council to pass a local ordinance to close bars at 2:30 a.m. rather than 4 a.m., and liquor license
Liquor license
-Alberta:In Alberta, liquor licences are issued by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission.-United Kingdom:Throughout the United Kingdom, the sale of alcohol is restricted—pubs, restaurants, shops and other premises must be licensed by the local authority. The individual responsible for the...
s were made more difficult to obtain. Eventually, most of the Buckhead Village nightlife district was acquired for the confusingly named "Buckhead Atlanta" (formerly "Streets of Buckhead") multi-use project, and many of the former bars and clubs were razed in 2007.
In June 2008, a newsletter
Newsletter
A newsletter is a regularly distributed publication generally about one main topic that is of interest to its subscribers. Newspapers and leaflets are types of newsletters. Additionally, newsletters delivered electronically via email have gained rapid acceptance for the same reasons email in...
by the Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation began circulating that proposed the secession
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
of Buckhead into its own city after more than 50 years as part of Atlanta. This came on the heels of neighboring Sandy Springs, which finally became a city in late 2005 after a 30-year struggle to incorporate, and which triggered other such incorporations in metro Atlanta
Metro Atlanta
The Atlanta metropolitan area or metro Atlanta, officially designated by the US Census Bureau as the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta Metropolitan Statistical Area, is the most populous metro area in the U.S. state of Georgia and the ninth-largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States...
's northern suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s. Like those cities, the argument to create a city of Buckhead is based on the desire for more local control and lower tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
es.
Geography
Interstate 85 in Georgia
In the U.S. state of Georgia, the major Interstate Highway, Interstate 85, runs northeast-southwest from the Alabama border near West Point, and Lanett, Ala., running through Metropolitan Atlanta, and traveling to the border with South Carolina, where it crosses the Savannah River near Lake Hartwell...
on the east and Interstate 75
Interstate 75 in Georgia
In the U.S. state of Georgia, Interstate 75 runs north–south along the U.S. Route 41 corridor on the western side of the state, passing through the cities of Valdosta, Macon and Atlanta. It is also designated — but not signed — as State Route 401...
on the west. Buckhead is bordered by:
- Cumberland and Vinings in Cobb County to the northwest, across the Chattahoochee RiverChattahoochee RiverThe Chattahoochee River flows through or along the borders of the U.S. states of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers and emptying into Apalachicola Bay in the Gulf of...
- the city of Sandy Springs in Fulton CountyFulton County, GeorgiaFulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its county seat is Atlanta, the state capital since 1868 and the principal county of the Atlanta metropolitan area...
to the north - BrookhavenBrookhaven, GeorgiaBrookhaven is an unincorporated community located on the western edge of DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, directly northeast of Atlanta. Most of the area was formerly incorporated as the city of North Atlanta, which disincorporated during the 1960s...
and North Druid Hills in DeKalb CountyDeKalb County, GeorgiaDeKalb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population of the county was 691,893 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is the city of Decatur. It is bordered to the west by Fulton County and contains roughly 10% of the city of Atlanta...
to the east - to the south across I-75 and I-85, the Midtown AtlantaMidtown AtlantaMidtown is the second largest financial district in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, situated between the commercial and financial districts of Downtown and SoNo to the south and the affluent residential and commercial district of Buckhead to the north...
neighborhoods of Midtown proper and Ansley ParkAnsley ParkAnsley Park is an affluent residential neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia, located just east of Midtown and west of Piedmont Park. One of the first suburban neighborhoods in the city designed for automobiles, it features wide, winding roads rather than the grid pattern typical of older streetcar...
, as well as Piedmont HeightsPiedmont Heights (Atlanta)Piedmont Heights is a neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia, founded in the early 20th century. It is located between the BeltLine on the west across which is the Sherwood Forest neighborhood, I-85 on the north across which is an industrial area , and Piedmont Avenue/Road and Morningside-Lenox Park on...
and Lindridge-Martin ManorLindridge-Martin ManorLindridge/Martin Manor is an intown neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia. It consists mostly of the single-family homes located off of Lindbergh Drive in between I-85 and Cheshire Bridge Road. In addition, it includes a small commercial area of three streets west of I-85 bounded by Peachtree Creek,...
, and - the Atlanta neighborhoods of Bolton, Hills Park, and Blandtown to the southwest across the railroad line
Neighborhoods
Buckhead comprises most of the neighborhoods of Atlanta's north side, 43 in total.- Buckhead Forest
- Brandon
- Brookwood
- Brookwood HillsBrookwood HillsBrookwood Hills is an historic neighborhood located in intown Atlanta, Georgia, USA, north of Midtown and south-southwest of Buckhead. Home to about 1000 people, it was founded in the early 1920s by Benjamin Franklin Burdett and his son, Arthur...
- Buckhead ForestBuckhead ForestBuckhead Forest is a neighborhood of 165 homes in the Buckhead Community of Atlanta, Georgia.It is bounded by:* Peachtree Road and Buckhead Village on the southeast* Roswell Road and South Tuxedo Park on the west...
- Buckhead Heights
- Buckhead VillageBuckhead VillageBuckhead Village is a neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia, one of 42 neighborhoods in the larger Buckhead district and the community's historic business district. The Village as defined by the city as the area between Piedmont Road, Peachtree Road and Pharr Road....
- Castlewood
- Channing Valley
- Chastain Park
- Collier HillsCollier HillsCollier Hills is an historic residential neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia. The neighborhood was founded in 1941. Collier Hills rests on the border between the Buckhead district of Atlanta and the Midtown district of Atlanta...
- Colonial Homes
- East Chastain Park
- Garden Hills
- Haynes Manor
- Historic Brookhaven
- Kingswood
- Lenox
- Lindbergh/Morosgo
- Loring HeightsLoring HeightsLoring Heights is a neighborhood of just over 300 homes located in Midtown Atlanta, nestled between Peachtree Street, Northside Drive, and Atlantic Station. The neighborhood provides relatively easy access to I-75/85, GA 400, and I-285.-External links:*...
- Margaret MitchellMargaret Mitchell (Atlanta neighborhood)Margaret Mitchell is a neighborhood in the Buckhead Community, in the northwest part of the city of Atlanta, Georgia. It is bounded by Moore's Mill Road on the south, I-75 on the east, and the Paces neighborhood on the west....
- Mount Paran/Northside
- Mount Paran Parkway
- North BuckheadNorth BuckheadNorth Buckhead is a neighborhood in the Buckhead Community, at the northern edge of the city of Atlanta, Georgia and is one of Atlanta's most affluent neighborhoods.It is bounded by:* Roswell Road and the East Chastain Park neighborhood on the west...
- PacesPaces (Atlanta)Paces is a neighborhood of Atlanta. It is part of the Buckhead district and located in the far northwest corner of the city. Paces is bounded on the northwest by the Chattahoochee River, which is also the Cobb/Fulton county line...
- Peachtree Battle
- Peachtree Heights East
- Peachtree Heights West
- Peachtree Hills
- Peachtree ParkPeachtree ParkPeachtree Park is a neighborhood in the Buckhead Community of Atlanta, Georgia.It is bounded by:* Peachtree Road and North Buckhead on the northwest* Georgia 400 and Lenox Square and Pine Hills on the east...
- Pine HillsPine Hills (Atlanta)Pine Hills is a neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia and also part of the Buckhead Community, located in north east Atlanta on the eastern part of Buckhead. It is roughly bounded by Buford Highway to the south, the railway to the north, Lenox Road to the west and East Roxboro Road to the east...
- Pleasant Hill
- Randall Mill
- Ridgedale Park
- Springlake
- South Tuxedo Park
- Tuxedo Park
- Underwood Hills
- West Paces Ferry/Northside
- Westminister/Milmar
- Whitewater Creek
- Wildwood
- Woodfield
- Wyngate
Wealth
Wealth
Wealth is the abundance of valuable resources or material possessions. The word wealth is derived from the old English wela, which is from an Indo-European word stem...
iest zip code in the nation (30327), with a household income in excess of $341,000 per year and is the location of the wealthiest of Atlanta's neighborhoods. Home to the Georgia Governor's Mansion
Georgia Governor's Mansion
The Governor's Mansion is the official home of the governor of the U.S. state of Georgia. The mansion is located at 391 West Paces Ferry Road NW, in the affluent Buckhead district of Atlanta.-Construction:...
, the area's real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
market is also the most expensive in the state of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
with an average home value in 2005 of approximately $761,000. Two of the nation's fourteen Mobil
Mobil
Mobil, previously known as the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, was a major American oil company which merged with Exxon in 1999 to form ExxonMobil. Today Mobil continues as a major brand name within the combined company, as well as still being a gas station sometimes paired with their own store or On...
five-star
Star (classification)
Stars are often used as symbols for classification purposes. They are used by reviewers for ranking things such as movies, TV shows, restaurants, and hotels. For example, one to five stars is commonly employed to categorize hotels.-Restaurant ratings:...
restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s — Seeger's and The Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton
Ritz-Carlton
The Ritz-Carlton is a brand of luxury hotels and resorts with 75 properties located in major cities and resorts in 24 countries worldwide...
Buckhead — can be found here. The Robb Report
Robb Report
The Robb Report is an American, English-language, luxury-lifestyle magazine featuring products — including automobiles, real estate and watches — for affluent connoisseurs.-History:...
magazine has consistently ranked Buckhead one of the nation's "10 Top Affluent Communities" due to "the most beautiful mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
s, best shopping, and finest restaurants in the Southeastern United States
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
". Due to its wealth, Buckhead is sometimes promoted as the "Beverly Hills of the East" or "Beverly Hills of the South" in reference to Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
, an area to which it is often compared.
Retail
At the heart of Buckhead around the intersections of Lenox, Peachtree and Piedmont Roads, is an internationally renowned shopping district with more than 1,400 retail units where shoppers spend more than $1 billion a year. In addition, Buckhead contains the highest concentration of upscale boutiqueBoutique
A boutique is a small shopping outlet, especially one that specializes in elite and fashionable items such as clothing and jewelry. The word is French for "shop", via Latin from Greek ἀποθήκη , "storehouse"....
s in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The majority are located at Lenox Square
Lenox Square
Lenox Square is an upscale enclosed super regional shopping mall located in the Buckhead District of Atlanta, Georgia. Lenox Square comprises more than of retail space, with 250 stores on four levels, including a large food court. The mall is home to three anchor stores: Macy's, Bloomingdale's,...
and Phipps Plaza
Phipps Plaza
Phipps Plaza, owned by Simon Property Group, is an upscale regional mall in Atlanta, Georgia anchored by Belk, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue. Located adjacent to its sister-mall Lenox Square, in the Buckhead district, Phipps has more than 100 specialty shops, five full-service restaurants, a food...
, sister regional malls located diagonally across from each other at the intersection of Peachtree St. and Lenox Rd. The malls are home to designer boutiques, mainstream national retailers, as well as 6 major department stores.
This commercial core also has a concentration of big-box retailers (Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
, DSW
DSW, Inc.
-History:DSW opened its first store in July 1991 in Dublin, Ohio. In 1998, Value City Department Stores, Inc. purchased DSW. In December 2004, Retail Ventures, Inc. consolidated several brands. Until July 5, 2005, DSW operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of Retail Ventures, Inc...
, Sports Authority
Sports Authority
The Sports Authority, Inc. is one of the largest sporting goods retailers in the United States. It is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, and operates more than 460 stores in 45 U.S...
, Dick's Sporting Goods
Dick's Sporting Goods
Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc. , or Dick's, is a Fortune 500 American corporation in the sporting goods and retail industries.The company's headquarters are on the grounds of Pittsburgh International Airport in Findlay Township near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dick's has 451 stores in 42 states as of...
, etc.), many in multi-story complexes.
The confusingly named "Buckhead Atlanta" (formerly "Streets of Buckhead") mixed use development originally aimed to bring even more exclusive boutiques, restaurants, hotels, condos and office space to Buckhead. In May 2011 new developer Oliver McMillan bought the property and plans to build a scaled-down version: "not...a Rodeo Drive-type development", the level of restaurants and retail "somewhat different". It is now to be an "urban village" woven into the community with 300000 square feet (27,870.9 m²) of retail and restaurants, 40000 square feet (3,716.1 m²) of boutique offices and two 20-story luxury apartment buildings.
Other neighborhood shopping areas in Buckhead, mostly suburban-style shopping centers, include Lindbergh Center, Powers Ferry Village, Chastain Square, and Paces Ferry Village.
Skyscrapers
While much of west and north Buckhead is preserved as single-family homes in forested settings, the Peachtree Road corridor has become a major focus of high-rise construction. The first 400-foot (121 m) office tower, Tower Place, opened in 1974. Park PlacePark Place (Atlanta)
Park Place is a 420 ft tall skyscraper in Atlanta, Georgia. It was completed in 1986 and has 40 floors. It is the 27th tallest building in Atlanta....
, in 1986, was the first 400+ foot (121+ m) condominium. 1986 Also saw the completion of the 425-foot (129 m), 34-story Atlanta Plaza
Atlanta Plaza
Atlanta Plaza is a 425ft tall skyscraper in Atlanta, Georgia. It was completed in 1986 and has 32 floors. Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart & Associates, Inc.designed the building, which is tied with 1100 Peachtree as the 25th tallest building in Atlanta.-References:**...
, then Buckhead's tallest and largest building. In 2000, Park Avenue Condominiums upped the ante, pushing the record to 486 feet (148 m). Since that time, a wave of development has followed. The 660-foot (201 m) Sovereign and 580-foot (177 m) Mansion on Peachtree were completed in late 2008. Today, Buckhead has over 50 high-rise buildings, almost one-third of the city's total.
Public schools
Public schools in Buckhead are administered by Atlanta Public SchoolsAtlanta Public Schools
Atlanta Public Schools is a school district based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. APS is run by the Atlanta Board of Education with interim superintendent Erroll Davis...
.
The following public elementary schools serve Buckhead:
- E. Rivers Elementary School
- Garden Hills Elementary SchoolGarden Hills Elementary SchoolBuilt in 1938, Garden Hills Elementary School is on the National Register of Historic Places. The brick school building is nestled among the older homes and stately trees of Atlanta’s historic Garden Hills neighborhood. It is a beautiful example of the work of famed Atlanta architect Philip...
- Morris Brandon Elementary SchoolMorris Brandon Elementary SchoolMorris Brandon Elementary School is a public elementary school located in the Buckhead community in northwest Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1947 as part of the Fulton County school district, it is has been a part of the Atlanta Public Schools since the annexation of Buckhead in 1952...
- Sarah Rawson Smith Elementary School
- Warren T. Jackson Elementary School
The area is served by Sutton Middle School and North Atlanta High School
North Atlanta High School
North Atlanta High School is a high school of approximately 1,100 students in Buckhead, an upscale area of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The school is a part of Atlanta Public Schools....
.
Private schools
Local private schools include the Atlanta International SchoolAtlanta International School
Atlanta International School is a private primary and secondary school located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The more common name for Atlanta International School is AIS. AIS is based on the International Baccalaureate Programme...
, the Atlanta Speech School
Atlanta Speech School
The mission of the Atlanta Speech School is to help each person develop his or her full potential through language and literacy. Established in 1938, the Atlanta Speech School serves children and adults with speech, hearing, language, or learning disabilities through clinical and education...
, Christ the King School, the Atlanta Girls School, The Galloway School
The Galloway School
Founded by Elliott Galloway in 1969, The Galloway School is a private, co-educational day school dedicated to offering a well rounded academic program for children ages 3 through grade 12.-History:...
, The Heiskell School, Holy Spirit Preparatory School
Holy Spirit Preparatory School
Holy Spirit Preparatory School is an independent, Roman Catholic preparatory school located in Atlanta, Georgia and was established in 1996, originally as the Donnellan School. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta....
, Trinity School, The Lovett School
The Lovett School
The Lovett School is a coeducational, kindergarten through twelfth grade independent school located in north Atlanta, Georgia.-History:In September 1926, Mrs. Eva Edwards Lovett, an innovative educator who emphasized the development of the whole child, officially began The Lovett School with 20...
, Pace Academy
Pace Academy
Pace Academy is a K-12 college preparatory private school, located at 966 West Paces Ferry Road in the Buckhead area of Atlanta, Georgia. Pace has approximately 1040 students.-History:...
, and The Westminster Schools
The Westminster Schools
The Westminster Schools is a private school in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1951 and tracing its origins to 1878, Westminster has the largest endowment of any non-boarding school in the United States...
.
Colleges and universities
The University of GeorgiaUniversity of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
's Terry College of Business
Terry College of Business
The C. Herman and Mary Virginia Terry College of Business is the business school at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. The Terry College is the flagship business school in the state of Georgia and one of 16 schools and colleges at the oldest state-chartered public university in the...
Executive Education Center is located in Buckhead. This facility houses the University's executive MBA program and Terry Third Thursday, a lecture series featuring business leaders.
Healthcare
Buckhead is home both to Piedmont HospitalPiedmont Hospital
Piedmont Hospital is a major hospital at 2002 Peachtree Road at Collier Road in the Buckhead area of Atlanta, Georgia.-Washington Street location:...
and the private, catastrophic care hospital Shepherd Center
Shepherd Center
Shepherd Center is a private, not-for profit hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1975, the hospital is devoted to the medical treatment, research and rehabilitation for people with spinal cord injury and disease, acquired brain injury, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain and other neuromuscular...
which specializes in spinal cord injury
Spinal cord injury
A spinal cord injury refers to any injury to the spinal cord that is caused by trauma instead of disease. Depending on where the spinal cord and nerve roots are damaged, the symptoms can vary widely, from pain to paralysis to incontinence...
and acquired brain injury
Acquired brain injury
An acquired brain injury is brain damage caused by events after birth, rather than as part of a genetic or congenital disorder such as fetal alcohol syndrome, perinatal illness or perinatal hypoxia. ABI can result in cognitive, physical, emotional, or behavioural impairments that lead to permanent...
. The two hospitals are located adjacent to one another along Peachtree Road. This location is known as "Cardiac Hill" by runners of the annual Peachtree Road Race
Peachtree Road Race
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race 10K is a 10 kilometer road race held annually in Atlanta, Georgia on July 4, Independence Day. The Peachtree Road Race was until recently the world's largest 10 kilometer race , a title it has held since the late 1970s...
.
Transportation
Main Street
Main Street is the metonym for a generic street name of the primary retail street of a village, town, or small city in many parts of the world...
, Peachtree Street
Peachtree Street
Peachtree Street is the main street of Atlanta. The city grew up around the street, and many of its historical and municipal buildings are or were located along it...
. This name change is significant in that it defines a border between Buckhead and Midtown
Midtown Atlanta
Midtown is the second largest financial district in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, situated between the commercial and financial districts of Downtown and SoNo to the south and the affluent residential and commercial district of Buckhead to the north...
. The main east-west street is Paces Ferry Road, named for a former ferry
Historic ferries of the Atlanta area
There were several historic ferries around the metro Atlanta, Georgia area, for which many of its current-day roads are named. Most of the ferries date back to the 1820s and 1830s, to carry travelers across the Chattahoochee River or several other smaller rivers...
used to cross the Chattahoochee River
Chattahoochee River
The Chattahoochee River flows through or along the borders of the U.S. states of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers and emptying into Apalachicola Bay in the Gulf of...
. Hardy Pace, one of Atlanta's founders, operated the ferry and owned much of what is now Buckhead, and as far west as Vinings
Vinings, Georgia
Vinings is a census-designated place and an unincorporated town in Cobb County, Georgia, just across the Chattahoochee River from Atlanta. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 9,734. It is located between the affluent West Paces Ferry section of Buckhead in northwest Atlanta,...
. In addition to Peachtree and West Paces Ferry Roads, other arterial road
Arterial road
An arterial road, or arterial thoroughfare, is a high-capacity urban road. The primary function of an arterial road is to deliver traffic from collector roads to freeways, and between urban centres at the highest level of service possible. As such, many arteries are limited-access roads, or feature...
s include Piedmont Road (Georgia 237), Roswell Road (Georgia State Route 9
Georgia State Route 9
State Route 9 is a north–south highway running from Atlanta to just north of Dahlonega. It overlaps U.S. 19 from along 14th Street, in northwest Atlanta, to Roswell Road at I-285, in Sandy Springs. It is also concurrent with U.S. 19 from Dahlonega to its northern terminus at US 129...
), and Northside Parkway.
In the early 1990s, after a bitter fight against GDOT by residents, Buckhead was split in two by Georgia 400, a tolled extension of a freeway connecting I-285 to I-85. However, MARTA
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority or MARTA is the principal rapid-transit system in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the ninth-largest in the United States. Formed in 1971 as strictly a bus system, MARTA operates a network of bus routes linked to a rapid transit system consisting...
's new north line was put in the highway's median, providing mass transit for Buckhead and Sandy Springs residents.
MARTA has three stations in Buckhead, the southernmost being Lindbergh Center
Lindbergh Center (MARTA station)
Lindbergh Center station is an at-grade Train station on the Red and Gold lines of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority rail system in the Lindbergh/Morosgo neighborhood in southern Buckhead. This is a partime terminus of the Red Line and the last transfer point for the Red and Gold ...
. Just north of there, the original northeast (orange) and later north (red) lines split, with Lenox
Lenox (MARTA station)
Lenox is an underground metro station on the Gold Line of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. It provides access to Lenox Mall, Phipps Plaza,and Buckhead Business District...
at the southwest corner of the Lenox Square parking lot
Parking lot
A parking lot , also known as car lot, is a cleared area that is intended for parking vehicles. Usually, the term refers to a dedicated area that has been provided with a durable or semi-durable surface....
, and Buckhead
Buckhead (MARTA station)
Buckhead is an at-grade Train station on the Red Line of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority rail system. This station is the first station not served by the Gold Line. It is located in the median of State Route 400, a limited access highway, at Peachtree Road...
on the west side of the malls where Peachtree crosses 400. A free circulator bus called "the buc" (Buckhead Uptown Connection) stops at all three stations. The proposed Peachtree Streetcar project would provide street-level service with frequent stops all the way to downtown Atlanta, complementing the existing subway
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
-type MARTA train service.
Diplomatic missions
Consulates in Buckhead include the Consulate-General of Australia and the Australian Trade Commission, the Consulate-General of France and the French Trade Commission, the Consulate-General of BrazilDiplomatic missions of Brazil
This is a list of diplomatic missions of Brazil, excluding honorary consulates. Brazil has a large global network of diplomatic missions, with representations in over 125 countries.-Europe:** Vienna ** Baku...
, the Consulate-General of Japan, and the Consulate of Greece
Diplomatic missions of Greece
This is a list of diplomatic missions of Greece, excluding honorary consulates.-Europe:** Tirana ** Gjirokastër ** Korçë ** Yerevan ** Vienna ** Baku...
.