Mechanicsville (Atlanta)
Encyclopedia
Mechanicsville is a neighborhood 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...

. It sits in the shadow of both downtown Atlanta and Turner Field
Turner Field
Turner Field is a stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, home to Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves since 1997. Turner Field was originally built as Centennial Olympic Stadium, it was completed in 1996 to serve as the centerpiece of the 1996 Summer Olympics...

. The neighborhood is bounded by:
  • I-20 on the north, across which is Castleberry Hill
    Castleberry Hill
    Castleberry Hill is a neighborhood in central Atlanta, Georgia located adjacent to and southwest of the Central Business District. It is a federally recognized historic district since 1985 and became a City of Atlanta Landmark District in 2006...

     and Downtown Atlanta
    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...

  • the I-75/I-85 Downtown Connector
    Downtown Connector
    In Atlanta, Georgia, the Downtown Connector or 75/85 is the concurrent section of Interstate 75 and Interstate 85 through the core of the city. Beginning at the I-85/Langford Parkway interchange, the Downtown Connector runs generally due north, meeting the east-west Interstate 20 in the middle....

     on the east, across which are Summerhill
    Summerhill (Atlanta)
    Summerhill is a neighborhood directly south of Downtown Atlanta between the Atlanta Zoo and Turner Field. It is bordered by the neighborhoods of Grant Park, Mechanicsville, and Peoplestown. Summerhill is one of 26 Atlanta neighborhoods making up the Atlanta Neighborhood Planning Unit system...

     and Peoplestown
    Peoplestown
    Peoplestown is a Victorian streetcar-era neighborhood just south of Turner Field and central Atlanta. It is bounded by:* Ormond Street and the Summerhill neighborhood on the north,* Hill Street and the Grant Park neighborhood on the east,...

  • the Southern Railway
    Southern Railway (US)
    The Southern Railway is a former United States railroad. It was the product of nearly 150 predecessor lines that were combined, reorganized and recombined beginning in the 1830s, formally becoming the Southern Railway in 1894...

     lines on the southwest, across which is Pittsburgh
    Pittsburgh (Atlanta)
    Pittsburgh is a neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia, founded in 1883 as a black working-class suburb alongside the Pegram rail shops. It was named Pittsburgh because the industrial area reminded one of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and its famous steel mills...



Mechanicsville is in NPU
Neighborhood planning unit
The Neighborhood Planning Unit is a neighborhood-scale governmental structure used in the city of Atlanta, Georgia.The system was established in 1974 by Atlanta's first black mayor, Maynard Holbrook Jackson...

 V.

History

Mechanicsville is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Atlanta. The neighborhood sprang up in the late 19th century, adjacent to several railroad lines just south of downtown. The name "Mechanicsville" comes from the "mechanics" that worked on the railway lines. It was once a vibrant multiethnic community with working class blacks and middle class whites, and home to several prominent merchant families, including the Rich family, of department store
Rich's
Rich's was a department store retail chain, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, that operated in the southern U.S. from 1867 until March 6, 2005 when the nameplate was eliminated and replaced by Macy's...

 fame.

Its decline was caused by urban renewal, migration to the suburbs, and the construction of Atlanta Fulton County Stadium and the nearby interstate highways. The city of Atlanta has targeted the area for revitalization.

The movie ATL
ATL (film)
ATL is a 2006 American drama film, and the feature film directorial debut of music video director Chris Robinson. The screenplay was written by Tina Gordon Chism from an original story by Antwone Fisher, and is loosely based on the experiences of the film's producers Dallas Austin and Tionne...

 was filmed here.
Big Gee of Boyz n da Hood
Boyz N Da Hood
Boyz N Da Hood is an American Southern gangsta rap group from Atlanta, Georgia. They are currently signed to Sean Combs's Bad Boy Records. A new album, Back N Da Hood, is planned for release in 2011...

 was born and lives there.

Education

Atlanta Public Schools
Atlanta 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...

 serves Mechanicsville.

Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System
Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System
The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System is a network of public libraries serving the City of Atlanta and Fulton County, both in the U.S. state of Georgia. The system is currently administered by Fulton County...

 operates the Mechanicsville Branch.

Neighborhood associations

The primary neighborhood organization is the Mechanicsville Civic Association. This group works closely with SUMMECH, the local CDC, to develop and implement strategies for revitalization of the neighborhood.

In popular culture

In the film ATL
ATL
- Geography :* Atlanta, United States** Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport * Attleborough railway station, its National Rail code- Media :* ATL , a 2006 film set in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, USA...

, the main characters, Rashad (played by rapper T.I.
T.I.
Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. , better known by his stage name T.I., is an American rap artist, film and music producer, actor and author. He is also the founder and co-chief executive officer of Grand Hustle Records....

) and Ant (played by actor Evan Ross
Evan Ross
Evan Olav Næss is an American actor and musician. He is the son of entertainer Diana Ross. He is the brother of actresses Rhonda Ross Kendrick and Tracee Ellis Ross, and of singer Leona Naess. He began acting in the late 2000s, appearing in the films ATL and Pride...

), both lived in Mechanicsville.

External Links

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