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56-643: Virginia Highlands may refer to: Virginia-Highland , a neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia ("Virginia Highlands" is a very common though incorrect variation of the name) the correct name of one of the original subdivisions of the Virginia-Highland neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia the southwesternmost region of the US state of Virginia around Abingdon Virginia Highlands Park in Arlington, Virginia Topics referred to by

112-477: A Virginia Avenue exit, however, was finally opened in 1988 as John Howell Memorial Park, in memory of Virginia–Highland resident and anti-freeway activist John Howell , who died from complications of HIV in 1988. In the early 1980s, Atkins Park restaurant was renovated. Meanwhile, Stuart Meddin bought and renovated the 1925 commercial block at North Highland and Virginia. In 1988, the turn-of-the-century trolley barns on 5 acres (2.0 ha) on Virginia Avenue on

168-466: A comprehensive range of safety measures: Virginia–Highland borders: Within the boundaries of Virginia–Highland are: In 2014, residents cleaned up and beautified the unpaved alley between St. Charles Avenue and Ponce, and it is now known as Maiden Trail . Virginia–Highland has one of seven Atlanta "neighborhood arboreta", which are in fact walking routes of trees (identified by markers) in yards, sidewalk planting strips, and parks. A brochure maps out

224-528: A day train from Atlanta, making connections at Augusta with an ACL train bound for Florence, South Carolina . A unique feature of the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company charter was that the state legislature gave the corporation large tax breaks, which were legally challenged on several occasions. The charter also called for daily-except-Sunday passenger service. The lawyers advised management to maintain passenger service on all lines, so as to not violate

280-526: A gourmet food hall . Virginia–Highland is best known for its oldest residences – the Craftsman bungalows that line the streets closest to which or on which the Nine Mile trolley ran: Virginia Avenue, North Highland Avenue, St. Charles Avenue, etc. Other architectural styles include English Vernacular Revival and Colonial Revival, and other house types include English Cottage and American Foursquare . Besides

336-451: A historic overlay district as well. Virginia–Highland is a neighborhood of Atlanta, which unlike in many other cities, are officially defined and organized and given specific areas of control. The Virginia–Highland Civic Association consists of a volunteer board and oversees matters controlled at the neighborhood level such as community festivals, community safety, beautification, and efforts to improve parks, sidewalks, etc. As noted above,

392-602: A shopping and entertainment complex built in what was originally part of the Campbell Coal Company warehouse. Ponce de Leon Place also has a concentration of warehouse space converted to commercial use. Just across the BeltLine Eastside Trail from the western border of Virginia–Highland are two major strip malls , Midtown Place and Midtown Promenade. Adjacent is the former Sears building, now Ponce City Market , with office, retail and residential space, and

448-424: A single railroad. The Georgia Railroad was the first to be merged away. The railroad properties of the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company, which had been operated under a lease for 90 years by CSX and its predecessors, were formally merged into Seaboard System Railroad. The mixed train service ended in 1983. In 1986, Seaboard System Railroad renamed itself CSX Transportation . The same year, Georgia Railroad Bank

504-477: A spat among organizers and a shakeup in the organizing committee made local headlines. However, Summerfest did continue as usual in 2001 as one of Atlanta's highest profile neighborhood festivals. In November 2006, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation added Virginia–Highland to its list of "places in peril" due to an acceleration of teardowns and infill projects by real estate developers and newcomers to

560-450: A vibrant mix of enterprises while keeping control noise, parking and traffic issues but also addresses specific problems which came up in 2005-2008: In December 2008 the VHCA bought the land for New Highland Park , a small 0.41 acres (0.17 ha) park at N. Highland and St. Charles. In Autumn 2010, a rash of seven muggings occurred, statistics which were far lower than those of the 1980s when

616-688: Is an outgrowth of these events. In 2009, the original north/south freeway (connecting 675 to 400) was again put on GDOT's to-do list, but this time running in a tunnel underneath the neighborhoods, with buildings to vent exhaust fumes and smog above ground. Between 1972 and 1975, property values increased from 20 to 50 percent. Home ownership levels rose 20 percent. A tour of renovated homes started in 1972. The Georgia Department of Transportation began selling properties it had acquired for I-485, virtually all of them for infill housing. The 3 acres (12,000 m ) of land on Virginia Avenue where 11 houses had been taken and demolished to make way for

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672-541: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Virginia-Highland In 2011 readers of Creative Loafing voted Virginia–Highland "Best Overall Neighborhood." In June 2011, Atlanta Magazine designated Virginia Highland "favorite neighborhood overall". In 2012 readers of Creative Loafing voted VaHi "Best Walkable Neighborhood". In 2020, Southern Living editors named Virginia–Highland number 4 on their “The South’s Best Neighborhoods” list. Newspaper articles from

728-699: Is now Downtown Atlanta and the road between their two farms came to be known as Todd Road (a portion of which still exists in Virginia–Highland). In the 1880s, Georgia Railroad executive Richard Peters and real estate developer George Washington Adair organized the Atlanta Street Railway Company . Their first project was the Nine Mile Trolley , which started serving the area sometime between 1888 and 1890. At first, patrons used this streetcar line to visit "the countryside" outside

784-522: Is now Virginia–Highland, a pro-highway group called themselves the "Highland–Virginia Civic Association", claiming to speak for the neighborhood. When Joe Drolet and other residents formed a group to oppose the highway in Fall 1971, they chose the name "Virginia–Highland Civic Association". With the victory of the anti-highway forces, the Virginia–Highland name stuck and the press started to use it to refer to

840-419: Is zoned to Atlanta Public Schools . Zoned schools include: Virginia–Highland is served by the following MARTA bus routes which also connect it to MARTA rail lines: The neighborhood was long served by streetcar line #15 which later became bus line #45. Bus line 45 was discontinued in 2010. Georgia Railroad The Georgia Railroad and Banking Company ( reporting mark GA ) also seen as "GARR",

896-683: The American Civil War , the Confederate States of America maintained a gunpowder factory in Augusta. Carloads of gunpowder would be transported on the Georgia Railroad to various battlefields in the "Western Campaign." Although the Civil War saw heavy damage to railroads such as the Georgia Railroad, management used their considerable resources to restore operation as quickly as possible. The Georgia Railroad even resorted to temporarily abandoning

952-460: The Athens branch to secure enough rail to reopen its main line. After their defeat, returning Confederate soldiers were given free rides home, to the extent that the company's limited rail network would allow. They also honored all Confederate scrip issued by their bank. No depositor lost their savings even if Confederate money had no value. It helped that the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company had

1008-622: The Atkins Park neighborhood, while having its own neighborhoods association, participates in the VaHi association much as if it were part of VaHi. Planning, building permits, etc. are controlled by the Neighborhood planning unit F, which also includes Morningside-Lenox Park , Piedmont Heights and Lindridge-Martin Manor . Virginia–Highland serves as a model for other neighborhoods of Atlanta in implementing

1064-560: The Savannah and Atlanta Railroad , which connected with the Georgia Railroad at Warrenton , the Georgia Railroad now competed with the Central of Georgia Railroad for traffic to and from Savannah. Soon the ACL came to dominate the Augusta interchange traffic, through its Charleston and Western Carolina Railway subsidiary and via the ACL's spur from its main line at Florence, South Carolina , in order that

1120-618: The Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL). SCL continued to operate the Georgia Railroad as a subsidiary alongside the Louisville & Nashville Railroad and the Clinchfield Railroad . These were known collectively as the "Family Lines System." SCL continued to operate the Georgia Railroad under its initial charter; the Georgia Railroad was maintained as a separate company, with SCL leasing the rail properties. Two years later,

1176-478: The churches noted below , some other landmarks of note are: Virginia–Highland and Atkins Park are both listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), with Atkins Park having in addition the status of historic overlay district which, unlike a NRHP listing by itself, actually provides for measures to enforce preservation. The VHCA is investigating the possibilities of designating Virginia–Highland

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1232-417: The 1960s as residents moved to the suburbs . Less-affluent residents moved in, some single-family houses were turned into apartments, and crime increased. Some businesses closed and were replaced by lower-rent tenants such as pawn shops . Others, such as Moe’s and Joe’s (which opened in 1947) and Atkins Park Restaurant, stayed open. Many buildings deteriorated. What could have been the death knell for

1288-467: The 1980s, but was then absorbed into Virginia–Highland. Virginia–Highland is one of many intown Atlanta neighborhoods characterized by commercial space of two sorts: Such "streetcar corner" nodes are located at Virginia at North Highland — the neighborhood's namesake and main shopping and dining area, well known since the 1990s for its restaurants, St. Charles at North Highland, Amsterdam at North Highland, and Virginia at Rosedale Drive. Amsterdam Walk ,

1344-496: The Curve (George's restaurant) were filmed in Virginia–Highland. Portions of the pilot for the "B.E.T." network's Being Mary Jane were filmed at 780 N. Highland Ave. in April 2012. Virginia–Highland is home to a number of churches: The Chabad Intown synagogue is located on Ponce de Leon Place. The Virginia–Highland eruv covers nearly all of Virginia–Highland as well as part of

1400-690: The Georgia Railroad could compete with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad and Southern Railway for traffic from Atlanta up the Eastern seaboard . A 1925 timetable showed four daily roundtrips between Atlanta and Augusta. A trip on the Night Express of that era was described by W.F Beckum. By the opening of the 1960s, however, passenger service had been reduced to an overnight through-train from Atlanta to Augusta, continuing as an Atlantic Coast Line Railroad train to Wilmington, North Carolina , and

1456-555: The Georgia Railroad ended its traditional passenger service, though it continued to operate a bare-bones mixed train service between Atlanta ( Atlanta Union Station ) and Augusta ( Augusta Union Station ). In 1980, SCL merged with Chessie System to form CSX Corporation . In 1982, SCL and L&N merged to form the Seaboard System Railroad , beginning what would be a process in which the CSX operating companies would be merged into

1512-720: The Howard Dry Cleaning Company and the Phelps Millard Grocery opened, anchoring the Amsterdam and N. Highland business district. The Samuel N. Inman School, named after the nineteenth-century cotton merchant , was built in 1923. In 1924, fire station 19 was built on N. Highland at Los Angeles Ave. Streetcar service to Virginia–Highland ended around 1947, along with all of the other trolley lines into and out of central Atlanta. Virginia–Highland, like most intown Atlanta neighborhoods, suffered decline starting in

1568-622: The Madison branch to Terminus (Atlanta) and thereby compete with the Central Railroad and Banking Company of Georgia (later the Central of Georgia Railroad ), which together with the Macon & Western Railroad , was competing for traffic through Charleston's rival port of Savannah, Georgia . By 1850, this railroad had built 213 miles (343 km) of track and was up to 232 miles (373 km) by 1860. At

1624-527: The Morningside-Lenox Park neighborhood up to E. Rock Springs Road/E. Morningside Drive. The eruv is "marked off" by defining utility poles as "sides of the doorways" and the wires as the "lintels" (tops of doorways). Within its boundaries observant Jews are allowed to do certain things on the Sabbath that they would not normally be allowed to do outside the home, such as carry keys or food. The community

1680-723: The Virginia–Highland Civic Association's master plan, as a result of which the plan becomes part of the City of Atlanta’s Comprehensive Development Plan. Virginia–Highland is bounded on the north by Amsterdam Avenue and the neighborhood of Morningside , on the east by the Atlanta city limit / Briarcliff Road and the Druid Hills neighborhood, on the south by Ponce de Leon Avenue and the Poncey–Highland neighborhood, and on

1736-651: The annual Virginia–Highland Tour of Homes in December. In May, A Taste of the Highlands in John Howell Park features samplings from favorite neighborhood restaurants and live music. Every March or April, the North Highland Mile (formerly Morningside Mile) race and block party takes place. Portions of the films Life as We Know It (the bakery portrayed was the real-life Belly General Store) and Trouble with

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1792-507: The area. However, Virginia–Highland remains one of the most architecturally historic , distinct and vibrant neighborhoods in Atlanta. Residents, through the VHCA, succeeded in getting the city council to pass zoning legislation prescribing development that fits the scale of the streets, rolling back loose zoning ordinances passed in the 1960s. The new zoning also prescribes a maximum number of each type of establishment – restaurants, bars, retail and other types. The zoning aims to preserve

1848-500: The buildings and other hazardous materials on the property. As the neighborhood continued to regentrify, property values increased rapidly; the shops and restaurants became progressively more upscale. Towards the end of the 90s, the neighborhood-oriented character of the business districts gave way to businesses serving patrons from across greater Atlanta. Virginia–Highland wrestled with traffic and parking issues. Apartments affordable to students became more difficult to find. In 2000,

1904-629: The charter. The Georgia was among the last railroads to operate both freight and inter-city passenger trains in the " Lower 48 " states, into the Amtrak era. The Georgia Railroad originally fell under common management with the Atlanta & West Point Railroad and the Western Railway of Alabama , commonly known as "the West Point Route." In 1967, ACL merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad to form

1960-441: The city, and the line stimulated later development in the area. Adair built his home at 964 Rupley Drive (still standing and divided into upscale apartments ). The iconic curves in the street at the intersections of Virginia Ave. with N. Highland and Monroe are remnants of the trolley line, which required gentle curves. The Trolley Square Apartments (now "Virginia Highlands [sic] Apartments") near Virginia and Monroe were built on

2016-553: The company. In 1881, Colonel William M. Wadley, Central Railroad and Banking Company of Georgia president, leased the railroad properties of the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company, including the A&;WP and WofA. Wadley assigned half of the lease to his company and half to the L&;N. Following the Panic of 1896 , the Central went into receivership and its portion of the lease lapsed, whereupon it

2072-475: The early 1920s refer to the "Virginia Highland" section of Atlanta with regard to the area around the intersection of Virginia and Highland avenues. Later in the 1920s, southeast of this intersection, the "Virginia Highlands" (with an "s") subdivision was built. However, neither term appeared again in the press until the 1970s. During the revolt against the construction of the I-485 freeway through Morningside and what

2128-575: The east side of the BeltLine Eastside Trail (today's Virginia–Highland Apartments) were torn down despite the City Council and VHCA's attempts to save them. Although previously assuring local residents that he favored saving the historic structures, Mayor Andrew Young then vetoed the resolution, and the Council's vote of 11-3 was not enough to override it. Young cited the discovery of asbestos in

2184-483: The entire neighborhood between Amsterdam, Ponce, Piedmont Park and Druid Hills. Around Atlanta, "Virginia–Highland", "Virginia Highlands" and "the Highlands" are all commonly heard. However, "Virginia–Highland" is the official name of the neighborhood. The other terms are included in some business names, but are technically incorrect. The term VaHi, imitating the New York style of naming neighborhoods (SoHo, TriBeCa), first

2240-505: The financial strength to honor those promises. At that time, most Southern banks were repudiating any obligations related to Confederate currency . This helped to solidify the bank's reputation as one of the premier banks in the southeastern United States, well into the 20th century. The Georgia Railroad Freight Depot , designed by architect Max Corput , was completed in 1869 and is the oldest building in Downtown Atlanta . The company

2296-468: The intersection of Virginia and N. Highland starting in 1908, with many more opening starting in 1925. At the same time development started in the Atkins Park commercial district around St. Charles. Ave. and N. Highland, including the present-day Atkins Park Restaurant (1922), which reportedly got what is now Atlanta's oldest liquor license when it became a bar and restaurant in 1927. Between 1928 and 1930,

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2352-504: The line was chartered to build a railroad from Augusta to Athens , with a branch to Madison . It was converted to 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ( 1,435 mm ) in 1886. The 5 ft ( 1,524 mm ) gauge railroad opened in 1845 with J. Edgar Thomson as its Chief Engineer and Richard Peters as its first Superintendent. At that time the rates were as follows: Several other railroads were then under construction: The Georgia Railroad decided to extend

2408-467: The neighborhood is enjoying adjacent development projects including a new biking and walking trail along the BeltLine Eastside Trail from Piedmont Park to Inman Park , as well as the redeveloped Ponce City Market , the old Sears building, now a major multi-use development. Behind Ponce City Market is Historic Fourth Ward Park , opened in 2011. In July 2014 the Atlanta City Council accepted

2464-503: The neighborhood sounded in the mid-1960s, when the Georgia Department of Transportation proposed building Interstate 485 to connect what is now Freedom Parkway through the neighborhood and to what is now Georgia 400 at Interstate 85 . It would have included an interchange at Virginia Avenue where John Howell Memorial Park is today. Despite the I-485 proposal moving forward, a few middle-class families began moving back into

2520-554: The neighborhood was edgy, but in 2010 shaking up the neighborhood. Partly in response, the local security patrol, FBAC, expanded patrol coverage to the entire neighborhood. Shortly thereafter in Nov. 2010 Charles Boyer was murdered during a mugging, for which the "Jack Boys" were indicted in Jan. 2011. Police continued to step up patrols and since then Virginia–Highland has returned to its status as one of Atlanta's lower-crime neighborhoods. Currently

2576-532: The neighborhood, renovating homes. In Fall 1971, Joseph (Joe) Drolet and others founded the Virginia–Highland Civic Association (VHCA), whose mission was to defeat I-485 , and registered the association with the Georgia Secretary of State on August 22, 1972. They along with residents of Stone Mountain , Inman Park , and Morningside finally defeated I-485, and became a political force to be reckoned with. The current Neighborhood Planning Unit ( NPU ) system

2632-552: The route and the trees along each route, as well as educating visitors about the trees. On the first weekend in June, the Virginia–Highland Civic Association (VHCA) hosts the yearly Virginia–Highland Summerfest arts and music festival, which also includes a popular road race, and is one of the largest art festivals in the Southeastern United States and one of Atlanta's most popular neighborhood festivals. VHCA also organizes

2688-432: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Virginia Highlands . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Virginia_Highlands&oldid=536583096 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description

2744-529: The site of trolley maintenance facilities. The first land to be subdivided in what is now Virginia–Highland was Highland Park in the 1890s, located on either side of Ponce de Leon Ave. between today's Barnett St. and N. Highland Ave. The majority of the houses and streets in Virginia–Highland were constructed between 1909 and 1926. In 1916 the Arc Light Controversy raged between neighbors on Adair Ave. and N. Highland Ave. Some businesses opened around

2800-600: The time, goods from the Mississippi and Ohio valleys had to go by riverboat to New Orleans and then via coastal steamships around the Florida Keys , to get to the big population centers in the Northeast. Shipping cross-country by rail to the ports of Charleston and Savannah made perfect economic sense. The banking side of the business was quickly more successful than the railroad side. The Georgia Railroad & Banking Company

2856-503: The west by the BeltLine Eastside Trail which is the border with Piedmont Park and Midtown . Within these boundaries is Atkins Park , a neighborhood listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The City of Atlanta recognizes Atkins Park as a separate neighborhood, however, Atkins Park is a part of the Virginia–Highland Civic Association . St. Charles-Greenwood had its own neighborhood association in

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2912-460: Was a historic railroad and banking company that operated in the U.S. state of Georgia . In 1967 it reported 833 million revenue-ton-miles of freight and 3 million passenger-miles; at the end of the year it operated 331 miles (533 km) of road and 510 miles (820 km) of track. The company was chartered in 1833 in Augusta, Georgia . In 1835, the charter was amended to include banking. Originally

2968-634: Was eventually reassigned to the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL). In 1902, the ACL acquired controlling interest in the L&N; thus the Georgia, A&WP, and WofA became non-operating subsidiaries of the Atlantic Coast Line. In 1909, white firemen of the Georgia Railroad, organized under the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen , went on a mass strike . With the building of

3024-628: Was later re-chartered as the Georgia Railroad Bank, then a subsidiary of the First Railroad and Banking Company, which eventually opened banks in Atlanta under the name of First Georgia Bank. The banking operations were merged with First Union in 1986 and First Union subsequently merged with Wachovia Corporation (now Wells Fargo ). The Georgia Railroad Bank entered the insurance business using subsidiaries such as First of Georgia, however these were subsequently sold, at considerable profit to

3080-496: Was perhaps the strongest bank in Georgia for many years. The bankers used some of their wealth to buy controlling interests in the Atlanta & West Point Railroad (A&WP) and the Western Railway of Alabama (WofA), which provided a continuous line from Atlanta to Montgomery, Alabama , although the WofA was standard gauge , while all the other lines in the South were broad gauge. During

3136-528: Was used in the Atlanta newspapers in 1998. It is now in common use as a shortened, playful form or in URLs of neighborhood media and organizations (examples are www.vahi.org). The first record of settlement of the area that is now Virginia–Highland was in 1812, when William Zachry bought and built a farm on 202.5 acres (0.819 km ) of land there. In 1822 he sold his farm to Richard Copeland Todd (1792–1850). Todd's brother-in-law Hardy Ivy settled in 1832 in what

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