The Burgeoning SoNo District of Intown Atlanta.

[Lady Celeste]

SoNo!!!

South of North Avenue.

This area roughly encompasses the area south of North Avenue, west of Piedmont Dr, north of Ralph McGill Blvd and east of the Downtown Connector. It is borrowing from the New York's Manhattan area known as SoHo or south of Houston Street.

I have heard this denotation for this area several times over the last few years. I find that this is a great way to distinguish this area. It's not quite Downtown and not quite Midtown. It definitely has a character all it's own. Right now the area is in transition. The Bank of America tower, Crawford Long Hospital and 100 year old St Luke's Church have been long time residents of the area but they are now being joined by a flurry of new development....namely the Reynolds condominium complex. The area is a few blocks from the world renowned Fox Theater but it is also home to a homeless shelter.

This goes to make for an interesting urban experience.

With new residential development joining the 11 story Waterford on Piedmont is increasing pedestrian traffic in a much needed fashion. Steady change is happening in SoNo in a deliberate fashion. It may not be as fast as some would like but it is definitely happening....and noticeably.

Here is an interesting article in today's Atlanta Journal/Constitution about the area and the development that is fostering it's rebirth.

Condos bolster hope for SoNo.

Here's a picture of The Reynolds.

[teshadoh]

I do like the Reynolds building quite a bit, but I'm looking forward to Urban Realty's other big project that is slated to be built 2 blocks where I live, another condo building - overlooking the cemetary. But this part of downtown has been a 'no mans land' for so long I'm glad it's finally hitting some hits now.

[alexr15]

IMO SoNa would have been a more interesting and slightly less derivative name for the area...

I do like the Reynolds, though.

[dixiecupdrinking]

I agree with alexr15 about the name, but on the other hand I'm glad to see districts of Atlanta picking up more specific names and identities. "Midtown" is more of a region than a neighborhood in the sense that most use it! I think it's a sign that the city's more urban areas are maturing a bit when neighborhoods can be measured in blocks rather than square miles.

North Ave. always felt more like a highway than a street to me, especially in the eastern sections, say from Piedmont to City Hall East. It seems most of the residential vibrancy has been on Ponce and northward, so maybe some development will start to pick up down on North also.

[monsoon]

Are these areas picking up because of their accessability to the Marta rail system?

[Lady Celeste]

Are these areas picking up because of their accessability to the Marta rail system?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's a very good question monsoon.

I think that Marta is playing a big role in the increase attention to this area. I also feel that Peachtree St itself is a big draw. This area has been amazingly passed over. The CBD is right over 75/85 to the south and midtown and all it has to offer is right over North Ave to the north. It's almost like development skipped right over these few blocks. Of course having a residence or business with a Peachtree St address has some cache'. With development in midtown driving up land prices along Peachtree and most of the land along Peachtree St in the CBD spoken for, it was only a matter of time before development infilled this area.

I will also wager that quick access to I-75/85, Centennial Park and the Atlantic Station are inducements for increased development.

What's odd to me is that the Reynolds has some of the larger residential units than say the Novare developments further north. I also feel the scale of most of the residential units built, under construction or proposed in the area are also more human in scale. I don't think you will have the towering residential towers like you will see around Centennial Olympic Park or in Midtown. While to the skyscraper fans this may be a disappointment, to the urbanist the will offer some great street scenery. I fear however that the time for the homesless shelter in the area is numbered.

Luckily Mayor Franklin has been very sympathetic in her aid for the homeless. She has spearheaded programs with the help of some very philanthropic people....namely Bernard Marcus....to offer more constructive places for the downtrodden to get help.