Atlanta’s reason for being is rail.
As a point of convergence for several railroads, the city was born and grew rapidly as a transportation hub. Warehouses were built to take things off and put things on trains. Then, the rail stopped rolling and the BeltLine was announced. (OK, a lot happened between that, but we’re getting to a point.) With this exciting and prospective news, the underlying land value became more valuable than the buildings built there. So, we demolished thousands of old warehouses across the city, and in doing so we removed a whole lot of heart, soul, and character.
Listen, we LOVE Atlanta, but “The city that tore down much of its history” is not exactly a winning Chamber of Commerce slogan, is it?
But in fact, only a handful of old-school intown buildings remain, relatively speaking. On the catalytic side, we’ve got Ponce City Market, the former Sears & Roebuck warehouse; White Provisions, a former meat-packing warehouse; and Krog Street Market, now a great place to grab a burger from Fred’s Meat & Bread.
E&E’s Colorful History
First developed in the early 1900s from forest to a large family home, 990 Edgewood Avenue and 99 Elizabeth Street would become a mini golf course in the 1930s (yes, it’s true!) before the small Federal-style commercial building on the corner was built in 1947. Other post-war industrial structures were built on the property over the years.
Today, Elizabeth & Edgewood is a fantastically aged urban oasis of offices, workshops, sheds, cement courtyards, vines, magnolias, plants, and at least one roofless warehouse – all zoned for office and studio, or both. It includes peeling paint, rust, and charred wood, and it’s surrounded by nature. And the buildings added over time? We call those The House, The Studio, The Shop, and The Shed.
“It’s a magical place,” says Gene Kansas, a cultural developer focused on history and preservation. “You can’t recreate…
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