Westview is a historic
intown neighborhood
A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town, suburb or rural area, ...
located in southwest
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
. It is named for the
Westview Cemetery
Westview Cemetery, located in Atlanta, Georgia, is the largest civilian cemetery in the Southeastern United States, comprising more than , 50 percent of which is undeveloped. ( Georgia National Cemetery, for military veterans and their families, ...
that borders the neighborhood to the northwest. The neighborhood is made up of a mixture of architectural styles including Arts & Crafts bungalows,
Four-Squares, Tudors,
Minimal Traditional Minimal Traditional is a style of architecture that emerged in mid 20th century America as a vernacular form that incorporates influences from earlier styles such as American Colonial, Colonial Revival, Spanish Revival, Tudor Revival, and American ...
houses, and Ranch style houses.
Location
Westview's bordering streets are I-20 and Derry Avenue to the north, Langhorn Street and Cascade Avenue to the east, Beecher Street to the south, and South Gordon Street and Westmeath Drive to the west. Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard runs through the Westview neighborhood and houses a small historic commercial village center at the corners of East Ontario Avenue, Inman Street and Lucile Avenue.
History
Westview is a prime example of an Atlanta streetcar neighborhood. In 1884 land was purchased to create the new
Westview Cemetery
Westview Cemetery, located in Atlanta, Georgia, is the largest civilian cemetery in the Southeastern United States, comprising more than , 50 percent of which is undeveloped. ( Georgia National Cemetery, for military veterans and their families, ...
. This, in turn, encouraged the West End and Atlanta Street Car Company to start grading in 1886 to extend its street car line 2 (the Ponce de Leon – Westview line) to the Westview Cemetery. Line 2 came from downtown Atlanta along Lucile Avenue to Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard and terminated in front of the Westview Cemetery gate. Thanks to the convenient connectivity the
street car provided to the area development naturally continued to occur.
In 1888 the Ontario Land Company purchased several tracts of land for their newly planned suburban neighborhood named Westwood Park. Some of Westwood Park's original street boundaries were New Green's Ferry Avenue (now Westview Drive) to the north, Inman Street, Green's Ferry Road (now Ralph David Abernathy Blvd.) to the east, and Sandtown Road (now Cascade Avenue) to the southeast. The Ontario Land Company graded and beautified the land
[''The Atlanta Constitution'', February 2, 1910] and promised amenities such as croquet and tennis courts based on the neighborhood plan.
Nevertheless, Westwood Park never materialized beyond land preparation. It was not until 1910 when William J. Davis bought portions of the Ontario Land Company parcel and hired civil engineer and landscape expert Solon Zachery Ruff (who also designed the
Ansley Park
Ansley Park is an intown residential district in Atlanta, Georgia, located just east of Midtown and west of Piedmont Park. When developed in 1905-1908, it was the first Atlanta suburban neighborhood designed for automobiles, featuring wide, win ...
neighborhood) to turn the area into a "residence park" known as West End Park.
Streets in West End Park included East and West Ontario Avenue, Ontario Avenue, Willard Avenue, and the eastern portions of Stokes Avenue, South Gordon Street, Westwood Avenue, and Rogers Avenue. Davis continued to improve the land by laying water mains, gas mains, and adding cemented sidewalks before auctioning off subdivided parcels of land through Forrest and George Adair, leading to the construction and population of West End Park.
When the West End Park Company (led by Davis) applied for its charter with the superior court in 1909 it also applied for an extension of the City of Atlanta city limits so as to include the newly planned neighborhood within its boundaries. And so in 1910, the same year in which Davis created a housing boom by selling the subdivided Westwood Park lots, the City of Atlanta expanded its city limits to include West End Park within its boundaries. The neighborhood's changing architectural housing styles and seven additional city limit expansions (in 1922, 1923, 1925, 1926, 1930, 1940, and 1952) towards the west make it evident how the neighborhood naturally continued to grow over the years.
West End Park flourished for many years with an active neighborhood commercial district along Ralph David Abernathy Blvd. Many longtime and former residents still recall fond memories of the grocery store, butcher store, sundry, Clyatt's drug store with a soda fountain, and the Teddy Bear Grill at the intersection of Ralph David Abernathy Blvd. and Cascade Avenue.
Today West End Park is simply known as Westview, presumably due to its proximity to the adjacent
Westview Cemetery
Westview Cemetery, located in Atlanta, Georgia, is the largest civilian cemetery in the Southeastern United States, comprising more than , 50 percent of which is undeveloped. ( Georgia National Cemetery, for military veterans and their families, ...
. To this day many neighborhood real estate listings still appear under the name ''West End Park''.
The neighborhood has benefited from the renewed interest of living intown. Senior citizens that have lived in the neighborhood for the last 30 to 40 years are now joined by young professionals who enjoy the conveniences and amenities of intown living. Some longtime residents fear that the rise in property taxes resulting from this gentrification will force them from their homes. As a result, neglected and vacant homes are being restored and the neighborhood in general is benefiting from renewed activities. In August 2005, the Westview Lofts, a
mixed-use development
Mixed-use is a kind of urban development, urban design, urban planning and/or a zoning type that blends multiple uses, such as residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment, into one space, where those functions are to some ...
including retail storefronts opened in the village. In December 2005 Westview was chosen to be the neighborhood of the month by the
Atlanta Development Authority
Invest Atlanta is the City of Atlanta's Development Authority. It is also known by its previous name, the Atlanta Development Authority.
Invest Atlanta consists of the Urban Residential Finance Authority, Downtown Development Authority and the Atl ...
.
Government
The neighborhood belongs to
neighborhood planning unit The neighborhood planning unit (NPU) is a community-scale governmental structure used in the City of Atlanta, Georgia.
History
The system was established in 1974 by Atlanta's first black mayor, Maynard Holbrook Jackson. His aim was to ensure that ...
T (NPU-T) and has a very active neighborhood association called th
Westview Community Organization (WCO) Westview is part of city council districts 10 and 4 whose current council members are Andrea Boone (District 10) and Jason Dozier (District 4). Westview is in zone 4 of the
Atlanta Police Department
The Atlanta Police Department (APD) is a law enforcement agency in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
The city shifted from its rural-based Marshal and Deputy Marshal model at the end of the 19th century. In 1873, the department was formed with 2 ...
, currently headed by Major Terrell Griffin.
BeltLine
The
Belt Line passes through the eastern edge of the Westview neighborhood as part of the BeltLine's "Model Mile". (See th
mapdisplaying the proposed areas.) The first trail to be built on the BeltLine, the 2.4-mile West End Trail, was opened in 2008. It edges the
neighborhood of the same name as well as serving
Mozley Park
Mozley Park is a typical early 20th-century residential neighborhood, located approximately three miles west of downtown Atlanta. The community is named after the original landowner, Dr. Hiram Mozley, whose heirs inherited the land after his death ...
and Westview. The trail stretches from White Street to
Westview Cemetery
Westview Cemetery, located in Atlanta, Georgia, is the largest civilian cemetery in the Southeastern United States, comprising more than , 50 percent of which is undeveloped. ( Georgia National Cemetery, for military veterans and their families, ...
. In Westview the trail will be anchored by Enota Park. When the park is completed in late 2019 it will be transformed formed from a 1/3 acre parcel to a 10-acre multi use park with multi-purpose play fields, playground, and entry plaza for bicyclists and pedestrians on the Westside Trail.
Demographics
Westview's population decreased from 3823 in 2000 to 3020 in 2010, similar to many inner neighborhoods on the south and west sides.
[2010 U.S. census figures as tabulated b]
WalkScore
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The NPU in which Westview is located is overwhelmingly African American with the following characteristics:
Education
Atlanta Public Schools
Atlanta Public Schools (APS) is a school district based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is run by the Atlanta Board of Education with superintendent Dr. Lisa Herring. The system has an active enrollment of 54,956 students, attending a t ...
:
* Connally Elementary School Connally may refer to:
People
* John Connally (1917–1993), 39th Governor of Texas (1963-1969); 61st U.S. Secretary of Treasury
* Merrill Connally (1921–2001), American film actor, county administrative judge, and rancher
* Nellie Connal ...
* Brown Middle School
* Washington High School
Charter Schools
A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autono ...
:
KIPP STRIVE Academy
is a free charter school
A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of auto ...
located in Westview adjacent to the BeltLine corridor on Lucile Avenue in the former J.C. Harris Elementary School building. KIPP STRIVE Academy opened starting with the 2009 school year and serves grades 5 through 8. Students are expected to commit for the entire 4-year program.
KIPP STRIVE Primary
is a free charter school
A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of auto ...
located in Westview.
Neighborhood Organizations
There are two active neighborhood organizations within Westview:
'
Westview Community Organization (WCO)
'' – Th
Westview Community Organization
which formed in 1974, is the largest and oldest neighborhood organization in Westview and encompasses the entire neighborhood. Key committees within th
WCO
are the Development Committee, which focuses on master planning and neighborhood improvement projects, and the Beautification Committee, which focuses on park maintenance and street cleanups. Th
WCO
organizes a number of festivities throughout the year, such as a summer block party, National Night Out, and a Christmas party at Fire Station #17. Executive committee members are voted into office for one-year terms. Th
WCO
meets the first Monday of every month at 7:00 PM via Zoom since the COVID-19 pandemic but will go back to meeting at Calvary United Methodist Church (1471 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd.) at the beginning of the 2023 year. For more information on how to join the WCO, check out their website here. Follow th
WCO
o
Facebook
an
Instagram
West End Coalition Group (WEC) – The West End Coalition formed in 1992 when neighbor's organized to prevent housing deterioration, blight and community destabilization. Despite what the name implies, the organization is located in Westview and encompasses a northeastern portion of the neighborhood. Its streets include Laurel Avenue, Wellington Street, Inman Street, Mathewson Place, Altoona Place, Enota Place, and Lucile Avenue. WEC meets the third Tuesday of every month at the Westview Lofts (1530 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd.) at 7:30pm.
References
External links
*Main Website: http://www.westviewatlanta.org/
Westview Cemetery
{{Coord, 33, 44, 23, N, 84, 26, 23, W, type:landmark_region:GA-US, display=title
Neighborhoods in Atlanta
Streetcar suburbs