This Picture-Perfect Buckhead Neighborhood is on the Rise
Tucked in between the city’s major thoroughfares, Garden Hills has an enviable sense of community and camaraderie
Tucked in between the city’s major thoroughfares Peachtree and Piedmont, Garden Hills is in the thick of Buckhead—enjoying walkability, architectural diversity, and a sense of community. The neighborhood comprises over 750 single-family homes and multifamily units, with the earliest dwellings built in the 1920s, and a healthy dose of new construction. In 1987, the oldest sections of Garden Hills were given historic district status. The neighborhood is lined with sidewalks connecting school-age residents to the Atlanta International School, Garden Hills Elementary, and Christ the King School, and is walkable to the luxury shopping and dining district Buckhead Village, plus local favorites like the Peachtree Road Farmers Market, Anis Cafe & Bistro, and Fellini’s Pizza. Norman Davenport Askins, one of Atlanta’s most beloved classical architects, has called Garden Hills his home for decades. He bought his first house in the 1970s and then acquired a lot just a few doors down. Like many of his neighbors, you’ll find Askins out walking to his favorite restaurants, and to his office—also located in Garden Hills. “It’s like you live in a little country town, but everything in Buckhead is just minutes away.”
HISTORY
Garden Hills’ roots go back to the 1923 Beverly Hills development, which was later incorporated into Atlanta lawyer Phillips Campbell McDuffie’s Garden Hills Company. This residential neighborhood was built in three phases: Peachtree (including Beverly Hills), which opened in 1925, followed by the Country Club and Brentwood sections, which were planned in 1926 and developed by 1941.
In the 1930s, neighborhood residents successfully petitioned the local government to include both an elementary school and a high school within Garden Hills. North Fulton High School (today Atlanta International School), designed by the revered Atlanta architecture firm Hentz, Adler, and Shutze, opened in 1932, ensuring that students could go to school nearby instead of traveling Downtown.
$684
Highest price per square foot (sales last 12 months, all homes detached and attached)
2,578
Average square footage (sales last 12 months, all homes detached and attached)
$2,485,000
Highest sale (sales last 12 months, single-family homes)
“Gardens Hills is architecturally interesting, and the best part is that people care about the neighborhood and respect the architectural character.” —Norman Davenport Askins, Architect and Neighborhood Resident
FUTURE
Hedgewood Homes invested in a significant parcel within Garden Hills, building an enclave of 32 new homes called Delmont. Recently completed, nearly all are sold. Adding to the success, Hedgewood is building another 13 homes within Delmont, called Sheridan and located across from the Atlanta International School. Designed by Lew Oliver (of Trilith, Burton, and Vickery fame), these homes will have private walled gardens (some with private pools), and share Delmont’s community saltwater pool and central plaza. Ranging in size from three to five bedrooms, prices run from around $1.4 million to over $2 million.
IYKYK
In 2022, Buckhead Heritage Society successfully returned Frankie Allen Park to its historical name of Bagley Park—a big move to educate residents about the land’s important history. In 1912, William Bagley purchased six lots where the park is now, joining a community of formerly enslaved people, and became an important community leader. The park was built after World War II when the historically Black community known as Macedonia Park was razed and replaced with public land. A small cemetery, located on Pharr Road, is all that remains of that community, which included several dozen homes, stores, and two churches. Today, Bagley Park is home to Buckhead Baseball and also features a playground, tennis courts, walking trails, and picnic areas.
Big Brag
This year will be the 100th anniversary of Garden Hills. The Garden Hills Civic Association will host celebratory events throughout the year, culminating with the Centennial Gala on November 8 at the Cherokee Town Club, with live and silent auctions (including the very popular neighborhood dinners hosted at a Garden Hills resident’s home). A decorative, four-faced clock will be installed in a neighborhood roundabout as a commemorative time stamp, of sorts. Additionally, the association will release a book detailing the history of Garden Hills.
Notable Home for Sale
At $4.5 million, 2972 Lookout Place is the highest priced dwelling on the market in Gardens Hills (at the time of print). Zoned for residential or commercial use, it is being sold as a live-work-rent opportunity.
Mascot
The bumblebee, a classic garden pollinator.
