What do you think are the coolest neighborhoods in the South?
Please show pictures.

My picks are:
Dallas- Deep Ellum
Houston- Montrose
Atlanta- Little 5 Points

but what is "cool?"

my vote goes to Ensley in Birmingham. it's so cool, there's a jazz classic about it, "Tuxedo Junction." nowadays, it feels like you're in a post-apocalyptic town.

so cool, you won't find a Starbucks, Ralph Lauren or whatever trendy crap abounds there.

-

The look of the neighborhoods the types of business that are there (tattoo shops, piercing places, clothing shops etc.) the walkablity of the area etc.

dude, Ensley's got strip clubs, night clubs, thrift shops, a little art deco skyscraper, Fat Burger...it's the coolest!!!

-

dude, Ensley's got strip clubs, night clubs, thrift shops, a little art deco skyscraper, Fat Burger...it's the coolest!!!

-
Have any pictures of Ensley?

Cooper-Young in Memphis (Midtown area) is pretty cool although small. I also like Hillsboro Village in Nashville and Virginia Highlands in Atlanta. All three of these areas are vibrant and completely unlike the other.

Decatur, GA.

I'll agree with the poster above about "Little Five Points" in Atlanta, I was there this weekend and it was very...interesting :) There were quite a few pink-haired girls walking around, lol.

As I feel I should represent Raleigh somehow in this thread, Five Points in Raleigh is a very interesting area, with bars, antique shops, and restaurants. Also some nice old houses.

I really like the Highlands in Louisville, it is (I think) 3 miles long and has tons of bars/clubs cheap restaurants/expensive restaurants, quirky local shops...record stores etc...I dont have any pictures, I wish I did....but if you know about it, you know its pretty awesome.

I have never really attributed peircing and tatoo shops to a fun thriving area or 'COOL' ... maybe thats a new development ... I cant wait for wig shops to be 'IN' :)

The Highlands in Louisville.. Trendy local shops.. Traffic at a standstill.. and VERY URBAN.. One of the best in the south.

The French Quarter in New Orleans....

Probably a couple other great neighborhoods in NO too, but I was only there for a couple of days. French Quarter took up all of my time.

EDIT: As did Harrahs casino, which is only a couple blocks away. My wallet wishes I didn't though.

They may be a little touristy, but I would have to say I like neighborhoods such as The French Quarter, South Beach, and The Battery in Charleston.


For non touristy neighborhoods, I am becoming a fan of Uptown Dallas. It is one big new urbanist village without the master planned feel.

Nothing touches the French Quarter. It has everything "cool" that a neighborhood could have: nightlife, gorgeous architecture, great public spaces, historic sites galore, "grit", glamour, etc.

West Lake in Martinez, a suburb of Augusta, GA. It is the second most upscale neighborhood in Augusta (next to the Hill, of course).

It is has its own golf course and is the residence of many famous golfers during the Masters.

Another really cool place is downtown Wilmington, NC. There are new condo developments, a riverfront walk, cobblestone and brick streets, bars, nice restaurants, the USS North Carolina battleship, historic homes, and historic tours. Outside of Raleigh, its my favorite city in North Carolina.

Sun City Center, FL. I know alot of old people who think this is as cool as cool gets.

In Memphis, the South Main area is interesting. 99% gentrified and probably more expensive than cool:

http://www.pbase.com/image/31187691/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/image/31451140.jpg

Warehouse turned into a residence:

http://www.pbase.com/image/31444640.jpg

East of downtown, the Edge--sort of like South Main 10 years ago:

http://www.pbase.com/image/41406306/original.jpg

Houston: Montrose. If you want pics, just hit texasboy up for them. ;)

Houston

-Montrose
Midtown
The Heights
Rice Village

LSyd,

Thank you!!!!! I was trying to explain to someone the other day about Ensley. The problem was…I couldn’t remember the name of the place. I was telling a friend, “We used to go to this really great strip club in Birmingham, it was in this neat little area off I-20 that was like a second downtown.” I think I said it was downtown Bessemer, but I knew that was wrong. Ensley!!! That’s it. Thanks.

As for my favorites…

5. Little 5 Points – Atlanta
4. Ybor City – Tampa
3. Deep Ellum – Dallas
2. The French Quarter – New Orleans

And numero uno…Downtown Asheville, NC…hey before you laugh, don’t sleep!!!!!!!!!

Honorable mention Adams Morgan – D.C. (I know, I know)

In no particular order:

1. French Quarter
2. South Beach
3. Garden District (New Orleans)
4. Uptown (Dallas)
5. Montrose (Houston)
6. Houston Heights
7. Ensley (Birmingham - LSyd is right; I have a college buddy who is from B'ham and he speaks of this place most favorably)
8. South Congress (Austin)
9. Little Five Points (Atlanta)
10. Midtown (Houston)

Honorable Mentions: Lower Greenville (Dallas), Deep Ellum (Dallas), Ybor City (Tampa)

The Highlands of Louisville is one of the best, if not the best in the south. Dont forget crescent hill and clifton, which are more similar to some of the other places you have mentioned in nashville and birmingham

I have to list Five Points and the Congaree Vista in Columbia.

Five Points area (first the commercial part and then the residential):

The fountain
http://webzoom.freewebs.com/waccamatt/5%20points%20fountain.jpg

The current $31 million beautification project

http://www.fivepointscolumbia.com/photos/saluda_memorial.jpg

http://www.fivepointscolumbia.com/photos/green_seating.jpg

http://www.portfolioartgal.com/images/2002_0624_132922AA-640-480.jpg

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/waccamatt/5%20points%20on%20a%20sunday%20evening.jpg

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/waccamatt/dr%20roccos%20and%20condos%20in%205%20points.jpg

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/waccamatt/saluda%20ave%205%20points.jpg

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/waccamatt/the%206th%20point%20in%205%20points.jpg

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/waccamatt/neighborhoods/usc%205%20points%20downtown/finlay%20house%20apts.jpg

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/waccamatt/neighborhoods/shandon/5%20points%20and%20downtown%20from%20old%20shandon.jpg

http://home.flash.net/~ral1/starbucks/bigimages/DSCN7922.jpg

Surrounding residential areas:

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/waccamatt/neighborhoods/usc%205%20points%20downtown/the%20edisto.jpg

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/waccamatt/neighborhoods/usc%205%20points%20downtown/swiss%20family%20robinson%205%20points.jpg

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/waccamatt/neighborhoods/usc%205%20points%20downtown/usc%20neighborhood%20greek.jpg

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/waccamatt/neighborhoods/usc%205%20points%20downtown/hansel%20and%20gretels%20house.jpg


http://webzoom.freewebs.com/waccamatt/neighborhoods/shandon/5%20points%20area%20quadraplexes.jpg

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/waccamatt/neighborhoods/shandon/5%20points%20art%20deco.jpg

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/waccamatt/neighborhoods/shandon/shandon%20harden%20st%202.jpg

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/waccamatt/neighborhoods/shandon/shandon%20highrise.jpg

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/waccamatt/neighborhoods/shandon/shandon%20nice%20yard.jpg

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/waccamatt/neighborhoods/wales%20garden%20wheeler%20hill%20hollywood%20hills/wales%20garden%20fountain.jpg

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/waccamatt/neighborhoods/wales%20garden%20wheeler%20hill%20hollywood%20hills/wales%20garden%20with%20greyhounds.jpg

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/waccamatt/neighborhoods/wales%20garden%20wheeler%20hill%20hollywood%20hills/favorite%202.jpg

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/waccamatt/neighborhoods/wales%20garden%20wheeler%20hill%20hollywood%20hills/wheeler%20hill%20townhomes.jpg

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/waccamatt/neighborhoods/wales%20garden%20wheeler%20hill%20hollywood%20hills/usc%20and%20downtown%20from%20wheeler%20hill.jpg

LSyd,

Thank you!!!!! I was trying to explain to someone the other day about Ensley. The problem was…I couldn’t remember the name of the place. I was telling a friend, “We used to go to this really great strip club in Birmingham, it was in this neat little area off I-20 that was like a second downtown.” I think I said it was downtown Bessemer, but I knew that was wrong. Ensley!!! That’s it. Thanks.

As for my favorites…

5. Little 5 Points – Atlanta
4. Ybor City – Tampa
3. Deep Ellum – Dallas
2. The French Quarter – New Orleans

And numero uno…Downtown Asheville, NC…hey before you laugh, don’t sleep!!!!!!!!!

Honorable mention Adams Morgan – D.C. (I know, I know)

heh, thanks. Ensley pics here (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?threadid=63526&highlight=ensley)

and Downtown Asheville probably has more real cool than all these other cities put together.

Texasboy, i wouldn't call The Battery "cool." i mean, it's cool, especially on a dark night, but not "cool cool." The Battery's mostly just houses and tourists. ever actually been there?

what is really cool area of Charleston is the end of the business district of King Street that's closer to the ghetto, and is away from all the gentrified, over-priced touristy crap. it's got a good indie feel, and for shopping has a comic book store and some record stores and interesting food joints and a few bars. pics coming...soon.

Five Points Columbia is pretty cool. so's The Vista. i like The Vista more because there's fewer stupid college kids, fewer stupid fratboys.

Five Points Birmingham's pretty cool...lots of bars, a few tatoo places, several music places. pics to come this afternoon.

i'll also add the south end or whatever it's called of Charlotte; it's one area that's got an old urban feel for a few blocks, seems to be gentrifying in a good way, has some fun music places and the old best record store in the world, Manifest.

-

i mentioned how touristy it was, but i still think its "cool".

I'll chime in on Florida cities:

Orlando: Thornton Park
Tampa: Ybor City (as already mentioned)
Miami: Coconut Grove (more locals than touristy South Beach)
JAX: Riverside

i'll also add the south end or whatever it's called of Charlotte; it's one area that's got an old urban feel for a few blocks, seems to be gentrifying in a good way, has some fun music places and the old best record store in the world, Manifest. -

Is Manifest still open? I heard it closed, then stayed open, then closed, then stayed open... but never heard a final verdict.

my vote:

In order
1.) Miami- South Beach
2.) New Orleans- Garden District
3.) Miami- Coconut Grove
4.) New Orleans- French Quarter
5.) Atlanta- Midtown/ Virginia Highlands

Is Manifest still open? I heard it closed, then stayed open, then closed, then stayed open... but never heard a final verdict.

Manifest is still open in Columbia.

I'll second Adams Morgan....Dupont Circle too...

Add to it the Fan / Carytown, Oregon Hill in Richmond and Ghent in Norfolk. Old Town Alexiandria, Leesburg VA...
Fells Point in Baltimore. French Quater of course and historic Charleston. Tried and true South Beach, why not.

Manifest is still open in Columbia.

in CLT, too. Justadude, don't know if you saw my CLT new year's eve quicky thread a while back, but i mentioned how Manifest is no longer world's best CD store, but still damned good there. talking to one of my friends in Columbia that weekend, who said he can't go back because it saddens him how far it's fallen, we agreed it was like going to Rome a couple centuries after it fell; you can tell it was once great, and still good, but not as good any more.

-

My favorites that I have been too:

1. French Quarter
2. Virginia Highlands
3. Little 5 Points
4. Downtown Savannah
5. Ybor City

New Orleans: French Quarter, Garden District, Uptown (confused by many as being part of the Garden District), Lower Garden District, Faubourg Marigny.

Dallas: Highland Park/University areas, Cedar Springs.

Houston: Montrose area.

DC: Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan, and Foggy Bottom.

Lower Garden District in New Orleans...definitely one of the most artsy, funky, gothic, bohemian neighborhoods in the US....very eccentric.

For Louisville, it is the Bardstown Rd. corridor, tho the Clifton area on Frankfort Avenue is getting interesting.

Lower Garden District in New Orleans...definitely one of the most artsy, funky, gothic, bohemian neighborhoods in the US....very eccentric.

I think Bywater beats it in those categories. :)

What bohemians and artists can afford to live in the Lower Garden District?

after showing a visiting friend the area, i gotta legitimately say Five Points South in Birmingham is hella cool.

-

The areas south and southwest of downtown Atlanta.:cool:

I think Bywater beats it in those categories. :)

What bohemians and artists can afford to live in the Lower Garden District?

Ditto. Bywater is where I rest when I'm in town for a little crazy... :cheers:

I think Bywater beats it in those categories. :)

What bohemians and artists can afford to live in the Lower Garden District?

The upper and lower portions of Marigny far exceed Bywater, which still has a significant seedy element to it. And you'd be surprised how many artists and bohemian types still live in and around the LGD. Some have migrated across Magazine to the Irish Channel, which is now seeing the boom that LGD experienced about 5 or so years ago.

Downtown Orlando very soon.

Just a few in no particular order:

Birmingham - Five Points/Southside

Jacksonville - Sawgrass

Atlanta - Virginia Highlands, Buckhead

New Orleans - French Quarter

Nashville - Music Row

North Chatt, though it's a clandestine cool

Atlanta: Cabbagetown, Castleberry Hill, Fairlie Poplar & East Atlanta

heh, thanks. Ensley pics here (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?threadid=63526&highlight=ensley)

and Downtown Asheville probably has more real cool than all these other cities put together.

i'll also add the south end or whatever it's called of Charlotte; it's one area that's got an old urban feel for a few blocks, seems to be gentrifying in a good way, has some fun music places and the old best record store in the world, Manifest.

-

Way to bring up Manifest dude, although South Blvd. is hardly cool--just Manifest, really. NoDa is being more geared to coolness, so to speak, unless you think jam bands are tired, in which case there is only one irreplicable spot in Charlotte--and that's the Milestone on Tuckaseegee. Problem is, Charlotte's culture is divided into lots of litte pockets around the city; there is no little 5 points. That's probably why the coolest places in Charlotte are houses people are willing to trash, not one street.

and Asheville is just pulsing with something....

Great thread.. gotta bump this back up! Anyone with any additions?

Mountain Brook City, Alabama

More specific to a community, I'd say the southside area of Birmingham.

Atlanta: Cabbagetown, Castleberry Hill, Fairlie Poplar & East Atlanta

I like the Druid Hills area of Atlanta.

I'll only use cities I've lived in...

Dallas: Lower Greenville and Deep Ellum.
Atlanta: Virginia Highlands...the whole damn city of Decatur...Little Five Points.
New Orleans: Marigny/Bywater and the Lower Garden District/Irish Channel. (Magazine St. is a rare thing in this country.)

Dallas

I like the Arsenal Hill neighborhood of Columbia (pics from Waccamatt's website). It's supposed to be the city's oldest neighborhood, predating the Civil War:

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/waccamatt/neighborhoods/vista%20residential/arsenal%20hill%20mansion.jpg

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/waccamatt/neighborhoods/vista%20residential/governors%20hill%202.jpg

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/waccamatt/neighborhoods/vista%20residential/more%20gov%20hill.jpg


Wales Garden, near USC, is cool too:

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/waccamatt/neighborhoods/wales%20garden%20wheeler%20hill%20hollywood%20hills/favorite%202.jpg

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/waccamatt/neighborhoods/wales%20garden%20wheeler%20hill%20hollywood%20hills/wales%20garden%20mansion.jpg

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/waccamatt/neighborhoods/wales%20garden%20wheeler%20hill%20hollywood%20hills/wales%20garden%20with%20greyhounds.jpg

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/waccamatt/neighborhoods/wales%20garden%20wheeler%20hill%20hollywood%20hills/wales%20garden%20with%20veranda.jpg

Great thread.. gotta bump this back up! Anyone with any additions?
Thanks for thinking I made a great thread!

Wow, it looks so clean! Now this looks like an area(s) on the verge of exploding into something exciting. I like the area as is, though. Memphis has some good shit goin' on in their downtown area. I'd say all they need is some higher buildings downtown.


In Memphis, the South Main area is interesting. 99% gentrified and probably more expensive than cool:

http://www.pbase.com/image/31187691/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/image/31451140.jpg

Warehouse turned into a residence:

http://www.pbase.com/image/31444640.jpg

East of downtown, the Edge--sort of like South Main 10 years ago:

http://www.pbase.com/image/41406306/original.jpg

The houses in this Columbia, SC neighborhood look so damn gorgeous. Very clean, pretty, and above middle-class. However, the neighborhood commercial shots look a bit not-so-impressive and the neighborhood appears a bit blah.


[QUOTE=waccamatt]I have to list Five Points and the Congaree Vista in Columbia.

Five Points area (first the commercial part and then the residential):

There are a couple of neighborhoods in Columbia with some real character, including Arsenal Hill. Wales Garden I like mainly because of the variety of houses, but it is near the Five Points area. Historic Cottontown and Elmwood Park are great neighborhoods as well.

CLT - Myers Park, Dilworth, 4th Ward
ATL - Buckhead
Washington - Georgetown

I have not been to many other cities in the South, I have been to New Orleans and the French Quarter, but I was very young then.

There are a couple of neighborhoods in Columbia with some real character, including Arsenal Hill. Wales Garden I like mainly because of the variety of houses, but it is near the Five Points area. Historic Cottontown and Elmwood Park are great neighborhoods as well.
I agree.
Columbia has awesome neighborhoods. I like Forest Hill too - this name is appropriate because it's quite verdant. ;)

^Very true. There are others but I just wanted to give a little representation. Eau Claire, Rosewood, even uppity Shandon...LOL.

In Charlotte:

- South End
- Midwood
- 4th Ward
- Myers Park
- Dilworth

No Particular Order

(I LIVE IN ATLANTA SO I KNOW A SLIGHT BIT MORE ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOODS)

In Atlanta:
*Midtown-Buckhead
*Atlantic Station
*Peachtree Center
*Decatur

In New Orleans
*The Entire Downtown Area

In Tampa
*The Area Near the Aquarium

In Colombia SC
*The Bush RIver Road Area

^Are you serious about the Bush River Rd area in Columbia? That section of town desperately needs a makeover.

Dilworth is my favorite neighborhood in Charlotte.

I think Charlotte's Elizabeth is a great neighborhood as well.
Also, some of the older parts of Rock Hill are really nice.

I think my favorite neighborhood in Rock Hill is between the Winthrop Coliseum area and the main campus along Eden Terrace. There are some other neighborhoods that are nice as well.

-Miami: South Beach, Design District
-Orlando: Downtown (I had fun going out there recently)
-Nashville: West End/Music Row, Hillsboro Village, The Gulch, around Vanderbilt
-Mobile area: Fairhope
-DC (since someone else listed it in this thread): Dupont Circle, Cleveland Park, Adams Morgan

BTW, for those not from Birmingham, Ensley is only a cool area if by cool you mean Ghe-TTO! It is a sh*thole and I have no idea why LSyd thought it would be a better choice to recommend than Highland Avenue, Southside, English Village, Forest Park, or the other neighborhoods that aren't a blight on this city. I urge all of you to avoid Ensley like the plague unless you like getting mugged/shot at. Just check B'ham's crime statistics. "Jazz club feel"? Well, everyone there certainly has the blues (rightfully so, and I would too if I had to live there). "Post-apocalyptic"? Yes, since the apocalypse will likely put an end to civility, meaningful commerce, and happiness (which basically sums up Ensley). Ensley is that neighborhood that my friends and I use as joke punchlines when describing bad areas (like saying "Southwest Atlanta" for those of you from the ATL) that everyone knows is the bad part of town. Seriously, my girlfriend text-messaged me the other day while driving to BWI from a meeting in downtown DC (through a rough part of Southeast DC on NY Ave.) and said "Oh boy this scarier than Ensley! Get me out of here!" I think all of us on this thread don't define "cool neighborhoods" as those which inspire feelings of dread and expectations of becoming victims.

Birmingham has tons of great neighborhoods with so much character and history. Downtown's coming back, there's Crestline, Downtown Homewood's unique independent merchants, and on and on. What I like is that every unique cool neighborhood here has its own unique feel, and isn't just another "cool" part of town with the requisite shops, hipsters hanging out in cafes, etc.

I have to concur - the Bush River Rd area, which my parents lived in when I was first born, it eh... sucks.

Oresaw - now that you mention it, my favorite Rock Hill neighborhoods:
Eden Terrace / Charlotte Ave area around Winthrop
along South Main St - a lot of Victorian homes (I hope they are still there)
& Woodbridge (off of Rawlinson Rd) of course, a glorious late 1970's era post-modern ranch style development with 1 acre lots - truly a remarkable tribute to Frank Lloyd Wright & Louis Khan.

Oh yeah... ;) for that last one.

Here are some of the best neighborhoods in Winston-Salem.

In Winston-Salem it's hard to beat the famous Old Salem District, with its
bakeries, stores, colonial parks, many museums, wonderful old churches (like
Home Moravian and St. Peters) and of course the beautiful old housing stock
dating back to the mid 1700's. The nation's first women's college is located
there (oldest college in the South and one of the first 15 in the nation!)
along with the oldest private school for girls in the nation. The Governor's
School is also located in the neighborhood. The neighborhood is very
expensive to live in though. It's the most expensive in North Carolina per
square foot. You also have a lot of restrictions from the National Park Service.
This is not your typical historic district. It's one of the few Landmark Districts
in the United States. The homes are of great historical significance to the
founding of our country and are required to look exactly the way they did in
the mid 1700's. It's also a major tourist attraction for the city. If your door is
unlocked, a tourist may walk inside.

http://www.startribune.com/stonline/images/news15/2hot21.l.jpg
Winston-Salem's Old Salem Landmark District

Bethabara Park District is also a nice area, with it's many festivals and
natural areas preserved in the heart of the city's north end. This is where the
city got started in 1753. The first houses, stores and churches in
Winston-Salem were built in this neighborhood. The highlight of the
neighborhood, other than the huge park, is a large church built in 1788.

http://www.foodhistory.com/foodnotes/road/wsnc/bb/01/06-image.jpg
Winston-Salem's Bethabara Park Historic District

West Salem offers art galleries, diversity, a small college, is linked to the
Pedestrian Walkway System and has all these small houses, many dating
back to the early 1780's, for less than $100,000! The houses were factory
workers houses for some of the South's first factories around the start of the
Industrial Revolution in the United States. It is a very affordable way to buy
an historic property in a cool neighborhoood. If you move there, be sure to
visit Mary's Of Course Cafe. That is where the famous Art-O-Mat group
got started. Winston-Salem resident Clark Whittington turned Art-O-Mat into
a national art craze. The organization's headquarters moved to larger space
in Winston-Salem's Downtown Industrial District a year ago. Mary's Of Course
Cafe has the first Art-O-Mat on display and usable, if you want to add to
your art collection.

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/1558/152kr.jpg
Winston-Salem's West Salem National Historic District

Then there's The West End, North Carolina's first Streetcar Neighborhood,
with consulting architect Fredrick Law Olmstead, lead planner Jacob Ludlow
and investors like Thomas Edison and Frank Sprague (Sprague is the inventor
of the electric streetcar). Together a group of Northern Businessmen tried to
create a New England Resort and upscale neighborhood, with first
class "Shingle Style" resort hotels lining the ridge tops, grand cathedrals and
elegant Victorian homes below. Today the neighborhood is loaded with art
galleries, bars, vintage clothing stores, music clubs, excellent restaurants
and more. There's also work underway to bring back the Greenline Streetcar
through the neighborhood. They are currently planning how to fund a rail line
through the neighborhood and to Downtown.

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/729/161snowws.jpg
Rowhouses in Winston-Salem's West End

http://www.bbinn.com/LH%20front%20corner.JPG
House built in 1887 in Winston-Salem West End

Washington Park is still the best home value in the city, with it's grand
victorian mansions and smaller Queen Annes, along with infill. The oldest
house in the neighborhood was built in 1849. You can tell the neighborhood
was developed before the car. It's home to one of the world's largest arts
conservatories with the only film school located inside a film set and several
performing arts facilities for residents enjoyment. The complex contains the
State High School for art students and the state's highly reconized NCSA
Art College. Many art college students from across the country and the
state's top art high school students live in the neighborhood. The neighborhood
is named after the largest urban park in the state, which has hosted the
State Games and has just about anything you could ask for in a park.

http://img45.exs.cx/img45/7307/1468.jpg
Winston-Salem's Washington Park Historic District

Holly Avenue National Historic District is home to several artists, hippies, grit,
an excellent mix of houses from 1820-1900 and is like an island in Downtown,
surrounded on all sides by tall buildings. This is one of those neighborhoods
you'll want to move to after seeing it. The colors and the use of neon lights
on a house! WOW! Enjoy artwork for sale on the front porch of many homes,
walk by rowhouses and buy a live-work unit in the district. This district is
seeing a lot of infill, due to the number of people who want to live there.

http://img13.exs.cx/img13/9892/18649.jpg
Winston-Salem's Holly Avenue National Historic District

Downtown:
I'll divide Downtown into two core areas that are very popular.

The DADA District in Winston-Salem's downtown is also one of the top places
to live. Condos in the district are now selling between $500,000 - $1 million.
You can enjoy street festivals, music clubs, art galleries, great restaurants,
unique clothing stores and find something to keep you entertained all night.
There's a new place open from sunset until sunrise every night, with live
music, coffee and food at Sixth Street.

http://img15.exs.cx/img15/6506/589sb.jpg
DADA District in Downtown Winston-Salem

The Industrial District is where the T-Shirt was invented for soldiers in WWI
and you can live in that complex where it was invented, thanks to The
Gallery Lofts by Landex, a mix of local art in an art gallery and residences in a
historic 6-7 storey Hanes factory. You can also live where "Camels Led The
World," thanks to the Lofts at Albert Hall. Factories built in the late 1800's
and used for art galleries, bio-tech research labs and residences.
Everything from early air conditioners to steel were made in the district and
made Winston-Salem the nation's #7 port in value of goods in 1920 and the
busiest place on the Southern Railroad's system. Imagine waking up in the
morning to a view of towering smoke stacks, vintage skyscrapers (including
the state's oldest) and lot of industrial grit. The South's tallest Second
Empire Style building is also converted to condos for intrested buyers.

http://img23.exs.cx/img23/108/1075ez.jpg
Downtown Winston-Salem's Industrial District

On the forums, most who visit want to move to this (photo above) neighborhood.

I think Charlotte's Elizabeth is a great neighborhood as well.

I knew I was missing something big!

I thought about putting NoDa on there, but it's lost a lot of its appeal lately. It gentrified so quickly that the whole "alternative", "bohemian" thing just disappeared under a wall of seven-figure condos. It's a shame, really. Still a cool neighborhood, but no longer believable as an arts district.

I have to concur - the Bush River Rd area, which my parents lived in when I was first born, it eh... sucks.

Oresaw - now that you mention it, my favorite Rock Hill neighborhoods:
Eden Terrace / Charlotte Ave area around Winthrop
along South Main St - a lot of Victorian homes (I hope they are still there)
& Woodbridge (off of Rawlinson Rd) of course, a glorious late 1970's era post-modern ranch style development with 1 acre lots - truly a remarkable tribute to Frank Lloyd Wright & Louis Khan.

Oh yeah... ;) for that last one.

I really hope the Bush River Rd has some new life invigorated into it soon. I think that its proximity of I-20 and I-126 may spur some redevelopment. With the way it looks now, I'd even prefer a Village at Sandhill-type project going on over there (think Manchester Village in Rock Hill, only bigger).

I forget about the South Main area; those are truly some great houses. And yeah, the Victorian homes are still there. I rarely ever go through that part of town, so it didn't readily come to mind.

You know the city just picked a new manager to head up the textile corridor redevelopment right? ;)

Well Bush River Rd. was the only name of the road I remember when in Colombia so I was trying to put out as much as I knew, but hey, they had a Kmart, a Shoneys, and A Courtyard Hotel.

But I Really Love The Buckead Area in Uptown Atlanta

http://www.realmatlanta.com/Images/Northwest_B.jpg http://www.realmatlanta.com/Images/East_B.jpg http://www.realmatlanta.com/Images/South_B.jpg http://www.realmatlanta.com/Images/Southwest_B.jpg http://www.simon.com/mall/images/malls/lenoxNEW.jpg http://www.simon.com/mall/images/malls/phippsplaza.gif http://www.rosestudio.com/images/buckhead%20estate%20on%20hill.jpg

Beautiful Isn't it?

BTW, for those not from Birmingham, Ensley is only a cool area if by cool you mean Ghe-TTO! It is a sh*thole and I have no idea why LSyd thought it would be a better choice to recommend than Highland Avenue, Southside, English Village, Forest Park, or the other neighborhoods that aren't a blight on this city. I urge all of you to avoid Ensley like the plague unless you like getting mugged/shot at. Just check B'ham's crime statistics. "Jazz club feel"? Well, everyone there certainly has the blues (rightfully so, and I would too if I had to live there). "Post-apocalyptic"? Yes, since the apocalypse will likely put an end to civility, meaningful commerce, and happiness (which basically sums up Ensley). Ensley is that neighborhood that my friends and I use as joke punchlines when describing bad areas (like saying "Southwest Atlanta" for those of you from the ATL) that everyone knows is the bad part of town. Seriously, my girlfriend text-messaged me the other day while driving to BWI from a meeting in downtown DC (through a rough part of Southeast DC on NY Ave.) and said "Oh boy this scarier than Ensley! Get me out of here!" I think all of us on this thread don't define "cool neighborhoods" as those which inspire feelings of dread and expectations of becoming victims.

Birmingham has tons of great neighborhoods with so much character and history. Downtown's coming back, there's Crestline, Downtown Homewood's unique independent merchants, and on and on. What I like is that every unique cool neighborhood here has its own unique feel, and isn't just another "cool" part of town with the requisite shops, hipsters hanging out in cafes, etc.

heh, you're soooo Mountain Brook. Ensley's bad, but it's a big area, and not really that bad. it's got a long way to go on recovery, but there's some interesting hangouts there; Bernard Kincaid, the mayor, supposedly frequents one of the strip clubs there.

you did hit it on the head though about Bham's hoods; they do all have their own unique feel.

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I don't believe I forgot West End.