How 4 Atlanta Neighborhoods Got Their Names

What’s in a name? 

Atlanta’s name has roots in Greek mythology and powerful creatures, and even the 71 Peachtree Streets are named after important locations in the area. 

Some of Atlanta’s neighborhoods also have interesting names based on local histories, tall tales and community events. Here’s how these four Atlanta neighborhoods got their fun names! 

How these Atlanta neighborhoods got their names

Buckhead

Buckhead is known as one of the wealthiest areas in the city, rich in both history and modern finance. The old mansions on tree-lined avenues speak of days long gone by, while the towering skyscrapers reflect the innovation of the future. 

Though this neighborhood is home to the fourth-largest tech space in the nation, Buckhead’s name came from much more humble beginnings. From the current intersection of Peachtree, Roswell and West Paces Ferry Roads, actually, and a by-word-of-mouth meeting spot for the local community.

Early Buckhead started out as Irbyville, named after owner Henry Irby who bought over two hundred acres for a whopping $650 in 1838. And yeah, talk about inflation! 

Back then, Irbyville was a small town with not much more than a general store, a tavern and some homes. Local legend says that a hunter mounted a deer’s head on a post just outside said general store, which just happens to be where Charlie Loudermilk Park is located today. 

The mounted buck’s head became a sort of meeting spot for locals, and phrases like “let’s meet at the buck head” became commonplace. Thus, the Buckhead name was born. Ta-Da! 

If you'd like to call the neighborhood home, check out our Buckhead apartments!

Little Five Points

Little Five Points is considered to be the Haight-Ashbury of Atlanta and the bohemian center of the South. The vibrant collection of indie bookstores, skateboard shops, record stores, art galleries and thrift stores, among many others, have turned the neighborhood into the center for alternative culture in Atlanta. 

The name refers to the Five Points area in central Downtown Atlanta where five roads meet at a single point. At Little Five Points, though, one of the points has been built over by a plaza, so the fifth road is no longer part of the point. The remaining roads are Moreland Avenue, which provide both the north and south points, and Euclid Avenue, which also provides two points. The fifth point used to be Seminole Avenue. 

Cabbagetown

Cabbagetown sprouted up in 1881 as a residential neighborhood for workers at the new Fulton Bag and Cotton Mill. The mill was a replacement for the Atlanta Rolling Mill, which had been destroyed in the Battle of Atlanta during the Civil War and had left its workers unemployed.

The new mill was the first textile mill in the South, and soon cottages and shotgun-style houses began popping up directly around the mill to house its workers. Though the mill was shut down in 1957, the neighborhood saw an influx of artists in the 1980s, which bolstered the neighborhood’s economy. 

Today, Cabbagetown is known for its tight-knit community of artists, friends and families, and it's the scene of community gardens, art galleries, festivals and more! 

There are a few different stories that attempt to explain the strange name, most of which have to do with the neighborhood’s early days. 

The first story comes from a woman named Marion A. “Peanut” Brown, who moved to the mill-side village in 1919. She and a friend began selling produce door-to-door and at the mill gates, and of all the veggies they peddled, cabbages seemed to sell the best. Thus, Cabbagetown!

Another story is that the poorer residents of the town grew cabbages in their front yards, as the vegetables were easy to grow and a versatile ingredient. The smell of all these cabbages permeated the town, thus lending to the name Cabbagetown. 

A more interesting and, to be honest, dramatic tale involves a train that derailed and spilled its payload of cabbages all over the tracks. Residents rushed to grab the leafy veggies, and the exciting event prompted residents to name the neighborhood after the cabbage.

Mechanicsville

This one may not be too hard to guess, but the inspiration behind this name comes straight from the people who called this Atlanta area home.

Atlanta was built around the railroad system, and with the railroads came railroad workers. As the railroads continued to expand and intersect in the post-Civil War era, neighborhoods filled with new workers who began clustering around the stations. The area officially became established as Mechanicsville in 1870, and it was home to a wide assortment of working-class families and merchants. 

Although the neighborhood became less popular in the public imagination during the period of suburban migration, Mechanicsville is considered one of the historic areas of Atlanta and is being targeted for revitalization.

So there you have it! Four great Atlanta neighborhoods with great names and great histories, and all of them so incredibly accessible to our luxury Atlanta apartments!

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Featured photo courtesy Pixabay/ChanhNguyen