Between Decatur and Atlanta’s perimeter, you’ll find a charming village known as Avondale Estates. It’s your go-to for Tudor-style shops and cottages, along with pocket parks and the East Decatur Greenway Path. The neighborhood is also known for its Avondale Swim and Tennis Club and the chartered Museum School.

In 1924, patent medicine magnate George Francis Willis purchased the village of Ingleside and set out to create a master-planned community honoring the name and look of Shakespeare’s hometown, Stratford-upon-Avon. It may look 16th-century, but Avondale is hopping with 21st-century energy. There’s Skip’s Chicago Dogs, Wild Heaven Beer, Lost Druid Brewery, Venezuelan food at Arepa Mia, and comic books and brews at My Parents Basement.

Accessible by MARTA, downtown Avondale boasts eclectic shops and sites like The Odd’s End, Kudzu Antiques, The Waffle House Museum and the Rail Arts District, home to Little Tree Art Studios. You can also walk to Your DeKalb Farmers Market for affordable, delicious and hard-to-find meats, cheeses, produce, baked goods and seafood.