Just south of I-20, on the east side, you’ll find a funky little neighborhood with a lot of grit and even more heart. Once ground zero for the Civil War’s famous Battle of Atlanta, Coke’s Asa Candler and Joel Hurt later developed the land as part of their new streetcar project, creating the craftsman bungalows seen throughout the neighborhood today.

East Atlanta Village is a walkable, five-block area packed with iconic bars and restaurants like Argosy, The Earl, Mary’s, Emerald City Bagels and a six-stall food hall selling everything from cheesesteaks to waffles. EAV has tattoo parlors, vintage stores, artsy coffee shops, the metal-inspired Sabbath Brewing, and Hippin Hops, Georgia’s first Black-owned brewery.

In East Atlanta, anything goes: Goths, drag queens, clubbers, flannel lovers... You can chow down on a vegetarian corn dog at Midway’s dog-friendly patio, or pick your own produce at the EAV Farmers Market. The neighborhood’s colorful murals are on full display at the East Atlanta Strut and B*ATL, a festival commemorating the city’s wartime roots.

Farther afield, you’ll find goodies like Hodgepodge Coffeehouse and the Atlanta Alpaca Treehouse. (Yep, you heard that right.) If you call East Atlanta home, you’re also just a hop, skip and a truck from Starlight Drive-In Theater, and the delightfully disturbing and aptly named, Doll’s Head Trail. There’s never a dull moment in this up-and-coming neighborhood.