How to Explore Inman Park Edges While Getting a Hairdo Pt. 2 of 2 The Wisteria Block

When I'm lucky, I get to take JoAnn to the salon. While she gets her "do" done, I explore.
 
I was a bit anxious about leaving JoAnn hanging, and didn't realize my phone was on mute. So I decided to chance it and do Part 2. It was about 4:45.

Part 2: The four restaurants at the corner of  North Highland Avenue at Colquitt: Folk Art, Il Localino, North Highland Pub, and Wisteria. The Wisteria block. (See Part 1: How to Explore Inman Park Edges While Getting a Hairdo Pt. 1 of 2 Fallen Arrows and The Dickey)



In order: Wisteria, North Highland Pub, Il Localino, Folk Art. Unless you are on foot, this is the way we see them. I'd never even walked the sidewalk, time for the Architecture Tourist to spring into action.



Why would you put four restaurants in two attached buildings? It was a mystery from my smallish town youth. Then I discovered food courts.




Folk Art is on the corner of Colquitt, has this nice sign with breakfast all day and lunch and dinner.



Folk Art is a squarish space divided into comfortable niches with a view. Lots of ways to sit. It even has some counter seats right behind me.

Cute. I want to eat there, every day.



Then Il Localino. Honestly I didn't even know it was there. It's a narrow front, can't see into the windows. It had just opened for dinner.



Good grief, it's a total red-themed, white table-clothed, attentive-waiters-in-black, Italian restaurant with three (3) dining rooms. This picture is the main dining room looking from the bar toward the front door.

Cute. I want to eat here every day too.



North Highland Pub is an 11am to 3am joint. There are always folks in there when I drive by.


It's deeper than it is wide with tall metal tiled ceiling, brick floor with plenty of standing and elbow room.



Here's the giant Loews Grand Gone With the Wind Premier mural.

Cute, I'll have a beer and bar food every day.



Wisteria is the northern most.



It's what's for dinner.



Communal inline tables, breathing room.



I'd like to sit in this window, watch folks on the sidewalk, see everybody that enters and leaves.



Wow, an un-tagged wall.



Now you know.

Thanks for joining me. Let's eat.


(See Part 1: How to Explore Inman Park Edges While Getting a Hairdo Pt. 1 of 2 Fallen Arrows and The Dickey)

How to Explore Inman Park Edges While Getting a Hairdo Pt. 1 of 2 Fallen Arrows and The Dickey

When I'm lucky, I get to take JoAnn to the salon. While she gets her "do" done, I explore.

I know what you are thinking: It's way easier to wait in the car, listen to sports talk, and do Instagram. But I am the Architecture Tourst after all and I can't do three things at once anyway. (See Part 2:
How to Explore Inman Park Edges While Getting a Hairdo Pt. 2 of 2 The Wisteria Block)



On Wednesday it was "The Dickey" / Fallen Arrows block and then the four restaurants at the corner of  North Highland Avenue at Colquitt: Folk Art, Il Localino, North Highland Pub, and Wisteria. The restaurants be in part 2 of 2.



What is The Dickey? They are rehabbing a warehouse at 900 Dekalb, making a place for office lofts and restaurants, yoga, and the like. The Giving Kitchen and UrbanTrans are already there. Looks cool but who is Dickey?

Delta, Edgwood, Waverly, and Dekalb Avenue make an interesting block. Edgewood is one of the finest streets in Atlanta. DeKalb is a warehouse row that fronts Hulsey Yard and a hair-raising speedway of a street.



Fallen Arrows in on Waverly.



Right here.



In here.




Here's The Dickey. They've removed some brick to open the place up leaving some mural parts behind.


GregMike mural part on the left.


Mural parts.




This is the view from Dekalb traveling West.



Mild mannered sign at 900 Dekalb.



Tag bonanza.



Mural on the wall with diamond windows.



I think this may be a restaurant area with a view.



UrbanTrans has been working out of here for a year or so.




With a stimulating working environment.



This room is big.



I don't know what that says.


They cut the brick away, put in some nice steel to hold it up.  There's a covered walkway then the glass fronted rooms. I think this one may have do Yoga.

That's my bit on the Dickey and Fallen Arrows.

See Part 2: How to Explore Inman Park Edges While Getting a Hairdo Pt. 2 of 2 The Wisteria Block

Happy Fun Gables - A Victorian and Three Modest Contemporary Eyecatchers

I'm a kicky-color-gable-guy and there's no beating Victorians for that. But I'm very easy to please.


A yummy oldie in Inman Park.

But there are three newer houses whose show-off colors always catch my eye. All these are SOB (South of Buckhead). Can you do this in Buckhead? I hope so.

Are all three by the same designer? I think maybe yes. Anyone? Anyone?


On my route from Oakhurst to Reynoldstown.


On Hosea Williams in Edgewood. This will hide during leafy season.



On Florida in North Ormewood Park.

(Mental note: How may "state" and "city" streets does Atlanta have?)


On Rock Springs in Piedmont Heights.




I'm following this one Ponce de Leon Place in Virginia-Highland by Artist / Designer William Rossoto. I'm waiting for the colors to come home. The gables are pretty kicky already with that triple tall-in-the-middle window.

Got any favorites?

Lizzie Chapel Is Hollowed Out But Survives in Inman Park

They had to do a history before renovating Inman Park's Lizzie Chapel. I've offered to help make it public because I still don't know who Lizzie is. I'll let you know if I hear.



I've already blogged it: "Inside Lizzie Chapel in Inman Park July 19, 2012" when it looked like this.

Since then, they've built three houses the parking lot. Now they've hollowed out the church to build six apartments.

They've saved this 84 year old landmark.

I got a peek inside.




Here's a tiny before and after video.


Wow.


This cornerstone came along later then someone got effaced.





There are saving and moving four of the windows from what I understand.

Atlanta's Roundhouse and Round Townhouse - Embracing Spaces, Gladiator Meetups

I'd have never found these places but for TEDxAtlanta and the Inman Park Tour of Homes. I didn't actually attend TEDx, I just explored the building and bingo! These are Architecture Tourist knockouts, one a lot more cozy than the other.

Of course A Pattern Language has something to say about "covex" spaces:
"106. POSITIVE OUTDOOR SPACE
Outdoor spaces which are merely 'left over' between buildings will, in general, not be used. Therefore: Make all the outdoor spaces which surround and lie between your buildings positive. Give each one some degree of enclosure..."


This is the roundhouse at Atlanta Northyards re-purposed as lofty offices. They hold TedX Atlanta in this building. Bauder College is across the green to the left of this picture.

"All of the Southern passenger trains were serviced at the North Avenue Roundhouse and Shops, light repairs were made and excursion trains assembled, A turntable in front of the Roundhouse allowed for an engine to be put in any of the bays inside. The steam engines were watered, and coal loaded."  - Marietta Street Artery


This is the round townhouse in Inman Park Village. This is rare: Townhouses NOT fronting a street or parking lot. The BeltLine and Rathbun's are behind these to the right of this picture.


The turntable was here. It's not a particularly comfortable place to hang. There's no transparency in these blackout windows. You feel like everyone is watching you. There's only one door. Very cool place though.


Here's how to find your way.


Even when no one's around this shows signs of life, many doors, many homes.


Here's how to find it.


It's a good place for a gladiator meetup.

My Two Favorite Small'ish Houses are by Pak Heydt and by Adam Stillman

I noticed the feelings not the things.

All I can tell you is that I felt great in these places. I saw both on home tours, lucky me. The design effort is in the proportions, practicality, light, and flow rather than elaborate detailing, finishes, and fixtures.

I've seen at least 150 houses in the last year, probably more. I remember these two above all one in Virginia-Highland one in Inman Park. They illustrate the high value of design and the good fortune of starting from scratch. They aren't so big. They compliment their neighbors. They seem as if they've been there all along.

In these neighborhoods there are three ways to go.

If you renovate your 80-year-old house, you usually end up with the 80-year-old flow. That can be charming or not.

If you build a maxi, traditionally styled spec house, it's "if you've seen one you've seen them all." They are market-safe with shock and awe details. These can be fine houses or not.

Then there are the modernist tear-downs. They specialize in awesome spaces, infinite vistas, and light. Most become landmarks of  "difference" which can be good or not.

I present these two as the fourth way. They compliment the street and live modern. Marketing-wise I think these would sell before the sign went up. But I can't imagine why the owners would ever leave.


This is the Pak Heydt design before from 1922. It's a pop-top effectively a tear-down.


After, about 2,900 square feet. They "saved" the first floor - a good thing. I want to live in the great room.


In context.


This is the Adam Stillman design before from 1917, it was burned out.


After, about 2,300 square feet. It's great room is one of the greatest I've ever visited.


In context.

If I was a spec builder, I'd do these over and over. I'd hire the architect to tweak the design for the lot and setting.