If you want to know about historic neighborhood Kirkwood, you need to get in The KNO (also the name of the Kirkwood Neighbors Organization). Located about four miles from downtown Atlanta in DeKalb County, snuggly nestled between Oakhurst, East Atlanta, Lake Claire and Edgewood, Kirkwood is a national historic-designated neighborhood — in fact people began settling into the area all the way back to the mid-1800s. Over the many years, the area has gone through ebbs and flows of residential settlement, as Kirkwood houses people of varying racial, economic and social histories. This melting pot continues to attract residents and visitors alike because of its unique food, shopping and music offerings, as well as some killer events, like the Kirkwood Wine Stroll, Kirkwood Spring Fling, ‘Lanta Gras and many more. Plus, there’s awesome green space in Kirkwood to visit year round in the form of great public spaces like Bessie Branham Park and Coan Park.
Whether you want to take a wine stroll or regular old stroll through Kirkwood, we guarantee you’ll have a great time. Take a read about one of Atlanta’s most historic, coolest intown neighborhoods sure to keep you busy with its eclectic sites to visit!
Food & Drinks
Sun In My Belly
2161 College Ave. NE, Atlanta, AG 30317
(404) 370-1088 • suninmybelly.com
Hours: Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The only way to start your day off right in Kirkwood is with a little sun in your belly — good thing Sun In My Belly has the tastiest breakfast menu. Along with delicious items like their pimento cheese omelet filled with honey-glazed bacon (yeah, think on that for a second), this fantastic restaurant serves a wonderful lunch and brunch menu. Want to bring that lavender-biscuit goodness to all your friends and family? Sun In My Belly is a full-service catering company as well, and they share their Kirkwood magic all over the Southeast for events and weddings. Bonus? Sun In My Belly does some cool event series throughout the year, like high tea service, supper club and more.
Dish Dive
2233 College Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30317
(404) 957-7918 • dishdivekitchen.com
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Don’t expect the bass-thumping, super sleek designs of other Atlanta restaurants when headed into Dish Dive (c’mon, it has “dive” in the name); but you will be treated to some of the best, quality entrees you’ll find on a menu. Located in a modest setting, Dish Dive offers a creative, rotating menu, depending on the time of year, with delicious, seasonal ingredients. As of press time, the restaurant featured goodies like shakshuka (one of my absolute faves — it’s a spicy Middle Eastern dish with stewed tomatoes, fried egg and other goodies), braised pork belly and fried whole snapper with peach and tomato confit. Before heading out to dinner, call the restaurant to find out about that night’s menu so you can plan accordingly.
Le Petit Marche
1984 Hosea L. Williams Drive, Atlanta, GA 30317
(404) 371-9888 • lepetitmarche.net
Hours: Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Le Petit Marche is a homey, family-run breakfast/lunch spot located in the heart of Kirkwood. With a delicate feel, colorful, decorative plates hanging on a soft pink wall, “the little market” has big flavor. Owner Marche Sparks created a welcoming breakfast and lunch spot, serving delicious creations, like the panini menu (the vegetarian one is freaking awesome) and amazing sandwiches, like the chipotle shrimp po’boy and the herb and feta roast beef. If breakfast is more your thing, get the famous French toast sandwich (stuffed with scrambled eggs and meat and served with a banana dessert cup) or the Best Ever Oatmeal.
Dulce Vegan Bakery & Café
1994 Hosea L. Williams Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30317
(404) 624-7417 • dulcevegan.com
Hours: Wednesday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Vegan diners, rejoice! Not only does Dulce Vegan Bakery & Café specialize in 100 percent vegan and allergy-friendly sweets, but their desserts are actually really delicious! It’s hard to comprehend how their cake menu, in flavors like banana chocolate, chocolate caramel pecan, chocolate raspberry and chocolate chocolate (can you tell I like chocolate?), can be vegan AND scrumptious, but it is! Besides the sweets menu, Dulce offers a seasonal food menu that includes creative salads, soups and sandwiches.
RELATED: Dulce Vegan Bakery & Cafe Welcomes Anyone Who Enjoys Good Food
Taproom Coffee & Beer
1963 Hosea L. Williams Drive, Atlanta, GA 30317
(404) 464-5435 • taproomcoffee.com
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Coffee is a stimulant and alcohol is a depressant — meet somewhere in between at Taproom Coffee & Beer! Taproom is the best of both worlds, serving eye-opening coffee from local roaster East Pole Coffee Co. and delicious craft beer from local Atlanta breweries. Kirkwood welcomed Taproom to its neighborhood about five years ago and residents have been hanging at this cool hybrid ever since. Besides the fantastic drinks (the latte art is always impressive), customers can fill up on pastries and foods from Atlanta-based H&F Bread Co. and Ratio Bakeshop.
Urban Pie
2012 Hosea L. Williams Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30317
(404) 373-2778 • urbanpiepizza.com
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 3 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Friday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Obviously I’m not going to have a neighborhood profile without including pizza! The world’s best food gets treated right at Urban Pie — this newly renovated pizza joint serves some of the best pies in the city (as well as calzones, meatball subs, salads, etc). And don’t get me started on the dessert menu, including their homemade red velvet cupcakes and chocolate chip cannolis. The only way to truly enjoy your wonderful slice…or two or three … is by hanging out on the expanded, pizza-themed patio. (Seriously, the floor literally looks like a pizza.) That’s where Urban Pie welcomes talented musicians to entertain diners and remind everyone how wonderful Kirkwood is.
Elmyriachi
1950 Hosea L. Williams Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30317
(678) 705-9902 • elmyriachi.com
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 12 a.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to midnight; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Brunch: Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
I have to preface Elmyriachi’s description with a warning: ARRIVE WITH AN APPETITE. The portions are delectable and massive at Elmyriachi — a restaurant offering Mexican and Southwestern fare with a Southern twist. That crazy delicious combination come together in Elmyriachi’s creative dishes like the brisket-filled burrito and smoked pork tacos. There’s something for everyone here, including those that prefer a liquid lunch or dinner. You can’t have Mexican food without some killer margarita options, and Elmyriachi offers versions that feature jalapeno, avocado, grapefruit and pomegranate (each served in its own flavorful concoction).
Honorable mentions: Ration and Dram, Kirkyard Public House, The Spotted Trotter, Dolphin’s Water Ice Factory, Arden’s Garden, The Pullman, The Greater Good BBQ
Shopping
PB&J Gallery
35 Howard St. SE, Atlanta, GA 30317
(404) 606-1856 pbj-gallery.com
Hours: Thursday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. during exhibitions. For additional availability, call for an appointment.
With all the renovations and new houses going up in Kirkwood, art is an inevitable part of customizing a home. PB&J Gallery sells contemporary, competitively priced photography, painting, collage, glassworks and sculpture. There are various exhibits and shows throughout the year, and PB&J makes it a point to support both established and emerging artists.
Poppa Corn’s Gourmet Popcorn
1617 Hosea L. Williams Drive SE, Atlanta, GA 30317
(404) 464-8100 • poppa-corns.com
Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. Monday by appointment
Everyone knows the best part about going to the movies are the trailers and the popcorn — so now you can watch previews on your computer while stuffing your face full of Poppa Corn’s delicious, gourmet popcorn, popped on-site at their Kirkwood location. But this isn’t any ordinary popcorn — savory flavors include dill pickle, chili lime, loaded potato, spicy buffalo and more; sweet flavors include two chocolate drizzle with sea salt, candied cornfetti and toffee almond. In fact, just the chocolate section of the menu includes s’mores, Oreo, white chocolate pretzel and like 20 other flavors. Besides gourmet popcorn, the retail shop also sells sweets and treats of all shapes and sizes as well as help with popcorn-selling fundraisers.
GBG Market
2033 Hosea L. Williams Drive, Atlanta, GA 30317
(470) 355-8916 • gbgmarket.com
Hours: Sunday – Thursday 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Friday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
GBG Market is a neighborhood grocery store — run by Kirkwood residents, serving the community and supporting local businesses. GBG stands for Goods, Beverages and Groceries as this market sells grocery basics as well as specialty items, always partnering with local purveyors as much as possible. The B of GBG definitely doesn’t stand for Basic — the market has a huge beverage section featuring hand-selected wine and beers from across the world. There’s even a simple but delicious coffee bar to up your caffeine levels as well as a large meals to-go section, which includes salads, sandwiches and prepared dinners.
Augusta Designs
37 Howard St. SE, Atlanta, GA 30317
(404) 343-3916 • augustadesigns.com
Hours: Wednesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (closed Sunday through Tuesday)
Everyone wants to look and feel special and handmade jewelry line Augusta Designs does that for every customer who wears a piece. Designed by artist and owner Emily Wimbush, Augusta Designs studio is located in Kirkwood and features wonderful pieces made of fine metals, gemstones and various crafting methods. Besides having a strong presence in Atlanta, Augusta Designs’ creative pieces of jewelry are available online and through Etsy.
Edison Bicycles
1619 Hosea L. Williams Drive, Atlanta, GA 30317
470-588-1619 • edisonbicycles.com
Hours: By appointment only
It doesn’t matter where you live in Atlanta — traffic here sucks. Seriously, you could be traveling 3 miles and it might take you 45 minutes at the height of rush hour. Skip the honking, spilled coffee and expletive-laden trip by riding an electric bicycle to work. And not just any electric bike — an Edison Bicycle, designed and created right here in Atlanta. Bypassing Atlanta’s horrendous traffic, reducing fumes and just being a cool rider is why Edison now has three different locations.
Honorable mentions: Atlanta Clay Works, Outtamykitchen
Wellness and Relaxation
FitWit
2191 College Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30317
888-534-8948 • fitwit.com
Hours: Depends on class schedule
Break a sweat while having fun at FitWit! This gym focuses on making you faster, stronger, more flexible and unlocking your inner athlete. FitWit focuses on cross training workouts that take into consideration each member’s personal fitness goals and level of skill. And if you want little Sally or Jimmy to get into fitness, there’s FitWit Kids — a program that combines games, workouts, skills practices and the chance to gain confidence and start good eating habits.
Indigo Wellness
1963 Hosea L. Williams Drive SE, Atlanta, GA 30317
404-370-1151 • indigowellnessatl.com
Hours: Spa hours Monday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. Studio hours depend on class schedule.
Get in touch with your inner self at Indigo Wellness, a full-service spa and yoga studio. Whether you’re seeking connection to your mind, body or soul, Indigo Wellness offers the opportunity to be close to yourself. Spa treatments include facials, body peels, massages, waxes and tints, Botox and more; class schedules include yoga, deep stretch and meditation.
Trophy Room Barber Shop
1610 Hosea L. Williams Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30317
(470) 355-1252 • trophyroombarbershop.com
Hours: Tuesday – Friday 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (closed Sunday – Monday)
Treat the man in your life with the perfect haircut from Trophy Room Barber Shop. Haircuts include a hot lather straight razor neck shave and hot towel facial, with the opportunity to get a tight beard trim. Don’t be fooled by your man’s tough exterior — he might come for the haircut but he’ll stay for all the juicy gossip.
Honorable mentions: Langford’s Barber Shop, Calo Gitano Flamenco Dance Company & Academy, Guitar Shed, Karen the Fitness Girl, Bark & Lounge
Wherever you choose to hang out in Kirkwood, let us know! Tag us on social media or send us an email and let us know how much fun you had in one of Atlanta’s most historical, and coolest, neighborhoods.
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Find more fun pockets of the Greater Atlanta area to explore. Check out our “Neighborhood Highlights” section.
