Recently came across some old black and white photos of my part of town via The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) I’d like to share. As much as I love vintage clothes, accessories and housewares I also enjoy a vintage photo that captures the times when life was a little more…simple. These photos are streets I drive on every single day, where I live and buildings I’ve seen transformed.
Intersection of Piedmont and Ponce de Leon looking north, probably in the 1930s
*Currently there is a gas station on either side of the street and all those cool looking cars are probably in museums.
Workers move in to fill a huge chasm under Ponce de Leon Avenue in 1955. The cavity at Penn Avenue extended 42 1/2 feet below the street and was 25 feet in diameter.
*We Atlanta drivers recognize this type of construction! Only now it’s covered with a HUGE metal plate (aka bandage) and scares the living crap out of us when we drive over it!
The Sears, Roebuck and Company building in 1979. It would eventually become City Hall East and is now in the process of being transformed in Ponce City Market.
*My home is just behind this massive building that I’ve seen first hand go from an abandoned building to one of the biggest makeovers in ATL, very excited for the completion of Ponce City Market!
Plaza Drugs has been an Atlanta landmark since 1951. This photo was taken in 1981 by AJC staffer Ray West, who also happens to be Kanye West’s father. Urban Outfitters now occupies this space. Photo: Ray West.
*This location is pretty rad! They kept it relatively the same on the exterior when transforming it into UO, where I actually worked at a few years back since I was able to walk to it from my apartment that was just around the corner. Really like this strip, which is also home to my fav salon Shear Love and a great boutique called Wild Flag.
Old Briarcliff Hotel at the corner of Ponce de Leon Avenue and North Highland Avenue. Photo taken July 14, 1980.
*This went from a hotel to a housing unit for crazy folks and drug addicts, or at least that’s what we speculated lived there because they’d visit us at UO. Now it’s being renovated and turned into apartments which I think is a fabulous idea as it’s a great spot location wise!
The refurbishing of Briarcliff Plaza, at North Highland and Ponce de Leon avenues, was a key event in the rebirth of the neighborhood. This photo is from 1987.
Development of the old Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant (and, behind it, the Kroger) on Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia, March 22, 1985.
*So this is where I live! Yep, an old Ford Factory! Despite living next to intense construction over at Ponce City Market my time living here has been great, especially with the location being convenient to restaurants, bars and my personal favorite Kroger!
How neat is this? Love a good Flashback!! Thanks AJC for sharing! There’s many more photos but these are so familiar to me that they instantly became my favorites.
HAPPY FRIDAY!
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