Fabulous Druid Hills! 508 Emory Circle Lot for Sale in Atlanta

Posted on February 28, 2011 by atlantadecaturhomes

If you would like to build a home in this desirable Druid Hills community, 508 Emory Circle may be the perfect  opportunity!   Historic Druid Hills contains some of the most classically beautiful homes in Atlanta, and vacant lots in Druid Hills are rarely available, particularly lots that  have utilities and sidewalks in place. 

 

The area surrounding Emory University is known as Historic Druid Hills, and has a number of distinctive home styles.  Streets around Emory Village, like Lullwater, Springdale and Oxford contain substantial estates with large yards and sweeping driveways.  Streets further East, like 508 Emory Circle and Ridgewood Drive include smaller homes in the 1920’s – 1930’s vernacular, as well as newer homes that have been designed to fit into the historic neighborhood.  Most of these neighborhoods are within walking distance to Emory University and Emory Medical Complex on Clifton Road, or they are  near the free Cliff bus system that Emory provides for the area.

The lot at 508 Emory Circle is located in the Druid Hills Historic Preservation area, and any home erected on the site must first be approved by the Historic Preservation Committee.  The Committee is concerned that the scale  of the home be consistent with other homes on the street, and with the appropriateness of the design.

508 Emory Circle is located approximately a half-mile from Emory University and CDC, just off North Decatur Road, within easy walking distance of a major grocery store, shops, restaurants and  YMCA.  Situated in the Druid Hills Historic District and within the Fernbank Elementary School District,  Emory Circle contains a variety of house styles, mostly 1930′s-1940′s brick bungalows with sidewalks and friendly neighbors.  Several  new homes  have been built on Emory Circle, and tasteful renovations have been made to other homes on the street.

508 Emory Circle contained a similar 1940′s-style bungalow, trim and well-kept, which was damaged in early 2010 so severely by fire that it was not salvageable , and subsequently leveled.   This desirable lot is now available for $269,000.  Utilities are already in place, and a former prospective purchaser has been successful in obtaining Historic Preservation approval for a house plan on this lot.

The Druid Hills community has been popular with employees and students of Emory University, Emory Medical Center, and the Center for Disease Control,( CDC),  for many years.  Residents enjoy the convenience of living close to where they work,the convenience to neighborhood parks,  and the convenience to shopping and restaurants.

Atlanta Elementary Schools - In Crisis Mode

Posted on February 4, 2011 by atlantadecaturhomes

Many DeKalb County School are currently being evaluated for closure.  The DeKalb County School Board is considering a Re-districting Proposal which could close 12 elementary schools in DeKalb County.  Public input workshops are ongoing and approval of the re-districting and school consolidation recommendations should be accomplished by March 7, 2011.

 

Home Values are affected by the quality of neighborhood schools

When Homebuyers are looking for a home, most Buyers put the quality of the local schools high on their “must have” list.  Even Buyers who don’t have children demand good schools as a primary consideration for the home they purchase.  Consequently, in neighborhoods where schools are well-run and provide exemplary education, property values tend to remain stronger, even in depressed market. 

 

Emory Area elementary schools

The neighborhood elementary schools located near Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are considered to be some of the best in the County, with consistently high test scores and awards for excellence in education.

However, the recent decision by the DeKalb County School Board to close 12 elementary schools in the County has stirred neighborhood groups to unite in anger and opened a hornet’s nest of controversy.  With overcrowing in some schools and decreased attendance in others, the ultimate decision on which schools to close will be difficult, as no decision will please all parents.

Fernbank Elementary is one of the highest ranked elementary schools in DeKalb County, founded in 1959 by a group of Emory University families and serving as a neighborhood school for children in the proximity of Emory University and CDC.  Fernbank Elementary is located in the heart of historic Druid Hills and sits across the street from the Fernbank Science Museum and Planetarium.  Fernbank is well known  for its excellent academic record.

Medlock Elementary is also located within the Emory Area and has served as a leader in educating children from the County’s diverse population and the surrounding community of over 900 homes.  Medlock also maintains a successful Special Needs Program for 3 and 4-year olds.  Medlock has been named by DeKalb County as one of the possible 12 schools slated to close in a the difficult re-districting decision.

Oak Grove Elementary is another high-performing elementary school with numerous awards for outstanding achievement in education, located on Oak Grove Road within the Emory Area.

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Druid Hills - Historic Atlanta Neighborhood

Atlanta has many beautiful neighborhoods, but Druid Hills is unique in its beginnings.  It was planned in the late 19th and early 20th century by American's most famous landscape architect, Fredrick Law Olmsted, who also created Central Park in New York.

Olmstead was invited by a local Atlanta businessman, who owned the 1400 acre site, to visit and discuss the possibility of designing the development of Druid Hills.  A fortuitous collaboration followed!  Olmstead believed that streets and parks should follow the "natural contours of the land" and should be in tune with the environment, and the neighborhood should have "roads of moderate grace and curves, avoiding any great disturbance of the natural topography".

Olmstead's plan inspired eminent builders like Neil Reid, and Lewis Crook and Ernest Ivey to design some of the finest examples of late 19th and early 20th centure architecture.  Atlanta's most prominent citizens build homes here and enjoyed its graceful homes, winding streets and lush parks.

Druid Hills has been listed on the National Historic Registry since 1979 and is considered historically significant in the ares of Landscape Architecture, Architecture and Community Planning.  The Historic Preservation Committee is diligent about maintaining the integrity of the historic homes and protecting the area from encrouchment.  Some of the homes can be viewed during the annual Tour of Homes and Gardens.

Also located within the borders of Druid Hills:

1. Fernbank Science Center and Planetarium
2. Callanwolde Fine Arts Center
3. Druid Hills Country Club
4. Fernbank Museum of Natural History
5. Emory Village
6. Emory University
7. Lullwater House and Park