About Buckhead (North Atlanta)
Buckhead acquired its unusual name from a long-gone local tavern that prominently displayed a large stuffed buck's head. The community was annexed by Atlanta in 1952, following an earlier attempt by Mayor William B. Hartsfield in 1946 that was voted down by residents.
The main east-west street is West Paces Ferry Road, named for a former ferry across the Chattahoochee River. Hardy Pace, one of Atlanta's founders, operated the ferry and owned much of what is now Buckhead, and as far west as Vinings. The main north-south street is Peachtree Road, which extends south into the heart of the city as Peachtree Street. This name change is significant in that it defines a border between Buckhead and midtown. The area north of Buckhead, beyond the Atlanta city limit, is Sandy Springs. Buckhead appears to be a city in itself. It has a central core of high-rise office and residential condo buildings (mainly along the Peachtree corridor) surrounded by richly wooded single-family neighborhoods. The central core is comprised of two main areas; Buckhead Village or simple "The Village" to the South and the Financial/Retail District to the North. The Village is home to several high-rise residential buildings as well as the majority of Buckhead's nightlife. In the Financial/Retail District, you will find many high-rise office and condo towers, dense retail, including Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza.
Buckhead is one of Atlanta's most important business districts, and includes Atlanta's wealthiest neighborhoods, with the Georgia Governor's Mansion, a part-time residence of Elton John, and the Atlanta History Center with its museum and library. Buckhead was also the home of golf legend Bobby Jones until his death in 1971. Although there are some moderately priced homes in the area, the price of most homes and condos starts at around $500,000 and extends well beyond $10,000,000. Buckhead also helps to cement Atlanta reputation as the "Shopping Mecca of the Southeast" with more than 1,400 retail units where shoppers spend in excess of $1 billion a year. The primary shopping district comprises Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza. Located diagonally across the street, these sister malls together feature more than 350 boutiques and also offer the highest concentration of high end stores in the United States. |