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The Poncey Highland neighborhood of Atlanta is an in town neighborhood that is relatively small in size, but makes up for with lots of character.
On the map, Poncey Highland is a small section of the city, just north of Inman Park and Little Five Points. It is east of The Old Fourth Ward, west of Candler Park and Druid Hills and south of the Virginia Highlands.
Notable things to see and do in Poncey-Highlands is access to the Eastside Beltline trail, Hotel Clermont and the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum.
Brief History of Poncey Highland
The first thing you might be wondering is how this Atlanta neighborhood received such a strange name. Like many neighborhoods in Atlanta, it was named after an intersection. The Ponce De Leon Avenue and North Highland Avenue intersection.
The neighborhood has a history of being part industrial and part residential. Major corporations like Ford Motor Company and Western Electric built factories in this neighborhood.
Eventually, access to the automobile enabled people to move further from the city center. This led to a decline in the area.
In the 80’s the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library was constructed.
Around the same time, many of the old factories started being converted into apartments and lofts.
The neighborhood continues to see redevelopment and renovation of historic buildings.
Demographics
According to Citydata, there are 2786 full time residents who call the Poncey-Highland neighborhood home.
Over 70% of residents have completed a bachelor or masters degree.
The median household income is over $90,000, higher than Atlanta’s average of about $66,000.
Best Things To Do Poncey-Highlands
For the “things to do” section in these neighborhood guides, we don’t usually write up a post about the top 10 best things to do. Instead, we try to be as comprehensive as possible.
Our neighborhood guides are broken down into the following categories:
- Historic Sites and Landmarks
- Attractions
- Shopping
- Food and Drink
- Parks and Recreation.
Some neighborhoods have unique offerings and some neighborhoods may not have anything in a section, so it is omitted.
We do miss things from time to time as some neighborhoods we are only exploring for the first time. If we missed something cool, please leave a comment and we will check it out!
Historic Sites, Landmarks and Museums
Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum is a research facility and a museum. It holds millions of pages of White house materials, photos, memo’s, film and audio tape of when President Carter was in office.
Hotel Clermont is a landmark hotel in the historic downtown Atlanta district of Poncey-Highlands. This hotel was built in 1924 and refurbished in 2018. It features 90+ rooms, one of the best french restaurants in Atlanta, and rooftop bar with Atlanta views.
Yes, underneath the hotel is still the famous Clermont Lounge, Atlanta’s oldest strip club. It has been featured on countless TV programs and has had many famous celebrity visitors.
Attractions
Illuminarium Atlanta is an exhibit of sorts that has projected images of landscapes & wildlife. The images surround the room. They have exhibits for kids and some that are 21 and over.
Plaza Atlanta Theater is a historic landmark theater. The Plaza Theater is Atlanta’s longest continuously running independent theater. This theater plays some new releases, but also shows an amazing assortment of classic movies. It’s a reminder of how the movie experience was in year’s past.
Shopping
Freedom Farmers Market at the Carter Center is a year round farmers market that occurs every Saturday morning. The farmers market was introduced in 2014 to bring local, sustainably grown food to in-town Atlanta neighborhoods.
The Ponce City Market is on the border of the Poncey-Highland neighborhood, however it is technically located in the Old Fourth Ward. This market is an Atlanta landmark. It is a converted Sears building and features a food hall, shops & living space. It also has an amazing rooftop.
Restaurants and Bars in Poncey-Highlands
Here are a few of our favorite restaurants in the Poncey-Highlands neighborhood of Atlanta. This is by no means an all inclusive list, these are some of my favorites and is a great start for someone visiting or just moving to the area.
- Lady Ha – Vietnamese Kitchen is a Vietnamese street food at its best. The chef is also a partner at Hopstix brewpub in Chamblee. This restaurant also serves some great smoothies and bubble tea.
- Bully Boy is a Kaiseki style restaurant with plenty of fresh oysters, sushi and Japanese style entrees.
- Manuel’s Tavern is a longtime Atlanta neighborhood bar and restaurant. It features traditional pub food.
- TWO urban licks is a wonderful restaurant with great views overlooking the Atlanta Beltline. The restaurant is known for wood fired cooking and rotisserie.
- Sweet Auburn BBQ is traditional BBQ along with some Asian influences in some of the mains and sides.
- Fellini’s Pizza is a local Atlanta pizza chain. It’s open rather late most days and you can satisfy your pizza craving with a giant slice for less than $3.
- Dugan’s Restaurant and Bar is a sports bar that has been in Atlanta since the 80’s. They are known for their wings.
Breweries in Poncey Highland
New Realm Brewing is a restaurant and brewery that borders the Atlanta Beltline Eastside Trail. There is a nice rooftop deck overlooking the trail. Atlanta is home to the flagship restaurant, but they are expanding. You can find them in Virginia Beach and Charleston.
Parks and Recreation
The Eastside Trail on the Atlanta BeltLine is a paved trail that runs from Piedmont Park in Midtown Atlanta and runs through the Old Fourth Ward, Poncey Highlands and Inman Park, ending a couple blocks past the Krog Street Tunnel.
The Freedom Park Trail is a paved trail the extends from the Virginia Highlands to past the Carter Center. Another part, the Freedom Park Connector trail starts in Inman Park at MARTA and runs towards the Carter Center. This trail eventually joins the Stone Mountain PATH trail which is one of the best paved bike trails in Atlanta.
Poncey Highland Community Garden and Playground is a small park next to the Carter Center.
Getting To Poncey Highland
The Poncey Highland neighborhoods is very close to downtown Atlanta. Mass transit or driving to Inman Park are viable. Alternatively, if you are in a neighborhood close by, you can walk or hop on a scooter.
If you choose to ride MARTA, you can take it to the Inman Park/Reynoldstown Stop and walk the Freedom Walk Connector to Poncey Highlands.
Hotels in Poncey Highland
The Hotel Clermont, by Oliver is a famous and historic hotel in the Poncey Highland neighborhood. Just be aware the Clermont lounge is below.
Alternatively, there are a couple hotels in the nearby neighborhood of the Old Fourth Ward. Zoom out on the map below to check out your options!
Didn’t see your favorite thing to do in the Poncey-Highland neighborhood of Atlanta listed? Please share, let us know what we are missing!