You hear Cath and I wax poetic about Decatur all the time (it’s been our “home” town for the past 10 years): one of those small towns that happens to be six miles from the heart of a big city (Hotlanta!), a festival every month of the year, great boutiques, great food, great people, etc. Well, since I got married back in March, I actually haven’t been a true Decaturite. Now I’m a West Ender.
As a West Ender that means I’m a true Atlantan, just south of downtown. It’s not a neighborhood that a lot of Atlantans know much about, or if they do I usually get that “I hope you carry a gun on you” nose wrinkle when I tell people I live there. It’s true that the West End has seen wealthier days, but that doesn’t mean that as you roll through town you should lock your car doors twice and not make eye contact. West Enders are even friendlier than Decaturites (when Cath and I first moved to Decatur from DC it freaked us out when people whom we didn’t know would wave and smile – you just don’t do that in DC).
The West End is also awesomely historic. Most of the homes are brick bungalows built in the 1920s or gorgeous Victorians and Queen Anne homes built during the turn of the century. It’s home to my favorite house museum in the world The Wren’s Nest (you know how much we love that place – our latest adventure there was my Out of Africa inspired wedding photo shoot). The West End is Atlanta’s oldest suburb (originally a white affluent ‘burb) and is now home to a number of African American cultural centers like Hammonds House and The Shrine of the Black Madonna.
The West End is not the neighborhood to go to if you want Starbucks and high-end shopping malls. It’s the opposite of big box stores, neatly manicured strip malls, and homogeneity. Instead it offers plenty of mom and pop shops, soul food restaurants, and a Krispy Kreme.
Before I leave for Scotland, I’ll try to give you a few more peeks of The West End. These photos were taken on a little side road dividing The West End of Oakland City, in front of a mural of Brer Rabbit and (a menacing/trickstery-looking) Brer Fox hopping along to The Wren’s Nest.
On Lar/moi: tank top from Khol’s • French Connection for Sears skirt • Target belt • Ashley Watson purse • Ring from Heliotrope • Turquoise necklace from June Shin • Orange beaded necklace from a clothing swap
13 Comments
13 Responses to “Lar: Welcome to My Hood”
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Dana Says:
August 2nd, 2011 at 10:24 pmI love your French Connection skirt in this photo. Thanks for highlighting the unique parts of The West End. It’s an area full of history!
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Lisa - respect the shoes Says:
August 3rd, 2011 at 9:15 amI must admit I’ve never been down to the West End before – heck, I rarely go south of 20! I will hang my head in shame and promise to expand my city horizons!
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Dabay Says:
August 3rd, 2011 at 11:37 amThat’s so rad, Lar! I’ve always wanted to visit Atlanta, and everything you guys ever post on your fabulous city spurs that yearning even more. Looking forward to your tales from across the pond!
xo
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Savannah Says:
August 3rd, 2011 at 1:05 pmSooo that skirt is to die for! I absolutely love it! And all your layered necklaces? DIVINE!
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laura Says:
August 3rd, 2011 at 4:29 pmYour neighborhood sounds super interesting with the smaller shops and older houses and all! And I simply love your skirt!
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Mae Lu Says:
August 3rd, 2011 at 5:11 pmI need pictures!
Pictures feed the soul!
It also sounds like a neighborhood in Detroit, but probably a lot less run down.
xx{ish.},
Mae Lu @ thereafterish.![Reply]
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kimmie Says:
August 3rd, 2011 at 5:11 pmooh! I love getting to know where you guys are from. and that fox is looking super creepy.
Love the outfit!
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ana b Says:
August 6th, 2011 at 5:39 amYou must be so sad to be leaving Decatur, right? I always enjoy how you and Cath take such pride in where you live. It’s the third character in your blog! Oh how I wish I could come visit you in Edinburgh. That’s still a full day and a half plane ride away however
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Snapshot Fashion Says:
August 7th, 2011 at 8:28 amin love with this skirt!!!
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Katie Says:
August 8th, 2011 at 11:35 amLove your little blurb about the West End… makes me not so scared of it. Jk I know it does have its charm
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Asian Cajuns Says:
August 9th, 2011 at 9:50 pm[...] trying to maximize our sister time before I move to Scotland next month. Even though I’m a West Ender now, we both work in Decatur, just about a 5 minute walk apart – yippee! So we try to meet up [...]
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Asian Cajuns Says:
August 12th, 2011 at 10:08 am[...] my in-laws for our wedding. Said in-laws have oh-so-wonderfully agreed to stay in our house (in our hood) while we are away. So we thought, why not make the kitchen more usable?! By usable we mean: [...]
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Asian Cajuns Says:
August 27th, 2011 at 11:07 pm[...] said . . . on to more food! Fruit juice to be exact. I went to Soul Vegetarian in my hood (the West End), Scoutmob in hand, with some of my favorite peoples last [...]
