Photo Stroll On The Edge – Edgewood Avenue By Kevin Shorter

Photo Stroll On The Edge – Edgewood Avenue

By Kevin Shorter – His website is HERE

Edgewood Avenue in Atlanta runs from Five Points in downtown Atlanta, eastward through the ‘Old Fourth Ward’. The avenue runs in the direction of the Edgewood neighborhood and stops just short in Inman Park. Edgewood Avenue was first important as the route of a streetcar line to Inman Park, Atlanta’s first garden suburb and home to many of its most prominent citizens. Today, the avenue is known for its eclectic restaurants and nightlife.

At the time, on the present route of Edgewood Avenue, there existed two streets: Line Street, which ran from Peachtree Street east to Pryor Street, and Foster Street, which ran east from Calhoun (now Piedmont Avenue) due east towards the town of Edgewood. In between were 94 houses and lots. In order to provide a direct rout for the railway, Hurt’s East Atlanta Land Company demolished the dwellings, built the missing road, and improved the entire avenue, rechristening it with its present name.

After decades of neglect, the part of the avenue located in the Old Fourth Ward has become a bar and restaurant district, home to a number of Atlanta’s most eclectic nightspots. These include Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room and Ping Pong Emporium a.k.a. simply Church, Corner Tavern, Noni’s, Circa and the Sound Table, which was recognized as one of the 50 Best Bars in America by Food & Wine magazine. Bar and restaurant-owners are attracted to Edgewood’s non-corporate feel mostly due to its urban layout and historic buildings showcasing turn-of-the-century architecture. Wikipedia

My Thoughts

Edgewood Avenue is quite the colorful place, still having a distinct edge to it. It’s a melded microcosm of diversity in Atlanta where you’ll still see pan handlers and derelicts right next to the social elite getting out of chauffeured limousines. It has a bit of Twenty’s Speakeasy atmosphere to it which is enhanced by the cryptic names of establishments, lack of business name identification and hidden entrances to many establishments. Down the way on this photo blog is a pic of a young person who works at the Bar Restaurant Stapelhouse. I had to walk around the place several times to even tell it was a restaurant, what its name was and how the heck you get into the place. My inquisitiveness attracted the young lady’s attention and she came out to see if she could assist. Which was my reward since I also was able to get a pic of her!

All images were shot with the Sony A7RII and Sigma 24-105mm 1:4 DG lens in Sony A mount, adapted to Sony E mount via the Sony LA-EA4A-Mount to E-Mount FF Lens Adapter.

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f6.3, 1/640th sec, ISO 160

Edgewood Avenue .. the near end to downtown looking back west in a hazy sun to Atlanta.

Edgewood’s fun begins here heading east behind you towards Inman Park.

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f6.3, 1/400th sec, ISO 160

I tried to capture the vibrant color on this slightly retouched old building.

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f6.3, 1/500th sec, ISO 160

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f6.3, 1/500th sec, ISO 160

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f6.3, 1/500th sec, ISO 160

MMMmmmmmm …. donut!

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f6.3, 1/640th sec, ISO 160

Distraught Ladies in a panoramic fret to get home!

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f6.3, 1/200th sec, ISO 160

My personal favorite of the day!

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f6.3, 1/200th sec, ISO 160

Don’t know the what ‘Four’ about this .. but I liked it!

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f6.3, 1/500th sec, ISO 160

WORD UP!

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f6.3, 1/800th sec, ISO 160

These guys were a group heading over to the place where they were performing this evening. I believe they called themselves Pharaoh X Dynasty. Enjoyable encounter!

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f6.3, 1/800th sec, ISO 160

Goldie!

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f6.3, 1/800th sec, ISO 160

A very helpful worker from Staplehouse Restaurant.

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f6.3, 1/400th sec, ISO 160

Both Cryptic and Eclectic .. these are indicative of the fun mystery and diversity of the Avenue.

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f4, 1/250th sec, ISO 160

I assume having served their original owner well, they are now left for the more needy.

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f6.3, 1/400th sec, ISO 160

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f6.3, 1/1000th sec, ISO 160

I was torn between a B&W treatment or serving the wonderful color of this building. So I decided to just do both from different perspectives!

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f6.3, 1/640th sec, ISO 160

The Sound Table is recognized as one of the 50 Best Bars in America by Food & Wine magazine. Late night is a complete zoo around this place!

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f6.3, 1/200th sec, ISO 160

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f6.3, 1/160th sec, ISO 160

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