A Place of Belonging

English Avenue and Atlanta's Historic Westside

English Avenue is a historic neighborhood just northwest of downtown Atlanta. Established in 1891 to provide working-class housing near streetcar lines and job centers, the neighborhood was originally home to a majority white population. By 1910, English Avenue Elementary School (then called the Kingsbury School) opened to serve a segregated white school base. Over time, the demographic landscape of English Avenue shifted due to white flight. More Black families began settling in the neighborhood while white residents left for neighborhoods like Reynoldstown and Cabbagetown east of downtown.

Through the persistent advocacy of Black families, English Avenue Elementary became the first school on Atlanta’s Westside to serve Black children for a full school day after its racial designation was changed. Despite facing racial violence and disinvestment, the neighborhood flourished for decades as a strong working-class Black community. Legacy neighbors describe a place of deep belonging, where teachers lived in the neighborhood and neighbors looked out for each other.

In the mid-20th century, citywide disinvestment, suburban flight, and public policy shifts triggered a steady decline in English Avenue’s population. Towards the turn of the century the neighborhood was impacted by widespread drug activity and violence. The closing of English Avenue School in 1995, the 2008 housing crisis, and following speculative real estate investing further destabilized the community. By 2016, more than 60% of homes were vacant or abandoned.

Through it all, English Avenue has remained home to remarkable people. Gladys Knight, Maynard Jackson, and the Pips all attended elementary school here. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his family lived just down the road in neighboring Vine City. English Avenue has never been defined by hardship alone; it is also a place of culture, strength, and resilience. OaksATL is honored to work alongside legacy residents who generously share their stories of growing up in English Avenue and Vine City.

In 2016, the Atlanta City Council unanimously adopted the Westside Framework Land Use Plan. Spearheaded by community leaders, the Westside Future Fund, the City of Atlanta, ADP Urban, and other partners, this cornerstone document continues to guide much of OaksATL’s community development work. (It also documents significant history in English Avenue and Atlanta’s Historic Westside neighborhoods for anyone interested in learning more.) Since its adoption, community partners have taken targeted action to help the neighborhood reclaim its identity as a place of belonging. In a 2023 follow-up study conducted for the Westside Future Fund, ADP Urban found that blight had been reduced by 50% in the plan’s target neighborhoods.

We know the community that came before us was deeply rooted—roots strong enough to endure even the hardest seasons. Since OaksATL’s founding in 2016, legacy-resident retention, alongside revitalization, has remained a cornerstone of our mission and purpose. That’s why we rebuild, restore, and renew high-quality affordable housing and places to belong.

Because belonging isn't a new idea here; it's already rich in the soil of this neighborhood.

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