Five Little Stories from Little Five Points – The Best Damn Neighborhood in Atlanta

When I first visited Atlanta, I was a little too hard on it. All I saw was a blighted urban core and then immense suburban sprawl in every direction. I thought the city lacked character…everything looked homogeneous, there were chain restaurants everywhere, and it seemed like going anywhere involved getting on a highway.

But as I began to spend more time in the city, I realized how wrong I was. Atlanta is a HUGE city. I had only seen portions of it on my first visit, and unfortunately they gave me an unfair view and a negative impression of the city. And as I spent more time in Atlanta, I learned about the diversity of the city.

It turns out there is much more to the city than suburban shopping malls, traffic-jammed roadways, and McMansions. There are several distinct neighborhoods with unique restaurants, independent shops, and their own unique local flare. I explored several of these neighborhoods during my time in Atlanta, but one colorful, eclectic neighborhood struck a special chord with me – Little Five Points.

The neighborhood (just called ‘Little Five’ by the locals) is a vibrant place with all walks of life – independent entrepreneurs run successful shops, businessmen stop in the bars after work for happy hour, highschoolers grab a quick bite to eat, and senior citizens browse the bookstores.  It is not uncommon to see many panhandlers and the homeless in Little Five Points either, though the neighborhood does not feel unsafe.

I had the fortune of spending a day in the neighborhood and I came away with some stories and a new appreciation for Atlanta. Here are some of those stories from my day spent in Little Five.

Rebuffing a Scammer at Aurora Coffee

I spent the better part of my day working at the Aurora Coffee shop as my office was closed for a holiday. I think coffee shops are one of the best places you can go to get a feel of a neighborhood, and Aurora gave me a good sense of what Little Five Points is.

Hipster youths played with their smart phones, a retired couple sat browsing through photos on their laptop, and the friendly, talkative baristas made me feel like part of their community immediately. The coffee shop has a very minimalist feel, yet it doesn’t feel cold and sterile – splashes of color along otherwise grey walls liven the place up. Roasting their own blends in house showcase the DIY ethos of the neighborhood.

While I was working, I was approached by a man who asked if I could look up a location of a homeless shelter for him on my laptop. Not thinking much of it, I quickly pulled up google maps and looked up the nearest shelter. He then took a seat at my table and began telling me his story. He was just let out of prison six days prior (that made me feel much more comfortable) and he’d been sleeping on the streets since.

Apparently he had walked in on his wife sleeping with another man in his bed and in the heat of the moment pulled out a gun and shot the guy. It was not a mortal wound, but he was charged with attempted murder and sentenced to time in the penitentiary.

According to his story, the prison system released him with nothing more than a bus ticket back into the city and he had no money, no food, and nowhere to sleep. I listened to his story with empathy, but I’m naturally skeptical when it comes to these types of situations.

I was waiting for the ‘hard sell’ or the moment when he feels he had built just enough of an emotional investment on my part that he would ask for money. And then it came. He wanted $20 so he could find a place to get a shower and some rest. $20 is a lot to part with so I declined to give him the cash, but going against my nature and better judgment, I offered to buy him a drink and a snack from the coffee shop.

I went up to the counter to order him a drink and bagel when the baristas informed me that he has been coming into the coffee shop for months bothering customers and they’d be happy to throw him out for me. They told me not to reward him for his behavior or else he’ll just keep coming back.

At this point I wasn’t quite sure what to think. My initial suspicions were right – this guy was only out for money and had woven this complex story in order to extract it. I felt betrayed, but I also felt a little better about my initial instincts which were telling me not to trust this guy.

I decided I’d be happy to help the baristas throw him out of the coffee shop so I could get back to work, and that’s just what happened. He didn’t look at me on his way out – just kept his eyes towards the floor. He must get enough people to give him money though if he keeps coming back.

I wonder how these encounters shape my future interactions with the less fortunate. They’ve certainly taught me not to trust anyone asking for money and I rarely (if ever) often to help at all in these situations because I’m always assuming I’m getting scammed (as was the case with this gentleman).

I’m sure I’ve rebuffed someone who was actually in need, and that distresses me some. Unfortunately, the scammers ruin it for everyone else.

Meeting Real-Life Hobos

The square in Little Five Points is a common place for buskers, and while I was walking through through, I came upon a couple of musicians who were playing old revival tunes on a banjo and guitar. They had a unique sound so I stopped to listen for awhile and afterwards began chatting them up.

Their names were Wolfy and Will and they were passing through Atlanta on a seemingly never ending journey. They were essentially modern day hobos, riding the rails from town to town (apparently you can still find space in empty unlocked box cars to traverse the country – who knew?) and playing their brand of music wherever they went to anyone who would listen.

We talked about their life on the road, how they never knew where they’d sleep that night, where their next meal would come from, or when they’d move on to the next town, but also how they wouldn’t have it any other way – they seemed perfectly happy with their lifestyle – and more power to them.

They were playing music they enjoyed and having a good time while they did it. And the music was something else. Wolfy’s growling vocals paired well with the haunting twang of Will’s banjo as they ripped through a variety of classic songs spanning genres from country to bluegrass to gospel. Wolfy told me, ‘I don’t know how to play a single song written after 1970.’

As we were talking, we were approached by a group of four friends who asked if they could join Will and Wolfy to sing with them. Wolfy began to strum out a tune and before I knew it, I was right in the middle of a full fledged sing-a-long complete with harmonies. I was amazed at how they seamlessly transitioned between songs, playing a melody of ‘I’ll Fly Away,’ This Little Light of Mine,’ ‘She’ll be Coming Round the Mountain,’ and more. Of course I can’t carry a tune to save my life, so I just sat back and admired, quietly snapping pictures and taking video of what was unfolding with their permission.

After the sing-a-long came to a close, we all heard more stories from Wolfy and Will’s life on the road that made my travel all seem trivial by comparison. Originally from Mississippi and Tennessee, respectively, Wolfy and Will were just out to discover America by rail and have a good time while doing it. Nothing wrong with that.

Eating the Best Burger in Atlanta

For dinner I ate dinner at the legendary Vortex, a hamburger joint that started in Little Five Points. It is extremely recognizable by its entrance which consists of a huge skull where  patrons enter through the mouth.

*picture source http://www.journalism.emory.edu/

Once inside, I found a menu full of gutbusting burgers and dripping with sarcasm. Their burger offerings include items such as the Carnivorgasm (A sirloin patty, a turkey patty, pulled barbecued chicken, bacon, sliced ham, turkey, cheddar cheese and whiskey pimento cheese, all covered in barbecue sauce) and the Triple Coronary Bypass (two half-pound sirloin patties stacked inside three grilled cheese sandwiches, topped with two fried eggs, eight slices of American cheese, ten slices of bacon and plenty of mayo on the side – and they won’t serve it with lettuce, tomato, or onion).

On this particular occasion, I opted for something slightly more tame – the Elvis Burger (topped with creamy peanut butter, bacon, and fried bananas) though it still would be the heart stopping option on almost any other menu.

The menu alone was enough to keep me entertained throughout the meal. There are plenty of snide comments, witticisms, and sarcastic remarks found throughout the menu. Here’s an excerpt of a disclaimer about whining found on the actual menu:

NO WHINING
Wah,wah,wah! “They wouldn’t let me in without ID,”
“I had to pay for parking,” “the music’s too loud,” “the
bar is too smoky,” “there were drunk strippers sitting
at the table next to me,” “I don’t like all the rules.”
Sorry, but we ALSO enforce a very strict “No-Whining
Policy.” So if you don’t like it here, go somewhere
else.  And if you need to have total control over you

and this gem of a menu item…

HELL BURGER
Topped with pepperjack cheese, habanero relish,
and a roasted jalapeño pepper. It’s spicy, so don’t
order it if you’re a pussy. No returns. $9.90

and I can’t neglect this…

BIG NINE-INCH WEENIE
You know you crave that big 9-incher. A thick,
delicious, pure-beef weenie grilled over an open
flame, served naked on a butter-griddled bun.
You can dress your weenie with these items at no
additional cost: coleslaw, sauerkraut, diced raw
onions, relish and/or sautéed onions. $6.95

Clearly, the Vortex might not be for everyone, and especially not for the easily offended. But that’s okay because that’s not the clientele the Vortex wants to serve anyways. They run their restaurant exactly the way they want to and from the looks of crowds packing the joint on a Monday night, it’s clear that they’ve been extremely successful in doing so.

One might think that due to all the strong rhetoric on the menu that the servers and bartenders might come across as harsh, mean or short, but actually nothing could be farther from the truth. During my visits to the Vortex, the staff was always extremely polite, helpful, and responsive.

And the burgers lived up to the billing. They’re huge, inventive, juicy, and most importantly, delicious.

Admiring the Street Art

Little Five Points is one of the most colorful neighborhoods in Atlanta and a big portion of this is due to the bright, vibrant street art that can be found throughout the neighborhood. Brick walls and telephone poles become canvasses for artists who turn an otherwise mundane surface into art. I took pictures of some of the more interesting ones so you could see for yourself:

A Unique Retail Experience

Little Five Points is jam packed with restaurants, dive bars, and boutique shops, selling everything from vintage clothing and used books to trendy shoes and vinyl records. I stopped in a few of the stores to check out what they had to offer and they were all unique in their own ways.

But one store in particular stuck out. The Junkman’s Daughter is a very unique store that is hard to  categorize, so I’ll let their website do the heavy lifting:

Crammed full with far-out fashions, groovy accessories for men and women, unique and unusual gifts, housewares from around the world, cool collectibles, retro knick-knacks, toys, books you will never find at Borders, and a fully stocked tobacco shop.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what The Junkman’s Daughter is exactly, but here’s my best attempt at a description; essentially, The Junkman’s Daughter is a variety store, carrying anything and everything. Halloween costumes (it was January when I visited), Japanese statues, bumper stickers, a giant inflatable penis, and much, much, more.

Unfortunately, they didn’t allow pictures inside so the only images I have are from the outside of the store. But maybe that’s for the best…I’m not sure I could post a lot of what I saw online and still keep my website ‘safe for work’. Below are two pictures I captured outside the store:

 

Final Thoughts

Little Five Points was the first neighborhood to show me that Atlanta was more than just suburban sprawl. Since then, I’ve discovered many more unique, interesting neighborhoods each with their own character. It just goes to show that no matter what I think about a city on my first visit, further digging may yield an unbeknownst-t0-me gem.

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Tagged as: Atlanta, Food, Georgia, Local Culture, Neighborhoods, People, Public Art, USA