Talk of the Town - Adams Crossing July 11 2001

The Cleavers would be right at home in Adams Crossing. The classic American ’20s and ’30s styled homes look wholesome to the extreme with wood exterior finishing, front porches and spotless alleyways. The nearly new subdivision has been cleansed of the surrounding dinginess in the industrial area of Howell Mill Road and Chattahoochee Avenue.

Standing in a perfectly maintained front yard, you’d expect TV crews to start filming Beaver’s next cheery-faced exploit.

Then the train rumbles by, blowing its horn and disrupting the idyllic setting. Adams Crossing, a development by Sharp Residential Builders and Developers, is the replicated alternative to living intown without the problems intown dwellers often face with older renovation projects: crumbling facades, bad plumbing and seedy neighbors. But try as it might to muffle the sounds of the 18-wheelers and trains rolling by, the neighborhood is still in the city’s working corridor. Despite this fact, it’s attracted enough attention from potential residents that they are now working on the final phase of development with most homes already under contract. And demand in the area has pushed prices higher since the first development began 18 months ago.

“We wanted to stay close into the city and have the conveniences of the suburbs without having to move out there,” says Scott Brannan. “There’s a lot of stuff going on over here in the West Atlanta area and we wanted to be a part of it.”

The homes are in stark contrast to the surrounding, older neighborhood that still features brick bungalows and ranch-style homes. The homes in Adams Crossing look like they’re made of wood siding and many are two stories. The siding actually is a cement fiber siding that holds paint longer than traditional wood siding. Young saplings were planted in place of the large shade oaks that were bulldozed by developers.

Possibly the most peculiar faux treatment are the house names. For example, the “Ansley Park” is a two-story home with a full front porch and a “Virginia Highland” is a one-story with a porch and dormers. The need to seem established despite being a new development is painfully obvious.

The neighborhood takes an interesting approach to garages, using back alleyways to keep the streets clear of cars and clutter. Instead of having two-car garages gaping toward the street, they’re hidden behind homes.

“Residents are able to enjoy the architecture and look of their homes without looking at these garages on the street,” says Mitch Block, vice-president for sales and marketing with Sharp.

The success of creating a neighborhood with the features and architecture of popular intown neighborhoods with the modern amenities of a suburban structure seems to be a success. Now if only Wally and the Beav can keep out of trouble.??