Cabbagetown

I would be remiss not to discuss the many folk stories surrounding how this small neighborhood with its characteristically narrow streets got its name.

You see, in the late 1800s through the early 1900s, Cabbagetown was a mill town, and nearly all the residents worked at the Fulton Bag and Cotton Mill. As one story goes, many of the residents would grow cabbages on their front lawns, and they cooked them so frequently and simultaneously that the neighborhood began to take on a distinct smell that one could detect just entering the neighborhood.

An alternative story, and the more likely of the two, is that a Ford Model T truck carrying a load of cabbages took a sharp turn on Cabbagetown’s narrow streets too quickly and overturned, spilling all the cabbages out into the street. Depending on who tells the story, either the people ran to take the cabbages or the driver yelled “Free Cabbages!” and the people scooped up the cabbages. That night, the town cooked its free cabbages and the ubiquitous smell led to the creation of the neighborhood name.

Cabbagetown is located just east of Downtown and within walking distance of Georgia State University, a very large public university located in the “heart of it all.” The neighborhood is bordered on the north by the Old Fourth Ward, on the east by Reynoldstown, and on the south by Grant Park. Typical homes in Cabbagetown include smaller, 2 bedroom bungalows, shotgun houses, and lofts (since the old Fulton Mill was transformed into residences in the 1990s). For a row of delicious eateries, be sure to check out Carroll Street.

Cabbagetown has seen recent gentrification since the ’90s with the advent of artists and musicians into the neighborhood. A beloved artistic centerpiece of the neighborhood is the Krog Street Tunnel, which connects Inman Park, on the north, to its southern neighbor, Cabbagetown. The Krog Street Tunnel and the adjacent CSX Hulsey rail yard feature commissioned murals, street art, and graffiti, all of which makes this area a very cool spot to check out.

Adjacent to Cabbagetown on the west lies the Oakland Cemetery, the oldest cemetery in Atlanta and a popular sight-seeing destination for residents of Atlanta and visitors alike. Visitors of the cemetery enjoy the large amount of green space that is used as a historical and relaxing park and also as a place to take in the stunning architecture, which includes sculptures and mausoleums in the Victorian, Greek, Gothic, and Egyptian style (to name a few). Visit and Enjoy!