By Jim Camp, CCIM
Here at Adams Realtors, we have a group of incredibly knowledgeable real estate professionals with an array of specialties and backgrounds. Whenever possible, we like to highlight their unique knowledge in blog posts. Read on for some background on Avondale Estates from our very own Jim Camp, CCIM, who has lived in the city for years.
Avondale Estates – the city where I live, is a historic bedroom community adjacent to Decatur, Georgia. Founded in 1924 by George Willis, the entire village – formerly known as Ingleside – was purchased to create a planned community. The City was named after Stratford-upon-Avon, England and downtown buildings were designed in a Tudor-Revival style architecture found at the birthplace of William Shakespeare. The Tudor Village still exists today as the center of downtown business. Willis created what is now recognized as the first documented example of a planned city in the Southeast, having been placed on the National Registrar of Historic Places.
The city is 1.1 square miles with a 2020 Census population of 3,567 of which 78% is white, 10% African American and the remainder divided between various other ethnicities. The tight knit community shares a common thread of pride in the city during events such as the annual 4 th of July parade, the Christmas tree lighting as well as the lighting of the large menorah during Hanukkah.
One of Avondale’s claims to fame is that it is the original home of Waffle House. On Labor Day 1955, Joe Rogers, Sr., and Tom Forkner opened the first Waffle House, naming it after the most popular item on the menu. Its emphasis on fast food and 24-hour service reflected the mid-20 th century shift towards a more mobile, automobile-centric society. Today it is one of the iconic and best-known restaurant chains in the country with more than 1,600 locations. In 2004, Waffle House acquired the original location on East College Avenue and opened it as a museum featuring mementos from as far back as 1954.
Over the past 10 years, Avondale has begun to position itself as an arts center with various galleries and studios, as well as a number of craft breweries, helping to create a more vigorous downtown. This and other planned changes coming to “The ‘Dale” will be discussed in depth in future blogs.