Summerhill
With the Atlanta Braves now in Cobb County, and Georgia State University quickly moving forward with plans to expand its housing and sports facilities, neighborhood residents are cautiously optimistic as they wait for the promised retail and residential projects to take shape in the area blighted during Turner Field's presence.Summerhill, officially established after the Civil War, was first home to freed slaves, with nearby Washington-Ralston home to many of the city's European immigrants. Evander Holyfield lived in Summerhill as a child, on 275 Connolly Street (technically now Capital Gateway).
The neighborhood, much now covered by GSU stadium's sprawling parking lots, was razed following its initial decline during white flight in the mid-20th century. When two stadiums and an ever-widening highway replaced the city blocks - smothering nearby Mechanicsville, Peoplestown, and Summerhill - local businesses closed, and residential properties had more value as private game-day parking lots than family homes. Today, Freewheel Farm, which sells its veggies at the nearby Grant Park Farmers Market, occupies a tiny lot here.
Podcast: Summerhill's Bryan Adams Article
People Making a Difference in Summerhill
Brent Hall Owner
Bryan Adams Vice President - Organized Neighbors of Summerhill
Carla Smith City Council District 1
David Nelson Executive Vice President
Geoff Heard Executive Director of Summerhill Neighborhood Development Corp (SNDC)
Leslie Grant Atlanta School Board Member - District 1
Matt Westmoreland Atlanta City Council At Large Representative
Suzanne Mitchell Former President - Organized Neighbors of Summerhill
Wanda Rasheed Treasurer - Organized Neighbors of Summerhill
Civic Places
Neighborhood Sense of Place
- Summerhill: Atlanta's Early Jewish and Freed Slave Community 05/27/2019
- 275 Connally Street - Evander Holyfield's Childhood Home 05/20/2019
Neighborhood Wish List
- Summerhill Wish List: Turner Park Buffer 12/01/2015
- Summerhill Wish List: Hank Aaron Park 12/01/2015
- Summerhill Wish List: Build a Park over I-20 12/01/2015
Issues of Concern
Articles on Summerhill Neighborhood
Summerhill: Atlanta's Early Jewish and Freed Slave Community Article
Summerhill Issues: How will GSU and Carter Develop Turner Field? Article
275 Connally Street - Evander Holyfield's Childhood Home Article
Summerhill Wish List: Build a Park over I-20 Article