How is it that I visited Atlanta a number of times as a child and young adult without really starting to fall for the city until now, my fourth or fifth trip? It’s probably because my visits were limited to activities like sampling Coca-Cola at the World of Coke or watching Braves games at Turner Field, instead of experiencing some of the city’s delicious restaurants or exploring the quieter areas of town. Regardless, I have a newfound appreciation for this sweet Southern city and it’s largely because of my morning spent wandering around the Virginia Highland neighborhood. (I should also add that the historic Midtown neighborhood I walked through to get there was also lovely, but there’s just something about the charming bungalows of Virginia Highland that I cannot get out of my head.)

I happened to walk up Cooledge Avenue upon entering the neighborhood and I immediately texted Michael, who was working at the time, that I’d found the most dreamlike of streets in Atlanta. Little did I know, there are dozens of blocks just as charming as Cooledge in the neighborhood, although none that I saw with a Little Free Library (pictured below) or street paved with brick.

Photographing the homes of Virginia Highland didn’t come quite as easily as it did for me during our walks through Charleston – the area feels a lot more lived-in than the sprawling mansions south of Broad. I loved exploring the streets of this neighborhood, a part of town named for the intersection of Virginia Avenue and North Highland Avenue, that I ended up bringing Michael back the next day. Together we selected our favorites on each street – a craftsman (or seven) here, a contrasting modern home there – as we walked back towards Piedmont Park.

If you’re in Atlanta and love looking at homes and daydreaming as much as I do, I highly recommend a little walk through Virginia Highland – you won’t be disappointed.

Photos taken by Meredith Perdue for Map & Menu.