Oakhurst, Georgia

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Oakhurst is an eclectic neighborhood in the Atlanta, Georgia suburb of Decatur. Oakhurst is a streetcar suburb primarily developed in the 1910' and 1920's located in the southwest corner of Decatur. It is about 6 miles from downtown Atlanta and is conveniently located to major transportation arteries such as Interstate 20, Memorial Drive, Dekalb Avenue, and Ponce de Leon Road, and is well served by the Atlanta region's public transportation system, MARTA, and includes a station on the MARTA rail system, the East Lake MARTA rail station. Oakhurst is generally bounded by the Atlanta city limits on the south and west, College Avenue on the north, and South McDonough on the east.

Around the turn of the 20th century Oakhurst began as its own independent town, mainly situated around the railroad tracks near College Avenue and the present MARTA station. When the town of Oakhurst was annexed into Decatur in 1910 there were roughly 100 homes. Shortly after annexation, however, the building that had been used as the city hall burned and destroyed all of the town records.

The primary architectural style of the period homes is that of craftsman bungalows although some older homes were also built in the more modest post war style of the 1940's. Recently, as property values have risen due to gentrification, newer homes have been built in varying styles.

At the center of the neighborhood is a business district popularly known as "Oakhurst Village" with several eateries, art galleries, and shops. Oakhurst Village is also home to the restored Old Scottish Rite Hospital, designed by local architect Neel Reid in 1917. The building currently houses an art gallery, a wine bar, and the Solarium, a community center and event facility. There are additional commercial properties on College Avenue.

Oakhurst is served by a strong neighborhood association and business association which sponsors the annual Oakhurst Arts and Music Festival held each October. The neighborhood holds additional events and festivals throughout the year, including wine crawls at local businesses and jazz nights in front of the Solarium. Additional festivals and concerts are held in the Oakhurst Village area on a regular basis.

Oakhurst is a liberal minded community, typical of intown Atlanta, with an interesting mix of African Americans, senior citizens, singles, young couples, empty nesters, and gays and lesbians. The population votes overwelmingly for Democrats. In the 2004 Presidential election, 82% of the voters in the Oakhurst Precinct voted for Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry and 63% voted against a 2004 Constitutional Amendment to ban gay marriage.

According to the 2000 Census, slightly fewer than 5,000 people lived in Oakhurst.