Discover on foot the best places to eat, shop and play
in Poncey and Virginia Highlands—day or night.
Written by Samantha Reardon
Above: Signal staffers (left to right: Mike Eden, Samantha Reardon and Johnny Gipson) look through vintage magazines at Highland Row Antiques.
The Highlands boasts such a vast array of awesome local haunts that it would be impossible to highlight all of them. But in the first installment of The Signal’s neighborhood guide series, we bring you five local establishments you won’t want to miss. The Righteous Room, Videodrome, Cafe 640, Atlanta Cupcake Factory and Highland Row Antiques are five staples in the Highlands area—making this neighborhood great to visit both day and night.
Bonus: they’re all within walking distance of one another. Check out the Google map above to follow our adventure.
Atlanta Cupcake Factory
We’re like the original gangster of cupcakes, so we did cupcakes before the trend.
In its eight-year run, Atlanta Cupcake Factory (ACF) has made quite the name for itself under the helm of owner Jamie Fahee; it has been featured in several local publications, including Creative Loafing.
ACF is not just any cupcake shop, baker Zoe Mayfield explains. Fahee opened her doors before cupcakes became trendy.
“We’re like the original gangster of cupcakes, so we did cupcakes before the trend,” Mayfield says.
Mayfield thinks you’re either born to bake or you’re not. But either way, anyone can enjoy the cupcakes at ACF.
What really sets ACF apart are the natural ingredients used, making each bite taste like it was homemade in the family kitchen. All cakes are baked fresh daily.
Go for: the sweet potato bourbon cupcake, the sugar cookie salted caramel cupcake (one of Mayfield’s favorites), the red velvet whoopie pie
Visit their site at theatlantacupcakefactory.com
Highland Row Antiques
We’ve had some vintage, erotic S&M stuff before—I mean, we’ve got it all.
Highland Row Antiques is rather unassuming if you never make it past the main floor. But the cashier will prompt you to go downstairs, and by all means—go.
You will be greeted by six rooms filled with everything from vintage clothing to mid-century furniture to preserved Playboys, and everything in between.
Owner Angela Carbon opened Highland Row Antiques 10 years ago with a handful of vendors, and now she has more than 20 who sell their wares in the store.
“I just like to keep it small. I don’t like change too much. I like the personalities of the people that are there. You sort of have to fit the store.”
The store’s aesthetic is funky and eclectic—a reflection of Carbon’s vendors. She tries to focus mainly on antiques from the 50s through the 70s.
It seems like they have everything imaginable.
“We’ve had some vintage, erotic S&M stuff before – I mean, we’ve got it all.”
Go for: Fun. Allow yourself half an hour to get acquainted, and a couple more hours to really dig in. Highland Row Antiques holds its Basement Market every Saturday from 10 a.m. — 7 p.m., where they showcase vendor’s fresh stock.
Visit their site at http://www.highlandrowantiques.com/
Cafe 640
That’s the nice thing about the title of our restaurant—Cafe 640—we can really do anything. We’re not stereotyped as being a certain restaurant.
Cafe 640 is at all times many things: a bistro, a cafe, a restaurant and a bar.
Chef Peter Frazzano mixes European and American cuisine to produce dishes that are both affordable and contain high quality ingredients.
“That’s the nice thing about the title of our restaurant—Cafe 640—we can really do anything. We’re not stereotyped as being a certain restaurant,” Frazzano says.
General manager Ticia Grass attests to the importance of lending a hand to other local businesses and appealing to customers.
“We definitely try to appeal to our neighborhood,” Grass says.
The cafe also boasts various events throughout the week, such as live music performances each Thursday at 8 p.m.
Go for: brunch (eggs benedict and grapefruit rosewater martini), live music Thursdays, an affordable menu that changes seasonally.
Visit their site at http://www.cafe640.com/
The Righteous Room
People in the service industry, I don’t think they want to pay eight to 12 dollars for a drink, you know? Cause they don’t make much money either. You know, they need to pay rent and pay all their bills, so we afford them the opportunity to drink on the cheap.
Sandwiched between Urban Outfitters and the Plaza Theatre off Ponce de Leon Avenue, The Righteous Room is the perfect stop for drinks after a Friday night Rocky Horror show—it’s a dive-bar with a bohemian flair, a kickass playlist and general coolness.
Business partner and bartender Patrick Galvin was printing CD covers for albums he burned for the bar’s playlist when he discussed his start as a bartender at The Righteous Room.
The bar has been serving the Highlands for 17 years, and some of the regulars are just folks working down the street. Drinks come sans tax; a $4 beer is $4 flat.
“People in the service industry, I don’t think they want to pay eight to 12 dollars for a drink, you know? Cause they don’t make much money either. You know, they need to pay rent and pay all their bills, so we afford them the opportunity to drink on the cheap,” Galvin explains.
This solidifies the bar’s neighborhood relevance, making it one of the most iconic spots in the Highlands.
Go for: the cheap beer, the chicken wings (which, as Galvin asserts, “are some of the best in Atlanta, and I’m not exaggerating”) and the homemade veggie burger
Visit their Facebook page: The Righteous Room Atlanta
Videodrome
Because different sources carry different material…so we have all that, so you don’t have to search around for what you want.
Videodrome is covered wall-to-wall in DVDs and movie posters, and, at first entry, it’s a little overwhelming.
But with the selection of about 18,000 DVDs covering several genres—American indies, foreign films, sci-fi, horror and anime — it’s as simple as speaking to an employee and finding something you like.
Owner Matt Booth opened Videodrome in 1998. His introduction to non-mainstream films came when he was a student at the University of Georgia. After seeing films like Unbelievable Truth, Booth explains he couldn’t stop.
And though movie lovers can easily stream movies online now, Booth says that Videodrome offers an alternative to the culture of having to sign up for multiple, costly accounts that carry different films, like Netflix and HBO GO.
“Because different sources carry different material…so we have all that, so you don’t have to search around for what you want,” Booth says.
Go for: Three-night rentals at $3.78 per title.
Visit their website at http://www.videodromeatl.com/
Virginia Highlands Photo Gallery
Photos by: Candra Umunna
Layout and design by: Anna N. Yang
Contributing staff: Johnny Gipson, Mike Eden
This is the first installment of a four part series. For the next installment, click below
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