VaHi’s Shops and Restaurants are Open for Business for the Holidays

Don’t Forget “Small Business Saturday” on Nov 29^th 

By: Jess Windham, VHCA Board Member

We’ve all heard the phrase “buy local”, but why really is it important to shop locally? Frankly, it’s all about economics. Sustainable Connections said it best by highlighting that “when you buy from an independent, locally owned business – rather than nationally owned businesses – much more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, service providers and farms, all of which strengthens the overall economic base of the community.”

Talking with residents of VaHi, we love our neighborhood and the rich options we have available within a walkable distance. Supporting our commercial neighbors perpetuates and heightens both our sense of place and the economic vitality of Virginia-Highland. Our neighborhood is home to a vibrant mix of commercial endeavors, from butchers and chocolatiers to bicycle shops and clothing boutiques, dog groomers, sugaring studios and everything in between. The neighborhood features countless retail shops, mouth-watering restaurants and numerous businesses providing services along North Highland between Amsterdam Ave. and Ponce de Leon Ave. That’s not to mention shops at Rosedale and Virginia, a plethora of shops along Monroe at 10^th, the Ponce de Leon corridor, and Amsterdam Walk. Together, these businesses employ hundreds of Atlantans and purchase merchandise from both local creators and global providers alike. We have the world at our doorstep and our local businesses bring it to us.

This week, Thanksgiving confronts us with the best of problems: what to eat! I encourage you to explore the shops in VaHi to help lighten the burden of Thanksgiving cooking, because there are amazing take-home and dine-in options available from Monroe to Amsterdam to Ponce.

Once you get past the big day of food and family, Shop Small Business Saturday is Nov. 29^th! Small Business Saturday is an event officially hosted by American Express, who provides credits up to $30 for participating card holders. Whether you use AmEx or not, Shop Small presents a wonderful opportunity to unwind, get some fresh air, and walk off some of those marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes. You could park your bike at North Highland Park, pick up your Tour of Homes tickets, then explore the gems that our local vendors have stocked for your perusing pleasure in order to get a leg up on Christmas and Hanukkah shopping. We even have some new kids on the block – can you spot them?

During the recent Master Planning process, many neighbors expressed concern over the empty storefronts along North Highland, especially in the St. Charles commercial district, which stretches from Diesel to Hand in Hand. This district in particular faces the challenges presented by Park Atlanta. I’ve spoken with a handful of business owners who have frequently lost sales as people drop their selections to run out in an attempt to avoid the merciless and oftentimes unwarranted parking ticket. To alleviate this parking stress, the Master Plan recommends rezoning the Druid Hills Presbyterian Church parking lot into the Neighborhood Commercial district so that it can be used as parking for this commercial district. We hope to continue those discussions with the church and surrounding neighbors early next year to whip up a vibrant, livable solution. All of this is to say, we locals know about the parking at the back of our commercial nodes, the bike rack at the park, and love few things more than we love the walkability of our neighborhood. So let’s get out there and show our VaHi businesses how thankful we are to have them!

All of this is to say, we locals know about the parking at the back of our commercial nodes, the bike rack at the park, and love few things more than we love the walkability of our neighborhood. So let’s get out there and show our VaHi businesses how thankful we are to have them!