North Druid Hills, Georgia

Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement North Druid Hills, also known as Briarcliff or Toco Hills, is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (North Druid Hills CDP) in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 20,385 in 2020. The commercial center of the area is the Toco Hill Shopping Center, located near the intersection of North Druid Hills Road and LaVista Road.

History

One of the earliest European settlers in north DeKalb County was Chapman Powell, whose "Medicine House" cabin was built near the intersection of Clairmont and North Decatur roads (later relocated to Stone Mountain Park, where it still stands). Dr. Powell (1798–1870) owned most of the land in the Candler Lake and South Fork Peachtree Creek area during his lifetime. His land was later purchased by Walter Candler.<ref name="glencreek.org">Template:Cite web</ref>

Major Washington Jackson Houston owned land on the north side of the South Fork of Peachtree Creek, in what is now Briarcliff. Visitors used to visit Major Houston to buy ground cornmeal produced by his 1876 gristmill or to attend social gatherings held on his property. Major Houston converted the mill into an early hydroelectric plant circa 1900. Atlanta contractor Harry J. Carr bought Houston's land in the 1920s and constructed the fieldstone and wrought iron home now known as the Houston Mill House. Emory University purchased the home in the 1960s and renovated it. Houston Mill House, located at 849 Houston Mill Road, is now open for dining and special events.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

After World War II and continuing into the 1950s, many Jews moved out of Washington-Rawson, where Turner Field now stands, and the Old Fourth Ward into North Druid Hills and Morningside/Lenox Park.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Congregation Beth Jacob, an orthodox synagogue, moved to LaVista Road in 1962, and the neighborhood has since become a hub of Orthodox Judaism for the Atlanta area with three Jewish schools, six congregations and a mikveh located along or near LaVista Road.

The North Druid Hills CDP remained rural until 1965, when Executive Park was constructed on a former dairy farm as the first suburban office park in metropolitan Atlanta. Following the completion of Executive Park, the area boomed with suburban development.<ref name="Pastoral Capitalism p. 179">Pastoral Capitalism: A History of Suburban Corporate Landscapes, Louise A. Mozing, p. 179</ref> The 19-story Executive Park Motor Hotel, built in the 1970s at the southeast corner of I-85 and North Druid Hills Road and which later served as a BellSouth training center,<ref>"BellSouth training center", Flickr</ref> was a modernist landmark until its demolition in November 2014<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> after being purchased by Children's Healthcare of Atlanta for $9.6 million in January 2013.<ref>"Children's Healthcare buys former 19-story hotel", Douglas Sams, Atlanta Business Chronicle, January 3, 2013</ref>

Incorporation movement

Following the incorporation of Brookhaven in 2012, the idea of incorporating a city of Briarcliff was proposed by a civic group known as the North Druid Hills Study Group.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Supporters cited more local control as reasons in favor of cityhood, while those against cityhood cited the lack of an identity, center, and boundaries as reasons against.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The city of Briarcliff boundaries would be:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

I-85 on the north
I-285 on the east,
on the south, the cities of Decatur and Avondale Estates; unincorporated DeKalb county, as well as the Druid Hills neighborhood of the City of Atlanta, keeping in mind that unincorporated Druid Hills and the Emory University area would be part of Briarcliff
City of Atlanta (Virginia-Highland, Morningside-Lenox Park and Lindridge-Martin Manor neighborhoods) on the west.

In March 2014 after failure of the first initiative the City of Briarcliff Initiative, Inc. announced plans for a second attempt at cityhood, which it dubbed "Briarcliff 2.0".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

North Druid Hills is located at Template:Coord.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of Template:Convert, of which 0.20% is water. The CDP boundaries are:

Interstate 85 to the north, across which is the Buford Highway corridor and the city of Brookhaven
Clairmont Road and the North Decatur CDP and city of Decatur to the east
the South Fork of Peachtree Creek and the Druid Hills CDP to the south, and
the DeKalb County boundary with the city of Atlanta to the west

File:North Druid Hills.jpg

North Druid Hills neighborhoods

Neighborhoods

Biltmore Acres. South of LaVista Rd., west of Houston Mill Rd. & north of the South Branch of Peachtree Creek.
Briarcliff Heights. NW of Mount Brian Woods.
Green Hills. North of Briarcliff Rd. & south of I-85.
LaVista Park. East of DeKalb/Fulton line and west of Briarcliff Road.
Merry Hills. Between LaVista Rd. & North Druid Hills Rd.
Mount Brian Woods. North of North Druid Hills Rd., NW of LaVista Rd. & west of Clairmont Rd.
Sheridan Court. In CDP NW corner, around Sheridan Drive.
Woodland Hills. South of LaVista Road between Briarcliff Road & DeKalb County boundary.
Mason Mill. South of North Druid Hills Road & LaVista Road, between Clairmont Road & Houston Mill.
Vistavia Hills. On Vistavia Circle between Clairmont Road & Mason Woods Drive.
Executive Park. Developed in the early 1970s as one of Atlanta's first mixed-use developments; located at I-85 and North Druid Hills Road.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Fama Pines. Consisting of the long dead end Fama Drive and the smaller Jacolyn Place spur, The entrance to Fama Pines is due north of the LaVista Road and N. Druid Hills intersection. Active since the 1950s.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Toco Hills

Toco Hills is a large commercial and residential neighborhood in the eastern portion of the North Druid Hills CDP. The commercial component consists of two major shopping centers that are located at the intersection of LaVista and North Druid Hills roads that were developed in the 1950s. While it is generally accepted that the name "Toco Hills" is derived from the Toco Hill shopping center, the origin of that name is disputed. Some sources claim that the developer chose the name Toco because it was the Brazilian Indian word for "good luck."<ref name="neighborhoods.ajchomefinder.com">[1] Template:Dead link</ref> Other sources claim Toco is an informal abbreviation of "top of the County."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>[2] Template:Dead link</ref> In any case, the shopping center was developed on what was a hill, and the name gradually changed to "Toco Hills." The area is home to a large Orthodox Jewish population, and marked by wooded subdivisions featuring mostly ranch homes surrounding the commercial area.<ref name="neighborhoods.ajchomefinder.com"/>

Demographics

Template:US Census population

North Druid Hills was first listed as a census designated place in the 1980 U.S. census.<ref name="1980CensusGA" />

**North Druid Hills, Georgia – Racial and ethnic composition**
Template:Nobold
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	% 2000	% 2010	Template:Partial
White alone (NH)	15,008	12,228	12,416	76.91%	64.54%	60.91%
Black or African American alone (NH)	1,363	2,354	2,735	7.23%	12.42%	13.42%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	26	38	37	0.14%	0.20%	0.18%
Asian alone (NH)	1,266	2,110	2,109	6.72%	11.14%	10.35%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	6	4	8	0.03%	0.02%	0.04%
Other race alone (NH)	84	45	186	0.45%	0.24%	0.91%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	284	324	828	1.51%	1.71%	4.06%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	815	1,844	2,066	4.32%	9.73%	10.13%
Total	18,852	18,947	20,385	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 20,385 people, 8,672 households, and 3,215 families residing in the CDP.

Government and infrastructure

The United States Postal Service operates the Druid Hills Post Office at 1799 Briarcliff Road NE in the CDP.<ref>"Post Office Location - DRUID HILLS." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on May 5, 2009.</ref><ref name="CDPMap">"2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: North Druid Hills CDP, GA." United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on June 1, 2017.</ref> The area uses an Atlanta, GA city designation for mailing purposes.

Diplomatic missions

The Consulate-General of Mexico in Atlanta is in the North Druid Hills CDP.<ref name="CDPMap"/><ref>Home Page." Consulate-General of Mexico in Atlanta. Accessed October 26, 2008.</ref>

Education

DeKalb County Schools serves the CDP.<ref name="CDPMap"/> Briar Vista Elementary School, the zoned school of most of North Druid Hills, is in the CDP.<ref name="CDPMap"/><ref>Home page. Briar Vista Elementary School. Retrieved on May 5, 2009.</ref> Some portions are served by Sagamore Hills Elementary School.<ref>"Elementary School Attendance Areas 2016 - 2017 School Year." DeKalb County School System. Retrieved on June 1, 2017.</ref> Residents in North Druid Hills are also zoned to Druid Hills Middle School (in North Decatur CDP<ref>"North Decatur CDP, GA Template:Dead link." United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on May 5, 2009.</ref>) and Druid Hills High School (in Druid Hills CDP<ref>"Druid Hills CDP, GA Template:Webarchive." United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on May 5, 2009.</ref>).<ref>"Middle School Attendance Areas 2016 - 2017 School Year." DeKalb County School System. Retrieved on June 1, 2017.</ref><ref>"High School Attendance Areas 2016 - 2017 School Year." DeKalb County School System. Retrieved on June 1, 2017.</ref>

The Margaret Harris Comprehensive School, an alternative K-12 county school for disabled children, is in North Druid Hills.<ref>Home Template:Webarchive. Margaret Harris Comprehensive School. Retrieved on September 18, 2012. "1634 Knob Hill Dr. Atlanta, GA 30329 "</ref>

Parochial schools: The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta operates the Immaculate Heart of Mary School, a parochial school, at 2855 Briarcliff Road in the CDP.<ref name="CDPMap"/><ref>"Welcome to IHM!." Immaculate Heart of Mary School. Retrieved on May 5, 2009.</ref> The school initially had 238 pupils when it opened in August 1958. An addition was installed in circa the late 1960s/early 1970s.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Private schools:

Annunciation Day School (ADS), at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 2500 Clairmont Road, NE. Private Greek Orthodox Christian pre-school. Private Greek Orthodox Christian elementary school (K-8).
Atlanta Montessori International School, 1970 Cliff Valley Way. Private pre-school - middle school.
Cliff Valley School, 2426 Clairmont Rd. Private elementary school.
Intown Community School, 2059 LaVista Rd. Private PCA-affiliated school.
Torah Day School of Atlanta, 1985 Lavista Road NE. Private K-8 Orthodox Jewish day school
Yeshiva Ohr Yisrael, 1458 Holly Lane. Private Orthodox Jewish boys high school.
Temima High School, 1985-B Lavista Road. Private Orthodox Jewish girls high school

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges is headquartered in North Druid Hills.<ref>"2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: North Druid Hills CDP, GA" (Archive). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on May 12, 2015.</ref><ref>"Home." Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Retrieved on May 12, 2015. "© 2014 Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033"</ref>

Culture

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Metropolis of Atlanta is headquartered in North Druid Hills.<ref>"Metropolises" (Archive). Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Retrieved on February 9, 2014. "Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Atlanta 2480 Clairmont Road, N.E., Atlanta, GA 30329 "</ref>

Parks

File:WD Thompson Park Trail Map.jpg

W.D. Thomson Park Trail Map

Kittredge Park, 1520 Kittredge Park Rd., Template:Convert park with baseball field, pool and multi-use court.
LaVista Park, 1319 Brookforest Dr., Template:Convert DeKalb County park with playground and picnic area.
W.D. Thomson Park, [often misspelled "Thompson"] 1760 Mason Mill Rd. (off Mason Woods Drive), Template:Convert DeKalb County park with courts, playground, creek, picnic area and trails.

Transportation

Briarcliff Rd. Major road unifying the CDP.
Interstate 85. CDP northern boundary.
LaVista Rd. Primary E-W road.
North Druid Hills Rd. Primary access from Interstate 85.

References

Template:Reflist

External links

Template:Commons category

Template:Atlanta Metro Template:DeKalb County, Georgia

Template:Authority control