I recently had the chance to spend a week back home in the Atlanta area. I had no agenda at all, other than soaking in some of the Atlanta design/flea market/antique scene. I moved away from Georgia when I was 18 years old (when I headed off to West Point), so I haven’t had much of a chance to get to know the area as an adult. That being said, I’m sure there are tons of hip and unique places to go in the city that I have never even heard of, but here is a roundup of what I was able to see this trip, and I totally recommend all of it.
Scott Antique Market is held once a month in Atlanta and in Ohio (check the schedule to make sure you don’t miss it!). It’s overwhelmingly large, but really fun to browse. Think high end and unique antiques. Antique vendors come from all over the country to set up booths, and they fill up the entire Atlanta Exposition Center. It costs $5 per person to get in, and there are two separate buildings, so make sure you wear comfy shoes. The North building is mostly antiques, while the South building is newer items as well as one of a kind pieces by individuals selling their own work. The food is great, so bring money for lunch. The market is open from Thursday thru Sunday, but try to go Thursday afternoon or Friday morning because a lot of the good stuff gets snatched up pretty quickly. All the fabulous lucite and faux bamboo pieces already had “sold”stickers on them when I got there at 10 AM on Friday. If you’re looking for more affordable flea market type items, there is a small flea market next to the South building that you don’t want to miss.
We went to Forsyth Fabrics because I was looking for a specific fabric (Aurora Multi) for an upcoming project, and of all the places across the Internet, Forsyth Fabrics had the best price. This is a fun place if you’re looking for some inspiration, and they have so many different fabrics to choose from. They even had a military discount (which I’m always a fan of). I can’t wait to get to work using this colorfully fun fabric!
This shopping district was right next to Forsyth Fabrics, and we just happened to stumble upon it. Many fantastic stores, hip restaurants, and to be honest, just a really cool vibe. We ate at Star Provisions and had fantastic chicken salad sandwiches, sweet potato ginger soup, and meringue cookies for dessert. Not only is there a deli-type restaurant, there is also a hip general store area (lots of cute items with an Anthropologie feel), a butcher and a cheese shop. And speaking of cheese…if you’re looking for a delicious, melt in your mouth, creamy creamy creamy brie, you’ve got to try Brillat-Savarin. You’ll thank me later.
Artwork on the tunnel walls over the Beltline. How fun?!
Ok this has nothing to do with antiques or shopping, but the Beltline is a great running/biking/walking path through Atlanta. We walked the part near Piedmont Park, and it was really enjoyable and made me wish I had my running shoes with me. It goes by Paris on Ponce, so take a pit stop to check out a funky-cool vintage store.
I’ve been to Kudzu once before, and I’ll definitely visit again. This is a great vintage home market with lots of unique booths and reasonable prices. I found a vintage lucite coat rack that I fell in love with, but I think I’ve reached the upper limit on lucite in my apartment so I couldn’t justify buying it. I did find a few treasures though, including a cool gold and lucite ice bucket and a little porcelain blue and white hand.
I grew up going to the Farmers Market every time we went to Decatur. It’s a massive place full of foods from across the globe. Amazing produce selection, tons of cheeses, breads, meats, spices, flowers, wine, packaged products, etc. that you’d only find in a place with such a culturally diverse perspective. This is a great place to go if you want fresh ingredients and a fun shopping experience. Just be sure to bring cash or your debit card, because they do not accept credit card.
It’s definitely grapefruit season!
Fresh flowers at the Dekalb Farmers Market.
What hip and fun places do you Atlanta folks recommend? Atlanta truly is such a wonderful city with so much to do, and if you haven’t been before it’s definitely worth the trip!
