Neighborhoods Near Emory University - Part 1

By Sharon Kolb

Real Estate Broker/Owner with Atlanta Decatur Homes

January 16, 2017 07:28 AM

Leafmore Hills/Vista Grove/Oak Grove - Part 1

The current Leafmore/Oak Grove area of Dekalb County has changed a great deal since 1822, when real estate sold here for 10 cents an acre. The following year, Decatur was named the County Seat and the area began developing. Leafmore Hills and the surrounding Oak Grove area was a rural farming community with few homes and no 4-lane highways. Dairy farms dotted the landscape and Clairmont Road, now a major artery, was part of an Indian Trail. There were no shopping centers, grocery stores or restaurants - just small crop farms and cows!

An expanding population pushed Atlanta eastward towards Decatur, which was becoming a prestigious suburb by the early 1950's. According to history compiled by the Leafmore Civic Association, there was a country store with a single gas pump, pot-bellied stove and rocking chair, located at North Druid Hills Road and LaVista Road. Development of Leafmore Hills began in 1952 and filled the neighborhood with young families, all new to the area. Leafmore became a close-knit community with an active Garden Club, Clubhouse and Pool.

Located just 7 miles from downtown Atlanta and less than 2 miles from the Clifton Corridor where Emory Hospital, Eggleston Children's Hospital, Center for Disease Control (CDC and Emory University are situated. Leafmore is one of the most convenient subdivisions in DeKalb County.

Most of the homes in the area are well-kept mid-century ranches with large manicured yards, as well as some newer construction properties with garages and more modern features. Many of the original ranches, however, have been tastefully renovated and updated with new kitchens and baths.

Less than a half mile from Leafmore, two churches anchor corners of North Druid Hills Road and Clairmont Road - Clairmont Baptist and Druid Hills Presbyterian. Just beyond the churches, Toco Hills Shopping Center contains a variety of shops and restaurants, including two major grocery chains. Four Banks and four bagel places are located along this section of North Druid Hills Road as well.