What to do in West Midtown Atlanta / The Upper Westside

Someone on Instagram recently commented that they couldn’t really tell what neighborhood I live in because I’m legit all over town, all the time, but they ~thought~ it was somewhere in West Midtown. Close! I’m on the Upper Westside/West Midtown/West Buckhead, whatever you want to call it. All I know is that I LOVE being able to be in the heart of Buckhead in 10 minutes and in Midtown in 10 minutes, without having to take Howell Mill for either direction :) To wit, here are my favorite places up in this neck of the woods. This is by no means a comprehensive guide — it’s just me at my kitchen table with 20 minutes to myself firing off what I love about living on this side of town.

What to do in West Midtown

The Works: I know people who will drive from Brookhaven because they love this place so much. The weekends have gotten out of hand (they’re working on the parking situation), but we love popping in on the weekdays. I take Chauncey to that Fetch a couple of mornings a week and we love the Fox Brothers there. (They usually can get you in and out in 45 min if you’re eating at 5 like us.) The newly redone The Camp is now open and it’s an absolute beast on weekends but we love Friday night after school hangs and Saturday morning hangs. The play stuff is now in direct shade most of the time which makes it bearable.

Krave: Random, but Krave Korean is a small business that deserves a shout-out! It’s at Collier and Defoors in a not great little shopping center but the Korean food is amazing. It’s very Americanized but the flavor of the meat and the freshness of the banchans are outrageous.

The Daily: My preferred coffee shop for working. It’s huge, the sandwiches are amazing (I waffle between breakfast pita and breakfast burrito) and it’s never at full capacity like I’ve seen the Inman Park location be.

The Bellwood Quarry: I feel like more and more people are finding out about this stretch of the BeltLine but we love it! The playgrounds are a little more advanced (I’d say 4+), but it’s tons of green space and a really nice walk. Do not be like us and forget the stroller.

Star Provisions: I’m super biased because I got married here on the Bacchanalia side, but don’t sleep on Star Provisions! Talk about consistency. The food is simple but perfectly executed and the pastries are out of the world.

Mexican food: We are absolutely spoiled for Mexican on this side of town. Within 10 minutes I can reach Tuza Tacos, Nuevo Laredo, Bone Garden Cantina and Gezzo’s. They’re all totally different vibes in the family-friendly Mexican category and we love them all.

Westside Provisions District: We used to live right here — the gate opened up onto where Flower Child is now — so we’re fond of it. There’s a new Shake Shack location, Flower Child, and Falafel Nation, which I actually like better than Aziza. Get the salad!! The dressing is outrageous. I also love Brown Bag Seafood Co. as a quick option and my husband and daughter are Jeni’s stans. We miss Redbird terribly but Forza Storico’s Roman menu is delicious and wonderful for kids who need to get some wiggles out. I used to crave its tiramisu when I was pregnant. We LOOOOOVE Perrine’s so we drive out of our way to get wine there (and by we I mean Wes).

Star Metals: This is the new development taking over Howell Mill, the one they had to build around Northside Tavern. It includes Wagamama (good), Sweetgreen (good), Sushi Hayakawa (heard excellent), a darts place called Flight Club, and a forthcoming location of Salty donuts. It’s also going to have Lucky Star, from the Brush Sushi (now open at Buckhead Village!) and MOMO Cafe team, which I’m really excited about. There’s also a Fishmonger location that I don’t think many people keep top of mind because we walked right in. It’s huge compared to the original. And finally, there’s the forthcoming rooftop experience Patina from the Painted Duck (around the corner) and Painted Pin team!

The Interlock: I have extremely mixed feelings about The Interlock. First, the parking is outrageous, and if you get a ticket, ooof (I speak from personal experience). The complex won’t allow you to validate at restaurants there, so if you’re just a family trying to eat dinner it becomes very expensive, vs. a rideshare drop-off situation. I find this criminal. That being said, depending on who you are with and what you are doing, Kinjo Room and Humble Pie are the two standouts here. The Bellyard’s patio does have amazing views of West Midtown. I haven’t been to Rooftop L.O.A. yet but heard it’s a scene, and Lock & Key, an upscale sports bar, just opened.

Also, if you’re at WSP and you’re with you’re family and you need to extend the walk a bit, it’s nice to come to this side of the street and poke around a bit, too. St. Germain is a nice little macaron stop.

Northside Tavern: Everyone has a wild Northside Tavern story. Mine starts with a BBQ out front and ends with me singing karaoke with some questionable characters. This place is sticky, dark and absolutely the weirdest but it’s endearing AF, especially now that it’s got this huge Star Metals building going up behind it. Live music 7 days a week. Did you know that building is from the ‘40s?? It’s been a part of the Atlanta music scene for over 50 years. Here’s a nice little history if you feel so inclined to read about it.

Palo Santo: I intentionally left this off my Mexican roundup because this is not Atlanta Mexican, this is more NYC/LA Mexican and I mean that in a good way. It’s actually Mexican from Mexico City Mexican, and it’s SEXY AF. If you’re not looking for white cheese dip but rather an elevated Mexican experience, this is for you. It’s gorgeous, the tequila is delicious and the food is transportive.

Westside Paper: Finally, the up-and-coming Westside Paper! This is right on Marietta St across from Palo Santo, as you take Marietta up to Howell Mill where Bastone, Food Terminal, The Optimist are. It’s got a lot of good things coming: Pancake Social, Girl Diver, Ancestral Bottle Co, and El Santo Gallo, from the Palo Santo people. Keep your eyes on this one!

Stuff I’m Consuming

READ: The 20 Most Fascinating Books about Fraternities and Sororities (Town & Country)

READ: Are Cooking Videos Making Us Better Cooks? (NYT, gifted link)

LISTEN: How Paradise Became a Death Trap (The Daily)

LISTEN: The Coco Berthmann Story (Dear Media)

READ: What Bama Rush Reveals about How America Shops (The Atlantic)

READ: The Timeless Thrill of the Museum Period Room (Dwell)

I Bought It, and I’m Cheap

Commissionable Links

Trying this hair scrub because I need cleansing but cannot stomach the goop one’s price tag. Cannot decide on a new white sneaker so I ordered Reeboks, Air Force 1’s and white Hokas. Will report back. A really good hydrating face mask. Eyeing these ballet flats that are under $100. Weirdly cheap Sorrel boots from the Net-a-Porter sale. Hanni razor blade restock. New personalized dance bag for the little miss.

Hacks, Hacks, Hacks

How to recover photos you seemingly deleted from your phone (got myself in trouble this week, but got out of it too!). How to shave frozen fruit in a snap. Truly genius hack for seeing potential home decor/furniture purchases in your existing space. How to pair wine and potato chips like a pro.