Establishing Shot
Kirkwood

Shun Jester
Managing Director

Once described as akin to a bit of Paradise, Kirkwood is still beautiful today—and still one of Atlanta's best-kept secrets.

Wonder House in Kirkwood. (photo: Eric Bomba-Ire)

Lying between Wyman Street on the west and 1st Avenue to the east and bounded by College Avenue on the north and Memorial Drive to the south, Kirkwood is extremely convenient to both Atlanta and the city of Decatur.

Established at the turn of the last century, the neighborhood's two signature streets, Kirkwood Road and Howard Street, still feature many of the original Victorian style homes—some as large as 5,000 square feet.

Other original landmarks remaining in the area include the icehouse, the Kirkwood City Hall, and the General Store. The icehouse, now a private residence, once used a chemical process to make ice right on the premises and was in business until around 1950. More recently, it has served as the home of the Damian Records label and also housed a recording studio owned by the Indigo Girls. The former Kirkwood City Hall has likewise become a private residence, and the General Store now houses a Buddhist Center among other establishments.

Historic Kirkwood City Hall (photo: Eric Bomba-Ire)

Kirkwood is no stranger to the Atlanta film industry. The HBO movie Miss Evers' Boyswas shot at the old Kirkwood Elementary School, and just recently The Last Adam was filmed at the Wonder House, a spacious Victorian style home with plenty of character. The house was named by Ms. Benita Carswell, who has welcomed the local film community to use the many resources she has available in the Kirkwood area, including (in addition to the Wonder House) the Bo Bridgeport Brokerage office, and her vast knowledge of the history of Kirkwood.

Initiated by the many artists and musicians who found the area amenable, the revitalization of Kirkwood is benefiting from advocates like the Bo Bridgeport brokerage, which is leading the way in bringing that old paradisiacal feeling back to Kirkwood by upgrading old and developing new properties.

With construction now underway for the new neighborhood commercial district dubbed Kirkwood Station, it seems only a matter of time before paradise and Kirkwood are once again synonymous.

Shun Jester is a local filmmaker and producer. He is the managing director of CinemATL.

Kirkwood meets Ridgedale. (photo: Eric Bomba-Ire)

An old industrial building. (photo: Eric Bomba-Ire)

Neighborhood streets of Kirkwood. (photo: Eric Bomba-Ire)

More Features:

• Cover Story: Triple Threat
• Establishing Shot: Kirkwood
• The Insider's Scoop: D.P.

On Set Reports:
• Blood Car
• The Signal