Martin Luther King’s Neighborhood: Sweet Auburn

Sweet Auburn is a neighborhood in Atlanta where Martin Luther King Jr. was born approximately 79 years ago. His birthplace was 501 Auburn Ave., to be exact, but that address does not show on Zillow because it became part of a National Historic site in 1980 that includes MLK’s birth home, Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church (where King and his father were co-pastors), and the King Center, among other landmarks.

Sweet Auburn Avenue was a vibrant African-American community in which such performers as B.B. King, Cab Calloway, the Four Tops, and Gladys Knight rose to prominence. However, like a lot of inner-city neighborhoods in the 1960’s and 70s, Sweet Auburn fell into neglect from crime, drugs, abandonment, and a highway splitting it in two. In 1980, the all-volunteer Historic District Development Corporation (HDDC) was created to try and preserve the historic and cultural character of the area, which includes shotgun homes, bungalows and stately Victorians. Despite everyone’s best efforts, Sweet Auburn is still endangered due to proposed development that may further erode its culture and charm.

“… the 4-story mixed used development currently underway may bring more harm than benefit to the historic properties adjoining this new construction. Preservation partners recognize Sweet Auburn’s high vacancy rate and fear this infill project will spur the wholesale demolition of historic properties, providing the “wrong model” for reinvestment.”

Once again, the development conundrum continues: How to preserve a neighborhood, while keeping it affordable. As you can see in the top graph, Sweet Auburn’s Zindex has followed a rocky path — not improving much in the past five years — while Atlanta’s values have grown steadily. Hopefully, the HDDC will keep fighting the battle to preserve Sweet Auburn, which is a significant part of Atlanta’s history.