MARTA in Downtown East Point GeorgiaWater tower in East Point GeorgiaDowntown East Point Georgia
History
The name "East Point" derives from the fact that this is the terminus of the Atlanta & West Point Railroad in the east;[4]West Point, Georgia, is the terminus where the rail line ends in the west.
This settlement was founded as a railroad terminus with 16 families in 1870, but grew quickly after it became an inviting place for industry to develop. Soon it boasted the railway, two gristmills, and a government distillery located on Connally Drive. One of the earliest buildings was the factory of the White Hickory Manufacturing Company, built by B.M. Blount and L.M. Hill (who became the first chairman of the board of aldermen of the city).[citation needed]
By 1880 the town had two churches, a common school, a steam-cotton gin, a sawmill, a post office (founded in 1851), a telegraph office and its own newspaper weekly, The Plow Boy. East Point ranked as a grain and cotton-growing center. With its pleasant upland climate and proximity to the railway, it was a popular summer resort for people from the city of Atlanta.[citation needed]
In 1884 the first telephone rang in East Point, and in 1887 the city received its first charter. In 1890 a major portion of property along East Point Avenue was subdivided and developed, opening the way for more homes, more churches, more people, and more places of employment. By 1892 Main Street was completed, despite protests from a few progress-shy early settlers who maintained that one major thoroughfare, Newnan Road, was more than sufficient.[citation needed]
By the start of the 20th century, the adolescent town was poised to grow into the city it eventually would become.[citation needed]
In late 2015 and early 2016, some scenes for the Netflix series Stranger Things were filmed at the exterior of the First Baptist Church (standing in for a hospital exterior in a fictional Indiana town).[5]
Government and infrastructure
The city has a city council-city manager form of government, with a professional city manager hired by the council. The manager is approved by the eight-member city council, headed by the mayor who has veto power.[6] The city is divided into four wards (A, B, C, & D), each electing two city council members.[7]
In the late 20th century, East Point suffered a loss of jobs due to railroad and industrial restructuring. In the first quarter of the 21st century, its economy has expanded, and new businesses and residences have been developed around the city. The relatively new Camp Creek Marketplace, for example, boasts 718,590 sq. ft. of retail space, with new businesses moving in regularly.[8] Several Fortune 500 companies call it home.[9]
MARTA heavy rail subway and bus lines serve the city.[9]
Parks and Recreation
East Point's Parks and Recreation Department is responsible for overseeing 23 parks, a recreation center, playgrounds, tennis courts, sand volleyball, basketball courts, and trails. Also the department seeks to enhance the quality of life of East Point residents by providing affordable activities and programs.[13]
Places of interest
Connally Nature Park
A 27-acre public greenspace that is home to rare pink lady slipper orchids, which blossom in spring, and giant white oak trees said to be around 300 years old.[14]
The East Point Historic Civic Block consists of three historically significant buildings and one memorial park in downtown East Point. It is located within the parameters of East Point Street, Linwood Avenue, Church Street, and West Cleveland Avenue. The City Hall, City Auditorium, New Deal Library, and Victory Park make up the Civic Block, which since 2011 has been the focus of both redevelopment interest and historic preservation efforts.[15]
The Dick Lane Velodrome was built in 1974 and is one of only 22 velodromes in the United States. It was a training facility for Atlanta’s 1996 Games and regularly hosts cycling events and competitions. The velodrome is located in Sumner Park.
Camp Creek Marketplace
Opened in 2003 and just minutes from the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Camp Creek Marketplace is a 309,089 square feet retail space that is a major economic development south of Atlanta. It is anchored by several industry-leading tenants. In total, the marketplace contains 39 stores and 14 restaurants.[16][17]
The Commons
The Commons is a transformative $150 million downtown project that had its official groundbreaking in December 2023. The Commons will include 79,000 square feet of office, retail and restaurant spaces; 11,440 square feet of amenity areas; and 316 multi-family residential units and 23 single-family townhouse units. The development will also include 403 structured parking spaces. The project is expected to bring over 1,500 jobs to downtown East Point and is expected to be completed between 2027 and 2029.[18][19]
According to the United States Census Bureau, East Point has a total area of 14.7 square miles (38.1 km2), of which 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2), or 0.12%, is water.[21]
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 38,358 people, 14,216 households, and 6,721 families residing in the city.
2000 census
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 39,595 people, 14,553 households, and 9,430 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,878.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,111.5/km2). There were 15,637 housing units at an average density of 1,137.0 per square mile (439.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.16% African American, 16.10% White, 0.20% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 3.40% from other races, and 1.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.57% of the population.
There were 14,553 households there in 2000, out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.7% were married couples living together, 28.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.3% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,874, and the median income for a family was $36,099. Males had a median income of $27,114 versus $25,839 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,175. About 17.2% of families and 20.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.0% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over.
Elementary schools in East Point and serving sections of East Point include Brookview,[33] Conley Hills,[34]
Asa G. Hilliard,[35] Hamilton E. Holmes,[36] and Parklane.[37]
Elementary schools outside of East Point serving sections of East Point include College Park in College Park,[38] Seaborn Lee Elementary School in South Fulton.[39]
Hilliard Elementary, named after former East Point resident Asa Grant Hilliard III, opened in 2016 on the site of the former Mount Olive Elementary School, which opened in 1960. Mount Olive was replaced by Hilliard, with the former building razed in 2014.[40]
Middle schools serving sections of city include Paul D. West Middle School and Woodland Middle School,[41][42] both in East Point. A portion is zoned to Camp Creek Middle School in South Fulton,[43] and another to Sandtown Middle School.[44]
The former Oak Knoll Elementary building, since 2015, houses RISE Grammar School/RISE Prep School (which together serve K-8), which purchased the facility for $1.73 million in May 2018.[48]
Higher education
Point University, formerly Atlanta Christian College, has a location in East Point. Though the university's traditional students are transitioning to West Point, Georgia in Fall 2012, the East Point location will remain active for the school's adult studies program.
^"Georgia Locations for Netflix's 'Stranger Things'". Deep South Magazine. Deep South Media. July 28, 2016. Retrieved January 1, 2017. Georgia's small towns outside of Atlanta, including Douglasville, Conyers, Jackson, Winston and Fayetteville, easily pass for the Midwest, and Jackson's intact downtown isn't a far stretch from 1983 Hawkins on film.
