The people have spoken, the stakes are enormous, and Urbanize’s third-annual Best Atlanta Neighborhood tourney is about to begin!

As part of our efforts to spotlight the latest and greatest of Atlanta’s built environment, the time has come to start the most important quest of all: Crowning the city's top neighborhood of the year, as determined by whatever criteria you see fit.

To come up with Best Atlanta Neighborhood 2023 seeding, we asked for neighborhood nominations over the past week on the homepage, Twitter, Facebook, and now Instagram (where exactly zero nominations were cast). Dozens of reader votes flooded in, from Peoplestown to Stone Mountain Village and LaVista Park—and beyond. Forty-two places earned nods overall (“Dildoville,” The Bluff, and “Anywhere But Kirkwood” not included).

Summerhill takes pole position in 2023 with the most nominations of any neighborhood, followed by Midtown and—in a move that’s sure to piss off Atlanta’s urbanist hordes—a contestant that nominators insisted be listed as West Midtown.

The venerable field of 16 for 2023, as determined by reader nominations over the past week. Urbanize Atlanta

Interestingly, last year’s champion and current Golden Urby Chalice of Champions holder, Avondale Estates, didn’t garner enough nominations for the 2023 contest. (Just one nomination total). Ditto for 2021’s winner, mighty Mozley Park.

That means there’s plenty of room for fresh blood this year, with places like Edgewood, Cascade Heights, and Hapeville (yes, ITP cities are allowed) making their tourney debuts.

So this is your Sweet 16. Get your neighborhood pride ready, ATL. First round of competition begins tomorrow! 

Any predictions? 

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The hallowed pantheon of Best Atlanta Neighborhood tournament winners:

2011: Inman Park

2012: Old Fourth Ward

2013: Kirkwood 

2014: Reynoldstown 

2015: West End

2016: East Atlanta  

2017: West End (again)

2018-2020: (forced hiatus)

2021: Mozley Park

2022: Avondale Estates

2023: TBD 

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• All hail Avondale Estates, your 2022 tournament champion! (Urbanize Atlanta)