As part of ongoing Best of Atlanta 2022 coverage, Urbanize’s second-annual Best Atlanta Neighborhood tournament kicked off last week with 16 places vying for the prestige of being called the city’s greatest.

Now, for each Final Four contest, voting will be open for 24 hours. Please, let’s keep the tourney fun and positive, as one neighborhood (or neighborly city) rises above the rest in very public fashion. The quest to crown a champion resumes now!

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AVONDALE ESTATES (10)

Avondale Estates' new Town Green debuted in summer 2022.

Avondale Estates, a tournament newbie, has been motivated from the get-go in 2022. After garnering enough nominations for a respectable No. 10 seed, Avondale showed Kirkwood (a Final Four contestant last year) the exit in round one. In a closer Elite Eight match this week, Avondale Estates slipped by East Atlanta, snagging 53 percent of nearly 1,400 votes cast.

In terms of 2022 highlights, Avondale welcomed the centralized park the city’s famed Tudor-style downtown had been lacking, a functional 2-acre greenspace called Town Green. Just west of there, Avondale’s brewery district continued to gain traction, with its ’Dale Ale Trail linking all watering holes together and providing inspiration for a festival. And the Olive & Pine project continued to take shape as the city’s first medley of a food hall and other uses. 

No wonder Avondale has racked up more than 2,000 votes alone so far. But logic says overcoming its next-door DeKalb County neighbor, Decatur, will require an even greater showing.

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DECATUR (14)

Decatur's New Talley Station townhome project, priced from the $400,000s.

The second contestant in this sibling rivalry is no stranger to strong performances in year-end, criteria-free tournaments. Which helps explain why Decatur has been dethroning higher-seeded challengers since the beginning. That included No. 3 seed Reynoldstown in round one (in a surprisingly lopsided affair) and then Poncey-Highland in a closer match during Elite Eight action.

For Decatur, 2022 highlights included improving its bicycling infrastructure, updating an architectural landmark, welcoming a slate of stylish new townhomes near transit, and nearly completing about 200 new (but pricey) housing options at the cusp of downtown, among other happenings. Oh, and Porchfest in Oakhurst seemed bigger and better than ever in '22.

Will Decatur prove itself worthy of that unofficial slogan and be greater this time? We shall see.

(POLLING HAS CLOSED AFTER 24 HOURS. Thanks to all who participated, and congrats to AVONDALE ESTATES, which advances to the 2022 CHAMPIONSHIP round. The final contest starts this afternoon!)