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text & photography by KATHRYN MCCRARY
Hi everyone! My name is Kathryn McCrary and I am a food, fashion, and brand photographer based in Atlanta, Georgia. Atlanta is such a fun city to live in because there are so many different neighborhoods with unique vibes and cultures. The people are great and I love the creative community we have. We may not be New York or LA, but I like to think that our creativity is special since it comes with a little Southern hospitality on the side.
I love all of Atlanta, but I’m definitely partial to the Westside, where I live with my husband and wild pup, Penny. We love our neighborhood and how the Westside continues to change from it’s industrial days to a hip in town neighborhood with so many exciting new shops and restaurants. Here are some of my fave spots, so be sure to come visit us in the A!
This iconic warehouse sits right behind the popular Westside Provisions District and I love the authentic industrial exterior and the white and black lettering. I hope this building never changes! (@westsideprovisions)
Brick+Mortar is an amazing shop with vintage goods found and curated by owner David Kowalski. I love the vibe in his shop and how it’s always changing with new pieces he finds during his travels. (@thisisbrickandmortar)
Another favorite shop at Westside Provisions District is Ann Mashburn. Aesthetically it is a gorgeous bright white store and Ann’s fashion balance of fem meets tomboy is effortlessly cool. Ann and Sid are now in a few different cities, but Westside is their first location which makes it even more special. When you go, make sure to pop over to the men’s side, Sid Mashburn, and check out their awesome record collection and huge giraffe. (@sidandannmashburn)
Now I enjoy shopping, but let’s not forget that the best part of traveling is eating. My favorite healthy pick up at Westside Provisions is the green smoothie from Dtox Juice. (@dtoxjuice)
If the weather is nice, my favorite happy hour and dinner al fresco is at JCT Bar. The angry mussels are the best in the entire city, and the atmosphere is great with live music on the patio overlooking the train tracks and skyline. Not to mention the typography on their menu is perfect. (@jctkitchenandbar)
For a really indulgent meal and experience, you need to go to Marcel. The old school steakhouse is named after a French boxer from the 1940s, so think dark velvet, dim lights, and a lot of gold details. The steak and pommes frites are so good and it has a really cool bar area and not to miss bathroom!
If seafood is more your style, then The Optimist is where you need to go for a splurge dinner. The oyster bar is gorgeous with the light blue octopus and light wood bar and ceiling. The main dining area is equally gorgeous with walls of white
and dark accents. The oysters, scallops, and brussel sprouts are a must!
One of the newer shops to open on the Westside is Cover Books. Finally, Atlanta has a cool bookstore for all the small print magazines and interesting coffee table books. The interior is beautiful, with lots of natural light and exposed brick. Their branding and packaging details are also amazing.
My favorite coffee shop on the Westside is Octane Coffee with a great industrial feel and relaxed vibe (and right across from Cover Books!). They also carry my favorite doughnuts, Sublime. They sell out quickly, but don’t worry if you miss out; Sublime is only a few minutes away and has even more varieties of their yummy doughnut creations. My personal faves are the strawberries and creme and the nutella flavors. (@octanecoffee) (@sublimedoughnuts)
Another fun area on the Westside is Atlanta’s own Little Italy. There are lots of great options to choose from like Gio’s Chicken, Antico (pizza), Caffe Antico (gelato), and Bar Amalfi. Gio’s Little Italy has some of the best Italian food in the city, and the decor really plays to that authentic and laid back Italian style. (@gioantico)
I’ll end my tour of West Midtown with the beautiful High Museum of Art. It’s modern and striking white exterior and interior make the museum stand out amongst all the midtown buildings. The spiraling white staircase takes you to floors filled with time period paintings and artifacts as well as new exhibits that change throughout the year.
(@highmuseumofart)
Hope you enjoyed my little guide to Atlanta’s West Midtown neighborhood! Tag me on Instagram if you visit any of my fave spots. I’d love to see your snaps. Happy traveling and eating!