Best Loft Project

With so many lofts and loft-style developments going up these days, it’s possible to get picky. For those who are holding out for a reclaimed industrial space in a cool old building right where the action is, there are the recently renovated TROY-PEERLESS LOFTS. Part of the larger Glen Iris Lofts complex across a side street from City Hall East (soon to be lofts itself), Troy-Peerless is a stand-alone, 1929, art-deco, former commercial laundry. Units have exposed brick, open floor plans and mezzanine bedrooms. And it’s only a short walk to a bookstore, grocery stores, restaurants, nightclubs — and the Atlanta police records room.
650 Glen Iris Drive. 404-685-9276. www.atlantaloftco.com.

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The Highland School on North Avenue was built in 1911 and, until 1972, was a functioning school. Now home to 30 units, the HIGHLAND SCHOOL LOFTS won an Excellence in Rehabilitation Award from the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, which is almost as prestigious as this "Best Of" award. Besides living in a beautiful old building that truly deserved to be preserved, Highland School Loft occupants live in one of the few structures that actually boasts real live lofts, not brand new apartments or condos fronting as lofts. "978 North Ave." less...

Amid the rising sea of cheesy and price-inflated properties, many architectural enthusiasts lament, "Condos, condos everywhere, but not a place to live." The corridor of industrial lots between Ralph McGill and North Avenue has inspired a few notable exceptions. Joining the ranks of Copenhill Lofts and 542 Ralph McGill is an unnamed building at 651 DALLAS ST. This functional three-plex formally combines garage and living space in a vertical mass, shielding all with a unifying "brise soleil" - classic early modern. But unfortunately, unlike the intentions of that modernist exemplar, this housing is out of most people's price range. Honorable mention also goes to the less...

105 Sycamore Place, Decatur 404-377-7193 www.bradenfellman.com Yellow, horse-drawn carts once carried ice and coal to the residents of Decatur from the Atlantic Star Ice & Coal Co.'s imposing structure, built in 1926 to house its operations along the main railway line. The facility operated until the late '60s, then fell into disrepair. In 1999, Braden-Fellman Group began an extensive renovation project, converting the building into lofts as well as building additional apartments. While most lofts in the city are exclusive condo pads, the Ice House Lofts remain rentals near downtown Decatur's square. As an added feature, the Atlantic Star Brasserie is located on the ground floor of the complex and offers upscale dining to residents and other patrons. A blend of old and new, the Ice House Lofts also are in keeping with Decatur's small-town feel. less...

The General Electric supply building remained in possession and operation of its original owners for 78 years until Rick Skelton bought the structure from GE in 1995. For the past five years, the 48 units, first available for lease and now for sale, are tailored for the environmentally conscientious urban professional seeking ambiance and style. In addition to a swimming pool, residents in the historic Castleberry Hill loft come home to souped-up amenities such as electric car-charging stations, broadband wiring for an Internet connection that puts a T1 to shame, solar panels and an extensive recycling program. less...

Unlike the loft projects that spring up like overnight graffiti, Studioplex gives urban gentrification a civilized and flattering name. The Historic District Development Corp. transformed the 104-year-old Auburn Avenue warehouse into a miniature center of creation, commerce and residence for artists, starving variety included, to manufacture, display and sell their wares and works. Studioplex offers discounted rents to residents who meet certain income criteria. Once in, artists may use their home space as a workshop or a store to craft and peddle whatever they choose. Fashion designers, makeup artists, painters, glass blowers and even a guy who'll customize and redesign the interior of your car, all live and work at Studioplex. The downstairs galleries are open to the public and so are weekly Friday happy hours from 6-9 p.m. less...