My deep rooted love of South Dekalb: A vision for a vibrant, safe, and affordable Dekalb

Introduction:
My roots in South DeKalb run deep. Both of my parents attended Toney Elementary and graduated from Southwest DeKalb High School. As a kid, I spent countless hours at my grandmother’s side while she worked at Davidson’s, and later Rich’s, at South DeKalb Mall. My first Sunday school class was at Mount Carmel Christian Church on Rainbow Drive, and both of my sisters were raised on formula from Mathis Dairy. This is not a neighborhood I discovered, it’s one I was born into, several generations deep.

As an adult, I made the deliberate choice to move back to South DeKalb, into Gresham Park, from Atlanta. I chose it because of the lush tree canopy of the Atlanta Forest, my neighbors’ easy access to the South River Trail, and the vibrant cultural diversity that defines this community. It felt like coming home.

What I love about my neighborhood

The tree canopy, the trail access, and the people. Gresham Park is a working-class, majority-minority community with real character and real history not a blank slate, but a neighborhood with strong bones that has been underinvested in for decades.

What needs to change or improve

I see real potential for the Gresham Road corridor to become a walkable, dense, and active commercial corridor one with genuine retail choice, a healthy grocery option, and strong access to public transportation. Right now the corridor lacks interconnected streets and sidewalks that actually tie the neighborhood together. I want to see trail connectivity extended from the South River Trail to Intrenchment Creek, the upcoming Michelle D. Obama Park, and eventually the Atlanta BeltLine so our neighborhoods are truly linked rather than isolated pockets. A revitalized Gresham Park should complement the new development happening along Candler Road, with the kind of connectivity that makes it genuinely easy to move between neighborhoods on foot, by bus, by rail, and by car.

Walking, biking, driving, and MARTA

My MARTA experience along Gresham Road itself feels safe overall. But Bouldercrest Road is a different story there are specific stretches where bus drop-offs feel genuinely dangerous, with no sidewalks, poor lighting, and no safe place for riders to stand or cross. That corridor needs sidewalks and safer pedestrian infrastructure connecting riders to the surrounding neighborhood, not just a bus stop sign on the shoulder of a busy road.

Housing, development, and affordability

Yes, I’m concerned. Home and rental prices in the neighborhood have been climbing, and without deliberate planning, the same investment that could revitalize this corridor could just as easily price out the longtime residents who’ve been holding this community together for generations. Growth here needs to be paired with real affordability protections, not just market-rate development chasing the momentum of Candler Road.

What would make DeKalb better to live, work, raise a family, and age in place

Real interconnectivity. Sidewalks that actually connect to something. A trail network that links Gresham Park to Intrenchment Creek, Michelle D. Obama Park, and beyond. A Gresham Road corridor with a grocery store, retail choice, and jobs within walking distance. Safer transit infrastructure on corridors like Bouldercrest. And growth that comes with the affordability safeguards to make sure the people who have loved this place the longestlike my family has, for generations get to stay and benefit from it.