About Sylvan Hills

Sylva, Latin for “forest”, describes the dense tree canopy that shades the streets and homes of Sylvan Hills. Once part of the Perkerson and Gilbert land holdings that are believed to date to 1831, Sylvan Hills as a neighborhood was established around 1920 during a post-WWI building boom.

Atlanta Technical College

Education

Sylvan Hills offers access to educational opportunities at all levels. Perkerson Elementary School at 2040 Brewer Blvd., serves the Sylvan Hills and surrounding neighborhoods. Its principal, Dr. Sean Bender, is proud that the school offers unique educational programs such as Spanish Dual Immersion beginning in kindergarten. Sylvan Middle School serves middle grades and is currently building a new campus  at its original location of 1461 Sylvan Rd to be ready for class in August 2015.  Principal Portee is enthusiastic about the new building and the positive impact it will have on the student’s learning and educational experience.

Sylvan Hills is also home to the Atlanta Technical College and Atlanta Metropolitan College campuses at 1630 Metropolitan Parkway. Although not in the neighborhood but in proximity is the Atlanta University Center, a cluster of historically black colleges and universities, Morehouse, Spelman, and Clark Atlanta, that are in the West End neighborhood to the north. Even Georgia State University in downtown Atlanta and Georgia Tech are easily accessible from Sylvan Hills thanks to MARTA and local roadways.

Fort McPherson

Commercial Districts

​Commercial districts in the West End neighborhood to the north and the City of East Point’s downtown area to the south provide shopping, dining, and banking opportunities. The Metropolitan Parkway corridor also holds possibilities for future commercial development thanks to neighborhood activists’ efforts to discourage negative businesses and activities and to its investment-encouraging tax allocation district designation. An industrial corridor along the railroad tracks on the neighborhood’s western edge is home to companies such as Kraft Foods/Nabisco and Unilever. The redevelopment of Fort McPherson located on Lee Street adjacent to the Sylvan Hills Neighborhood is a large effort driven the McPherson Implementation Local Redevelopment Authority (MILRA). A large portion of the 400+ acre land is being negotiated with Tyler Perry Studios as a anchor location for their administrative offices, post production and sound stages.

Getting Here

With Sylvan Road as a major artery through the neighborhood’s heart, Sylvan Hills is bordered on the north end by Arden and Deckner Avenues, to the west by Murphy Avenue, to the east by Interstate 75/85 (Downtown Connector), and to the south by Langford Parkway (Hwy 166).
Click here for a list of the streets of Sylvan Hills.

​Sylvan Hills continues to be a vibrant, diverse, affordable, and convenient in-town neighborhood located minutes from downtown and midtown Atlanta and the Atlanta Station retail district off of Northside Drive. Sylvan Hills is a popular location for airport professionals because it provides an easy commute to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport without the air traffic noise. Two Marta stations—Lakewood-Ft. McPherson and Oakland City—are readily accessible on the neighborhood’s western edge—a transportation region that will be connected to Atlanta’s future Beltline project.

Surrounding Neighborhoods​

Capitol View, Capitol View Manor, Westview and Adair Park are three historic neighborhoods north of Sylvan Hills along the Metropolitan Parkway corridor are not just good neighbors but represent some of Atlanta’s earliest suburbs. Sylvan Hills partners with our neighbors to host multiple community events and build great friendships.