Village Lights Up for the Holidays
If you’ve admired the display of holiday lights in the Village Plaza and roundabout this year, thanks go to everyone who donated and attended EVA’s Light Up the Village benefit event in November. More than 75 neighbors and friends —the largest attendance to date – joined the gathering at Double Zero. DeKalb County Commissioner Michelle Long Spears and state representatives Omari Crawford and Mary Margaret Oliver joined local civic leaders to celebrate Emory Village at its third annual Light Up the Village celebration.
The holiday lights are just one of many projects initiated and implemented by the Emory Village Alliance to make the village a welcoming gathering place, EVA Chair Don Walter (see photo below) told attendees. More improvements are in store for 2026.
Park Free Evenings, Weekends
Emory University allows visitors to park, at no charge, in Emory’s Oxford Road and Fioshburne Deckss after business hours and on weekends in order to patronize events and restaurants in Emory Village.
The Oxford Road Visitor’s Deck, located at 1390 Oxford Road and attached to Barnes & Noble bookstore and Starbucks, is available all-day Saturday and Sunday, and after 7 p.m. Monday-Friday.
The Fishburne Deck, on Fishburne Lane, via Dowman Drive, is next to the Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts. It is available all-day Saturday and Sunday, and after 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Please note: If Emory has an on-campus event requiring use of the decks, parking may not be available. Find out what’s happening on campus here.
Seeking Living Solutions for Unhoused Population
Emory Village has become a de facto residence for several “unhoused" individuals. In response to requests from merchants, property owners, and residents, Emory Village Alliance has taken a leadership role to understand the issues and craft a response to ensure Emory Village remains a safe and desirable part of the community.
EVA has met with both public and private stakeholders to determine a reasonable and effective response. As of this writing, EVA is collaborating with the Druid Hills Civic Association, Emory, DeKalb County, OLPA, and the Druid Hills Patrol as well as Intown Cares, a non-profit providing services to the unhoused population (www.intowncares.org).
“We've had early success relocating unhoused residents to temporary housing and ancillary services,”said Mark Harold, EVA vice chair. “EVA and these neighborhood organizations will continue to reiterate our response to ensure your experience in the village is safe and welcoming. We expect to share a more comprehensive plan with the community in the near future.”
DeKalb Approves Guide for Village Improvements
Sizes of living units and offices, a small hotel, parking requirements, and allowable types of businesses are among the issues addressed by the new revised Zoning Overlay and Design Standards for the Village. Recently approved by the DeKalb County Commission and the Historic Preservation Commission, those changes are expected to attract positive development to the Village.
Cleaning Up the Creek
A $25K grant from DeKalb County Commissioner Michelle Long Spear's office is helping restore the creek bank along Peavine Creek in Emory Village, says the SouthFork Conservancy.
That tributary of Peachtree Creek has suffered extensive erosion of the creek banks, dumping runoff and trash into the creek and setting up a cascade of events that are choking off its life.
SouthFork plans to stabilize the creek bank in Emory Village near Panera Restaurant and install a trash trap and rain garden to slow down and absorb storm water. It will plant native trees and build an overlook.
Coca-Cola, Emory Village Alliance, HammerSmith, Druid Hills Civic Association and other donors financed the initial phase of this project that produced engineering and planning documents and a topographical survey of the area.
Photo: SouthFork Conservancy board members Patrick Dean, Warner McConoughey, Mike St. Louis and EVA board member Rich Brasher install a liter trap on Peavine Creek in the Village.
South Oxford Project Envisions Safer Access, Outdoor Dining
DeKalb County recently began implementing the Oxford streetscape improvement project. The project has been at the top of Emory Village Alliance’s to-do list” since EVA first proposed it in June of 2015.
The design realigns the head-on parking in front of shops on Oxford to be parallel like the rest of the parking on the street. This makes the sidewalk safe for pedestrian movement and creates outdoor dining space in from of the restaurants.
Many thanks to Emory which has donated and installed plants in the landscaping strip next to the new curb.
Fall Festival Draws Crowds to Annual Emory Village Event
Hundreds of neighbors and friends of all ages converged on the village on Sunday, October 26, for what many called the best festival ever put on by the Emory Village Alliance. There was lots of fun for the whole family – bubbles galore, the costume parade, Glenn Church’s trunk or treat, food, games, face painting and more. Adults enjoyed the vendors, music and adult beverages.
Realtor Amy Tozer promoted thanksgiving laundry basket gift donations at EVA’s Fall Festival.. Each basket included food for a family dinner and a $30 gift card for a turkey and other provisions. At least 25-30 were collected that evening at Savi.
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Painting Pottery is Popular Pastime at All Fired Up
The owners of All Fired Up knew what they had to do for the popular Emory Village pottery painting business to survive the COVID19 pandemic.
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Crosswalk Repairs Complete
Textured asphalt that replicates the appearance of brick has made crosswalks in the Village safer to navigate and they look good too.
Work began last April on repairing the crosswalks on North Decatur Road in the Village.
The crosswalk replacement is among Village projects carried out by the county at the request of the Emory Village Alliance which long advocated to have hazardous and unsightly problems with the crosswalks addressed. The county also recently replaced bollards and repaired bent trash cans and crossing signals.
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Free Sunscreen in the Village
It’s winter but the sun’s ultra violet rays are still strong. So the next time you’re in Emory Village Plaza, be sure to use the free sunscreen in a dispenser recently installed by Impact Melanoma and sponsored by the Emory Village Alliance. IMPACT Melanoma is the nation’s leading non-profit dedicated to significantly reducing the incidence of melanoma in the United States and saving lives.
Emory Village's Vibrant Music Scene
Athens is well-known for turning out popular music acts like REM and the B-52s, but many people today don’t know that Emory Village once had its own vibrant music scene.
A number of nationally known Atlanta acts got their start or played in the village including Michelle Malone, the headliner at the Coca-Cola Clean Up the Creek Concert in 2023.
Others with early Village ties are the Black Crowes, the Indigo Girls, and…
How Emory Village Grew behind Druid Hills Golf Club
As Emory University grew and people moved to Druid Hills, a shopping area known first as “The Stores” and later as “The Village” or “Emory Village” was established. Read more .
Other Voices: Is the Village on a Path to Become a 'Mini’ Downtown Decatur?
The Emory Village Alliance’s successful three-year-campaign to create a new zoning overlay could result in new development, vibrancy and housing in Emory Village.
Neighbors Celebrate at Concert in Emory Village
The bands played, the kids frolicked, neighbors got together to picnic and reconnect. It was a perfect late April day to relax to the vibes of the Coca-Cola Clean Up the Village Concert.
A Welcoming Gathering Space
