Atlanta ’s West End is a neighborhood that has not enjoyed a particularly prosperous history. Unlike many other parts of the city, the West End, located just north of Oakland City, did not undergo unprecedented growth this past century. In fact, the people populating the area from the mid Nineteenth Century were poor laborers who were driven out of the main city due to high living costs. Very few households were erected on the spot for quite some time, and for more than 100 years, the West End of the otherwise very successful city, lay in relative shambles while its few residents (around 150 households) struggled to make ends meet. In the 1960s and 70s, this was still pretty much the case although following this period the city started to put more money into the area.
When the City of Atlanta began to invest in the West End, the area was spruced up somewhat and a housing area now known largely as ‘The Met’ was built. The Met is actually called the Candler-Smith Historic Warehouse District, and it is this complex that houses many people in commercial and residential lofts, as well as hosting several art galleries. Tourism agents will still warn you, however, that this is the most dangerous part of Atlanta and despite the influx of City money and new residents; it is an area that most people prefer to avoid. The crime rate is astoundingly high, with statistics for personal crime, murder, rape, robbery, assault, property crime, burglary, larceny and automotive theft hitting average risk numbers that are far above average.
The total population of the area has rocketed to just under 54,000 - a drastic change from its humble roots. Local amenities include the William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport, Atlanta Technical College and Morehouse College. City planners hope that in the near future more money will be invested in the area so that safety measures can be heightened, commercial development could take further hold and the West End might start to be a place people want to visit or possibly even live in.