As a child growing up in Buckhead, the place seemed so small. It seemed like anything I’d ever need was just a few minutes away. Three of places I most often associate with my childhood, The A&P grocery store, Tommy’s Barber Shop, and Wender & Roberts, were in the same shopping center located just miles from my house. Perhaps the places we grew up will always seem small in our memories. But, during a recent project my childish, utopian concept of a “Buckhead-Suburbia” was seriously tested.

It was one thing for Buckhead to experience significant growth since my childhood. I could deal with that. It’s actually quite easy to see things and places that are close grow with you. But when we look back, through the lens of our childhood, it can be difficult to face the reality that our memories...even our existence...were hardly eventful in the long, nuanced history of something much larger than ourselves. There’s no doubt; history can be as unkind as it is comforting.

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When I found out I’d be helping a company market auto insurance in Atlanta & Buckhead, I managed to merge two of my passions; history and graphic design. (The final result is the graphic you see. You can view the entire graphic here.)

The project was challenging. But very few things of worth, personal or professional, come easily. 

During the research, I learned all kinds of things about Buckhead. (For example, if it weren’t for the “Georgia Clay," Buckhead might not even exist.) But the best part, by far, was something I didn’t expect. I was forced, by the nature of the project, to acknowledge the aforementioned lesson about history. But, I understood that no matter how high or vast the skylines reach, in my memories Buckhead will always be the childhood playground I love so much.