If you live in America — and if you’re reading this you probably do — you will likely spend this Thursday enjoying a good dinner and giving thanks with family and friends. But Nov. 27 has a different significance for Kathy Boehmer and John Reed. Thursday will mark the two-year anniversary of their opening Toscano and Sons Italian Market, changing it from a century-old animal barn into an attractive Italian dining room. In Atlanta’s rejuvenated Midtown West, they’re not the only ones who have reason to celebrate.

During the past decade, under the direction of Richard Martin and developer George Rohrig, Midtown West underwent the extensive Phase I renovation, changing it from a crumbling cluster of old buildings to a hip, attractive neighborhood. The goal is to keep the historic buildings wherever possible and instate new architectural plans where necessary. The result is a spread of architectural designs spanning a century, providing a beautiful and eclectic setting.

“It’s the most happening place right now, really booming,” said Boehmer. “There’s lots of expanding still going on.”

Howell Mill Road, Marietta Street, Brady Avenue and 10th Street surround the area, which is located slightly south of Georgia Tech. Midtown West began its revitalization in the early 1990s and now offers many of the same attractions as communities such as Virginia Highlands without the intimidating price tag.

Today, the area is nice and feels safe to walk around, though there are still broken-down stores well within walking distance. The complex of stores provides plenty of parking along with a security guard. Farther down Marietta Street are large buildings that provide housing for Georgia State and Georgia Tech students. The apartments look new, clean and fitting in this up-and-coming neighborhood.

Before its slow decline during the mid 1900s, though, Midtown West was a very different community. It was the center of livestock meat processing in the Southeastern United States, and the nearby railroad provided a way to ship products all over the region. Buildings that still stand were once used for barns, leather tanning and meat processing.

The Brickworks is also on Marietta Street. Still standing tall, the building was once the home of the Palmer Brick Company, which dates back to the 1880s. Various companies used the buildings during the years as furniture warehouses and showrooms and to store farm equipment.

In the early 1990s, buildings started reopening. For instance, across the street The Kiang Gallery opened in 1993 and is still going strong, though it are now far more individualized, featuring a number of installation pieces by contemporary artists. Sleek and white inside with dark slate floors and bright lighting, the gallery currently has Vista, a collection of light fixtures by award-winning contemporary artist Diane Roney. Roney, who lives locally, works on an international scale, and also has a studio in Beijing, China. The series of black framed, brightly colored images, so sleek and modern in appearance, offer a stark but beautiful contrast to the old brick buildings outside the window.

With the hip and modern buildings on all sides, there is no hint any longer that this was a hive of the meat packing industry: Sweaty men in big leather aprons have been replaced by lanky, lightly bearded men in skinny jeans, plaid shirts and square-rimmed glasses.

Most places sport recycling bins, and there is even an “Earth friendly” store called ecoEMPORIUM. The self-named “bazaar of sorts” carries food as well as soaps, pet toys and beds, covering a fair range of daily activities. Shopping here is a one-way ticket to a green lifestyle (as long as you buy everything in the store).

The Gear Revival, a sporting goods store across the street from ecoEMPORIUM, also subscribes to the importance of reuse — as well as lower prices.

Unlike the typical high-end sports wear, The Gear Revival features affordable, new and slightly-used outdoor wear and gear, from Nalgene bottles to North Face wear. All the fixtures in the store are from Coca-Cola, donated from the Olympics, making the place closer to Emory than it might initially appear.

“It’s a young area, and it’s growing and changing right now,” Todd Combs, one of the store’s three employees, said. “In this location we get lots of exposure.”

They’re not the only ones. Boutiques, a salon and soon a Five Seasons brewery all line the streets. Sporting attractive and colorful signs with shiny and contemporary-looking interiors to contrast with their brick storefronts, the area is fascinating not just for its history, but also its current diversity and success.

The district also features a number of galleries. For instance, the Emily Amy Gallery is one of four art galleries in the Brickworks community off Marietta Street. Emily Amy Gallery deals in contemporary fine art and is currently displaying Nature Interpreted. The exhibition focuses on five local artists’ natural works.

“It’s a young part of town, and this kind of art really fits in here,” Emily Amy, owner of the gallery, said.

And if the visitor gets tired of the sleek, minimal interiors of the white smooth-lined galleries, there is always the Octane Coffee Bar and Lounge. Open late, Octane provides coffee and food as well as a selection of alcoholic drinks. It also offers free wireless Internet and is, therefore, usually packed with enough laptops to outfit a small Best Buy. In keeping with the surrounding galleries, the store features a local artist every month and displays the artist’s pieces on the brick walls of the interior. With high ceilings and dim lighting, the place is cozy and provides many plush chairs that will put you to sleep in an instant.

And there’s more to eat if you want a warm, hearty meal. The Toscano and Sons Italian Market offers Italian food for a wide price range, as well as a variety of breads, cheeses, jams and so on. The owners were drawing to the building’s old-style feel.

“[We’re] creating a little village, which is new for the West Side,” said Boehmer. “If people do it right, this area won’t become just another Buckhead or overpriced Virginia Highlands.”

— Contact Frances Allitt.