Woodland Hills

How Woodland Hills Came Together

Woodland Hills developed mostly in the 1940s through the 1960s, when Atlanta’s eastside was expanding outward from the older streetcar neighborhoods. While Kirkwood and East Atlanta were already established, Woodland Hills filled in the residential pocket between them with mid-century houses on generous lots. It never got a commercial district of its own: no strip of shops, no neighborhood bar, no corner store. That pattern stuck, and it defines the area today.

The neighborhood sits sandwiched between Kirkwood to the north, East Lake to the east, and East Atlanta to the south and west. East Lake Golf Club forms a permanent green boundary along the eastern edge. If you pull up a map, Woodland Hills looks like the quiet center of a triangle formed by three more well-known neighborhoods, and that’s exactly what it is.

Mid-Century Houses on Real Lots

The housing stock here skews later than Kirkwood’s. Instead of 1920s Craftsman bungalows, you’ll find 1940s-1960s brick ranches, frame bungalows, and split-levels. The architectural style is simpler: lower roof pitches, wider footprints, less ornamental detail. What you gain is space. Lots in Woodland Hills typically run 7,000 to 12,000 square feet, noticeably larger than what’s available a mile north in Kirkwood.

An unrenovated ranch here might have 1,200 to 1,600 square feet with 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, original hardwood floors under carpet, and a flat backyard with mature hardwoods. The brick ranches have held up well structurally, with solid foundations and layouts that respond well to renovation.

Pricing in 2025 breaks down roughly like this:

• $325K-$400K: Unrenovated or lightly updated ranches and bungalows. Original kitchens, dated bathrooms, functional but not modern. These are strong candidates for renovation. The bones are typically sound.
• $400K-$500K: Renovated homes with updated kitchens, opened-up floor plans, refinished hardwoods, and usually an expanded primary bathroom. Some have screened porches or deck additions taking advantage of the larger lots.
• $500K-$600K: Fully renovated larger homes, often with additions that push square footage past 2,000 feet. Also includes occasional new construction on infill lots. At this level, you’re competing with lower-end Kirkwood pricing but getting more land.

The value story is straightforward: you get 10 to 20 percent more house and lot for your dollar compared to Kirkwood, and you’re only a mile south.

Schools and Family Considerations

Woodland Hills is served by Atlanta Public Schools. Elementary assignments may include Burgess-Peterson Academy depending on your address. Drew Charter School, a well-regarded K-12 charter in the East Lake community, is nearby and accepts students through the APS lottery. For middle and high school, the APS feeder pattern routes to King Middle School and Maynard Jackson High School. Verify specific schools for any home you’re considering, as assignments vary by address.

The neighborhood feels family-friendly in a low-key way. Larger yards give families outdoor space that’s harder to find in denser intown neighborhoods. Bessie Branham Park (in Kirkwood) and East Lake Park are short drives away for playgrounds and sports fields.

Commuting from Woodland Hills

East Lake MARTA station is about a mile east, with downtown at Five Points in 15 minutes, the airport in 30. By car, I-20 is close via Glenwood Avenue or Flat Shoals for east-west commuting, and Moreland Avenue runs north-south to Little Five Points and Inman Park. The PATH Foundation trail system connects through this part of the eastside, and residential streets are calm enough for bike commuting to Kirkwood, EAV, or the MARTA station.

Eating, Shopping, and Running Errands

Woodland Hills has no restaurants, bars, coffee shops, or grocery stores within its borders. Everything requires a short drive:

• East Atlanta Village (5 minutes south): Argosy, Holy Taco, The Earl, Emerald City Bagels.
• Kirkwood (5 minutes north): Le Petit Marche, Sun in My Belly, Kirkwood Coffee.
• Groceries: Kroger on Moreland or Glenwood.

If you need walkable daily errands, this won’t work. If you’re fine with a 5-minute drive for coffee and dinner, the tradeoff is a quieter, cheaper home base with more space.

What’s Changing Around the Edges

Woodland Hills itself hasn’t seen dramatic development. Lots are mostly built out, and there’s no commercial zoning pushing change. The shifts are in adjacent neighborhoods: East Atlanta Village keeps adding restaurants, Kirkwood’s Hosea L Williams corridor has seen new businesses, and East Lake’s investment in Drew Charter School has raised the whole east side’s profile.

Renovation activity has picked up as buyers recognize the value gap versus Kirkwood. Flipped ranches with modern interiors are becoming more common. The overall character remains stable and residential.

The Practical Stuff

Noise is minimal, far enough from Moreland and I-20 that traffic fades into background, with no commercial activity generating evening noise. Parking is a non-issue: every home has a driveway or carport, and street parking is wide open.

Streets Worth Driving

Start on Woodland Avenue and Boulevard Drive SE for a sense of the core. The streets closest to East Lake Golf Club have the best tree canopy and privacy, with some lots backing up to the club’s green space. The blocks between Second Avenue and Hillside Avenue show a good cross-section of housing conditions. Drive it on a weekday evening for the real feel: quiet, shaded, and slower-paced than anything else this close to the city center.

Data sources: Zillow, Redfin, Walk Score. Prices reflect 2025 market conditions and are subject to change.