Vista Grove, Georgia facts for kids
Vista Grove is a friendly neighborhood located in the middle of DeKalb County, Georgia, in the United States. It's a place where people live, and it's not officially a city on its own. You can find it north and northeast of Decatur, a suburb of Atlanta. Sometimes people call the whole area Oak Grove, but Oak Grove is really just one part of Vista Grove. Another area called North Briarcliff is also on the northern edge of this community.
Vista Grove has many different smaller neighborhoods inside it. It's mainly centered around where LaVista Road and Oak Grove Road meet. Vista Grove is south of Interstate 85, east of Clairmont Road, and west of the Northlake shopping area. It is also north of the CSX railroad tracks and North Decatur Road. Part of Vista Grove is also within the North Decatur area.
Shopping and Fun Spots
Vista Grove has a small group of shops right where LaVista Road and Oak Grove Road cross. You'll find the "Vista Grove Shopping Center" there. But there are also two bigger shopping areas nearby. The Toco Hill Shopping Center is to the west, and Northlake Mall is to the east, both on LaVista Road.
Inside Vista Grove, you'll find a place called Echo Lake. It's located where Briarcliff Road and Briarlake Road meet. Even though many people see Echo Lake when they drive by, it's not a public park or a place for swimming and boating.
A Look Back: Vista Grove's History
Long ago, the roads we use today were very different. Clairmont Road was once a path used by Native Americans. LaVista Road was a trail for moving cattle. In the 1800s, DeKalb County had many dairy farms. One famous farm, Nalley’s Farm, had both dairy cows and horses. It was located where the Winston Place condominiums are now. A street called Nalley Circle is named after this old farm. There was even an old house from the American Civil War era in the Spring Creek area.
Two important old churches in the community were Mt. Zion AME Church and Oak Grove Methodist Church. Mt. Zion AME Church was started by freed slaves and was a key place for the African-American community. Oak Grove Methodist Church began in 1836.
By the mid-1900s, the cities of Atlanta and Decatur had grown much larger. New neighborhoods, like Leafmore-Creek Park Hills, started to be built in the 1950s. Toco Hill, which was mostly just a country store before, grew into a big shopping center for cars. Over time, central DeKalb County changed from a quiet suburban area to a busy part of the city.
