The District at Howell Mill

Located conveniently near the I-​85/​I-​75 intersection. The District at Howell Mill is a shopping destination on the Westside. The shopping center features large shops such Walmart, TJ Maxx, Ross, PetSmart (awww…so cute when they have the pets out to be adopted, don’t tempt me!, Office Depot, and Ulta. There are also dining establishments such as La Parilla, Teriyaki Experience, Subway, Starbucks, and Central City Tavern. Other retail/​services includes Massage Envy, Verizon, nail salon, etc. There are two levels of parking and lots on both sides of the Walmart. Busy on the weekends, but I love that I can stop in one area and get alot done. Kroger is also in the connected shopping center with other retail/​dining.

I’ll be honest. I used to dislike this area of West Midtown, but it has grown on me. Why? Well… when I have one of those days where I just want to park my car, walk around, shop & eat, walk around again, and have a casual drink/​tea, this place has been the best place to go.
1. There’s a ton of parking. Everywhere. It’s hard not to get a spot. Drivers need to be careful. People walk a lot here. TAKE A CHILL PILL; it’s not a race to get inside one of the shops. Sheesh. I mean, I know some folks tend to be so oblivious when walking in a parking lot, but some of the drivers really need to slow down. :(
2. Not going to lie — Wally World, Kroger, Sbux, La Parilla, and etc. why not? Shop, Eat, and Drink. DONE!
3. You can also take a casual walk to Chipotle, Food Trucks, and other places from here. I do it sometimes when I have a long day at work and I just want to get some fresh air. Not a bad way to end your day. It’s maybe .5 of a mile walk.
4. The highway is right there. That thing is awesome.
It can get a little congested around this area, but it doesn’t take long to move. The traffic lights are great here and are rarely broken.

A few good stores… ULTA 3, America’s Best, TJ Maxx. Be careful in the parking lot, some of these cars drive crazy!

Parking sucks! That is all.

This place has really grown on me. The new traffic light configuration is awesome (especially if you’re leaving and need to get back in I-​75) and parking is really convenient. The main draw for me is Walmart, but Office Depot has come in handy more than once.
I’m still trying to figure out how the apartments connect here… or why you would want to live somewhere that attached, but I digress.
Central City Tavern relocated here after their original location on Peachtree Road closed. The nachos are still awesome. Also, La Parilla is pretty good too.

In the steaming midst of six o’clock traffic rests an oasis of consumer bliss, The District at Howell Mill. Should you find yourself on the verge of a nervous seizure as you gaze over the horizon of steel and wheel sitting at a standstill, pull off and pamper yourself with an hour of stupefying consumption.
This complex has it all: clothing farms full of unheard-​of brands crammed in tight rows and dizzing circulars at TJ Maxx and Ross; the requisite Mexican margarita factory and its obese patronage (you’ll know it by the sucking sounds); a blaze of cheap one-​off shops advertising nail polish and tawdry footwear; and the obligatory office superstore, designed to demolish your modest optimism about life as you pace down isles of corporate debris – colorless, nameless, endlessly itemized and sure to empty whatever vestiges of creative inspiration you have left. And all of it enveloping the ferocious and fiery tarmac, busily consuming every last glint of thermodynamic energy, immolating unwitting pedestrians as they migrate across its Saharan shelves.
No matter. Once inside one of the clothing warehouses, you’ll find yourself among peers – those untidy duplicates grazing along isles of lycra and microfiber, searching for that special item for that special someone – themselves!!! Once you’ve bagged your daily limit of tees and pleated 40-​inchers, you can brave the blaze for a quick and harmless passage to one of the numerous lunch destinations embracing the block. Just the other day I entered the breezy corridor of Artuzzi’s, an Italian-​themed chain.
My interaction with the cashier/​order-​taker was only slightly malign. She spent the first minute of our face-​to-​face gazing abstractedly at a couple of other aimless co-​workers, who were discussing issues of supreme importance. Finally, feeling my hot breath on her name tag, she turned and bleated, «Can you be helped?» or something of that kind. I ordered, she handed me my ticket. End of exchange. Next time upon entering I will simply say, «How can I be of inconvenience to you today?» That should get the proceedings off on better footing.
My toasted Italian ciabatta sandwich, however, was sublime. I’ve never had such warmly and perfectly toasted bread; it crumbles deliciously at the touch of teeth. Satisfied, I emerged again into the ultraviolet fire and managed my way back to the car, which had not burst into flames as I had predicted, but simply sat roasting in a row of other fire hazards. I climbed in, commenced massive perspiration, and drove home, the infernal freeway now clean and clear…

The District now in my mind refers to the area right off Howell Mill where you want to slit your wrists due to heavy traffic. This little section of town has always had problems due to the condensing of a 2 lane road into one at a busy intersection, which causes stop-​start garbage at most hours.
Now add to that this mega shopping center including every cookie cutter shop you can imagine, and you’re asking for a nosebleed. Whoever designed the traffic flow in this place is just a complete idiot.
I do like having a 24 hour WalMart close to downtown, and the Mexican Restaurant here is actually quite good. But it will take after-​hour shopping before I come near this complex again. It’s just not worth the clog.

Super Wal-​Mart has made its way to the heart of the city in The District at Howell Mill. The District at Howell Mill is a brand new shopping center off I-​75 and Howell Mill Road. Shops include Pet Smart, Ross, TJ Maxx, Office Depot, Ulta and Artuzzi’s. Several other shops are scheduled to open in early 2007.
The District at Howell Mill is easily accessible and convenient if you live or work in Atlanta. The developers created a very useful and appealing strip mall. Super Wal-​Mart is at the basin of the mall with a two large covered parking decks. All of the other retailers are directly above Super Wal-​Mart. Somehow Atlanta has managed to introduce yet another structure that is deceivingly two levels but actually looks like one from Howell Mill Road.
The District at Howell Mill is a very nice marketplace. It’s great because you don’t have to go all the way to Buckhead or Perimeter; you can save some gas and stay in Midtown. Now there is another shopping alternative. For more information about this wonderful new strip mall visit
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