With its 1910 to 1940s bungalows and cottages and its convenience to local eateries, shops, and transit (MARTA), East Lake has enjoyed a rebirth in recent years.
This helped to increase the demand for the small cottage lots, many of which were bought by Atlantans, around the lake to escape the city during the summer months.
In 1899 Asa Candler, who was then building Coca-Cola into a national icon, started using agents to secretly buy up the land around the lake and surrounding area.
The Atlanta Athletic Club (AAC) began looking for land to build a country location in 1902, and was stirred by one of Candler's agents to buy 280 acres (1.1 km2).
As a result, in the late 1990s the neighborhood began to attract young urbanites who eagerly bought the charming homes and changed the residential character of the area, subjecting East Lake to a dramatic property value inflation of 230%.
The park is the pride of the community, with newly renovated tennis courts, and little league ball field, and is very active use most weekends.
In 2009, community members started the East Lake Farmers Market (ELFMarket) at the empty commercial intersection of 2nd Avenue and Hosea L. Williams Drive.
The ELFMarket has evolved into 501(c)-3 not for profit charity that seeks to build community through food, hosting charity cook offs, offering reduced cost fresh produce, partnering in the community to try to improve health outcomes, and bringing together area neighbors Saturday mornings April through October each year.
In 2012, the Market partnered with the Southeastern Horticultural Society to build a raised bed urban farm at the former site of a gas station.
Accomplished amateur golfers Watts Gunn, Charlie Yates, and Tommy Barnes have been residents, along with Georgia Tech coaches William Alexander and Bobby Dodd.
Destiny's Child member Kelly Rowland spent her early childhood in East Lake before relocating to Houston.
Community activist Eva Davis was among the earliest residents of the notorious East Lake Meadows housing project when she moved in with her children shortly after it opened in 1971.
She was elected president of its tenants association and she led rent strikes against the Atlanta Housing Authority (AHA) to win improvements such as better outdoor lighting, more sidewalks and a day care center.
Davis persevered in her mission of community upgrade even as dope dealers turned the housing project into a war zone with the infamous nickname of "Little Vietnam.
The facilities include a rentable event space, basketball courts, a youth playground, tennis courts, a pavilion with grills and picnic tables, an enormous open green space, and The Birds Nest - a baseball field owned by Atlanta softball team the Edgewood Ghetto Birds.