While its face is toward the future, Riverside also claims an uncommon past. Two hundred years ago, Riverside and its surroundings were home to settlements of Cherokee and Creek Indians. By the time the Civil War broke out, Riverside was a working plantation, known as the Spink Estate. According to legend, Mr. Spink buried his gold on the estate during the war to protect it from Union soldiers - a story that even today lures the occasional gold seeker, but the gold has never been found.

During the early 1900s, Riverside grew into a bustling community with its own grocery, drug store, movie theater and "feed & seed" store, all in addition to Flippins' and the bowling alley, which hosted many neighborhood talent shows. The 1960s and 70s brought more changes along with an influx of new people.

As the residents changed, so too did the face of the community. Many original local businesses shut down and were not replaced. Riverside seemed to be a forgotten neighborhood, tucked away on Atlanta’s northwest side surrounded by industrial space and railroads lines.

There were those, however, who did not forget Riverside, both long-time residents and new neighbors. In part through their efforts to ensure that the neighborhood’s needs were met, an influx of new people has discovered Riverside.

Today, fresh energy is revitalizing the area. The neighborhood now hosts new traditions including an annual spring cleanup, and undoubtedly others will be established. With the advent of One Riverside, the corner of Main Street and Hollywood Road will once again be the focal point of this historic community.