# Belvedere Park, Georgia

Belvedere Park is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 15,113 at the 2020 census.

## Geography

Belvedere Park is located at 33°44′56″N 84°15′35″W﻿ / ﻿33.74889°N 84.25972°W﻿ / 33.74889; -84.25972 (33.748855, -84.259617). It is bordered by:
* the Atlanta neighborhood of East Lake to the west
* the cities of Avondale Estates and Decatur to the north
* the Candler-McAfee CDP to the south
According to the United States Census Bureau, Belvedere Park has a total area of 5.0 square miles (13 km$^2$), all land.

## History

Belvedere Park emerged beginning in 1952 as a planned community with schools, parks, and a shopping center. It continued to grow and expand throughout the decade.

### Housing tracts

In 1958, the Atlanta Journal advertised houses in Belvedere Park for between $11,000 and $14,800. One ad proclaimed:
   “Buy a Home in Belvedere Park with a 100% GI Loan - A Complete Established Community of Distinction and Quality Convenient to Everything.”
A majority of homes in Belvedere Park are one-story and while some are traditional red brick ranch homes, contemporary style houses were also built. Homes were built by the Embry Brothers. Adair Realty and Loan, a powerful real estate company in Atlanta during the early to mid 20th century, represented Belvedere Park.

### Belvedere Motel

The Belvedere Motel, operated by the renowned Dinkler Hotel Corporation, opened with telephones and large screen televisions in every room. The motel claimed to be “dedicated to your traveling comfort” — additional amenities included a playground and a shuffleboard court.

### Opening of Rich's

In 1959, the second branch of Rich's Department Store was opened in the Belvedere Shopping Center (the first branch was opened at Lenox Square Mall). Rich's added an air of metropolitan living to the suburbs.
In 1963, Towers High School was opened and is still in operation today. Midway Park on Midway Road is a popular recreational center. It has several fields for baseball and football and a public swimming pool.

## Demographics

Belvedere Park first appeared as a census designated place in the 1980 U.S. census.
Belvedere Park, Georgia – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race. :
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
| White alone (NH) | 2,286 | 2,744 | 4,072 | 12.07% | 18.11% | 26.94% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 15,542 | 11,454 | 9,309 | 82.04% | 75.59% | 61.60% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 25 | 36 | 24 | 0.13% | 0.24% | 0.16% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 173 | 120 | 217 | 0.91% | 0.79% | 1.44% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 4 | 3 | 7 | 0.02% | 0.02% | 0.05% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 28 | 32 | 85 | 0.15% | 0.21% | 0.56% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 227 | 240 | 619 | 1.20% | 1.58% | 4.10% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 660 | 523 | 780 | 3.48% | 3.45% | 5.16% |
| Total | 18,945 | 15,152 | 15,113 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 15,113 people, 6,086 households, and 3,251 families residing in the CDP.

## Education

It is within the DeKalb County School District.
* Elementary schools: Peachcrest (in the CDP) and Snapfinger (outside of the CDP)
* Middle schools: Mary McLeod Bethune and Columbia (both outside of the CDP)
* High schools: Towers High School (in the CDP) and Columbia High School (outside of the CDP).

## Economy

The community's economy contains Belvedere Plaza, which had the second suburban Rich's department store (after Lenox Square in Atlanta), currently a market for Afro-centric sales products.