Bowen Choice Neighborhood

After 16 years, Bowen Homes is entering a new chapter as Ariel Place at Bowen.

Following years of planning, community engagement and redevelopment efforts, this film tells the story of Bowen Homes in Atlanta, the community that made it home and the people helping shape its future.

Through the voices of former residents, historians, community leaders and development partners, the documentary reflects on Bowen Homes’ history, its legacy and the vision for Ariel Place at Bowen.

More than a housing development, Bowen Homes was a community built on relationships, family, resilience and shared memories. As Atlanta Housing moves forward with the redevelopment of the former Bowen Homes site, preserving that history and honoring the people who lived there remain central to the vision for what comes next.

The new name, Ariel Place at Bowen, honors Ariel Serena Hedges Bowen, an Atlanta educator, community leader and advocate whose legacy reflects the important contributions of women to Atlanta’s history.

From memories of the original Bowen Homes community to the planning, engagement and redevelopment happening today, this film captures a pivotal moment in the story of one of Atlanta’s most recognized communities.

Honoring legacy. Celebrating community. Building the next chapter.

Watch the full story here.

Meet the future leaders of Atlanta! 💙

Representing Bowen Choice Neighborhoods and the James Allen Community Scholarship Association, these scholars earned GPAs ranging from 3.5 to 4.0 while working toward their dreams.

Watch here: https://youtube.com/shorts/yDlX99vQJdg?is=vpWxythU3GPvclwH

Transformation doesn't always begin with a ribbon cutting. Sometimes, it starts with neighbors, volunteers, plants, mulch, and people willing to show up for a community.

Located at the gateway to the former Bowen Homes,

2779 Donald Lee Hollowell is part of Atlanta Housing's Critical Community Improvements under the Bowen Choice Neighborhood initiative.

What was once a vacant property became a visible reminder of what investment, partnership, and community care can look like in real time.

More than 25 Atlanta Housing employees joined together alongside partners and community supporters to help beautify the site-creating momentum for what's next along the Donald Lee Hollowell corridor and throughout the Bowen community.

Revitalization isn't only about what we build. It's also about how we show up.

Watch here:

https://youtube.com/shorts/cojmU6IKEqE?is=HMQtNGghhmfTfiNn

Now more than ever, people are looking for community.

If you ever talk to former residents of Bowen Homes, one thing you'll hear again and again is the pride they have in the generations of families who called it home.

Before we continue exploring the legacy of John Wesley Edward Bowen Sr., we wanted to pause and reflect on the everyday life that shaped Bowen Homes.

For decades, Bowen Homes was more than a housing development. It was a neighborhood. Children filled the courtyards and playgrounds, neighbors looked out for one another, and families built lasting bonds that defined the community.

The buildings may be gone, but for many Atlantans, the memories, the friendships, the laughter, and the sense of belonging, remain a lasting part of the city's story.

As the next chapter unfolds, we look forward to welcoming back families who once called Bowen home.

Next week, in recognition of Women's History Month, we'll turn our attention to the remarkable women connected to the Bowen legacy who helped shape the history behind the name.

Watch here:

Lesser-known fact: Bowen Homes is named in honor of two men -

John Wesley Edward Bowen Sr. and his son, John Wesley Edward Bowen Jr., whose lives shaped faith, education, and Black leadership in Atlanta.

Dr. John Wesley Edward Bowen Sr. was a minister, scholar, and advocate whose work shaped faith, education, and Black leadership in Atlanta.

Dr. John Wesley Edward Bowen Sr. was a minister, scholar, and advocate whose work helped advance Black intellectual life and civil rights at the turn of the 20th century.

This video begins a short educational series sharing the history behind the Bowen Homes name-starting with the father.

Next Thursday, we'll continue the story by exploring the legacy of his son, Bishop J.W.E.

Bowen Jr.

Watch Here: Bowen Homes

Progress at the Bowen Homes redevelopment site is entering a new and visible phase.

After years of planning, environmental work, infrastructure design, and community engagement, you can now see construction taking shape across the 74-acre footprint on Atlanta's Westside.

From underground utilities and stormwater systems to new roads and framed structures, we're building a mixed-income community designed for families across a range of income levels - with deeply affordable units woven into every phase.

This is what transformation looks like.

This is what building home-together-looks like.

Watch here:

Bowen Homes holds history, community, and legacy-and now, it's stepping into its next chapter.

Bowen is being reimagined with intention, opportunity, and access at the center.

We're grateful to Mrs. Epps, President of the Bowen Resident Advisory Council, for opening the door and making space for real conversations with residents.

This work only matters when the community is part of it and we're committed to making sure their voices help shape what's next for Bowen.

Thank you @11alive for placing a spotlight on the work we're doing on the westside!

Want to stay connected to everything happening at Bowen?

Watch Here: 11 Alive News Feature

As our CEO, TerriM. Lee, shared with @11Alive:

"You can't have opportunity without being inclusive and serving the families that actually deserve the opportunity to live here."

Opportunity isn't built overnight, but it is built with intention.

Watch Here: 11Alive News

Welcome back to our series on Bowen Homes and the history behind the name.

A few posts back, we shared an article published 62 years ago announcing the opening of Bowen Homes.

Now you know: Bowen Homes wasn't named after one man; it was named after a father-and-son legacy.

After Dr. John Wesley Edward Bowen Sr. laid the foundation, his son, John Wesley Edward Bowen Jr., carried that legacy forward.

Educated at Phillips Exeter, Wesleyan, and Harvard, Bowen Jr. became one of the first Black bishops in the Methodist Church, advancing the work his father began.

Bowen Homes bears both names because the story didn't stop with one generation.

Don't forget to follow us! Next, we'll step back even further, to the community that existed before Bowen Homes: Buttermilk Bottoms.

Watch here: Bowen Homes and the History Behind the Name

Dr. John W.E. Bowen Sr. was an educator, theologian and leader whose work became deeply connected to Atlanta’s Black academic and religious communities. His career centered on education, ministry and creating opportunities for future generations.

His legacy would later be honored through the naming of Bowen Homes, tying his name to a community that became home to generations of Atlanta families. This portrait serves as a reminder of the history behind the name and the people whose work helped shape the institutions and communities around them.