When partners Kara O’Brien and Paula Rose were looking for the perfect house to call home, they surveyed several Atlanta neighborhoods before finding what they wanted in Kirkwood, a century-old neighborhood southeast of the city.

Rose likens Kirkwood to a small town where everyone knows each other. The neighborhood hosts its annual tour of homes next week.

“We were first drawn to Kirkwood because we were able to purchase a large and beautiful old home for a great price,” Rose says. “Once there, we discovered a very strong sense of community.”

Kirkwood began as an Atlanta streetcar suburb in the late 19th century. By 1910, streetcars provided express service to and from the city three times daily. Service continued along some of the neighborhood streets into the early 1950’s.

In the 1960s, the area diversified as African-American families moved in and pioneered the integration of the Kirkwood School in 1965. Two decades later, renovation efforts began that continue today.

The same groundbreaking spirit that brought Rose and O’Brien to the area inspires many Kirkwood residents who continue to oversee neighborhood improvement projects. Residents host regular tree plantings, pruning and mulching programs and trash clean-up days.

Neighbors recently banded together to install a new playground and are currently working with the city on a grant to overhaul the business district. Funds for the playground refurbishment in Bessie Branham Park came from money raised during the 2004 festival and tour.

Organizers of the 2005 Spring Fling & Tour of Homes say the weekend event is a great way to showcase an area that has experienced an exceptional rebirth in the last decade.

“ Kirkwood boasts more than a few of the most historic homes in the entire Atlanta area,” says Earl Williamson, president of Kirkwood Neighbors Organization. “The homes represent a broad spectrum of architectural styles and approaches to renovation.”

Ten homes are featured at this year’s event, with styles ranging from Victorian showplaces to craftsman bungalows. The festival and tour also hosts an artist market, live music and kids’ activity area.

For Rose, the weekend offers a chance to showcase her home and handiwork. She and O’Brien own Laughing Sun Renovations, a restoration company responsible for successful renovations of homes in Kirkwood including their own.

“We have been working and living in the neighborhood for eight years and have restored and worked on dozens of homes, including two other homes on the tour,” Rose says.

The couple’s California-style bungalow, which has been featured in This Old House magazine, is one highlight of the tour. It features original stained and leaded glass accoutrements, heart pine woodworking, period lighting and terrazzo floors. The residence is decorated with antiques the pair has collected.

Newcomers to the neighborhood are sure to be amazed, Rose says.

“Our tour of homes allows people a glimpse of how wonderful the neighborhood is, whereas before they might have driven through or merely heard of it,” she says.

Also on this year’s tour is a restored home that once served as a local library. The expansive space includes a pool and charming gardens.

Other resplendent Atlanta gardens are on display May 7-8 in spots around the city. The Atlanta Botanical Garden has rounded up homes around town for its annual Gardens for Connoisseurs tour.

The event opens up local gardens — including at least two at gay-owned homes — that are sure to draw day-tripping outdoor enthusiasts and inspire weekend warriors to plant their own piece of paradise.