Discover the distinct charm of Urban Oasis Bed and Breakfast, where exceptional lodging meets an invigorating experience. Blending historical beauty with modern comforts, Urban Oasis was once a cotton sorting mill from 1950. In 1998, Judi Knight acquired the property and transformed it into live-work lofts, creating a garden-adorned living space for her family in 2000. See their blog post 130 Krog Street Before and After.
Local Area
Nestled in the vibrant neighborhoods of Inman Park and the Old Fourth Ward, the Bed and Breakfast boasts an ideal location within walking distance of fantastic restaurants, bars, shops, and parks. Furthermore, the Atlanta Beltline Eastside trail is just at the edge of Urban Oasis.
Accommodations
With the capacity to host up to eight guests, Urban Oasis Bed and Breakfast offers a variety of luxurious accommodations. The suite features a bedroom and bathroom upstairs, alongside a sitting area with a large flat-screen TV and a desk area downstairs.
An additional room upstairs has an en-suite bathroom, while another easily accessible room on the ground floor is situated in a private hallway, with a semi-private bathroom across the hall. All rooms are furnished with plush queen-sized beds and exquisite linens, ensuring a pampered stay and a restful night’s sleep.
Outside Urban Oasis B&B
A standout aspect of this loft is the lush private gardens and patios that envelop it, flourishing with roses, peonies, peaches, figs, herbs, vegetables, and a profusion of flowers. Lastly, don’t forget to take advantage of the swimming pool and hot tub provided for your pleasure and relaxation.
Interview with Judi Knight
What inspired you to buy this abandoned cotton sorting warehouse & turn it into Urban Oasis(do you have a background in restoration and/or hospitality)?
I needed an office for my web design company and to afford it I needed to sell my house. So, I found a live work building and turned it into seven condominiums so I could create a home in one of the seven units.
I don’t have formal training in design and building, but I’ve designed, renovated, restored, or built such structures as playhouses, actual houses and beach houses, a Deco Apartment building, a neighborhood grocery store and other things since I was a kid. My projects became more elaborate over time.
What do you like best about innkeeping?
I love Introducing guests to Intown Atlanta. There are several neighborhoods within a mile or so from downtown that are Inside the perimeter which is the Interstate that runs all the way around Atlanta. Some of them are: Inman Park, Virginia Highlands, Grant Park, Candler Park, East Atlanta, Morningside and Ansley.
What do your guests consistently compliment you about?
Our B&B is non-traditional. People have usually not stayed in a place like this. Twenty-five years ago, we built our 5,000 sq ft loft in an abandoned cotton sorting warehouse.
We have truly created an Urban Oasis one mile from Downtown in Historic Inman Park. Our B&B is located directly on the Atlanta Beltline, a trail that goes all around the City. Despite being in the middle of shops, dining, and so forth, our location is beautiful and peaceful.
What are the typical things your guests do in your local area?
We are on the Atlanta Beltline, where people can walk and ride bikes and scooters. You can walk from our house to some of the best restaurants and bars in the City. We have great shopping half a block away with many boutiques and stores like Patagonia.
The Krog Street Market is in an old warehouse down the street from us that has a dozen or so restaurants in it, including Sushi, Indian, Mexican, Vegetarian, Pizza, Bakery, and it has a Wine store and bar.
My favorite gift shop is also there, The Merchant. There are many more restaurants and shops a half mile walk at the other end of the neighborhood. Many have outdoor patios and there are several clothing shops there too.
What do you wish that more people knew about the Atlanta area?
Rachell Madow recently said, “Atlanta is now the country’s cultural capital”. I would agree with that. We have Concert Halls to Hip Hop, Fine Art to Graffiti. There are many Colleges and Universities that bring people together here who are educated and interesting. We are also a very diverse city, with everyone interacting with each other.
What do you want potential guests to know about your B&B?
It really is an Oasis, and people walk in amazed at how great it is. It was a cotton sorting warehouse in the 40s. We have 30-foot wood bowed ceilings, concrete floors, huge windows, and tons of house plants in our main space, with the living room, dining room, and kitchen. We have gardens on three sides of our home and a 35 ft foot lap pool with a hot tub.
How do guests safely come & go from your place during their stay (their own key, electronic card, etc.)?
We offer free gated parking, and the gate has a code. We have a key pad door lock with a code to get into the house. The guest rooms each have locks on their doors and are given keys.
Are there ever potential college students & their parents that stay as guests (if so, which universities)?
We have many universities nearby: Emory, Georgia Tech, Georgia State, Agnes Scott, Clark Atlanta, Spellman and Morehouse. We do have parents and college students stay when looking at schools. The parents return to visit while their kids are studying.
How do your sheepadoodles react to new guests (they must be wonderful around strangers)?
People love being with our two large goofy sheepadoodles. Some say the dogs were one of the big reasons they chose us. OIlie and Charlie bark their heads off when people come to the door the first time, in excitement. We warn the guests to expect it. Once the guests are here they calm down and let the guests pet them for as long as they’d like to. Most guests really like the dogs.
How did it go with Real World filming at Urban Oasis?
The Real World rented our home for 5 months in 2019 to film the 32nd season here. They showed up at our door early one morning, unannounced, accompanied by a location scout that I know, asking to come in. I let them in and they took one look and said, “We’ll take it!. I said, “You can’t have it!” They negotiated with us for about four months.
They couldn’t find anything else so suitable for what they wanted. So, eventually they came back with an offer for the kind of money that would make it worth our while to move all of our belongings, including light fixtures, out of our house into storage (they paid for that too) and rented another house for us. It was an offer we couldn’t refuse.
How are you able to effectively juggle so many different tasks (operating a B&B and a web design company)?
I have a housekeeper that cleans the house once a week, and flips the rooms when people move out. My husband and I keep things clean and put out the continental breakfast for the guests. We offer continental breakfast with my specialty homemade Granola, and we always have plenty of fresh berries to go with it. The most we see the guests is around breakfast time when we get to know each other. Otherwise, they are out and about.
Duane and I are both here onsite most of the time. He is an actor and films his auditions here in his office. My web design office is also in the loft. Our guests are pretty busy with whatever brought them to Atlanta, so they are rarely just here hanging around. So being onsite ourselves we are able to interact with the guests and take care of whatever is needed while we do what we have to do. It works really well.
B&B Consulting
Much like Judi Knight’s passion for her work, Rob Sales, of B&B Consulting, enjoys serving people considering buying or selling their B&B inn. You’re welcome to contact Rob for a complimentary phone call to assess your options. Having owned and operated B&Bs alongside his wife Jane, Rob is also an experienced B&B real estate professional.