Six hours in … Va-Hi and Poncey-Highland

One of the great things about Virginia-Highland is its walkability. As a retail district, it invites serious shoppers, browsers, dawdlers and people out for a snack. There are few places here you can’t reach by way of a pleasant stroll along tree-shaded sidewalks or a quick bike ride. Poncey-Highland, on the other hand, is a walk of a different sort — one in which you might meet “professional” streetwalkers, well-known street characters and other colorful sorts along the deco-ish, delightfully gritty Ponce de Leon Avenue.

4 p.m.: Snacking

Wake up and take a couple hours to shower, rearrange your newest LPs and get semi-dressed. The best part of the day is still ahead, so what do you do now? Well, you could do worse than heading to Belly General Store for one of the signature olive oil bagels – say, maybe a sea salt bagel with smoked salmon and a side of cheese grits. You can eat at the counter or sit outside in a metal lawn chair to enjoy the parade of passing shoppers, vintage scooters and fixed-gear bikes on North Highland.

5 p.m.: Browsing

Large chunks of time can be enjoyably frittered away combing through merchandise in the many shops lining the street: the denim selection and vintage dresses at Bill Hallman’s twin clothing boutiques and the trendy kicks at his shoe store; high-tech camping gear at Half-Moon Outfitters; and upscale casual wear and designer jeans at Mitzi & Romano.

6 p.m.: Je ne sais quoi

If you’re looking for a gift with a Gallic flavor, Providence Antiques in Morningside is the place. The tasteful selection of decorative items, small housewares, candles and paper goods is so attractively displayed, you almost worry that buying something will disrupt the mise-en-scène. The small array of antiques is lovingly culled from French and Italian market stalls.

7 p.m.: Indie fever

In the mood for a gallery exhibit, thrift-store shopping or an opportunity to support local musicians? You don’t need to make that a difficult choice — just take a trip to Vacation. Where else can you find mixtapes on actual cassettes, chunky jewelry and old-school warm-ups under the same small roof? When you’re done there, take a look through Youngblood Gallery a few doors down for more locally produced indie art.

8 p.m.: Literary eats

First-time visitors might imagine the newly opened Bookhouse Pub has been open for years, given the cozy, lived-in feel of its bar/dining room. Have some of its mac-n-cheese, fried green tomatoes and one of its carefully chosen draft beers, and it’s not difficult to imagine the wood, stone and book-decorated gastropub staying around for a long time to come.

10 p.m.: Party in the basement

Heading down the basement steps of the venerable Highland Inn can give you the sense of entering a old-time speakeasy. The Ballroom Lounge doesn’t fail to deliver on that promise, with its low ceilings, dimly lit bar area and an ambitious schedule of underground bands, edgy performance acts and happening events. And if you don’t make it home, you’ve still got a place to sleep.

» View Neighborhood Map