This custom built modern residence in the coveted Morningside area is exceptional, extremely well-envisioned and built. It features three finished levels with high ceilings throughout—22-foothigh ceilings in the great room, and an abundance of natural light in all of the rooms due to the large, oversized windows. The home overlooks a rare walkout backyard on a half acre lot that backs up to a wooded area, offering total privacy. Some other features include: master on main level with seven total bedrooms- four of them ensuite and one is a nanny suite with separate entrance on terrace level and pool bath, heated floors, a whole house generator, an elevator, a fenced backyard, power gate, inground sprinkler system and landscape lighting.
The entire rear, main level of the house opens to the outside using retractable doors with phantom screens. The open center staircase features one of the most extensive skylights in a personal residence in the state of Georgia. The oversized two-car garage with the third bay is ideal for a motorcycle and oversized storage room. This truly is one outstanding home, with no detail left untouched or unplanned!
1617 Lenox Road N.E.
COMING SOON
2 BED | 2 BATH
Classic all-brick Morningside Ranch with two bedrooms and three-car garage. Home is situated on almost an acre lot.
1316 N. Highland Avenue N.E.
COMING SOON
3 BED | 3 BATH | 1 HALF BATH
Intown residence, fully modernized, spectacular master suite, top-of-the-line kitchen. Walkability to shops, restaurants, BeltLine, and Piedmont Park.
1035 Rosedale Road N.E.
OFFERED AT $1,055,000
4 BED | 4 BATH
Move-in ready, fully modernized home. Hardwood floors, Carrera marble countertops, chef’s kitchen, large island, specialty hardware/details througout.
1332 Briarwood Drive N.E.
OFFERED AT $1,349,000
5 BED | 5 BATH | 1 HALF BATH
Move-in ready, large rooms, open floor plan, 4 car garage. Two master suites, oversized terrace level with kitchenette, bedroom, and gym.
2011 Lenox Road N.E.
OFFERED AT $799,000
4 BED | 3 BATH
Like-brand-new construction in pristine condition with flat level yard. Gourmet kitchen. Oversized master suite with spa like bath.
1905 Wellbourne Drive N.E.
UNDER CONTRACT
3 BED | 2 BATH
Move-in ready—Granite countertops, vaulted ceiling, skylights, stone fireplace, brick-floored sunroom, backyard, in-ground pool, hot tub.
1448 N. Morningside Drive
UNDER CONTRACT
5 BED | 4 BATH | 1 HALF BATH
Move-in ready, newly modernized, high ceilings, oversized walk-in closets, three car garage, large backyard, ideal for multi-generation living.
1850 Lenox Road N.E.
UNDER CONTRACT
4 BED | 3 BATH
Striking mid century modern ranch on oversized lot. Open floor plan, high-end finishes and separate studio—an ideal home office.
Ken
1235 Pasadena Avenue N.E.
UNDER CONTRACT
6 BED | 4 BATH
Chef’s kitchen, level walk-out backyard, screen porch, AstroTurf yard, one of Morningside’s best and quietest streets.
CoversPrivate Office Advisor
direct: 404.664.8280
office: 404.845.7724
ken.covers@evatlanta.com
kencovers.evatlanta.com
998 Wildwood Road N.E.
SOLD 4 BED | 4 BATH
Elegant Morningside home on coveted Wildwood Road. 20 foot ceilings, spacious master suite, backyard, fireplace, oversized pool, and hot tub.
Happy Thanksgiving! With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I hope that you all enjoy the coming season and festivities—spending time with your loved ones and making new memories to cherish.
Don’t forget to virtually check in on loved ones who can’t spend the holiday with you, continue to support local businesses, and promote and contribute to helpful causes and charities. For more ways on how to get involved, please contact me—I’m more than excited to assist in any way I can! Your Life. Your Home. Your Realtor®.
1165 Zimmer Drive N.E.
SOLD 3 BED | 3 BATH
This all-brick, modernized home is in move-rightin condition. Hardwood floors, thick moldings, abundance of natural light and large windows.
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November signals the beginning of the holiday season, but I’m in a quandary about how I’ll be celebrating this year. Or with whom. As I write this on Oct. 21, scientists are predicting a deadly surge in coronavirus cases, so that doesn’t exactly put me in a holiday mood.
Perhaps I’ll have a clearer head about the holidays after the turmoil of the Nov. 3 election is over, although I’m concerned that drama will follow if there’s not a decisive victory by either candidate. I’m hopeful that won’t be the case after so many people turned out to vote early, even if it meant risking their health to stand in line for 12 hours to do so.
I spent last Thanksgiving with my best friend and her large family crowded around one of three dinner tables set up to accommodate relatives who had flown in from out of state. With that off the table, maybe a double cheeseburger plate from Waffle House will suffice.
988 Mason Woods Drive
4 Bedrooms, 4.5 Bathrooms, FMLS 6785541
Offered for $719,000
Your own private retreat, nestled into a verdant landscape enhanced by walls of windows with tree-filled views, soaring ceilings, room for every conceivable need and a separate in-law suite – all in an amazingly accessible location with abundant amenities and at an affordable price. Located three blocks from Emory University and the CDC campuses, this home is across the street from W. D. Thomson Park’s great woodsy trails and is near interstates and the retail stores and restaurants at Emory Pointe, Toco Hills and Sage Hill.
PEGGY
Collin Kelley collin@atlantaintownpaper.com
Last Christmas was dinner and seeing “Knives Out” in a crowded cinema with friends. Luckily, I’ve got a stack of books to read and endless shows and programs to stream at home. To be honest, even when my parents and grandparents were alive, the holidays were often fraught with dysfunction due to the competing personalities of my family. And, since I’m being really honest, I’ve always chaffed at the obligation dictated by society to “doing something” for the holidays, when I’d rather be on the sofa binge-watching “The Crown.”
This year, I might get my wish. So why am I not happy about it?
While I do enjoy my alone time, I’m far from being antisocial. Since my interactions with friends, colleagues, and extended family has been limited to phone and Zoom for the past nine months I am craving some social interaction. I do miss going to long, leisurely dinners, going to the movies, crate-diving for vinyl at Wax n’ Facts and Wuxtry, and perusing books at Charis and A Cappella. I would love to be doing all those things this season, but I’m also a proponent of social-distancing, wearing masks, and listening to scientists instead of politicians and businessmen after my bout with COVID-19 in the spring,
As we were putting together the November issue, I was heartened to see that many of Intown’s arts and culture organizations are still planning to entertain us over the holidays –both virtually and live. You can see that roundup on page 32.
If the idea of cooking at home sends you into a depression spiral, some restaurants –including Waffle House – are offering takeout and socially-distanced seating in their dining rooms. We put together a list on page 31 and be sure to check with your favorite eatery to see what they’re cooking up for Turkey Day.
So, yes, there are things happening for the holidays if things are what you want to do, but I urge everyone to do so safely and think not only of your own health, but of those around you. If we’re going to get beyond the pandemic, we need to work together and treat each other with more dignity and respect and not allow craven politics and conspiracy theories to divide us in this time of uncertainty.
Keep well, no matter how you choose to spend the holidays.
The revamped and reinvented 1996 Olympics exhibit at the Atlanta History Center has reopened with a new focus on urban change and the intersection of sports and politics.
“Atlanta ’96: Shaping an Olympic and Paralympic City” is a 2,600-square-foot exhibit featuring hundreds of artifacts and images about the city’s unlikely successful bid for the 100th Summer Olympics and the mega-event’s impact on the metro area.
Like the original exhibit that opened in 2006, it includes historic sporting moments, medals, torches and the terrorist bombing that marred the event as recently depicted in the controversial movie “Richard Jewell.” But the revamp comes in an era when the Olympics is under renewed scrutiny for expense, displacement of residents and other effects, and when the Games and pro sports in general are wracked with controversies over players engaging in political protests. The new exhibit follows those themes with looks at how the Olympics changed life here and includes local protest movements.
Exhibit curator Sarah Dylla compared the Games to “this big splash, and what are all the ripple effects of people trying to involve themselves in different ways, whether that’s aligning themselves with it or reacting to it? It’s all … civic participation, and I’ll
just make a push for how important those types of lessons are today, that we all need to find ways to make our voices heard more.”
The original exhibit had what Dylla calls a “sports hall of fame” approach, where visitors walked around a mock footrace track to follow a day-by-day recounting of the Games. That nostalgic exhibit was suitable for an audience that still had fresh memories of 1996, Dylla said.
The new exhibit frames the bigger picture of what the Olympics likes to call the “legacy” — the long-term changes from the Games. The exhibit begins with the story of Atlanta’s longtime dreams of international prominence, redevelopment and sports glory; the growth of the Olympics itself into a citychanging mega-event; and how those trends intersected in 1996.
The exhibit then tells not only the sporting story of the Atlanta Games, but also how it changed the city. Through some interactive elements, it invites viewers to think about what and how they would like to change about their neighborhoods and society. The idea, Dylla says, is to treat the Olympics as “the civics lesson that it is.”
Particular people and organizations that seized the Olympics moment for change are highlighted. One is Buckhead’s Shepherd Center, whose advocacy saved the Paralympics — a related Games for athletes with disabilities — from being cut from the
The Centennial Olympic Stadium in Summerhill under construction around 1994. The new exhibit looks not only at the events in the stadium, but the planning process that put it there and the local protests against it. (Photo by Ross Henderson, courtesy Georgia Amateur Athletic Foundation Collection, Kenan Research Center at Atlanta History Center.)program as a money-saver. The Paralympics became a firm partner of the Olympics after that, and Dylla said the local advocacy helped to improve accessibility in the city.
The late activist Ethel Mae Matthews is another person highlighted in the exhibit. The Peoplestown resident was a prominent protester against stadium projects, including the Olympics stadium, that demolished homes and displaced residents in areas long afflicted with racial segregation and poverty. As a private business deal, the Olympics offers little or no input from residents affected by its plans. Matthews’ story is one of many of residents who organized in an attempt to gain transparency and influence, and who were precursors of what is now a global protest movement critical of the Olympics and similar mega-events.
One piece of 1996 history deliberately left out of the exhibit is its most infamous name: Eric Rudolph, the terrorist who set off a bomb in Centennial Olympics Park. The exhibit addresses the bombing and names the victims and Jewell, the security guard who warned people away from the bomb before being wrongly suspected of planting it. After a “big discussion,” Dylla said, History Center staff decided it was “interesting and powerful” to deny Rudolph himself the notoriety of being named.
The new exhibit is intended to last 10 to 20 years, Dylla said, until interpretation and perspective inevitably changes for another era.
“Atlanta ’96” was intended to open in July to coincide with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but this year’s edition was postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic,
as was the exhibit. The Sept. 18 opening date coincided with the 30th anniversary of the International Olympic Committee announcement that Atlanta was awarded the Games.
The History Center, located at 130 West Paces Ferry Road in Buckhead., was still
operating under pandemic restrictions at press time, including timed ticketing, limited attendance and required mask-wearing. The pandemic conditions mean that some interactive elements of the Olympics exhibit will be suspended for now. A substantial online version of the exhibit is planned for a revamped version of the History Center’s website.
For tickets and updated visiting information, see atlantahistorycenter.com.
The Atlanta Public Schools return to in-person classes has been delayed until January after parental concern over safety as coronavirus cases remained high.
The decision, announced Oct. 16 by Superintendent Dr. Lisa Herring, came after more 3,800 concerned parents, teachers and staff members signed a letter under the name “We Demand Safety APS.”
“I have decided that Atlanta Public Schools … will postpone all reopening plans for in-person learning until January 2021,” Herring said in a post on her blog that detailed the new plan. “This decision comes after our continued monitoring and tracking of COVID-19 health data that is trending unfavorably, consultation with public health officials and healthcare experts, and data secured to determine both feasibility and stakeholder feedback.”
A previous plan announced earlier this month had students returning in phases from Oct. 26 through Nov. 16.
▲ Atlanta Police arrested and charged serial offender Antonio Rhynes for the Oct. 3 murder of veteran actor Thomas Jefferson Byrd , who had appeared in numerous Spike Lee films, as well as “Set It Off” and “Ray.” Byrd was found shot to death in Southwest Atlanta, but no motive had been disclosed at press time.
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has announced the appointment of three senior administration officials: Jon Keen as Interim Chief Operating Officer, Mikita Browning as Commissioner of the Department of Watershed Management, and Martin Clarke as Chief Procurement Officer.
An 8-foot tall fence will be erected around the Georgia State Capitol building in Downtown as part of a $5 million package to beef up security at the Capitol, the Governor’s Mansion and the Department of Public Safety headquarters. Officials said the fence will allow the withdrawal of some of the two dozen National Guard Troops who have been patrolling the Capitol grounds overnight since protests against racial injustice began in the spring.
The Atlanta City Council adopted legislation on Oct. 5 to approve a deployment plan for the Equitable Growth Grant Program that focuses on the creation and attraction of highquality, middle-wage jobs.
Gov. Brian Kemp and Georgia Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey are encouraging Georgians to get a flu shot to prevent a “twindemic” as COVID-19 infections continue. “Everyone from 6 months to 100 should get a flu shot,” Toomey said.
Among the feedback that Herring cited as influencing the change in the return plan was intent-to-return statements that APS solicited from parents and students. Buckhead’s North Atlanta cluster had the highest rate of an intent to return, Herring said, adding that the rate varied widely across the district. The forms came only from traditional APS schools — not charter schools — and had a return rate of 58%, she said.
The original plan to start returning this month came after pressure from another parents’ group that goes by “Let Atlanta Parents Choose” on Facebook.
The new We Demand Safety APS group is grassroots and unfunded, said Robin Deutsch Edwards, a parent involved in circulating its letter. The letter was formally submitted to APS on Oct. 16 after circulating for more than a week.
“Everyone in the APS community wants to return to face-toface learning; however, it is essential that it be done in a way that prioritizes safety,” the group said in the letter.
The letter has five demands, including a rapid-testing and contract-tracing system; the creation of a task force about how to return to school in January; a commitment to provide proper personal protective equipment to teachers, staff and students; working with government officials for better testing and tracing in general; and to “leverage private-sector partnerships to provide greater support for students that need more direct engagement from educators during the school day.”
Among those signing the letter was Christie Lowell, who teaches biology and physics at Grady High School, where she also helps to coach the cross country team. She said she had concerns with both safety and the quality of instruction if teachers attempted hybrid learning with few students back in classrooms. A January return may work, she said in a phone interview, but added that APS needs to put “a lot more thought” into protective equipment and possibly letting teachers choose whether to return to the classroom or stay virtual.
“I’m not a high-risk person, but I don’t think it’s just about yourself,” Lowell said. “And I think it’s our responsibility to protect people that are vulnerable in the community.”
For some teachers, she said, the idea of a return to the classroom is “pretty terrifying… You shouldn’t have to choose between keeping your job and staying safe and protecting others.”
The APS decisions comes as some neighboring school districts, including those in DeKalb and Fulton counties, have already made returns to a form of in-person instruction amid some concerns from teachers and parents.
Asked about the possibility of the “We Demand Safety” group expanding to those districts, Lowell said, “I hope so.” She said she knows two teachers in the Fulton County School System who “think it has not been handled well in terms of returning to the school buildings.”
City Schools of Decatur also announced in October that it would delay a return to classroom learning until January.
Street racing continues to plague Intown neighborhoods despite the Atlanta Police Department’s efforts to crack down on illegal activity.
At its October meeting, the Atlanta City Council’s Public Safety/Legal Administration committee listened to nearly two hours of comments phoned in by angry and upset residents demanding that measures be taken to curb street racing.
Residents complained about sleepless nights, safety fears, concerns over property values, and offered tips to the police on how to track street racers who organize events via social media. Other callers demanded more action from Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, while some said they were considering moving out of the city.
Committee chair and council member Joyce Sheperd acknowledged that “people are extremely upset” by the ongoing issue and said she’d called 911 a few times herself.
Interim Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant said street racing hotspots continued to be Downtown, Midtown and Buckhead, but calls were coming in from all over the city about incidents.
He said as of Oct. 11, 494 drivers have been charged yearto-date with illegal street racing, a catchall term which includes reckless driving, speeding, laying drag, and donuts. Bryant said with the municipal court still closed due to the pandemic, many of those charged have yet to receive any punishment.
Bryant said 911 calls about street racing dramatically increased after APD released a video in September announcing a crackdown and encouraging residents to call the emergency number.
Over the weekend of Oct. 9-11, Bryant said officers made 255 traffic stops and issued 202 citations related to street racing. He also said the department’s strategy changed in mid-October with officers proactively patrolling areas where street racers like to gather and do their stunts. He said Georgia State Patrol units would also be rejoining the crackdown effort.
“Once court reopens, I think we will see a significant reduction,” Bryant said, noting that fines starting at $1,000, impounding of vehicles, and possible jail time will be a deterrent.
Atlanta Municipal Court Chief Judge Christopher Portis told the committee that the court planned to reopen by the end of October after it works out pandemic safety and sanitation protocols.
Council member Carla Smith floated the idea of asking the Georgia Legislature to increase points on drivers’ licenses, which could lead to revocation for habitual violators.
Sheperd said she believed the ongoing activity stemmed from a number of factors, including the courts being closed and the fact that APD has a city-mandated “no pursuit” policy.
“These drivers know we have a no chase policy and the courts are closed, so they are flying up and down the streets like crazy,” Sheperd said.
The Fulton County Library System has launched Paper.co, a free, online tutoring service, for Fulton County residents and library card holders. Through Paper’s remote learning platform, students are provided unlimited 24/7 access to online tutoring in any subject from a fully vetted Paper educator, and essay review with annotated feedback within 24 hours. Through Socratic instruction methods, students are guided through concepts to find the answers on their own. In addition to providing free academic support to Fulton County library card holders, Paper.co will also be available for CLASS PASS participants from Atlanta Public Schools, who currently use student identification credentials to access many of the library’s resources. For more information, visit fulcolibrary.org/digitallibrary or paper.co.
The Academy Virtual has opened its new online school for students in grades 3 through 6 with a focus on literacy development. Using research-based and data-driven programs, the school offers intensive, small group intervention to students with severe reading deficiencies, language processing challenges, poor writing or spelling skills, dyslexia, ADHD, or other struggles in a traditional school setting. For more information, visit theacademyvirtual.org.
LogistiCare, a non-emergency medical transportation company, has donated digital learning devices and PPE to the Atlanta Children’s Shelter for their newly formed Virtual School Academy (VSA). The VSA was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in order to support parents faced with homelessness with the transition to online schooling for their children, making it possible for them to return to work and continue to support their families. The donation from LogistiCare, which includes tablets and Chromebooks, makes it possible for children in grades K-5 to attend the VSA. Additionally, LogistiCare facilitated a PPE donation for the entire ACS staff and families participating in ACS, which included adult face masks, hand sanitizers and more.
Cintas was one of the companies that donated PPE via LogistiCare for Atlanta Children’s Shelter. From left: Aseelah Williams, Development Coordinator, Atlanta Children’s Shelter; Gabrielle McMahan, Business Process Specialist, Cintas; Vaughn Cross, Community Engagement Coordinator, Atlanta Children’s Shelter.
At the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, Marist School opened the new Goizueta Center for Immersive Experience and Design as the centerpiece of the school’s STEAM 2.0 initiative. The Goizueta Center features spaces for students to explore subjects such as Robotics, Engineering, 3D Design and Printing, Virtual and Augmented Reality, Immersive Media and Media Studies, Podcasting, Broadcasting, Documentary Filmmaking, and Music Technology.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta (BBBSMA) recently held its 26th Annual Legacy Awards Gala at The St. Regis Atlanta and via livestream. The event raised over $500,000 through sponsorship, fundraising, and a live and silent auction. The 2020 Legacy Award Honoree was Jasmine Crowe (Goodr). The V. Thomas Murray Founder’s Award Recipient was Randall D. Tanner (Tanner, Ballew & Maloof) and the Defender of Potential Award Recipient was Dr. Monica Khan (Emory University Hospital Midtown). To learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta, visit bbbsatl.org.
During these uncertain times, HammerSmith is here for you and your family. We provide safe, essential services, architectural designs and home renovations. Start planning today for how to live better in a changed world.
Between the pandemic and the election, it’s been hard not to spend every free minute of 2020 doom-scrolling Twitter for the latest outrages and atrocities. The noise of the news has wreaked havoc on my attention span so settling in to read a book seems a near impossibility. But television carries a lower barrier to entry and man I am ever thankful for the escape of The Tube this year.
The last episode of “The Sopranos” aired right before Elliott was born and that buttoned up any TV fandom Kristen and I enjoyed for years. We rarely made it past “Sid the Science Kid” or “Dragon Tales” or the slew of programs that were educational for the kids yet lobotomizing for us. But now with extra quarantine time at home, we’ve tossed the mothballs aside and unpacked our right to sit on our butts and be entertained.
My favorites have been “Succession,” “Goliath,” “Broadchurch,” and “Love.” When did TV get sooo freakin’ good? The writing, the dialogue, the character development is all so fantastic. I never had the chance to watch the great shows of the past decade like “Game of Thrones” or “Breaking Bad” which to some was tantamount to living off the grid. Now I know why.
For PG-13 family togetherness we’ve recycled seasons of “The Office” and “Arrested Development.” I’m tickled that we all can laugh at the same humor nowadays. The characters of “Brooklyn 99” are basically our new best friends. For drama we started with “Outer Banks” which served up “90210”-esque cheesy fare on a beach. Two of the characters stowed away on a tugboat from the OBX to Chapel Hill in perhaps the most implausible plot line since David Silver’s career as a rap artist. Or the invention of maps. But the kids enjoyed it and it clipped off some days on the quarantine calendar so bring on Season 2!
“Ted Lasso” is about an American football coach hired to helm an English soccer team. The premise is actually pretty stupid but the writers and actors refused to let the show be sub-par. Played by Jason Sudeikis, the character of Ted is exactly what we all needed in 2020. You don’t have to be a soccer fan to enjoy the show (they barely simulate actual soccer or strategy) but Ted makes his boss biscuits every morning and if this show doesn’t warm your heart, you have officially turned to stone.
Now we’re all wrapped up in “Cobra Kai,” the TV series sequel to the “Karate Kid” movies. I was skeptical because a continuation of a favorite childhood movie certainly sounds like a recipe for small-screen failure. It opens with Danny as a successful autodealership owner while Johnny groans on the floor after too many Coors Banquet beers so the cliché machine was quickly set on high. But if you make it to the REO Speedwagon singalong scene, I guarantee you’ll be hooked.
By
The story arc has been more nuanced and fun than I expected. William Zabka as Johnny steals the show. Maybe he purposely didn’t act in anything since Karate Kid in order to make the theme of a squandered lifetime really ring true to viewers? And Ralph Macchio is solid as Danny – the successful, yet oblivious 50-yearold dad who is 58 in real life but looks like he’s 32 and sounds like he’s 14 anytime he says “Miyagi-Do”. Rumor has it that Elisabeth Shue as Ali will appear in Season 3 and I. Am. Here. For. It!
So we’ve watched about a decade’s worth of television in eight months which I’m not super proud of, OK? But so be it. As far as passive entertainment goes, this stuff has been high quality. Maybe the news cycle will calm down. Maybe 2021 will be the Year of the Book? If not, maybe that British actor David Tennant will put out another series. I’m going to have some time to kill.
CBRE has completed phase one of renovations to Tower Square, the former AT&T regional headquarters building located behind the Fox Theatre in Midtown, and announced a second phase is set to commence.
The first round of renovations to the 45-story building at 675 West Peachtree Street included upgrading the lobby and exterior signage, adding 24-hour security, and creating more than 28,000 square feet of greenspace to compliment the 1.4 million square feet of office space. The WiFi-enabled greenspace features patio and covered seating to create an open-air meeting space for now and post-pandemic times.
The second phase of renovations will include the transformation of the Annex, a 400,000-square-foot, seven-story building adjacent to the main tower. Once complete, the Annex will feature 70,000 square feet of loft office space and 90,000 square feet of street-level retail. There’s also a two-floor parking garage with a skybridge connection to the main tower and in-building connection to the adjacent North Avenue MARTA Station.
The Annex building, which previously served as an interior mall, is being reoriented so the storefronts face and interact with West Peachtree Street.
Tower Square is the largest of several projects underway south of Tech Square, with nearly 3 million square feet of proposed or under-development projects in the pipeline, according to CBRE.
“Imagine a lively streetscape with al fresco dining, dynamic fitness, energetic entertainment and essential retail – this is what South Midtown is missing,” said CBRE vice-president Amy Fingerhut. “Through this project, we have the opportunity to give thousands of office users, residents, visitors and passersby unprecedented access to the best retail mix in the city. As we gear up for Phase II, we’re looking forward to repositioning the Annex building so it can thrive in South Midtown’s vibrant, rapidly growing neighborhood.”
Completed in 1982, the building was originally built for Southern Bell and became infamous as the tower that almost caused the destruction of the Fox Theatre. Southern Bell wanted to raze the Fox to build a parking deck for the tower, but protests, petitions, and a fundraising campaign to save the historic venue forced a redesign.
For more information, visit tower-square. com.
Third & Urban and FCP have broken ground on Westside Paper, a 15.2-acre former industrial site that will be transformed into office and retail space along the Atlanta BeltLine’s Westside Trail.
The 245,200-square-foot renovation of 950 West Marietta Street is a mix of new construction and existing space, including a three-story addition with sweeping skyline views of the city. The site was originally home to the Atlanta Paper Company and also used to create packaging for Coca-Cola.
The mixed-use project will have 210,000 square feet of creative office space including 67,000 square feet of new construction; 32,500 square feet of retail, restaurant and entertainment space and more than 10,000 square feet of outdoor space wired for connectivity that can serve as alternate office and meeting space.
“We are excited to partner with FCP as we continue to transform the modern office market model through adaptive reuse,” said Third & Urban’s Chris Faussemagne in a press release. “Our vision for Westside Paper emphasizes health and wellness, with direct access to flexible, large format offices and retail with touchless entry, all connected by wide, open breezeways and outdoor gathering spaces.”
“FCP is excited to be working again with Third & Urban on another adaptive reuse project that will transform its existing site into a vibrant destination and workplace,” said FCP Vice President, Liz Koteles. “Westside Paper is already attracting interest from large corporate tenants seeking a modern light-filled environment that complements employees’ desire to be a part of a uniquely activated, outdoor-centric campus inspiring collaboration and creativity. Westside Paper will be a crowning touch to this corner of West Midtown.”
Third & Urban and FCP acquired the historic warehouse and surrounding property late last year, working with Atlanta Beltline Inc. to ensure right-of-way connection. The agreement creates the closest connection between the commercial and residential heart of West Midtown and the northwest Beltline corridor, including the Westside Park at Bellwood Quarry, the largest park in Atlanta.
The property is being designed by Perkins & Will, while Gay Construction Company is the general contractor. Aileen Almassy, Will Porter and Porter Henritze of Cushman & Wakefield represent the office leasing. Initial occupancy is planned for October 2021.
Savannah Bee Co., Geechie Boy Mill grits, Big Daddy Biscuits and much more.
They’ve also got firewood from their own tree farm in North Carolina and whatever is in season from the garden. When I visited, it was pumpkins, gourds, and hay bales, but Christmas trees and garland are on the way.
General manager Robbie Pitzer showed me around inside the shop and its eclectic mix of goods. There’s candles and cards, bright colored pots for planting, framed artwork and jewelry. It’s a great place to find a unique gift for the holidays.
By Annie Kinnett Nichols
Have you ever driven past an interesting looking business and said to yourself, “I need to check that place out” but then never do? I must have driven past Tradition Market and Garden at the corner of Lavista and Briarcliff a million times before I ever went inside. With the holidays coming up, now is the perfect time for you to discover this hidden gem.
I dropped my car off for a bath at Avril’s Carwash, then walked over to the market, which has an organic grocery store with local produce, fresh herbs from J&B Herb and Plant Farm, casseroles from The Dinner Shoppe in Decatur, King of Pops, honey from
The market is owned by Matt Bowman, founder of Tradition Trees in Little Five Points, which has since grown into 13 tree lots. Tradition has also become known for having a rich inventory of holiday lights, which you might have seen at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center and in homes and businesses from Downtown to Avondale Estates.
In 2018, Bowman had the opportunity to buy the former Farmer D’s Organic shop as well as the carwash and jumped at the chance. The whole family gets involved with Tradition, even Pitzer’s daughter Eva Jade, 2, who was hard at work with a calculator last time I dropped in.
Check out all that’s happening at TraditionCompany.com or Traditionmarketandgarden. com.
Northside Medical Midtown brings Georgia’s most compassionate and dedicated experts to the heart of Atlanta. With over 20 practices, our physicians and staff are ready to care for you and your family.
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Sports Medicine
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Arthritis & Total Joint Specialists 770-292-6500 • arthritisandtotaljoint.com
Atlanta Cardiac & Thoracic Surgical Associates
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Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates 404-888-7601 • atlantagastro.com
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Northside Hospital Center for Perinatal Medicine 404-898-2550 • northside.com/cpm
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Randy Rudderman, MD Plastic Surgery & Medical Spa 678-566-7200 • drrudderman.com
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University Gynecologic Oncology 404-300-2990 • ugynonc.com
▼Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta has named its newest hospital for Arthur Blank after a $200 million donation from his foundation. The Arthur M. Blank Hospital, a $1.5 billion project located near the I-85 and North Druid Hills Road interchange, is set to open in 2025. The donation from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation is the largest in Children’s Healthcare’s history, according to a press release. The 1.5 million-square-foot hospital will have one 19-story tower with two wings, operating rooms, specialty bed and diagnostic equipment, according to the press release. It will be connected to an 11-story medical office building. It will also be the only Level 1 pediatric trauma center in the state, according to the release. The hospital is part of CHOA’s new 70-acre campus, which will include about 20 acres of green space and multiuse paths.
Joy Christina for professionals seeking to connect and network in a relaxed atmosphere. Access into the space is by invitation only. For more information, visit ccsocialhouse.com.
As part of its 15th anniversary celebration, Atlantic Station has launched a new brand identity, “The Heart of Atlanta,” including interactive website, onsite signage, digital ads, and an audio-guided walking tour sharing key moments in the West Midtown neighborhood’s history. Visit atlanticstation. com for more.
Mini-golf experience Puttshack is under construction at The Interlock, the $450 million mixed-use development at 1085 Howell Mill Road on the Westside. Puttshack Atlanta will be the Londonbased company’s first U.S. location, which will be followed by outposts in Chicago and Miami. Expected to open in Spring 2021, the 25,000 square feet space will feature four mini golf courses, full bar, and dining menu. Visit puttshack.com for more information.
jumpsuits, face masks, hand dyed garments, jewelry and more made by bombchels in Liberia, as well as capsule collections handmade by Archel locally and products from other black-owned designers.
California-based sleepwear company Lunya has opened a boutique at Westside Provisions District, 1700 Howell Mill Road. The 1,800-square-foot retail space carries Lunya’s array of sleep sets, robes, cardigans, slip dresses, rompers and jumpsuits, intimates, and accessories. For more, visit lunya.co.
►Romp + Tumble has launched in Atlanta offering curated bundles of baby clothes for every growth spurt. Founded by Morningside resident Tara Ghei, the subscription service allows parents to rent clothing for a growing baby. Visit rompandtumble. com for more information.
University’s stadium, now called Center Parc Credit Union Stadium. Located in a 5,700 square-foot retail space at 101 Marietta Street, just steps from Centennial Olympic Park, Center Parc Credit Union offers a full suite of financial services including checking, credit cards, auto and home loans.
Richard Ramey, owner of the iconic LGBTQ bar Atlanta Eagle, announced in a Facebook Live stream on Oct. 8 that the venue will close in November due to financial strain caused by the pandemic. Ramey said he plans to reopen in 2021 in a new location. The Eagle, which made international headlines for an illegal raid by Atlanta Police in 2009, has been a Midtown mainstay for more than 30 years.
Advocacy organization Atlanta Bicycle Coalition has named Rachel Stanley as senior development manager. Stanley will be responsible for developing and overseeing the coalition’s fundraising goals. Funding for this transformative position is provided by Power to Grow, a multi-year investment in fundraising leadership from Mailchimp. Prior to joining ABC, Stanley served as grants manager of the Latin American Association where she wrote, managed and stewarded five- and six-figure grants from foundations, government agencies and corporations to support a range of initiatives, including social service and youth mentoring programs.
Award-winning architecture and interior design firm Surber Barber Choate + Hertlein Architects (SBCH) has announced it will move its offices to Morningside Village at 1395 North Highland Avenue. The company will be situated in the building’s “Top-level Office” space featuring an open and inviting floor plan, plus private access to an expansive patio space overlooking N. Highland Avenue.
Shared office space concept WeWork has opened in Decatur at 120 West Trinity Place with its space covering three floors of the mixed-use development. The space features lounges, conference rooms, and private offices equipped with high-speed internet, printers, private phone booths, meeting spaces with conferencing A/V, an on-site staff and more. Visit wework.com for more information.
Book Boutique has opened its newest location at Atlantic Station, 260 18th Street. The Black-owned store, created by Monique Hall and her husband Rodney Daniel, features 10,300-square-feet including a cafe, which is slated to open in November. The bookstore will promote the launches of both local and national books, as well as boast a collection on a wide range of topics, including nonfiction, fiction, cookbooks, SAT prep, children’s books and more. Check out Book Boutique on Instagram @bookboutiqueatl.
Bridal and fine jewelry company Brilliant Earth has opened a new showroom at Westside Provisions District, 691 14th St. NW. The 2,000 square foot space offers engagement rings, wedding rings and fine jewelry made with conflict free diamonds and ethically sourced gemstones. For more information, visit BrilliantEarth.com.
Sloane Drake, Senior Vice President of Metro Atlanta & Corporate Relations Bentina
Chisolm Terry and Vice President of Corporate Services Latanza Adjei were recently selected to the Atlanta Business League’s 2020 list of Atlanta’s Top 100 Black Women of Influence.
C & C Social House, a members-only, afterwork space for professionals, is now open in the MLK Historic District. The space was developed by entrepreneur
Bombchel, an ethical fashion brand offering contemporary West African clothing, accessories and more made in Liberia, is now open at Ponce City Market. Founded by Atlanta native Archel Bernard, the Georgia Tech graduate opened The Bombchel Factory as a way to help contribute to the rebuilding of the country after the 2015 Ebola outbreak. With a mission to teach an all-female staff of Ebola survivors how to make clothes, The Bombchel Factory is committed to improving the lives of its staff, “bombchels,” by helping them to become self-sufficient through skill-training and education. Bombchel’s contemporary clothing is made from authentic African fabrics purchased at local markets in West Africa. At the new Ponce City Market store, visitors can shop colorful pieces including dresses, skirts and
Atlanta-based RedDrop is the first feminine hygiene brand designed to support school age girls. In October, the company launched a new period kit specifically designed to provide young girls with educational resources and products customized to help them navigate their first period. RedDrop is partnering with school systems in metro Atlanta to roll these kits out to girls, single parents and guardians, as well as educate moms and dads on how to speak to their daughters as they enter this new chapter of their adolescence. The new kits include pads, sanitary wipes, and educational materials to inform girls about their first period. The company was co-founded by entrepreneurs Dana Roberts and Monica Williams. Visit tryreddrop.com for more information.
The Atlanta Postal Credit Union (APCU) has launched its first consumer-facing division with the opening of Center Parc Credit Union in Downtown and has secured the naming rights to Georgia State
Lesbian bar My Sister’s Room is the recipient of Queer to Stay: An LGBTQ+ Business Preservation Initiative funding to support and preserve businesses that serve the LGBTQ+ community with a focus on people of color, women and the transgender community. The funding comes from a partnership formed by the Human Rights Campaign and cable network Showtime. The bar, first opened in 1996, is owned by Jennifer Maguire and Jami Maguire. “People have been coming to My Sister’s Room for years for gatherings, community or in times when they need a friendly face. They know that they have a place to come home to. We hope to continue the legacy another 25 years,” the partners said.
New York-based hatmaker B.M. Franklin & Co. has opened its first Southeastern pop-up shop at Buckhead Village on the corner of Bolling Way and Buckhead Avenue. The 827-square-foot store will offer custom and ready-to-wear hats, masks, full repair and renovation service, a customization bar with accessories like pins and feathers, uniquely scented hand sanitizers and more. Shoppers interested in the craft and process can book a B.M. Franklin Experience where they will have the opportunity to learn and assist in the process of making a hat using age-old tools. They will also have the chance to meet one on one with a classically trained artisan to design a custom hat that authentically reflects the individual.
Trash can be a galvanizing topic for most people, especially river and nature lovers. We are disgusted at the sight of the plastic bottles and bags, single-use products, Styrofoam, and balls of every sort that float in the water— moving from one riverbank to another on voyages downstream or sinking to the river bottom.
Most of the debris in the Chattahoochee River arrives via tributaries that serve as natural conduits from the storm drains that collect rainwater and trash from streets, parking lots, yards and commercial and industrial sites. Some trash is thrown directly into the river, usually off bridges: the out of sight, out of mind attitude that has historically been the way people have dealt with something they didn’t want—whether it be old furniture, appliances, tires (so many tires…), mattresses, toys, clothes, or even dead animals.
During Chattahoochee Riverkeeper’s (CRK) first twenty-five years, the organization removed at least two million pounds of trash and tires from the Chattahoochee, its tributaries and lakes with the help of thousands of volunteers— enough debris to fill twenty-five, eighteen-wheel tractor trailer trucks.
One of the strangest trashrelated phone calls I ever received, when I was at CRK, came from an employee at a power plant on the Chattahoochee. She asked, matter-of-factly, if we would please remove a rotting goat from the river. It had apparently gotten “stuck” in an eddy in front of the plant’s water intake grate. Plant workers refused to make repairs to the intake until it, and the nauseating smell emanating from the carcass, were gone. I quickly declined, responding that our organization did not handle such waste and suggested that she speak with local animal control agencies.
In the years since I have retired, more goats—several hundred and all headless—have been found by CRK in the same general vicinity of the Chattahoochee: the apparent result of religious rituals that involve animal sacrifice. Remnants from these legal
ceremonies have been found near the river, possibly sited for “convenient,” but illegal, animal disposal. On a recent trip in the CRK patrol boat, I saw one of the dead goats myself. Fortunately, most of the trash found in the river is not quite as disturbing, although it’s always infuriating that people view our rivers as places to dump what they do not want.
While groups like CRK continue to organize volunteer trash cleanups every year, there are other solutions to keep unwanted waste from polluting our waterways and littering roads, parks and neighborhoods.
For many years, Atlanta has considered—but never created—a stormwater utility, like those enacted by other cities in the region. A utility is a funding mechanism that provides the revenue a municipality needs to operate and maintain its drainage systems—in order to reduce flooding and keep pollutants, including trash, from flowing in rainwater to nearby streams. Each developed property is charged a cost-based, equitable fee that is fair, proportionate and based on impervious areas, such as roof
tops, parking areas, and other hard surfaces. Programs implemented by a stormwater utility help stop and collect trash at its source—the places where it’s discarded— before it floats into the river that supplies our drinking water.
Innovative litter-collection devices offer a solution for trash removal in small streams— once the waste has been deposited there by storm runoff. The Litter Gitter is one smallstream device designed to catch floating trash using booms to guide the debris into a mesh container that can be mechanically-emptied after a rainstorm. To enhance durability in heavily-urbanized areas, fabricated aluminum tubing is used to build the trap and mesh basket; large fishing floats are used for the collection booms. Because it floats on the surface, the device allows heavy objects and wildlife to pass underneath.
Collaborating with Coca-Cola, Groundwork Atlanta/Georgia TRADEUP, and Osprey Initiative, CRK created the Litter Gitter Pilot Program: a one-year effort to assess the efficacy of using these devices on a tributary to the Chattahoochee. Because Proctor Creek, which originates near downtown Atlanta, has a watershed with significant coverage of impervious surfaces, it was selected as the best stream in which to install the trash collectors—despite its flashiness, meaning that the creek rapidly collects flows from its developed watershed, producing turbulence and flood peaks.
During a massive storm earlier this year,
Proctor Creek flooded in just a few hours, increasing in depth from an average 3.5 feet to 10.5 feet with a discharge (volumetric flow) rate of more than 2,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). For comparison, the discharge rate during dry weather is typically below 30 cfs. In such urban environments, the collection devices can be overwhelmed. Three traps were installed at sites in the creek that were selected for easy, safe access for trash removal; they were monitored and maintained for a year by the project team.
Using a method developed by the U.S. EPA to catalogue trash, the team learned, not surprisingly, that the five most frequently found items—in descending order—were: plastic beverage bottles, plastic water bottles, plastic bags, Styrofoam pieces, and Styrofoam cups. In fact, plastic made up eighty-two percent of the trash removed from the creek. The remaining categories reported by percentage in the project report are metal, paper, glass, and bulky items such as automotive parts, sports equipment, and tobacco products.
As sustainability advocate Annie Leonard says: “There is no such thing as ‘away.’ When we throw anything away, it must go somewhere.” If you can’t reuse or repurpose an item, that somewhere needs to be a recycling facility, composting center or municipal landfill—not a river.
For more about the Litter Gitter, visit chattahoochee.org/2020/10/11548/.
Entering its eighth year, the Metro Atlanta Chamber’s Atlanta E3 Awards recognize companies, organizations and individuals for outstanding achievement in advancing clean tech and best-in-class sustainability practices in the marketplace.
The 2020 winners will be highlighted in a 2021 series of events called “Greenlight on Sustainability” to take a deeper dive into the stories of the winners.
“This year’s Atlanta E3 winners represent the very best of the cutting-edge companies advancing what sustainability means for metro Atlanta’s businesses and their communities,” said Katie Kirkpatrick, president and CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. “We are thrilled to showcase their impact in the region and in their respective industries.”
Genuine Parts Company
Genuine Parts Company, as a leading distributor of auto and industrial replacement parts, office products and electric materials, has made great strides in making their logistics and supply chain more sustainable. Through fleet management and route optimization, they have reduced their fleet by 500 vehicles as well as recycled 20 tons of tires. In 2019, they reduced their greenhouse gas emissions by over 4,000 metric tons and their fuel consumption by over half a million gallons.
Atlanta Hawks/State Farm Arena
The Atlanta Hawks show a strong commitment to sustainability through the retrofitting of State Farm Arena to be the first NBA Arena awarded LEED Certification for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance, as well as through their community engagement work throughout Metro Atlanta. The arena is on a journey to become a Zero Waste facility, Continued on page 24
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their partnership with vendors to focus on supply chain, recycling, composting, and waste management has been significant on the way to reaching that goal. One recent success is the team store eliminating single-use plastic bags for merchandise, and now using paper bags made from recycled cardboard. During the pandemic, the Hawks partnered with Goodr to provide meals to food-insecure populations such as seniors and low-income students dependent on school meals, and to frontline healthcare workers. Earlier this summer, the organization partnered with Fulton County to create Georgia’s largest-ever voting precinct at State Farm Arena.
Georgia Power and the Georgia Power Foundation demonstrates environmental stewardship in many ways, through programs for stream bank restoration in their rightof-way, responsible water management and research in their power plants, investments in improving air quality and more. Last year, the Georgia Power Foundation created the Water Quality Grant Program, which awarded $1 million in grants this year to nine projects across the state. The grants will help fund projects which are focused on preserving and restoring Georgia’s waterways, lakes and rivers.
The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design is, for the moment, a one-ofkind building in the Southeast. It is a multi-disciplinary, non-departmental education building that is pursuing the Living Building Challenge – the world’s most ambitious building performance standard – which aligns with Georgia Tech’s longstanding vision for its campus to serve as a research center for innovation. Rather than being less bad than conventional buildings, The Kendeda Building is regenerative; it gives back more than it takes from the environment. For example, the building incorporates a substantial amount of salvaged materials, is designed to generate more onsite solar electricity each year than it consumes, has a rainwater-to-potable water treatment system, and treats human bio-waste onsite without a connection to the sewer.
For more information about the 2020 E3 Awards, visit atlantae3awards.com.
The Greenbuild International Conference + Expo will be held virtually Nov. 10-12 featuring more than 100 sessions, networking, and guest speakers. The architect of the Paris Climate Agreement, Christiana Figueres, will be one of the keynote speakers at this year’s event. For more details, visit greenbuildexpo.com.
The 2020 Sustainable Summit for fashion industry insiders and leaders will be the place to discuss how to fashion businesses can work to maintain the integrity of and build a more earth-friendly industry. Led by Quinay Baker, founder of Q&A Fabric Studio, a sustainability business, the conference will give attendees information and connections to create and find sustainable business models. The event is set for Nov. 14 at The Gathering Spot, 384 Northyards Blvd. where vendors will sell sustainable products and services from garments to books. Events will be available for in-person and virtual viewing for registered attendees and media. At the close of the summit, a few of the city’s fashion designers will showcase their sustainable designs in a runway show. Tickets are available via Eventbrite by searching for 2020 Sustainable Summit.
The Georgia Water Coalition has released its Clean 13 report for 2020, which highlights individuals, businesses, industries, non-profit organizations and governmental agencies whose efforts have led to cleaner rivers. Honored this year were Chattahoochee RiverLands, Emory University, Fall-Line Alliance for a Clean Environment, Georgia Farmers, Golden Triangle RC&D Council, Se. William Ligon, Live Thrive Atlanta, Okefenokee Swamp Park, Parsley’s Catering, Se. Freddie Powell Sims, SouthWings, YKK AP America, Yonah Mountain Vineyards. To read about each of the honorees’ contributions, visit gawater.org/ clean-13.
Arnold Bread has partnered with SeedMoney, a Maine-based nonprofit that provides grants, crowdfunding opportunities and training to food garden projects across the country and around the world, to provide a $5,000 grant to Collegetown Farm, Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture in Atlanta. After being hand selected for this grant, Collegetown Farm, which impacts over 2,000 locals, chose to utilize the additional funding to better the garden by supporting the community during the pandemic.
The Georgia Conservancy’s Board of Trustees has appointed Katherine Moore as the new -president of the organization. Moore, who currently serves as the Georgia Conservancy’s Vice President of Programs and Director of Sustainable Growth, succeeds Bart Gobeil in the role. Moore has worked in the community development and Katherine Moore
environmental conservation fields for more than 20 years, including 12 years in the private sector as a planner and the past 11 years with the Georgia Conservancy.
Park Pride recently announced six recipients of the 2020 Inspiration Awards during the Parks and Greenspace Conference. This year’s winners include Sofia Bork, Annie Moore, George Ickes, Joe Peery, Dan Calvert, and Keith Sharp. To find out more about the winners, visit parkpride.org.
As part of its Week of Caring, Mercedes-Benz USA honored its Greatness Lives Here heroes for their sustainable leadership and lasting impact on those they serve by planting 18 trees in a commemorative ceremony along with partner organization Trees Atlanta. Engraved granite markers displaying each hero’s name and respective organization lay at the foot of each tree planted at the Georgia World Congress Center campus. The following individuals were recognized at the event: Tim and Becky O’Mara, Bearings Bike Shop; C.J. and Kelli Stewart, L.E.A.D.; Kim Bearden, The Ron Clark Academy; John Gordon, Friends of English Avenue; Charmaine Minniefield, The New Freedom Project; Scott Rigsby, The Scott Rigsby Foundation; Zack Leitz, The Backpack Project; Dantes Rameau, Atlanta Music Project; Zac Brown, Camp Southern Ground; Betty Klein, Childkind; Guenther Hecht and Joe Labriola, Second Helpings Atlanta; Dr. Diamond Ford, M. R. Hollis Innovation Academy; Larry Witherspoon and Shawn McHargue, Automotive Training Center; Maria Armstrong and Tangee Allen, Raising Expectations; Susan Norris, Rescuing Hope; Dean Leeper, The Kindezi Schools; Amy O’Dell, Jacob’s Ladder; Susan Jacobs-Meadows, Canine CellMates.
outdoor dining patio and an area for art, a water feature and performance space in front of the building.
The 267-foot tall building steps down as it gets closer to a rear alley which backs up to the residential Ansley Park neighborhood. The DRC instructed the developer to meet with the Ansley Park neighborhood association to discuss design alternatives.
Visit capcityre.com for more information.
40 West 12th
Rising as one of the three towers at 1105 West Peachtree, the $530 million mixed-use development under construction in Midtown, 40 West 12th celebrated its topping out and the opening of its presentation gallery in October.
The 64-unit condo tower comes on the heels of a partnership agreement between Selig Development and Rockefeller Group to develop the residential community. Engel & Völkers Atlanta put four of the units under contract in just one week last month. The luxury condos are priced from the $800s
By Collin KelleyThe mixed-use development trend shows no signs of slowing down as a slew of new projects are underway or have been announced, including a transformative project for the English Avenue community.
Here’s a roundup of what’s new and on the horizon:
Lincoln Property Company has begun site work and infrastructure improvements at Echo Street West, a 19-acre mixeduse development in the English Avenue community.
Located at Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway and Northside Drive, the project will also be connected to Atlanta BeltLine’s new Westside Connector Trail, which runs directly through the property.
Lincoln’s $17 million investment in infrastructure upgrades includes replacing the turn-of-the-century utilities, installing a fiber network, improving stormwater retention, paving new roads, and environmental cleanup of the property.
When complete, Echo Street West will have 2.4 million square feet of mixed-use space. The first phase encompasses 285,000 square feet of creative office; 30,000
square feet of retail; a 16,000-square-foot artist and makers colony; 20,000 square feet of event space; 3.4 acres of outdoor entertainment and gathering areas; and 300 multifamily units, of which 20 percent will be affordable.
The outdoor gathering spaces, restoration of an architecturally significant buildings into an event venue and artist and makers colony, and the open-air bar and dining experience will be the first components to open next spring.
The event venue, Guardian Works, will be located in the former Guardian Chemical Company building and feature 6,000 square feet of indoor reception space, nearly 5,000 on an outside patio, and an additional 23,000 of greenspace. Novare
Events has been selected to manage and market events at the space.
For more about the project visit echostreetwest.com.
The Midtown Development Review Committee got its first look in October at Capital City Real Estate’s plan for a 24-story building that will mix apartments and condos on Peachtree Street.
The project at 1429 Peachtree Street would be a high-end building called The Rhapsody and feature 270 apartments and 55 condominiums with separate lobbies accessed from Peachtree. There would be a restaurant on the ground floor with a large
to $2+ million.
Located along 12th street in Midtown, 40 West 12th is joining two other vertical components at 1105 West Peachtree — a 31-story office tower encompassing 675,000-square-feet of workspace and the 178-room Autograph Collection Epicurean Hotel. All three towers will be connected by a Sky Plaza, which will feature a hub of small outdoor gathering areas, a central green space and an outdoor restaurant and bar, as well as direct access to the hotel’s resort style pool and poolside restaurant and bar. For more information, visit 40West12th.com.
Mill Creek Residential Trust’s latest project began moving in residents last month to the mix of 318 studio, one-, twoand three-bedroom apartment homes, as well as penthouse suites with rooftop access, and 21,000 square feet of retail space on the first floor.
Located at 3699 Lenox Road, the property includes access to a 24-hour clubquality fitness center with yoga and spin studios, equipped with Peloton bikes, a second-story resort-style pool with cabanas and a sixth-floor sky lounge with coworking space. The community will also feature a bike lounge with loaner bikes, a pet spa, complimentary coffee bar and controlledaccess garage parking, alongside self-serve package lockers.
Visit moderaprominence.com for leasing information.
Located at 1050 Howell Mill Road, the Allen Morris Company has opened the initial phase of Star Metals Residences featuring 186 residences, including studios, one- and two-bedroom units. A second phase consisting of an additional 223 residences is expected to be completed by year’s end.
Amenities at Star Metals Residences include a resort-style rooftop lounge on the 9th level of the building, indoor/outdoor space with panoramic views of the Atlanta skyline, game room, grilling area, fire pits and a state-of-the-art fitness center opening onto the pool terrace.
Ground-floor amenities include 15,000 square feet of street-level upscale retail and a lobby space featuring Prevail Coffee.
The entire Star Metals project also includes 267,000 square foot office building
with 40,000 square feet of retail and showroom space and a 176 key hotel. Visit starmetalsresidences.com for more information.
spot opening by year’s end. The shop will use ethically sourced, organic ingredients and consults experts in a variety of fields (mixologists, functional medicine practitioners, doctors) to concoct recipes that provide health benefits. For more, visit eleventlc.com.
in spring 2021. Fishmonger will offer fresh regional seafood for retail and wholesale as well as a small daily to-go lunch menu in a boutique style environment. The menu will include house-made white fish salads, housemade bottarga, regional oysters, soups, and sandwiches.
By Collin KelleyIf you’re looking for somewhere new to nosh or imbibe this November and beyond, an array of new restaurants, bars, and breweries have opened their doors – or soon will – around Intown. With the pandemic upending Thanksgiving plans for many (check our Turkey Day suggestions on Page 31), these eateries might be a solution for the holiday or just a change of pace from your usual takeout spots on speed dial.
Delayed by the pandemic, this extension of Decatur’s Three Taverns Brewery is now open at Atlanta Dairies on Memorial Drive. Owner Brian Purcell describes the new space as equal parts laboratory, brewery, and tasting room. During the pandemic, Purcell the “to-go window and the Dairies’ communal yard with seating and fire pits will be key to our plans for offering a safe and comfortable environment to drink our beers.” The space has two levels, each with indoor and outdoor seating, and there will be limits to the number of guests for social distancing. The Imaginarium has a 10BBL pilot brew system where brewers will invent and concoct beers with exotic and unique flavor profiles – while also serving up fan favorites. It plans to have six to eight of its core beers on tap, followed by a rotating list of 16 to 18 experimental beers exploring many different styles, ingredients and brewing techniques. The Imaginarium also plans to complement its beer offerings with small food plates from rotating kiosks or pop-up stations. For more information, visit threetavernsbrewery.com.
Fetch Park
The popular Old Fourth Ward off-leash dog park bar will open a second location at Buckhead Village in early 2021. Fetch will feature greenspace covered in durable, mud-free field turf, cooling stations and a bath area, shaded seating, Wifi throughout and multiple television viewing stations. A vintage Airstream will be serving up a selection of beer, wine and spirits, as well as a complete coffee bar filled with exclusive blends. Founder Stephen Ochs is also planning a third location for Alpharetta. For more information, visit fetchpark.com.
Ted’s Montana Grill
If you’re craving a bison burger, Ted’s has opened a new location at Westside Village, 2250 Marietta Blvd. on the Upper Westside. This location will have large patio and rooftop bar. Along with the bison and beef, there’s also fresh seafood and seasonal salads on the menu. Visit tedsmontanagrill. com.
Eleven TLC
Organic teas, lattes, and caffeine (that’s the TLC of the name), along with vegan soft serve ice cream are on the menu at this new Ponce City Market
▲Nick’s Westside
Chef Nick Leahy has closed AIX and Tin Tin in West Midtown to create this new concept, which offers a menu of seasonally inspired, locally-sourced dishes. Leahy is working with local farmers, producers, distillers, brewers, and roasters to prepare small plates, bowls and southern favorites. The restaurant is located at 956 Brady Ave. NW, Suite. 100. Visit nickswestsideatl.com.
Fishmonger
Nhan Le and Skip Englebrecht, owners of 8 Arm and Octopus Bar, will open their new seafood concept at Plaza on Ponce (home to the iconic Plaza Theatre) in Poncey-Highland
Cheba Hut
This cannabis-inspired shop at 800 Marietta St. on the Westside offers a menu anchored in toasted sandwiches like the White Widow, piled high with grilled chicken breast, smothered in ranch dressing, and topped with mushrooms, bacon and provolone cheese. There’s also a selection of munchies including sweet treats, salads, vegetarian options, and signature cocktails. See the full menu at chebahut.com.
Storico Vino
Slated to open any day now, the owners of Storico Fresco and Forza Storico – Michael Patrick, Pietro Gianni, and Stephen Peterson – newest concept is Storico Vino at Buckhead Village, 3059 Peachtree Road. Designed as a “true Italian wine bar,” the spot features traditional Italian fare and beverages. Visit storico.com for more details.
◄The Chastain
The former Horseradish Grill space at 4320 Powers Ferry Road has been transformed into The Chastain by Chef Christopher Grossman, formerly of Atlas at The St. Regis, with a menu of refined American comfort food. Located inside a former roadside country store on the edge of Chastain Park, the restaurant has 2,500 square feet of indoor and outdoor dining space. For more, visit thechastainatl.com.
► Elsewhere Brewing
Located at the Beacon in Grant Park, the new brewery and taproom from Sam and Sara Kazmer, pictured right, is inspired by Belgian cafes, Bavarian beer gardens, and English pubs that visited while traveling in Europe. There are 11 beers on tap, while the food menu includes pasta, sandwiches, meats from the grill, shrimp platters and desserts. Find our more at elsewherebrewing.com.
Brown
The latest eatery at Colony Square in Midtown is offering counter-service for take-out, pick-up, delivery and limited in-store seating, in addition to casual picnic tables on the open-air patio. Founded by Donna Lee, pictured above, the menu will feature a daily catch special, grilled salmon, crispy cod, curry fish cakes, and more. Visit brownbagseasfood.com for more information.
Grady Health System’s main campus in Downtown now includes Jesse Hill Market, a public café where patients, employees, visitors, and community members can access healthy, affordable food.
Located just outside the main entrance in the Butler Parking Deck, the market also houses the Food Prescription program to help referred Grady patients better manage diet-related chronic conditions, like diabetes.
“Our goal is to serve 2,000 patients a year,” said Leslie Marshburn, Grady Executive Director of Strategy & Population Health. “Once referred they can walk downstairs to the market to get their first 20-pound box of produce – a mix of shelf stable items (brown rice, dried lentils, oats) and fresh produce (potatoes, apples, oranges, pairs, carrot, lettuce) and pick that up twice a month for up to 12 months.”
Food prescriptions also include cooking classes and nutrition counseling from registered dieticians. Participating patients are required to follow-up with their doctor every three months.
“We’re going to provide you with the tools and skills to maximize the impact on your health,” Marshburn said.
Jesse Hill Market is an example of how different sectors can come together to solve problems. It’s the realization of a concept developed in partnership with the Atlanta Community Food Bank and Open Hand Atlanta. Together they conducted a successful joint fundraising campaign, in which individuals, companies and foundations provided support for the construction of the market and the first three years of program operating costs.
“We wanted to convert that space that used to be a fast food restaurant to a healthy food pharmacy – because we know how important food is to health and wellness” said Kyle Waide, President and CEO of Atlanta Community Food Bank. “What is unique about this project is the combination of all of these elements – café, food pharmacy, connection to public benefits and nutrition education.”
The Food Bank sources the fresh vegetables fruits, and healthy starches, grains, and proteins to fill the food prescriptions primarily from Georgia famers. They also staff Benefits Outreach screeners on site to connect patients to benefit programs, such as SNAP and Medicare savings accounts.
Open Hand is responsible for the revenue generating public offerings at the market. Using their social enterprise brand Good Measure Meals, 100 percent of net proceeds support their mission and the market.
“This is a whole new way to create access to healthier meals. Typically, we are a
home delivered meal service. This is our first bricks and mortar,” said Matt Pieper, Executive Director of Open Hand Atlanta.
“We prepare grab-and-go meals and snacks in our Midtown campus and deliver them to the market every day – where we will sell them to the paying public at an affordable rate. There’s rarely been a day we haven’t sold out by the end of the day.”
That’s because Grady employees and visitors have quickly embraced the café.
“Oftentimes when I think about eating healthy, I think, ‘oh my gosh the food is going to taste bad,” Grady employee Renee Ogoun said. “With Good Measure Meals the food is healthy, prices are reasonable, and best of all the meals are flavorful. My favorite item is the lemon grass chicken wrap. I know that whatever I buy is going to be worth talking about to my coworkers, or with the cashier Robin.”
Jesse Hill Market is open to the public Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Tuesday through Saturday for patients picking up food prescriptions. Cooking classes are currently for patients and employees. The market follows the CDC COVID-19 protocols.
“This collaboration represents one-stop shopping for individuals of all levels of the social-economic spectrum. And holds great promise for being replicated in other community based health care systems,” Pieper said.
said. The app and website are virtually identical – making it easy to use for individuals and families in need, students seeking food outside of school hours and teachers and counselors to make referrals. Each pin on the map shows you the resource’s street address, hours of operation and contact info.
With the platforms in place, FoodFinder expanded their database through research, collaboration with major food banks and input from the field.
Over the next several years, FoodFinder increased its reach to all 50 states; a tall task, especially while Griffin was a fulltime college student at the University of Michigan.
while he was still in high school at Peachtree Ridge in Gwinnett County. He was looking for a volunteer opportunity at a nearby food pantry but had difficulty locating one.
By Clare S. RichieAs the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the U.S., more Americans experienced food insecurity for the first time and were unsure of where to receive emergency food assistance. Thankfully, the FoodFinder app and website was ready to connect thousands of people in need to local food resources.
“We’ve talked with people – folks who had always prided themselves for decades on being able to pay the bills, have a job, make ends meet and because of the pandemic –all of a sudden they need help from food pantries and they didn’t know where their
next meal would come from,” said Jack Griffin, FoodFinder’s Founder and CEO.
Like other hunger relief nonprofits, FoodFinder was called to respond to a huge spike in demand due to the impact of COVID-19 on the economy.
“We served an average of 3,000 people per day in March and April, four-times our normal demand,” Griffin said. ”Our daily impact has stabilized to 1,500 people served per day, but that’s still twice our prepandemic average.”
From March through September, the digital resource connected about 22,600 metro Atlanta residents to food assistance.
Griffin, now 22, started FoodFinder
“That online search process was much more difficult than I thought it would be and should be; it was really piecemeal and fragmented. If a food pantry is run out of church, if it’s entirely volunteer run – they may not even have an online presence,” Griffin discovered. ”We could do our part to connect the people looking for help with the places that already offer it, ideally so everyone is better off as a result.”
By May of 2014, Griffin launched the FoodFinder website with a couple dozen food pantries in and around Gwinnett County.
“We got the mobile app up and running in 2016 thanks to our first grant from the Atlanta-based Arby’s Foundation” Griffin
“In the early days, we were told it would be impossible to have a statewide database for even every food pantry in Georgia. Fast forward to FoodFinder today and we’re now a national resource. We have the info of 45,000 different programs across all 50 states and have helped families in more than 10,000 different cities and towns across the U.S.,” Griffin said.
Thanks, in part, to a grant from Walmart Foundation in 2019, the nonprofit’s staff includes Griffin, a Chief Operations Officer and a team of four part-timers to work on data sourcing and verification.
FoodFinder is close realizing its goal of 100 percent nationwide coverage and being first ever database and directory of every food pantry in America.
“We would love to welcome more people into our mission – either to help spread the word or support us directly. For every $10 that someone donates we can connect 200 people across the country to food assistance; a little goes a tremendously long way,” Griffin said.
Find out more at foodfinder.us, or follow on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram at FoodFingerUS.
◄Wine Shoe in Castleberry Hill is under new ownership with Krishna Chapatwala taking over the boutique wine shop at 339 Nelson St. “As a chef with a personal chef and catering business for 10 years, it was a natural fit into the wine industry,” Chapatwala said. :I’ve been offering wine pairings for dinner parties since 2015. Being Indian by birth adds a unique voice to the Atlanta food and wine industry. The A can now boast its first wine shop owned by an Indian woman with extensive culinary background.” Wine Shoe is also offering tastings with social distancing and has recommendations for pairing food with the perfect bottle. For more, visit wineshoeatlanta.com.
Jenny Levison, owner of the five local Souper Jenny cafés, has embarked on The Souper Jenny Kindness Tour – a six week journey that began in mid-October and will take Levison and her friend Meg Gillentine on a cross-country odyssey to perform random acts of kindness and serve up her signature soups. “The need for love and kindness, generosity and benevolence, has never been greater,” said Levison. “During this time of COVID and systemic racism coming to the forefront, I’ve felt the loss, the division, the fear and uncertainty, the illness, the injustices befalling our country and our communities. And I feel a call to action. I can think of no better time to get out there and offer a little love to the country.” Levison and Gillentine are traveling west in an RV, stopping at local farms and orchards to buy their produce and products to turn it into soup and then donate it back to the community. As they head out to California and back east, they plan to feed first responders, people in need and ordinary citizens that just could use a little kindness thrown their way. Follow the journey at instagram.com/followingsouperjenny and facebook.com/jennifer.levison.
Lauren Holley of Atlanta was one of three home cooks honored as part of Bon Appétit and the Mushroom Council’s Blended Burger Project. Holley prepared a Chili Maple Brunch Burger, a breakfast-inspired dish featuring hot Italian ground pork sausage and lean ground turkey blended with pan-roasted shiitake, oyster and crimini mushrooms. The burger is topped with a fried egg, chili-spiced maple syrup, arugula and mushroom “bacon.” Bon Appétit Test Kitchen Editor Chris Morocco cooked and presented the top burgers in a special “virtual” cook-off that can be viewed at.bonappetit.com.
The coronavirus pandemic has upended travel and dining plans for Thanksgiving, but a number of Intown restaurants will be serving socially distanced meals or have a turkey day feast available for takeout.
Fox Bros BBQ: Smoked turkey and ham with all the fixins is on the menu for takeout at the popular DeKalb Ave. restaurant. Orders must be made by Nov. 20 at foxbrosbbq.com.
Murphy’s: The Virginia-Highland restaurant will offer its annual Thanksgiving To-Go turkey meal for takeout or delivery. Orders can be placed at murphysatlanta.com under the Take Out tab.
South City Kitchen Midtown: A prixfixe Thanksgiving menu will be offered for dine-in at the Midtown spot but grab a table quick for timed seating at southcitykitchen.com.
Hard Rock Café: The Downtown tourist favorite is cooking up a Thanksgiving feast for prepurchase at exploretock.com/hardrockcafeatlanta.
Mary Mac’s Tea Room: The iconic Southern restaurant reopens Nov. 2 under new ownership and will be taking orders for its holiday meals at marymacs.com/holidays.
The Sun Dial: Zoom to the top of the Westin Peachtree in Downtown for a special Thanksgiving dinner with a view. Reservations are required at sundialresaturant.com.
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There’s no getting around it: the holidays are going to be different this year due to the pandemic. Many beloved annual events have been cancelled or will go virtual, while others are taking a “wait and see” approach, which is why you should check AtlantaINtownPaper. com for the latest updates.
But don’t despair. There are still events happening to help ring in the season and we’ve rounded up some recommendations for November and beyond to get you in the holiday spirit.
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
The ASO will be streaming a live tribute to Ravel including Le tombeau de Couperin, Shéhérazade, and Mother Goose Suite on Nov. 28 at 8 p.m. Visit AtlantaSymphony. org for tickets.
Atlantic Station
The annual Light the Station event is set for Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. with the lighting of the giant Christmas tree, fireworks, music and more. The event will be live streamed on 11 Alive. Skate the Station will be open Nov. 16 for socially distanced ice skating. More details at atlanticstation.com.
with Santa. Proceeds benefit the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. Reservation are required at GeorgiaTrust.org or by calling (404) 885-7812.
◄Garden Lights, Holiday Nights
This year’s light show at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, presented Nov. 14 through Jan. 16, will provide a far more intimate experience than in years past with limited guest capacity each night of the run. Masks and social distancing will be required so guests can have a worry-free experience. Tickets are selling quickly, so visit atlantabg. org to secure your reservation.
The pandemic is giving the Alliance Theatre an opportunity to breathe new life into its holiday war horse. From Dec. 4-23, the Summerhill Lot at Georgia State University’s Center Parc Credit Union Stadium will
transform into a drivein theater, with a stage for live actors and big screens providing a live concert-style experience for “A Christmas Carol: The Live Radio Play.” Capacity will be limited to allow for distance between cars. General admission tickets start at $50 per car. Also coming up as part of the Alliance Theatre
Anywhere streaming platform on Nov. 27 is “A Very Terry Christmas,” as writer and star Terry Burrell visits iconic Atlanta holiday destinations while sharing stories and jazzinspired versions of favorite holiday songs. Visit alliancetheatre.org for tickets and streaming information.
Actor’s Express
The theatre’s Virtual Downstage platform will be streaming a filmed production of Charlayne Woodard’s “Neat” directed by
Eric J. Little and starring Charity Purvis Jordan as the one woman show’s title character, Aunt Neat. What begins as a nostalgic personal remembrance blossoms into a magical and compelling story of embracing womanhood, Blackness and the myriad changes of life itself. Visit actors-express.com for more information.
The city’s LGBTQIA+ theatre company will stream two productions during the holiday season. “Bright Colors & Bold Patterns,” written Drew Droege, follows a drunken, drug-fueled party in Palm Springs on the eve of a wedding. It will stream Nov. 2022. “The Santa Closet” by Jeffrey Solomon contemplates Santa coming out of the closet and diving headlong into the culture wars Dec. 11-13. For more information, visit OutFrontTheatre.org.
Indie Craft Experience
The annual holiday shopping tradition is going virtual this year with digital sales platform. The digital marketplace will be available via ice-atlanta.com and each craft vendor will be listed with a brief description of what they offer, product images, links to their social media, links to their website and online shop, and information about their live event. Upcoming “Shop in Place” events are set for Nov. 14 and Dec. 5 from 2 to 5 p.m.
Santa at Rhodes Hall
The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation will host the annual Santa at Rhodes Hall each weekend from Nov. 29 to Dec. 19. There will be enhanced safety and sanitation protocols due to the pandemic, but kids will still get to spend some quality personal time
▲The Roof at Ponce City Market
Head to the top of Ponce City Market to “Skate the Sky” on 3,500-square-foot ice skating rink, enjoy food and beverages in socially distanced private igloos, and have some Instagrammable moments with the holiday decorations beginning Nov. 27.Visit poncecityroof.com for details and reservations.
Children’s Christmas Parade
The 40th annual parade hosted by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta has been cancelled, but there will be a special documentary and a salute to healthcare workers in a program called “A Look Back At 40 Years of the Children’s Christmas Parade,” which will air on WSB-TV on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 1 p.m.
High Museum of Art
The High has reopened to patrons, with social distancing in mind, and will close out the year with a big touring exhibition of the work of renowned photographer Dawoud Bey. The show, “Dawoud Bey: An American Project,” will open Dec. 12 and continue through March 14. Bey is known for his powerful images from underrepresented communities and exploring African-American history. For tickets and information, visit high.org.
The convergence of retirement, a trip to New York City, and Instagram led Art Ruddick down an art-filled rabbit hole and the creation of a website to track Atlanta’s many murals.
Ruddick’s Atlanta Street Art Map (streetartmap.org) has become a go-to site for finding Intown’s colorful wall art, as well as acting as an archive since so many of the murals disappear over time –either covered by graffiti or replaced with something new.
Ruddick retired at the end of 2016 after a 32-year career with Coca-Cola. Shortly thereafter, he and his wife took a trip to New York to visit his niece. Before a street art walking tour of the Bushwick neighborhood in Brooklyn, Ruddick’s niece suggested he download Instagram to his cell phone.
“I was fascinated with the street art in Bushwick and started looking for more of it when I got back to Atlanta,” Ruddick said. “I thought my Instagram account would be perfect for street art content.”
Beyond the visible and well-known murals in the city, Ruddick had no idea where to start looking for more.
“I looked online and there was only a handful of websites that mentioned murals and when they did there was only a dozen or so,” he recalled. “And some of those had already been painted over.”
As Ruddick set out on a quest to find more murals, he also figured out how to start his own website. By the time Atlanta Street Art Map went live in 2017, he had already photographed and documented 200 murals.
The site not only divides the city into easily walkable districts, but also provides a map, photo, and links (if available) to the artist’s website or social media. He’s constantly updating the site and has become Instagram friends with more than 160 artists who alert him about new murals going up in the city.
Ruddick enjoys walking and driving to discover and document new street art. He also regularly checks on murals to see if they have been painted over or altered to keep the site as timely as possible.
“Archiving the murals is important, because no one else is doing that,” Ruddick said.
Late last year, Ruddick realized he was nearing 1,000 murals on the website and decided that an event should be held to celebrate the milestone. His idea was to mark the 1,000th mural he had documented with the creation of a new mural.
Ruddick came up with the idea for an ATL1000 festival, which would include walking tours, artist talks, and more. Then the pandemic hit.
Undaunted, Ruddick contacted John
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Dirga with the Cabbagetown Initiative about possibly having the commemorative mural painted on the wall leading to the entrance of the iconic Krog Street Tunnel. The Cabbagetown Initiative has curated the walls leading to the tunnel since 2003.
The Cabbagetown Initiative agreed to put up the mural with ATL1000 as a sponsor. A call went out over social media for artists to submit resumes and qualifications. More than
30 responded, and six were invited to submit mural proposals.
By coincidence the 1,000th mural Ruddick documented for his site and the mural chosen for the Cabbagetown wall were created by the same local artist, Ashely Dopson, who goes by Ashely D. for her artwork.
Dopson created a colorful Black Lives Matter mural for the KIPP Strive Academy in
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southwest Atlanta, which became Ruddick’s 1,000th mural for the Street Art Map site. For the Cabbagetown project, Dopson pays tribute to Miss Bertha, a three-decade resident of the former mill neighborhood. In the mural, called “Fish are Jumpin’ and the Cotton is High,” Miss Bertha floats happily in in a colorful koi pond. Dopson was still painting the mural at press time.
Another ATL1000 partnership Ruddick
is excited about is wish Power Haus Creative and its founder, Ash Nash. The “Goddess Glow” project will se multiple murals created by Black women for Black women and girls to see authentic reflections of themselves in street art.
Poet, professor, and occasional INtown contributor Karen Head has been named the inaugural Poet Laureate of Fulton County.
Created by the Fulton County Arts and Culture (FCAC) and confirmed by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, Head will serve a two-year term, renewable after the first year following an assessment conducted by the Department of Arts and Culture. Head was selected following a competitive juried process and laying out a plan for promoting and enriching Fulton County’s literary community and poetry among citizens.
“The establishment of the poet laureate for Fulton County assists in our efforts to reach diverse communities using poetry as a vehicle for literary competency and understanding,” says Lionell Thomas, FCAC Director, “The role of the Poet Laureate is to enrich Fulton County’s artistic community and foster an appreciation of poetry in all forms celebrating expressions of culture through the literary arts.”
“The enormous responsibility of originating this program and representing the nearly 1.1 million people in Fulton County is not lost on me. I am humbled and honored to have been selected,” says Head, “I’m excited about the good I know we can work together to affect. I am committed to all the people in our County, and I am passionate about the role of the arts, not only to help prepare people to have more successful and meaningful lives, but also to improve the communities in which we live.”
Head received a PhD from the University of Nebraska, and serves as Executive Director of the Communication Center at the Georgia Institute of Technology, as well as Associate Chair and Associate Professor in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication. Since 2006, she has been a visiting scholar and artist at Technische Universität-Dortmund, Germany.
She has published five books of poetry: “Lost on Purpose,” “Sassing,” “My Paris Year,” “Shadow Boxes,” and “On Occasion: Four Poets, One Year.” She also co-edited the forthcoming “Mother Mary Comes to Me: A Pop Culture Poetry Anthology” and “Teaching as a Human Experience: An Anthology of Poetry,” and has exhibited several acclaimed digital poetry projects, including “Monumental” which was detailed in a TIME online mini-documentary. Her poetry appears in a number of national and international journals and anthologies and in 2010 she won the Oxford International Women’s Festival Poetry Prize. Head has held residencies at the Hambidge Center for the Creative Arts and Sciences and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts-France. She is also the author of “Disrupt This! MOOCs and the Promises of Technology,” a book about technology and higher education.
Head is editor of the international poetry journal Atlanta Review and also serves as the Poet Laureate of Waffle House, a title she’s using as an outreach program to bring arts awareness to rural high schools in Georgia.
By Erin Schilling
The Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, known for bringing bestselling authors into Dunwoody, is going virtual for its 2020 program.
Now in its 29th year, the festival’s lineup for November includes authors John Grisham (Nov. 11), Rachel Bloom (Nov. 21) and Melissa Clark (Nov. 22). Author discussions were to begin in September and continue through Dec. 2. The discussions will be hosted on the Zoom computer platform.
A season pass covering admission to most events cost $144. It does not include books or programs where book purchases are required to see the livestream. Events featuring Michael J. Fox (Nov. 19), Rachel Bloom (Nov. 21), David Baldacci (Nov. 22) and Ina Garten (Dec. 2) are not included in the season pass price. Tickets for those events can be purchased separately.
Tickets are available at atlantajcc.org/bookfestival and range from free to $72. Some of the tickets come with the speakers’ books from A Cappella Books in Decatur. The free event is with local authors Harry Stern and Sandra Berman on Nov. 17.
MJCCA is partnering with the National Jewish Community Centers Literary Consortium so other JCCs in the country can participate in the author events to help centers dealing with by revenue cuts due to the pandemic.
“The obstacles that have been borne of this global pandemic have challenged us to identify new ways of doing business and have brought people together in ways none of us could have imagined six months ago,” MJCCA CEO Jared Powers said in a press release.
Nov. 8 Natan Sharansky, Gil Troy and Joan Lunden
Nov. 9 Esther Safran Foer
Nov. 10 Rachel Beanland, Kristin Harmel, Dale Berra
Nov. 11 John Grisham, Cameron Douglas
Nov. 12 Jim McCloskey and Philip Lerman
Nov. 14 Lawrence Wright
Nov. 15 Raffi Berg
Nov. 16 Ariel Sabr
Nov. 17 Harry Stern and Sandra Berman
Nov. 18 Michael Ian Black and Cleo Stiller
Nov. 20 Mimi Lemay
Nov. 21 Rachel Bloom
Nov. 22 Melissa Clark
Dec. 2 Ina Garten
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Completed project includes interpretive signs, mural
Central Atlanta Progress and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District recently celebrated the completion of the Auburn Avenue Historic and Cultural Information Project.
The project includes the 21 new interpretive and four gateway signs along Auburn Avenue between Peachtree Street and Boulevard. A large-scale mural was added to the Downtown Connector underpass.
The new signage was designed by Sky Design to replace previous interpretive signs installed for the 1996 Olympic Games in 1995. Sign content was developed in partnership with project historian Dr. Karcheik Sims-Alvarado.
The mural features large scale images of Auburn Avenue’s historic buildings, landmarks, and cultural institutions past and present. The mural design team was led by husband and wife Ron Huffman of Wood
PLC and Therese Huffman of Signature Design. Project elements were fabricated and installed by DeNyse Companies, and the underpass lighting elements were installed by Brooks Berry Haynie & Associates.
The project was made possible by funding from the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and funding from CAP/ADID.
“More than fifty years ago, Auburn Avenue was a main thoroughfare on the highway to freedom and justice, serving as the headquarters for the churches, businesses and institutions that drove the American Civil Rights movement. How appropriate that GDOT would augment the local investment into this historic community through its Transportation Enrichment (TE) program,” said Stacey Key, who represents the 5th Congressional district on the GDOT State Transportation Board.
— Collin Kelley
Atlanta smells like fresh-brewed opportunity served in a mug handed to you by your favorite neighbor. You greet the morning on your front porch and drink it in. Every road leads home because every road is home.
People land here from all walks of life. They look for new starts, outstretched hands, a picnic blanket stretched under a canopy of trees. They seek and they find, home at last.
At Compass, bringing clients home is our life’s work. We’ve designed CompassATLGuide.com to help you feel more informed about the state of the Greater Atlanta real estate market, to equip you to make a more informed decision as to where you call home. If you’re considering a change in perspective, we’re ready and here for you.
1409 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
404.668.6621
