Atlanta Intown A
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Centennial Celebration INSIDE Westside Stride P14 Atlanta Pride Festival P26 OCTOBER 2026 ■ ROUGHDRAFT.NEWS
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8 3 9 W I L DWO O D R D . | $ 1 , 29 5 , 00 0 4 B EDRO O MS | 2 B ATHR O O M S | 1 , 882 SQ F T
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1 6 1 0 W E S T S U S S E X | $ 3, 6 9 5 , 0 0 0
Atlanta Real Estate, Covered. Current Opportunities. Recent Results. Proven Expertise. HIGHEST SALE ON RECORD IN MORNINGSIDE
827 HI G HL A N D TE R R AC E SE LLI N G A DV I SO R LI STE D AT $ 1 ,4 9 5 , 00 0
Honored by the recognition. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of my journey.
1 7 70 M E R TO N R OA D S E L L I N G A DV I S O R L I S T E D AT $ 4 ,9 9 5,0 0 0
9 6 0 LO S A N G E L E S B UY I N G A DV I S O R L I S T E D AT $ 3, 39 5 , 0 0 0
Ken Covers, Real Estate Advisor EN G EL & VÖ L K ERS AT L A N TA
Celebrating 26 Years of Selling Atlanta, 750+ Clients Served!
1745 Peachtree Street NE | Atlanta | GA 30306 M +1 404.664.8280 | O +1 404.845.7724 ken.covers@evatlanta.com | kencovers.evatlanta.com ©2026 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. If your property is currently represented by a real estate broker, this is not an attempt to solicit your listing. Engel & Völkers and its independent license partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act. Source: FMLS 2026
Contents OCTOBER 2026
Atlanta Intown A
Published By
Advertising
Collin Kelley Executive Editor
Rough Draft ®
sales@RoughDraft.news
Keith Pepper Publisher keith@RoughDraft.news
Deborah Davis Account Manager | Sales Operations deborah@RoughDraft.news
Neal Maziar Chief Revenue Officer neal@RoughDraft.news
Jeff Kremer Sr. Account Manager jeff@RoughDraft.news
Mark Putnam Head of Growth mark@RoughDraft.news
Linda Ostrowski Sr. Account Manager linda@RoughDraft.news
Elizabeth P. Holmes Art Director
Suzanne Purcell Sr. Account Manager suzanne@RoughDraft.news
Beth McKibben Editor-in-Chief Sr. Editor Food & Dining Cathy Cobbs Managing Editor Sammie Purcell Associate Editor Staff Writers Katie Burkholder, Logan C. Ritchie, Sarra Sedghi, Hayden Sumlin
Circulation Each month, 27,000 copies of Atlanta Intown are mailed to homes and distributed to businesses in and around ZIP codes 30306, 30307, 30308, 30309, 30324 and 30329. For delivery information, delivery@RoughDraft.news
Interns Finch Underwood
4 6 6 6 8 8 10 12
Special Section Westside Stride
14-17
Arts & Entertainment High Museum Centennial Chaka Khan Hacienda Hiatus Fox Content Studio Atlanta Pride Fix-ATL
18-23 24 25 26 29
Dining Heritage in Summerhill Sagra Wine Bar Bon Ton Closes
30 32 34
Real Estate Atlanta Eviction Rate Intown Redevelopments Historic Apartments Sold
36 36 37
atlanta
Publication
Editorial
Contributors Julia Forbes
Editor’s Note Community Beltline Rail Update Parking Bill of Rights News Briefs Peachtree Circle Jail Sold APD Redistricting
Operations Savannah Pierce savannah@RoughDraft.news
About the Cover The High Museum of Art unfurled a giant banner on its front facade to mark the 100th anniversary of the Midtown institution and its upcoming slate of centennial programming. (Photo by Collin Kelley)
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OCTOBER 2026 |
3
EDITOR'S NOTE
Celebrating the High and Atlanta Pride I made my first visit to the High Museum of Art in the spring of 1986 to see an exhibition on Modernism and PostImpressionism. While the art I saw that day when I was 16 years Collin Kelley old has faded from my memory, my first up-close look at the Richard Meier-designed museum remains vivid. The ramp leading up to the curving facade of the atrium, juxtaposed with the stark white cube of enameled aluminum panels, remains a showstopper more than four decades later. Over the last 40 years, I’ve paid numerous visits to the High to see some spectacular exhibitions: Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol, Andrew Wyeth, Yayoi Kusama, Louvre Atlanta, and Amy Sherald immediately spring to mind. I’ve had the privilege of visiting great museums here and abroad and witnessed some amazing exhibitions. Still, nothing has ever held a candle to “Rings: Five Passions in World Art” that the High mounted in conjunction with the 1996 Olympics. Museums and private collections from around the world loaned some of the most famous works ever created for “Rings,” almost like a greatest hits record of art. Rodin’s “The Kiss,” Munch’s “The Scream,” Picasso’s “Head of a Weeping Woman with Handkerchief,” Monet’s “Woman with Parasol,” Matisse’s “The Dance” – every corner you turned at that exhibition was a treasure. My other favorite exhibition at the EDITOR'S NOTE
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High is a bit more personal: “Sally Mann: A Thousand Crossings.” I discovered her photography in the early ‘90s and was galvanized by her provocative images and her use of the old wet-plate method. Those scarred, sepia-toned photos became the inspiration for my poetry collection, “Render.’ The fact that Mann is also a poet made her work resonate even more deeply with me. When “A Thousand Crossings” came to the High in 2019, I was asked to read from “Render” at the opening night event. I met Mann and managed not to fanboy and make a fool of myself in front of her. To say it was a highlight of my career as an artist is a gross understatement. As you’ll see in this issue of Atlanta Intown, we’re celebrating the High’s centennial on our cover and in the arts section, including a two-page timeline of important moments in the museum’s last 100 years. The High is a world-class institution, so if you’ve never visited or haven’t been in a long time, do yourself a favor and go. Another celebration happening this month is the annual Atlanta Pride festival and parade on Oct. 10-11. I’ve been attending Pride for 30-plus years, and now, as editor of Georgia Voice, I get to participate in the parade and meet readers in Piedmont Park at our booth. As LGBTQ+ rights have eroded under the current administration, this year’s Pride celebration, which carries the theme “Louder & Prouder,” is more necessary than ever. Even standing along the Peachtree Street parade route is an act of solidarity that is vitally important at this moment in time. I’ll see you there.
Our purpose is to create lifelong relationships with our clients by serving them like family. Are you thinking about selling or want to know how much your house is worth? Contact your neighborhood expert with global connections today.
Peggy Hibbert & Nicole Griffin No. 1 Brokerage in Metro Atlanta ph. 404.444.0192 ng. 678.790.8760 o. 404.874.0300 peggy@atlantafinehomes.com nicolegriffin@atlantafinehomes.com ©2026 Atlanta Fine Homes, LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. Source: 1/1/25–12/31/25 ,FMLS and off-market sales by Peggy Hibbert & Nicole Friffin. TrendGraphix. Top 5 Firms. 1/1/25–12/31/26. Six-County Metro Area. All Property Types + Price Points.
4 | OCTOBER 2026
Catalogues and souvenirs from the High Museum. (Photo by Collin Kelley)
COMMUNITY Beltline presents $3.5 billion light rail plan, council signals support By Collin Kelley and Logan C. Ritchie The Atlanta Beltline hosted a public meeting on Sept. 3 to present recommendations for a $3.5 billion light rail system around the 22-mile loop. Funded by the Federal Transit Administration, the three-and-a-half-year study consolidates years of prior work into a single plan for high-capacity light rail transit along the Beltline corridor. Given MARTA’s planning work in the northeast Beltline quadrant, the Beltline Transit Study (BTS) focused on the northwest, southwest, and southeast quadrants of the Beltline, according to a blog post on the Beltline website. The team presented initial findings to the public for feedback and input at a public meeting in 2024. Following that meeting, the team continued public engagement, created ridership projections, and developed cost estimates. Three alignments for transit in the northwest quadrant remained under consideration, but the team ultimately recommended the CSX alignment – following the existing heavy rail corridor – as the preferred alignment alternative.
Officials said the alignment will ensure the fastest average speed and lowest travel time, direct service to Piedmont Hospital, lowest capital cost, and highest ridership. The final recommendations designate 13 station locations along the southwest and southeast transit corridor: • Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway • Joseph E. Boone Boulevard • Martin Luther King Jr. Drive • Langhorn/Enota • Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard • Lawton Street • Murphy Avenue • Metropolitan/Pittsburgh Yards • Pryor Road • Milton Avenue/Hank Aaron Drive • Hill Street • Boulevard • Glenwood Avenue Final recommendations include three routes with bi-directional service, running 18.5 hours a day (6 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.). This includes a Beltline Loop that runs the entirety of the Beltline, as well as Northern and Southern Loops that provide service into Downtown Atlanta. Using FTA ridership models, a conservative estimate projects 4,200,000 annual riders. This includes an estimated
Groundbreaking for the final Northwest Trail segment on Sept. 10. (Photos by Erin Sintos/Atlanta Beltline)
40% of transit-dependent riders, 55% of trips at infill stations, and 21% of new transit trips. The public meeting concluded with an open house where those who attended on site were invited to ask questions and provide feedback. Virtual attendees and residents who could not attend in person but would like to provide input or engage further about this study are invited to do so at beltline. konveio.com/beltline-transit-study. Additional questions and comments can be sent to engage@atlbeltline.org. Feedback will be accepted through Nov. 3. In other Beltline news: •The Atlanta City Council unanimously approved a resolution at its Sept. 21 meeting calling upon the
city, Atlanta Beltline Inc., and MARTA to present an implementation plan and timeline for light rail on the Beltline corridor by January 2027. City Council member Kelsea Bond introduced the resolution in support of light rail transit along the 22-mile loop, with nine fellow members joining as sponsors. • The Beltline broke ground on a new segment of the Northwest Trail on Sept. 10. The one-mile segment – known as Segment 3B – will create a connection over Northside Drive and complete the 1.2-mile Northwest Trail – Segment 3, extending from Trabert Avenue to Tanyard Creek Park. Segment 3B will connect the Underwood Hills, Collier Hills, Loring Heights, Channing Valley and Ardmore neighborhoods to the trail network.
Council OKs ‘parking bill of rights’ By Logan C. Ritchie On Sept. 8, the Atlanta City Council passed a “parking bill of rights” to help drivers understand rates, fees, and enforcement before parking a vehicle. Council member Jason Dozier said the legislation is about transparency, accountability, and making a frustrating system a little easier to navigate. “I continue to be an advocate for making sure we reduce our dependence on cars and on parking to make Atlanta more walkable, more transit-friendly,” Dozier said. “At the same time, the parking facilities that already exist in our city must work better for residents, commuters, and visitors.” Digital pay-to-park companies, like Park Mobile, are required to post signage at entrances to parking lots and decks to make parking rules clear. The goal is to reduce disputes related to towing, according to the resolution. Park-for-hire facilities are increasingly relying on unmanned, cashless, digital systems like text-to-pay and mobile apps as the primary method for accepting payment and enforcing parking rules.
6 | OCTOBER 2026
“Fair business practices at parking facilities are especially important for seniors, people without smartphones, and anyone who has ever been hit with an unexpected parking charge and had no reasonable way to challenge it,” Dozier said. Other items approved by Council at the Sept. 8 meeting include: An ordinance providing $17.8 million for the Atlanta Police Department’s new vehicles. An ordinance approving approximately $10.8 million for security and screening improvements at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. An ordinance for the installation of historical markers at Washington Park, recognizing its more than 100-year history, and the historic Washington Park swimming pool, which provided Black residents access to recreation during segregation. A resolution asking the Atlanta Urban Design Commission to consider landmark designation for the Just Us neighborhood, Atlanta’s first Black-owned subdivision located south of Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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News RoundUp Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. Text DRAFT to 66866. Downtown Atlanta Inc. has chosen Atlanta Community Food Bank President and CEO Kyle Waide to lead the organization beginning in December. Downtown Atlanta Inc. is the umbrella organization of the former Central Atlanta Progress (CAP) and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (ADID). Waide led the Food Bank through a decade of dramatic growth and expansion, including its move to a new 345,000-square-foot East Point facility.
Developer John Dewberry has regained full ownership of the deconstructed Campanile building in Midtown after a lender released its interest in the property. A quitclaim deed filed in February in Fulton County transferred title from ACORE Capital, which held a $75 million loan on the property, back to an LLC controlled by Dewberry.
Katharine Kelley, CEO of the Buckhead Coalition and CID, has announced a five-year roadmap to increase livability in the community. Buckhead Forward is a plan focusing on walkability, infrastructure, public safety, traffic mitigation, and community engagement “to drive economic growth and enhance quality of life in Buckhead,” Kelley said.
As part of the City of Atlanta’s Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative, a new anti-displacement loan pilot program has been established to help renters facing eviction. The pilot provides a $500 no-fee, no-interest, and no-penalty rent loan to stabilize eligible households as soon as they anticipate a financial hardship that could lead to a missed rent payment.
Peachtree Circle historic district effort fails in Ansley Park By Logan C. Ritchie The fight to make Peachtree Circle in Ansley Park a city historic district ended Sept. 8 when the Atlanta City Council voted 11-4 to shelve the proposal. Peachtree Circle is a wide, tree-lined, residential street with homes dating back to the turn of the 20th century. Establishing a historic district for a single street would have set a new precedent in Atlanta zoning. For a year, the argument between historic preservationists and adversaries has played out in tense meetings, online campaigns, and in-person conflict. One resident told Rough Draft she was
physically attacked by a neighbor over the issue. The last attempt at historic district designation in Ansley Park fell apart in 2022 after a lawsuit was filed by one of the property rights advocates. Peachtree Circle residents renewed their interest in a historic district after one of Peachtree Circle’s oldest homes was razed in January. Since he took office in 2010, District 6 Council member Alex Wan noted that at least three attempts were made to create a historic district in Ansley Park. Those efforts would have affected the entire neighborhood, whereas a designation on Peachtree Circle would
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affect only one street. “I’ve been through this before with y’all, and I knew this was where we would end up. And here we are,” Wan said. At the council meeting, Wan asked for the proposal to be filed – meaning it would die in the legislative process – because neighbors could not reach a supermajority in support of the zoning change. “We’ve been threatened by litigation on both sides,” Wan said. “I’ve had to be frostily dispassionate on this because of the intensity of the positions on both sides.” Council member Michael Julian Bond asked Wan if he would support historic zoning that affected only the parcels in favor of it, rather than the whole street. Wan agreed, but said the process must start over. “It would seem to me that historic preservation is always worthy of preservation,” Bond said. “There’s nothing in our code that would eliminate or restrict us from creating a district that contains one house or 1,000 houses.” Council member Mary Norwood said her Tuxedo Park neighborhood had a similar fight over historic designation, and solved it with an overlay district.
She said the overlay is not as restrictive as a historic district, but it provides “protection on the redevelopment or the characteristics of the area.” “This has been a very difficult 15-month process. I’d like to bring this to a close and complete it,” Wan said. “We just need to finish.” Proponents say Peachtree Circle is in danger of losing its character, charm, and history without proper zoning, while opponents fear a loss of autonomy and property rights. The entire neighborhood has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979, but that designation doesn’t protect homes from being altered or demolished – only a city historic district designation can do that. David Y. Mitchell, Atlanta Preservation Center executive director, has been side-by-side working with residents through the process. “Courage is not defined by defeat, and the idea that a majority was able to suppress a phenomenal opportunity doesn’t mean it’s dead,” Mitchell said. “The proponents on Peachtree Circle are remarkable people; they’re resilient, they love their homes, and they love the street. Just because one group says no doesn’t mean they accept it.” ROUGHDRAFT.NEWS
JUST SOLD
3990 PACES FERRY DRIVE* offered for $5,995,000
JUST LISTED
ONE MUSEUM PLACE | NO. 2B offered for $3,250,000
JUST LISTED
102 BRIGHTON ROAD offered for $2,750,000
JUST SOLD
342 VALLEY GREEN DRIVE* offered for $2,000,000
JUST SOLD
1327 PEACHTREE STREET | NO. 803 offered for $849,000
JASON COOK | Over $55M Sold YTD
UNDER CONTRACT
c. 404.431.1384 | o. 404.480.HOME | JASON@ANSLEYRE.COM 1409 PEACHTREE STREET, 2 ND FLOOR, ATLANTA, GA 30309 | 404.480.HOME | ANSLEYRE.COM All data believed to be accurate but not warranted. Ansley upholds Equal Housing Opportunity & Federal Fair Housing policies. If you have an existing relationship with another brokerage, this is not intended as a solicitation. *Represented Buyer
75 17TH STREET | NO. 7 offered for $649,000
City selling detention center to Fulton County for $68 milion By Logan C. Ritchie Mayor Andre Dickens announced a $68 million deal to sell the Atlanta City Detention Center to Fulton County after weeks of active negotiation. The sale stands to free up space at Fulton County’s main jail on Rice Street, which is overcrowded and understaffed. The county had been leasing space at the city detention center, but the agreement was set to expire at the end of the year. During negotiations, Dickens made the sale of ACDC contingent upon Fulton County’s participation in the City’s extension of tax allocation districts (TAD), a diversion of tax dollars used to boost an area’s economy, transportation, and healthcare. The Fulton County Commission voted in July to block the diversion of property tax revenue away from countywide services into the TADs, which are set to expire in 2031. Without Fulton County’s participation, the city would be solely relying on Atlanta Public Schools to favorably extend the TADs. Dickens also wanted the county to contribute $200 million to building a new hospital on Metropolitan Parkway in southwest Atlanta. The county refused, and the contribution was ultimately dropped from the deal.
One exchange during the jail negotiation said the Fulton County Commission has been trying to purchase the detention center for the last 17 years “to improve public safety and to address the need for adequate detention space,” but the City has resisted. Fulton County Commission Chair Robb Pitts said the county is looking forward to completing the deal as soon as possible. “Fulton County remains committed to humane treatment of detainees. We are equally committed to diversion programs and mental health services to help people in our communities avoid incarceration,” Pitts said. At the Sept. 8 Atlanta City Council meeting, members of the public spoke out against the sale of the city jail. Play Fair ATL Director Michael Collins said organizers “always knew that increasing the jail population, building a new jail, and increasing space was never going to be the solution.” “We’re getting in the jail business not just with Fulton County, but with Sheriff Patrick Labat, who has overseen a lot of death and destruction, who has been an individual responsible for a lot of corruption,” Collins claimed. Labat has been under scrutiny for medical neglect and the deaths of prisoners
Atlanta City Detention Center (File)
at Rice Street, which is under a federal consent decree. Drugs and cell phones were discovered at the jail in 2025 after a perimeter breach. Tiffany Roberts, public policy director at Southern Center for Human Rights, said women are being mistreated at both facilities. She said the county is disregarding the requirement to track mental health services for women, some of whom are not receiving the proper amount of time outside their cells.
“It needs to be really clear that you are not saving one life by selling this jail, not one. And if we don’t check the sheriff, if someone doesn’t name him and name his conduct as we are discussing this sale, the deaths for which he has not apologized that have happened during the term of this lease will continue,” Roberts said. Hayden Sumlin contributed to this report.
UNDER CONTRACT IN MORNINGSIDE
UNDER CONTRACT IN MORNINGSIDE
1824 Homestead Avenue NE • 5 BR, 5.5 BA, Offered for $2,500,000
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LOCAL INSIGHT. Want to learn more about new and upcoming listings? Let’s connect! © 2026 Sotheby’s International Realty. All Rights Reserved. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark and used with permission. Each Sotheby’s International Realty office is independently owned and operated, except those operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. All offerings are subject to errors, omissions, changes including price or withdrawal without notice. Equal Housing Opportunity. 1555 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 100, Atlanta, Georgia 30309.
10 | OCTOBER 2026
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LOCAL EXPERTISE. PROVEN RESULTS. Thinking about making a move? Let’s make yours the next success story. A SELECTION OF RECENT SALES THROUGHOUT ATLANTA’S MOST SOUGHT-AFTER NEIGHBORHOODS.
JUST LISTED
PENDING
874 ARTWOOD ROAD NE offered for $1,195,000
1156 E ROCK SPRINGS ROAD offered for $1,895,000
1886 N AKIN DRIVE NE* offered for $1,749,000
664 CUMBERLAND CIRCLE sold for $2,495,000
18 POLO DRIVE NE* offered for $3,195,000
635 E MORNINGSIDE DRIVE* sold for $1,875,000
844 AMSTERDAM AVENUE* sold for $1,865,000
1196 FAIRVIEW ROAD NE sold for $2,750,000
1094 VIRGINIA AVENUE NE* offered for $1,595,000
Molly Carter Gaines c. 404.542.3120 | o. 404.480.HOME | Molly@AnsleyRE.com ANSLEYRE.COM | 1409 PEACHTREE STREET, 2ND FLOOR, ATLANTA, GA 30309 | 404.480.HOME ALPHARETTA | ATHENS | BLUE RIDGE | BUCKHEAD | INTOWN | MARIETTA | PEACHTREE CITY All data believed to be accurate but not warranted. Ansley upholds Equal Housing Opportunity & Federal Fair Housing policies. If you have an existing relationship with another brokerage, this is not intended as a solicitation. *Represented Buyer
APS moves into next phase of redistricting plan By Logan C. Ritchie Atlanta Public Schools is moving into the next phase of a complex redistricting plan, which includes the closure of schools and sale of property due to a $100 million budget shortfall, low enrollment, and dwindling birthrates. APS Forward 2040 is the district’s roadmap for the next 10 to 15 years, approved in December 2025. The phased approach to redistricting and repurposing APS-owned property will affect 7.5% of the district’s 39,000 students. Sixteen schools would be impacted by the closure, consolidation, and repurposing plan. Five under-enrolled schools are slated for closure: Cleveland Elementary in Browns Mill Park, Continental Colony Elementary in Greenbriar, Dunbar Elementary in Mechanicsville, F.L. Stanton Elementary in Mozley Park, and Peyton Forest Elementary in Peyton Forest. Parkside Elementary in Grant Park stands to be divided, and Sylvan Hills Middle will become an elementary school, merging students from Finch and Perkerson. Two Kipp Schools and the STEAM program at Carver High School have already closed. Phase II of the APS Forward 2040 plan was detailed at the Sept. 1 Atlanta School Board meeting.
12 | OCTOBER 2026
“Any student that’s being impacted, we want to handle that with care. We’re committed to keeping the continuity where possible through grandfathering, which is defined as allowing an existing rule to be followed after a new rule takes place,” Deputy Superintendent of Operational Efficiency Kenneth Bradshaw said. APS was collecting community feedback through September, with a final vote by the school board scheduled for Dec. 7. Bradshaw said the goal of APS Forward 2040 is “to become a new school system by modernizing our campuses, increasing more Advanced Placement (AP) access in our schools, and reactivating spaces for community good.” “We heard loud and clear that we have a history of leaving blight and creating blight in our neighborhoods,” Community Development Officer Chelsea Montgomery said. “We are committed to not creating new blight, but also to bringing life to existing blighted properties.” Montgomery noted the former Lakewood Heights Elementary School will finally be transformed into affordable housing after nearly five years of discussion – along with seven other commitments to turn APS property into affordable housing.
The remaining sites have been marked for historic preservation, green spaces, and community hubs. Major construction projects will take place at Midtown High School, Washington High School, Maynard Jackson High School, APS Medical Academy, and School of the Arts at Carver High School, among others. “We are moving forward by design to expand access and opportunity, improve
our student experience, and maximize our resources,” Montgomery said. APS Forward 2040 is funded by E-SPLOST (Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax), forecasted at $831 million if the referendum is approved by voters in November. E-SPLOST spending is limited to construction, technology, transportation, and security; it cannot be used for salaries in the school system.
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SUNDAY, NOV 8TH from 12 to 6PM Come experience Atlanta’s biggest block party on Howell Mill Road
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Westside Stride Block Party returns with Atlanta Streets Alive collab Atlanta’s biggest block party returns this fall and is poised to be better than ever thanks to a partnership with Atlanta Streets Alive. Held Sunday, Nov. 8, from noon to 6 p.m., the fourth-annual Westside Stride Block Party features live music, DJ sets, a vendor and artist market, local culinary experiences and activities for kids, all within one of the city’s most vibrant Neighborhoods. For one walkable, bikeable, strollable afternoon, Howell Mill Road will be closed to vehicular traffic and open to a pop-up maker’s market with staggered DJ booths creating the shopping ambiance. The Westside Stride is free to all and will be held on Howell Mill Road between 8th Street and 17th Street. Along the way, attendees will have the chance to enjoy the shops and award- winning eateries that call this distinctive district home. Be sure to stop in front of Atlanta landmark, Northside Tavern, at the QTS Main Stage to catch a stellar performance from Band X, Atlanta’s favorite party band. For families, Westside Stride offers kid-friendly activities like a petting zoo, fall-themed photo booth, bounce houses, and more. With a shared interest in creating
welcoming community spaces, Westside Stride and Atlanta Streets Alive are ideal partners. This is the first time since 2019 that Howell Mill Road will be part of an Atlanta Streets Alive event, but the walkable, bikeable celebration has a long history throughout the city. Propel ATL (formerly the Atlanta Bike Coalition) launched the program and hosted 29 events during a decade of programming
before Atlanta Streets Alive became an Atlanta Department of Transportation initiative in 2023. Since that time, events have been located on Peachtree Street, Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard, and Georgia Avenue. Westside Stride is an annual event that welcomes attendees to enjoy a car-free afternoon along Howell Mill Road between 8th Street and 17th Street. This
year, there are even more ways to get to the event without a car! A street closure down 3rd Street will tie the Tech Parkway cycle track straight into the event footprint, and new bike and pedestrian facilities on 17th Street, 10th Street, and West Marietta greatly expand safe non-motorized routes to the event for pedestrians, bicycles, strollers, rollers, and Scooters.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
The High at 100
Museum to celebrate centennial with new galleries, acquisitions, and events By Collin Kelley The High Museum of Art will celebrate its 100th anniversary this fall with new collection galleries, more than 200 acquisitions, public art activations and community events. The Atlanta museum traces its history to October 1926, when Hattie High donated her Peachtree Street residence to the city. The museum has since grown into one of the South’s major cultural institutions, with a collection of more than 20,000 works spanning centuries, continents and artistic media.
The centennial celebrations will include new installations of the museum’s American and African art galleries. Rather than organizing the collections chronologically, the galleries will use thematic and material connections to bring works together across periods and disciplines. The American galleries will feature new acquisitions including a rare painting by Jacob Lawrence, a quilt by Carolyn L. Mazloomi and a work by Grandma Moses. New works in the African art galleries include paintings, textiles, prints, drawings and ceramics by artists including Ben
Brahms Revealed | The season-long exploration of his works kicks off this Fall!
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Photos courtesy High Museum of Art
Enwonwu, Ladi Kwali, Nike Okundaye, Bruce Onobrakpeya and Jimoh Akolo. The museum also plans to add more than 200 works across photography, contemporary design and contemporary art. Among the exhibitions planned for the centennial year are “Martin Puryear: Nexus,” a survey of the acclaimed American sculptor’s work, and “I SPY! Walter Wick’s Hidden Wonders.” The High will also partner with organizations and companies including MARTA, the Atlanta Beltline, Atlanta Hawks, Havertys, UPS and Delta Air Lines on public art installations and other activations. As part of its arts education efforts, the museum will provide free admission for Atlanta Public Schools K-12 field trips throughout the 2026-27 school year. The High said it hosts about 4,000 APS students annually. Under Director Rand Suffolk, visitors of color have grown from 15% of attendance to 55%, bringing the museum’s audiences into closer alignment with Atlanta’s demographics, while younger audiences have become a defining part of the institution’s community. The High also has expanded exhibitions featuring women artists, artists of color, and LGBTQ+ artists. “Over the past decade, we have made significant strides toward becoming a profoundly different magnet in Atlanta and to being the art museum that our city deserves,” Suffolk said. “We are poised to enter our next 100 years as a dynamic, intentional and essential contributor to the cultural fabric of our city — an organization, in fact, dedicated to connecting and strengthening our community.” The High established the David C. Driskell Prize in 2005 to recognize contributions to African American art and art history. The 2026 recipient is
Cheryl Finley, a scholar at Spelman College. Previous recipients include artists Amy Sherald, Rashid Johnson and Mark Bradford, as well as curator Naomi Beckwith. The centennial will also include a commemorative book featuring 100 largescale reproductions from the museum’s collection and a visual timeline of its history. A new visual identity will be unveiled for the museum is planned for this fall. The Centennial Community Block Party is scheduled for Oct. 18 and will include gallery tours, activities, and a public talk about the museum’s century in Atlanta. Centennial programming is also planned for monthly free admission days on the second Sunday and third Wednesday of each month. Julia Forbes, the High’s Associate Director of Institutional Research, said that while the museum is celebrating its 100th birthday, there is also an eye on the future – especially growing its audience and cementing its place as an “essential” Atlanta institution. “More people need to feel there is value in being part of the museum,” Forbes said. “ Every day we do one more thing to help people understand that there is a place for them and they can find themselves and see themselves in the High.” “Over my 22 years with the High, I’ve talked to a lot of visitors to find out what they value, what they find impactful, what motivated them to visit,” she said. “And more and more, it’s about something personal. They want to have an experience that makes you feel something, and art is great for making you feel something: a sad moment, a happy one, a contemplative moment. Visitors want to feel awe or have a ‘wow and wonder’ moment, and we can provide that.” More information about centennial events and exhibitions is available at high.org/100. ROUGHDRAFT.NEWS
High Centennial Events Calendar Beyond Mammy: A Century of Art, Southern Memory, and the Ethics of Storytelling Sept. 10, 6 to 8 p.m. Presented in partnership with the Atlanta History Center, this Centennial Conversation will explore the process of telling stories about Black history and representation in Atlanta. Looking closely at the stories behind “Gone with the Wind” and contemporary artist Simone Leigh's “Cupboard,” the panel will discuss challenging tropes and stereotypes like the mammy figure and the power of visual representation to change how we perceive the past.
O ctober List sti ings
&REAL RESULTS
Additional events will include: • Centennial Conversations: Two Atlanta Museums at 100: Oct. 8, at the Atlanta History Center, presented in collaboration with the High.
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• 100 Years of High Museum History Walking Tour: Oct. 29 • “A Haunting at 100” Halloween party: Oct. 30 • Art & Myth: Nov. 13 • High Spirits: Celebrating a Century cocktail class: Nov. 14
The Recipe Collection was a cookbook published by The Member’s Guild of the High in 1981. At this event, the classic cookbook recipes will be reimagined by Atlanta’s top chefs, including Craig Richards, Steven Satterfield, Jiyeon Lee, and J. Trent Harris. There will be tastings and public conversation, and each attendee will receive a reprinted copy of the cookbook
• Centennial Holiday Market: Nov. 20-21 • Art & Gingerbread: Dec. 11
E TIV AC
For more information on Centennial events, and to purchase tickets, visit high.org/100.
High 100th Celebration at UPS Second Sunday Oct. 11, noon to 5 p.m.
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Guests will enjoy centennial-themed activities and tours throughout the High’s monthly free admission day, presented in collaboration with UPS. The Braves High100 hat, developed in collaboration with the Atlanta Braves, will debut at the event and be available for purchase.
The High takes the party to the streets, closing a section of Peachtree Street to throw a 100th birthday party, including free activities for the whole family. There will be live music, DJs, artmaking, food vendors, and more. The event will also feature a ticketed public conversation focused on the museum’s history, “100 Years of Art for ATL,” at 2 p.m.
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• Teen Highlight: Centennial Halloween: Oct. 23
High Recipe Revival Oct. 7, 6:30 to 8:45 p.m.
Centennial Block Party Oct. 18, noon to 5 p.m.
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Making the High Museum of Art A Centennial Timeline By Julia Forbes
1925: Haverty and Bowman host a second
exhibition from the Grand Central Galleries with a glittering opening gala attended by over four hundred of Atlanta’s leading citizens, including the governor, the mayor of Atlanta, and Harriet “Hattie” High. As Haverty later recounts, “This exhibition opened the eyes of all Atlanta and directed the attention of its citizens to the actual meaning of art.”
1903: Nannie Boyd, a prominent art
is granted a twenty-year charter by the Fulton County Superior Court. Boyd is elected its first president. The Association raises funds, holds meetings, builds a membership program ($5 per person), and advocates with city officials for a purposebuilt art museum and school.
1915: The Atlanta Art Association
receives its first work of art, a watercolor of the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris. The painting, gifted by the artist, Cameron Burnside, will become part of the High Museum of Art’s permanent collection.
1932: Businessman and art collector
Samuel H. Kress’s traveling exhibition of more than fifty paintings comes to the High, kick-starting a game-changing relationship. The High is the first stop on a tour that, even during the Depression, lasts nearly three years and travels to twentyfour venues. Kress makes a generous gift, a painting by Italian Rococo master Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696–1770). In a letter to the Association, he writes that he donated the “instructive and educational work before all such rare paintings vanished from the art market completely.”
February 1949: After twenty-three
enthusiast, gathers a group of nine civicminded women at a friend’s home to discuss forming an art association with the mission of creating an art museum and an art school for Atlanta.
1905: The Atlanta Art Association
works of art, including pieces by John Henry Twachtman (1853–1902), Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723–1792), and George Benjamin Luks (1867–1933).
1926: Harriet “Hattie” High, widow
of successful local businessman Joseph Madison High donates her Walter T. Downing–designed Tudor mansion to become the High Museum and School of Art, named in memory of her husband. At the donation ceremony held on May 9, 1926, she says, “it was something of which I had been thinking a long time, but somehow the actual arrangements were never made until now.”
years living within Mrs. High’s Tudor mansion, the High Museum and School of Art expand. Two homes adjacent to the High home are added to the complex: the McRae home, south of the High house, for the art school, and the Wilkinson home, renamed the Scott Memorial Gallery, north of the High.
building to accommodate the museum’s growing collection and provide more room for storage and office space. The new structure is constructed on the site of the Scott Memorial Gallery, to the north of the High home.
1958: After almost $100,000 in
renovations, the McBurney Decorative Arts Center opens to the public. In 1940 McBurney bequeathed his home north of the 1955 building to be a decorative arts and costume wing. The High’s first curator is hired to manage this collection. The home will later become the site for the museum’s Stent Family Wing, complete with McBurney’s original Gingko tree.
May 1962: The Association organizes
a twenty-seven-day trip to Europe for members and their families. They are to return home filled with exciting ideas about how Atlanta can improve and expand its arts community, museum, and school.
October 1949: The High receives
its first major collection of art from J. J. Haverty’s family, given after his death in memory of his impact on the museum’s founding. Haverty’s gifts to the High include two prominent works by Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859–1930), who becomes the first African American artist added to the museum’s collection. The Haverty Collection debuts in the Scott Memorial Gallery.
1924: Businessman and art collector
J. J. Haverty becomes involved with the Association. He advocates at the city level for land dedicated to an art museum and forms an art committee of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. Hoping to generate excitement in the city at the prospect of its own museum, Haverty aims to bring some stellar art. In May, he and John Bowman, head of the Biltmore Hotel chain, organize a large exhibition from the Grand Central Galleries in New York City and host it at Atlanta’s newly built Biltmore Hotel.
June 1962: As the Association’s October 18, 1926: After several
months of renovation to make the ground floor suitable for showing art and to convert the top floor into classrooms, the High Museum and School of Art open to the public. The Atlanta Art Association remains the parent organization of both institutions.
1930: J. J. Haverty, the Association’s Photos and graphics courtesy High Museum of Art Archive.
president, founds the Friends of Art. Each member pledges $100 per year for five years to grow the collection. This effort makes possible the purchase of over fifty
September 24, 1955: The High
opens its first purpose-built museum, inspired by the 1951 gift of twenty-seven paintings from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. The donation requires a fireproof, climate-controlled, secure environment, so the Association commissioned architect Edward Moulthrop of Robert and Company to design a
European tour is returning home on June 3, tragedy strikes when their plane crashes at Orly Field near Paris. At the time, it is the worst single commercial plane crash in history. The loss both devastates and galvanizes the Atlanta arts community. James V. Carmichael, the Association’s new president, begins a memorial fundraising campaign for a new art school building.
May 1963: Gudmund Vigtel (“Vig”)
is hired as the High’s sixth director. When Vig takes over in the turbulent 1960s, the High’s collection holds less than a thousand works. When he retires twenty-eight years
1972: Inspired by employees in their later, the collection has grown to nearly ten thousand objects. He establishes almost $20 million in endowment and trust funds, which allow for major acquisitions of art, and becomes the longest-serving director (1963–1991).
August 1963: As the Atlanta Art
Association is desegregating and planning to build a new art school, another group in the city raises money and looks for land for a new performing arts center. Robert W. Woodruff quietly supports this effort, which eventually ends when a city bond regarding land fails to pass. The groups decide to join forces, forming a new organization called the Atlanta Arts Alliance, which includes the High Museum of Art, the Atlanta School of Art, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and, later, the newly formed Alliance Theatre.
1965-1966: Plans to build the
Memorial Arts Center in memory of those lost in the 1962 plane crash begin in earnest. Robert W. Woodruff (anonymously) is its major donor. The 1955 Moulthrop-designed building is subsumed into the new Arts Center, while the High House and the McRae House were demolished in 1963. The project breaks ground on June 3, 1966.
small sewing plant in Atlanta who wish to honor the Orly victims, New York–based collectors Fred and Rita Richman gift the museum with around two hundred fifty objects from their collection of sub-Saharan African art. Later, in 2001, they will promise the remainder of their collection to the museum, creating an endowment for the purchase of African art as well as an endowed curatorial position and establishing a formal department of African art.
October 1983: In anticipation of the opening of the Richard Meier–designed building, Atlanta-based collector and photographer Lucinda Weil Bunnen donates what will become the core of the High’s photography holdings.
1975: The High purchases its first
work by a living self-taught artist, Spring Vegetable Scene by local painter Mattie Lou O’Kelley (1908–1997). Over the next two decades, the museum grows its commitment to folk and self-taught artists, presenting its first exhibitions of artists like Carlton Garrett (1900–1992) and making prescient purchases of work by Bill Traylor (1854–1949) and William Edmondson (1874–1951), before these artists would become widely regarded as masters of the field.
1979: Collecting begins for what will
October 5, 1968: The
Memorial Arts Center, designed by Toombs, Amisano & Wells and Stevens & Wilkinson, opens to great fanfare. As the High receives very little upgrade, it quickly becomes clear that the museum will need its own standalone home. At the opening of the Memorial Arts Center, the French government presents the Atlanta community with a bronze cast of Auguste Rodin’s (1840–1917) The Shade, which resides inside the Arts Center building until it is permanently relocated outdoors on the museum’s green on September 21, 1995.
November 12, 2005: Using the
become the Virginia Carroll Crawford Collection of American Decorative Arts, which positions the High as a leader in collecting and preserving American decorative arts, with objects spanning from 1825 to 1917.
December 1979: When Atlanta
loses the blockbuster traveling exhibition Treasures of Tutankhamun (1977–1978) to New Orleans due to inadequate space, Vigtel secures funding from Robert W. Woodruff by way of a $7.5 million challenge grant for a brand-new building north of the Memorial Arts Center. Mr. Woodruff says, “It is vitally important to Atlanta’s cultural and economic life to have an outstanding museum capable of attracting and exhibiting the finest products of our world’s heritage.”
1980: After a national search by a task
force of the High Board as well as visits to museums in twenty-five cities, architect Richard Meier is tapped to design a new standalone building for the High Museum of Art.
slogan “a new High for Atlanta,” the Woodruff Arts Center reveals three new buildings and a transformed campus. Centered on a piazza, the Renzo Piano– designed buildings’ sleek, minimalist bodies are balanced by an architectural flourish in the roofs’ design: one thousand scooped skylights that allow soft, northern light to enter the top-floor galleries. The Wieland Pavilion, the Anne Cox Chambers Wing, and the Bunzl Administrative Center add 177,000 square feet to the museum complex, now totaling 312,000 square feet.
October 15, 1983: Later called the
Stent Family Wing, the new museum building opens to rave reviews. Its design provides viewers with multiple vistas, allowing them to see and re-see artworks across the light-filled Robinson Atrium.
July 1996: When director Ned
Rifkin learns that Atlanta is to host the 1996 Summer Olympics, he begins conversations with J. Carter Brown, director emeritus of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, to organize an exhibition. Called Rings: Five Passions in World Art, it celebrates the themes of the five Olympic rings and is the centerpiece of the cultural events surrounding the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. The show results in a series of exhibitions and partnerships with major museums around the world.
1998: A long-range planning committee, formed by museum leadership in 1993 to address the museum’s continuing growth, invites Italian architect Renzo Piano to create a proposal to expand the museum’s campus. Piano’s proposal is ultimately accepted, and construction will begin in June 2003.
2006: Director Michael Shapiro
launches a three-year partnership with the Musée du Louvre in Paris, building upon the deep connection made between Atlanta and Paris after the Orly crash. Louvre Atlanta welcomes over 1.3 million visitors from all fifty states. The six exhibitions highlight a combined 493 treasures from the Louvre’s collection. Masterworks from all eight of the Louvre’s curatorial departments travel to the High.
2016: The High establishes Friday nights as its signature evening for after-hours events, adding HIGH Frequency Friday to build upon the beloved Friday Jazz and expand its audience. These programs regularly sell out.
2026: In celebration of the High’s
centennial, the curatorial team sets several key initiatives to build its collection of quilts by Black artists, African art of the twentieth century, and queer photography while adding fashion as a new area of focus through the Lauren Amos Fashion Project. Julia Forbes is the Associate Director of Institutional Research at the High Museum of Art.
Chaka Khan Hacienda goes on hiatus after nine years By Katie Burkholder After nine years of daytime parties beloved by Atlanta’s LGBTQ+ community, Chaka Khan Hacienda is coming to an end. After the upcoming event on Sept. 27, Chaka Khan Hacienda will be put on pause, founder Ree de la Vega wrote on Instagram Sept. 10. “I’m incredibly proud of what Chaka has become and how much it’s grown. But bigger isn’t always better,” de la Vega said. “As the party got bigger, it also got more expensive, more complicated, and, honestly, more impersonal. I miss when Chaka felt like we were all actually in the same party together.” Chaka Khan Hacienda started as a free weekly day party at the now-closed restaurant 8Arm. After the restaurant’s closure, the party moved to Pullman Yards in Kirkwood and now resides at Underground Atlanta. As Chaka has grown in popularity, costs have risen. In 2025, de la Vega said that a Chaka party cost upwards of $19,000, and what was once a free weekly party became a ticketed monthly event. In her Instagram announcement, de la Vega said that the future of Chaka Khan Hacienda is unclear.
Chaka Khan Hacienda (Photo by Chika Jones)
“I don’t know exactly how or when or where Chaka comes back or, to be honest, if it does [come back], but I really want to thank everyone who’s ever come out over the years and rolled with us through all the
changes, as well as everyone who’s helped put on the event.” De la Vega is currently the owner of Pisces, a popular music-driven nightclub on Edgewood Avenue.
Updates about tickets to the Sept. 27 Chaka Khan Hacienda event can be found on Instagram @chakakhanhacienda. capture and preserve those voices.”
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Fox Theatre opens content studio, plans for 2029 centennial By Rough Draft Staff The historic Fox Theatre has opened a dedicated content studio space to produce original interviews, podcasts, videos, and media interviews with visiting artists. According to a press release, the new studio was created in an underutilized portion of a backstage rehearsal room. Content captured in the studio will contribute to the theatre’s permanent archival collection and support a new slate of original Fox Theatre storytelling launching this fall. With the studio now operational, the Fox is actively seeking stories from artists, employees, community members, and Atlantans whose lives have intersected with the theatre. Those with a story or meaningful connection to the Fox are encouraged to submit it through the Your Fox Story form, available at foxtheatre.org. “We now have the infrastructure to collect Atlanta’s stories, preserve them for the future, and share them publicly,” Jamie Vosmeier, chief marketing officer of the Fox Theatre, said in the press release. “If you have a Fox story, we want to hear it. This studio gives us a dedicated space to capture and preserve those voices.”
The studio is part of a broader period of investment as the Fox prepares for its centennial in 2029. In addition to recent improvements to the historic building, including the new Fox Theatre Gift Shop and renovated Arcade Lounge within the Marquee Club presented by Lexus, the nonprofit is investing in how it documents, preserves and shares its story as it enters its second century. As the Fox expands its ability to capture and preserve these stories, it is also tapping outside creative expertise to help shape its storytelling leading up to the centennial. Atlanta native Terry Washington (Founder / CEO) of Zane Ryder Management, a longtime music, film, sports and entertainment executive, is consulting with the Fox on creative direction specifically tied to the centennial. As part of his centennial-focused work, he is helping identify the people, stories and cultural connections that should be part of the Fox’s road to 100, while ensuring Atlanta remains at the center of how that story is told. “There is no ceiling too high for a place like the Fox,” Washington said in the release. “It already has what brands and cultural institutions spend decades
Courtesy Fox Theatre
trying to create: history, authenticity and a genuine emotional connection with people. My role is to help amplify that and make sure the rest of the world understands what Atlanta has known for generations.”
This fall, the Fox Theatre will debut its first slate of original content across its channels, introducing audiences to some of the people and stories being captured in the new content studio.
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Atlanta Pride returns Oct. 10-11 with ‘Louder & Prouder’ theme By Collin Kelley The LGBTQ+ community and its allies will gather in Midtown Oct. 10-11 for the 2026 Atlanta Pride Festival, a two-day celebration featuring live entertainment, community programming, marches, vendors, and the city’s annual Pride parade. The festival will be held at Piedmont Park and is free and open to the public. Organizers have chosen “Louder & Prouder” as this year’s theme, emphasizing visibility, authenticity and community. Atlanta Pride officials said the theme reflects the strength and resilience of LGBTQ+ people while encouraging attendees to celebrate openly and support one another. The entertainment lineup also includes JT, Shea Coulee, Cain Culto, Zee Machine, DJ Neonhorror, DJ Jaybella Banks, Libbaloops, Aryee the Gem, New Weirdos, Waacklanta, and Asher Havon. There will also be drag during the Shooting Star Cabaret, the Queer Your Gender Dance Party featuring DJ Ganymede, a day party from Chaka Khan Hacienda, performances from Out Front Theatre, choruses of Voices of Note, and the annual closing event, Starlight Cabaret, featuring more drag performances. The Trans March is scheduled for 1:45 p.m., followed by the Bi+Pan March at
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3:30 p.m. and the Dyke March at 5 p.m. The marches begin near the Charles Allen Gate at Piedmont Park and are open to members of the respective communities and their allies. The weekend’s centerpiece will be the Atlanta Pride Parade on Sunday, Oct. 11. The parade begins at noon at the Civic Center MARTA Station and travels north on Peachtree Street before turning onto 10th Street and ending near the Charles Allen Gate at Piedmont Park. In addition to performances and marches, the festival will feature community organizations, resource booths, local artists and vendors, food vendors and cultural programming. Atlanta Pride officials said the festival draws hundreds of thousands of people each year and is the largest free Pride celebration in the United States. Organizers encourage visitors to use public transportation because parking around Piedmont Park will be limited. For more information, visit atlantapride.org.
Photos courtesy Atlanta Pride
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Is Jazz not ‘All That’ for Atlanta teens? “I think that if jazz clubs lowered the age limit… it would definitely be more popular and I would visit them for sure.” -Felix Kirby
By Alexander ‘Deo’ Deocampo EDITOR’s NOTE: This story is a partnership with VOX ATL, a youth-led nonprofit media organization that prepares teens for life, career, and community by harnessing the power of youth voice and uncensored self-expression. Find out more at voxatl.org. Jazz is a music genre that focuses on improvisation and rolling with mistakes, but its glory days have long passed, overtaken in Atlanta by other genres like hip-hop and R&B. I wanted to discover why jazz is being overshadowed by other music among young people. Jazz is fundamental and groundbreaking for many music genres; Rock, pop, hip-hop, and many more draw heavy lyrical and rhythmic inspiration from it, which is why it is so important to continue introducing jazz to younger audiences. “Jazz was once the most popular music in America. In the 1920s, jazz was the pop music of its day,” said Joe Alterman, a jazz pianist and cultural curator for jazz in Atlanta. As stated at highland-music.com, after jazz and blues left the mainstream, starting in the 1960s and 70s, rock and southern rock emerged. Eventually, hip-hop and rap took over in the 1990s. While jazz has remained a niche genre, it has still maintained a large audience in other Southern cities such as New Orleans, Memphis, or Nashville. According to ATL Jazz Fest’s Sponsor Deck, only 5% of its roughly 200,000 attendees this year were ages 18-24. In comparison, 21% – the largest fraction – were between the ages of 55 and 64. Even though 200,000 is a huge number, it’s only about half the number of attendees at other jazz festivals in the South. Jazzfest.swagland.com states the attendees for its 2025 jazz fest numbered about 460,000. One reason jazz is less popular with teens might be because it is difficult to get into. “The Atlanta scene to me, based upon my entry into it, was what I call very cliquish. You kind of had to know somebody who knew somebody to get the very good-paying gig,” explains Earl Williams, a jazz saxophonist and teacher at saxmentor.com in Atlanta. In line with this thinking, local teen music fan Felix Kirby says, “I think the reason jazz popularity has decreased in Atlanta is that there is a preexisting music culture in Atlanta.”
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Another potential reason for jazz’s lack of engagement with teens is that it is less interactive with its audience than it once was. According to Joe Alterman, “As jazz moved from the dance floor into the concert hall, some of the direct connection between the music and everyday people was lost. The music gained artistic prestige, but sometimes at the expense of accessibility.” Teens often won’t be in an environment where they can be exposed
to jazz. This is because most places with the greatest exposure to jazz are adultsonly. For example, teens can't go to bars and clubs such as Blind Willie’s in Atlanta. Felix Kirby states, “I think that if jazz clubs lowered the age limit… it would definitely be more popular and I would visit them for sure.” While jazz may not be at the forefront of all teens’ minds, it still holds a place in youth's eyes through
other programs. One such program is the Rialto Jazz Youth Orchestra (RYJO), which regularly receives applications from interested students in Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb, and other counties. Not all hope for jazz among youth is lost; it will continue to hold its niche, and I believe people will always enjoy jazz. As Joe Alterman says, “My life has been a mixture of living in Atlanta, playing jazz here, and traveling to bring jazz to different kinds of places. And honestly, it’s all been wonderful.”
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Atlanta volunteers use art to highlight dangerous, missing utility covers By Logan C. Ritchie A group of volunteers is highlighting the City of Atlanta’s mismanaged infrastructure by covering public hazards with eye-catching art. Fix-ATL is a grassroots effort to improve dangerous conditions like missing water meter covers, manhole covers, and other small utility openings on streets and sidewalks. By calling 311 to report issues, posting on social media, and installing artsy but temporary covers, Fix-ATL is “bringing attention to a systemic problem throughout the city, and ultimately converting art into civic engagement.” Tactical urbanism – a low-cost intervention by residents to catalyze long-term change – has been recognized and endorsed by the City of Atlanta’s Department of Transportation. Fix-ATL has reported nearly 200 active hazards in the city. The objective is to get the City to prioritize pedestrian infrastructure so that people can safely and more easily get to where they want to go, said Z, a volunteer who asked to remain anonymous. “Reducing suffering is the North Star of Fix-ATL, and our chosen medium is public infrastructure,” Z said. “We think cities should be judged by how they treat their most vulnerable, and a lot of people are not able to adequately navigate our
sidewalks to get to all the great places that exist in Atlanta.” Of the 84 missing water meter covers reported to Atlanta’s Department of Watershed Management (DWM), 60% have been replaced with cast iron covers in the wrong size. A cover that’s too large will be cracked by vehicle or pedestrian pressure, and a cover that’s too small will slip into the hole. “Currently, I’m tracking five different sizes of cast iron lids, but they continually install one size across the board,” Z said. “Unfortunately, they are prioritizing ease of installation – either because it’s more convenient or because they just don’t have the inventory available or the data available to strategically allocate the right lids to the right slot.” When asked how the department addresses the reported issues, DWM replied with a pre-written statement: “Damaged or missing covers can present a serious public safety risk; therefore, DWM treats these reports as a high priority. Once a report is received through ATL311, the Department dispatches crews to respond within 24 hours.” Some interactions between Fix-ATL and DWM have played out on social media. Over at 205 Ponce de Leon Avenue in Midtown, where an electrical box was
missing a cover, Fix-ATL and ATL311, the city’s customer service line, argued publicly about who is responsible for the repairs: a private contractor, the DWM, or another department. Frustrated, Fix-ATL responded: “You’re saying a hole with electrical conduit coming out of it, next to a traffic light pole is a watershed ticket? There is no water management involved with this utility box. Please direct to the correct department. This is how tickets get closed out and issues persist.” “If it isn’t a City-owned box, the inspector will identify who is responsible and attempt to contact them directly to report the hazard. While it may seem unconventional, submitting this as a water meter lid case is the fastest, most effective way to get a City official on-site to address the concern. I hope this helps,” ATL311 replied. Made up of a handful of few volunteers and a growing list of artists, Fix-ATL aims to “get people thinking a little more about why the city has allowed this to exist for so long,” Z said. DWM maintains that the installation of temporary or homemade covers on utility infrastructure could prevent accurate meter readings. “While the actions may be well-
Courtesy Fix-ATL
intentioned, unauthorized modifications can create additional safety hazards, interfere with maintenance activities, and, in the case of water meters, violate City code by tampering with utility equipment,” DWM said in a statement. Yet, Fix-ATL has no plan to slow down. Z said the group plans to tackle sidewalk hazards, water drainage, and bike lanes. “We aren’t fixing anything. We are there to patch and bring attention to a systemic problem throughout the city, and ultimately convert art into civic engagement. That’s the main goal of Fix-ATL.”
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DINING
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Chef Demetrius Brown opens Heritage, his seminal Afro-Caribbean restaurant in Summerhill By Beth McKibben
Chef Demetrius Brown (Photo by Lauren Lynn)
“From pop-up, to Bread & Butterfly, to Summerhill,” Chef Demetrius Brown writes upon the opening of his new restaurant, Heritage. It’s a moment Brown wants to savor because it’s been a journey to get here – and one in which his family helped him navigate. In fact, his mother’s shepherd’s pie anchors the food menu in the cocktail lounge. His aunt’s cucumbers begin the multi-course tasting in the dining room. Heritage is meant to be an immersive experience, exploring not only Brown’s culinary roots in the South and the Caribbean, particularly Trinidad, but the ingredients and dishes part of the far-reaching tendrils that connect food throughout the African diaspora. Located across from Little Bear, Heritage is another collaboration between Brown and Brandon Blanchard. The pair met working at The Hill at Serenbe, then worked together again at The Pinewood in Decatur. When The Pinewood closed in 2020, Brown and Blanchard partnered to found Heritage Supper Club, followed by the purchase of Bread & Butterfly in Inman Park from Chef Billy Allin three years later. Heritage Supper Club continued popping up at Bread & Butterfly, while Brown and Blanchard laid plans to transform it into a permanent restaurant. They settled on Summerhill, a neighborhood founded by formerly
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enslaved people after the Civil War. Summerhill would also become home to a thriving Jewish community during the early 20th century. A full-body experience Brown sees Heritage as a full-body experience. People arrive in the cocktail lounge for drinks, before traveling down a hallway to the dining room, ending the night at the dessert bar deep inside the restaurant. The separation of spaces is intentional, with the music and design changing as people move further into Heritage and the dining experience. Music in the lounge spans the gamut from 1960s pop to the early 2000s and Atlanta artists like OutKast. Brown said the music should feel classic and timeless, like songs we’ll still be listening to 30 years from now. Moving into the dining room, music sets the pace and storytelling for each course. “The dining room music will change more frequently because we want it to pair with the menu. The playlists are nostalgic for me,” Brown said. “There are songs on it like the one my wife and I used for the first dance at our wedding.” The cocktail lounge Seating 17 people, the cocktail lounge acts as an extension of the dining room, as well as a space for walk-ins to grab a drink and a bite. Here, the a la carte food menu leans regional and into Brown’s upbringing in Rhode Island and Georgia. “There’s lemon pepper wings on the menu, as a nod to Atlanta, but ours use sumac to bring in that acidity and an African pepper,” Brown explained. “We ferment a lot of local peppers to make our own hot sauce.” For his take on his mother’s shepherd’s pie, Brown seasons lamb with berbere, an aromatic Ethiopian spice filled with heat. Brown found inspiration for the Jamaican patties served in the lounge from the ones he grew up eating at the bodega across the street from his house. Cocktails from beverage director Keyatta Mincey are made with spirits produced by Black-owned, BIPOCowned, and women-owned distilleries, incorporating ingredients from around the diaspora.
The tasting menu dining room (top) and lemon pepper wings made with sumac and African peppers with house-made hot sauce. (Photos by Lauren Lynn)
The 1865 is a signature cocktail at Heritage. Named for the year Summerhill was founded by formerly enslaved people, the drink includes hibiscus, lemon, and warm notes of cinnamon. The dining room Hidden behind a secret door in the cocktail lounge, people enter the 40-seat dining room through a dimly lit hallway. The two-tier dining room also features a chef ’s counter. Comprising eight courses, the tasting travels between countries and cultures within the African diaspora and Brown’s family recipes. Carmen’s cucumbers, named for Brown’s aunt, kick off the tasting. Brown weaves memory into dishes like this,
recalling summers spent helping his aunt tend her garden. After harvesting cucumbers, they would sit on the porch talking and eating what they picked. “We’ve done cucumbers in three or four different ways and they’re garnished with herbs and oils,” Brown said. “Later on down the menu, it transitions to more Caribbean, so we have a jerk chicken yakitori and waakye at the very end, which is a West African stew. We’ve deconstructed it and then kind of constructed it again to modernize it to keep the soul of the dish,” he continued. People finish their tasting experience with dessert up a staircase, in another area of the restaurant. One dessert offered is Brown’s riff on his ROUGHDRAFT.NEWS
grandmother’s cassava cake served with curried ice cream. The tasting comes with optional wine pairings. As with the spirits used for cocktails, Mincey sources wines for pairings from BIPOC-owned, womenowned, and Black-owned producers, including La Fête Wine Co., founded by Clark Atlanta University alumnus Donae Burston. The design Designer Imani James worked with Brown to bring his vision for the restaurant’s spaces to life. The banquette and walls of the cocktail lounge are drenched in rich purple and burgundy tones with wood accents. Brown wanted the lounge to feel organic, familiar, and lived in, with an assortment of artwork, as if someone bought individual pieces during their travels. In the dining room, James flips the script and the mood. The tasting takes place in a bright and airy space with minimalist aesthetics. Artwork represents Brown and his family. “There’s a mural of my greatgrandmother that we had commissioned by a local artist. Then there’s a collection of artwork we commissioned from an artist called Charity that are all
milestones of my life, from growing up, to my wife and our wedding, to our son,” Brown said. Other art adorning the walls includes historic pieces, like a quilt from Gee’s Bend, AL, another community established by formerly enslaved people now known for quilt-making. Through Heritage, Brown wants his guests to recognize that Black food and culture aren’t monoliths. Incorporating familiarity, comfort, and history through music, design, and food are all storytelling tools he uses to expound on the depth and breath of the African diaspora. “Even though something may seem unfamiliar, we want everybody to come away feeling like they’ve had this dish or this ingredient before,” said Brown. “The menu should feel personal, not just to me, but to everybody. That’s the biggest thing we’re trying to accomplish [at Heritage].” Heritage (IG @heritage.atl), 63 Georgia Ave., Summerhill. Open Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations highly encouraged for dinner, from 5 to 9 p.m. $195 per person. Chef ’s Counter is $225 per person. Cocktail lounge open for walk-ins, from 4:30 to 10 p.m.
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SCIENCE + NATURE = ELEPHANTS! New Exhibit Stomps into Fernbank on Oct. 10
The Secret World of Elephants is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (amnh.org). Sponsored locally by the Isdell Family Foundation, with additional support provided by the Frances Wood Wilson Foundation.
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Plan Your Visit at FernbankMuseum.org
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Venetian-style wine bar Sagra opens in EAV By Sarra Sedghi Sagra, a neighborhood wine bar, opened on Gresham Avenue in East Atlanta Village last month. Founded by Eric Di Nardo (Bacchanalia), Sagra brings the neighborhood a new hangout spot focused on Italian wines paired with sourdough pizzas, focaccia, and cicchetti (Italian snacks). Di Nardo, who grew up in an ItalianAmerican household in Covington, began working in restaurants during high school. He bartended while attending the University of Georgia. After college, he moved to Verona, Italy, to teach English. Di Nardo met his future wife in Italy, learned how to make pizza from a master, and immersed himself in the country’s wine communities. “I never really expected [restaurants] to be my career. Then I moved to Italy. When I first moved to Italy, it became really evident that the way they interacted with food and drink was completely different,” Di Nardo explained. In Verona, food and beverage felt omnipresent. “Everything important happened at a table. I can’t count how many times I had an interview, or some type or business meeting, or anything around at least a coffee, if not a glass of wine and snacks,
or a full dinner. And I was really taken by that,” Di Nardo said of Italian food culture. Living in a historic city like Verona gave Di Nardo context for what he consumed. “I began to really appreciate the fact that I was drinking wine from a place that had been regarded as important for making wine since Roman times,” he added. Since leaving Italy, Di Nardo and his wife have lived in Brazil, Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C. Throughout his career, Di Nardo has worked for renowned chefs like José Andrés and Michael Schlow, and was involved in the openings of more than two dozen restaurants. Being fluent in Italian eventually landed him a job at a Boston wine seller. The couple moved to East Atlanta Village in 2021 to start a family. Di Nardo continued in wine, working as a sommelier at Bacchanalia, owned by Chef Anne Quatrano. It was here where he began devising a plan to open a wine bar. Di Nardo kept an eye out for properties that suited his vision, including the Gresham Avenue building that would become home to Sagra. When the building came under new ownership, Di
Nardo negotiated a lease, along with a few upgrades to the space, like adding a tasting room and a fenced-in back patio. The wine Named for local food and wine festivals in Italy, the vibe and menu at Sagra are inspired by Venetian bacaros — small, neighborhood wine bars that serve a selection of cicchetti. Wines by the bottle and glass lean into vintages made from Italian grapes. Look for all “the usual suspects” on the menu, with wines from Italy, the U.S., and Australia. To keep wine approachable and affordable for the neighborhood, some glasses come priced as low as $9. Sagra also offers a small selection of Italian spirits, cocktails, and beer, as well as non-alcoholic drinks and Lavazza espresso. The food Sagra is currently BYOB while it awaits the approval of a liquor license from the city. But the permitting delay gives Di Nardo and his team time to dial in the food. The menu revolves around a PizzaMaster and an induction burner. Expect four types of sourdough pizza and cicchetti, like meatballs and eggplant involtini. People can order a two- or fourperson focaccia loaf served with a rotating selection of cicchetti. Right now, focaccia
Courtesy Sagra
services features zucchini alla scapece, a cannellini salad, and melty Taleggio accompanied by cremini mushrooms and thyme. To keep it local, Di Nardi sources culatello and guanciale from The Spotted Trotter in Reynoldstown and serves cannolis from pop-up Vinny’s Mutual Aid Bakery. Like the wine, Di Nardo wants the food to be both approachable and familiar. As a neighborhood hangout, Sagra is meant to be low-key and casual. “We don’t want anyone to be scared [to come here],” Di Nardo said. “I think there has been an expectation of [Sagra] being a bit higher end. So, I’m really excited for the neighborhood to be pleasantly surprised.” Sagra (sagra-eav.com), 535 Gresham Ave., East Atlanta Village. Open ThursdayMonday. BYOB until liquor license acquired. Outdoor seating available.
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Bon Ton closes after nearly a decade in Midtown By Beth McKibeen and Sarra Sedghi Viet-Cajun restaurant Bon Ton closed on Sept. 30 after nearly a decade on Myrtle Street in Midtown. Co-owner Darren Carr sent an email to Rough Draft announcing the closure, following it up with an announcement on Instagram. Carr also confirmed that The Waiting Room, the vibey cocktail lounge above Bon Ton, closed in early September after three years in business. “All good parties must eventually turn the lights on. After nine years of service, endless pours, and zero boring nights, Bon Ton has announced it will officially serve its last drink and dish on September 30th,” the Instagram post and email read. “When Bon Ton first set up shop on Myrtle Street in Midtown back in 2017, the mission was simple: make great food, pour serious drinks, and build a space where nobody takes themselves too seriously,” Carr wrote. “Nine years, thousands of orders of Snow Crab, and a few broken glasses later, that dream became a legendary local staple.” Bon Ton opened in 2017 in the former Top Flr space in Midtown as a collaboration between Carr, bartender Eric
Simpkins, and Hieu Pham of Crawfish Shack. The New Orleans-style restaurant and bar became known for its food, along with cocktails like the frozen Irish coffee and Hurricane. Simpkins, a veteran bartender who operated The Lawrence on Juniper Street in Midtown, teamed up with Carr to form Big Citizen Restaurant Group, opening other Atlanta restaurants, including WonderKid at Atlanta Dairies, The Waiting Room, and Rwby. The latter took over The Lawrence after it closed in 2023. Rwby has also since closed. The Juniper Street restaurant is currently home to La Santa Tacos & Bar. With the closure of Bon Ton and The Waiting Room, no Big Citizen restaurants remain open in Atlanta. Simpkins returned to his roots as a bartender and bar lead in 2024, landing behind the bar at Nadair in Woodland Hills. Nadair closed earlier this summer. But Simpkins was just named bar lead at Aria in Buckhead, overseeing the cocktail program at the critically acclaimed restaurant.
Courtesy Bon Ton
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REAL ESTATE
Report: Atlanta eviction rate is three times the national average By Logan C. Ritchie Metro Atlanta landlords filed 140,000 eviction cases in 2025, a rate researchers say is more than three times the national average and higher than any other major metro area in the country. Researchers at Princeton Universitybased Eviction Lab spoke to attorneys, judges, elected officials, and nonprofit leaders on Sept. 10, shocking many audience members with statistics about Atlanta’s skyrocketing eviction filing rates. About 31,000 of the five-county region’s eviction filings occurred within the City of Atlanta – one filing for every four renter households. New York City, with four times as many renter households as metro Atlanta, saw about 25,000 fewer eviction filings over the same period. “That 25% eviction filing rate in Atlanta compares to 5% in New York, 9% in Houston, in Nashville, in Jacksonville,” said Peter Hepburn, an associate professor of sociology at Rutgers UniversityNewark who leads the Eviction Lab’s tracking system. Eviction Lab’s data shows the metro’s highest eviction filings are in Norcross, Stone Mountain, Jonesboro, Redan, and Forest Park. How does eviction work? The road to eviction is a legal process to hold the renter responsible for paying rent and fees. It doesn’t always lead to an eviction. Eviction Lab found that 95% of cases are filed over non-payment of rent, and Atlanta landlords move quickly to file. The typical tenant facing eviction in Atlanta is only one month behind on rent, compared with two months in Minneapolis and Kansas City. If a landlord chooses to file an eviction, they need to provide their tenants with at least three days notice and pay a filing fee between $54 and $75 (depending on the county) to the courts. In Alabama, where filings are significantly lower, the filing fee is $250. About 65% of eviction filings are ultimately dismissed by landlords after they’re paid. About 25% end in default judgments against tenants who do not appear in court. The researchers cautioned that dismissed filings still leave a record that can follow tenants when they apply for future housing. Who is affected? Families with children are hit hardest by evictions. Hepburn said that in
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Georgia, nearly 240,000 children a year face eviction. “For a child, an eviction can mean changing schools, losing friends and teachers, and starting over in a completely unfamiliar place. For a parent, it can mean figuring out where your children will sleep, how you’re going to get to work,” Atlanta Chief of Staff Courtney English said on behalf of Mayor Andre Dickens. Underlying drivers of the crisis include rents rising faster than incomes, a housing shortfall of more than 100,000 rental homes in metro Atlanta, and restrictions that zone 94% of land for single-family housing. The problem is when someone in crisis has to figure out the ecosystem for themselves, English said. “They call one organization and get sent to another. They show up at the wrong door, and meanwhile, the rent is still due. The clock is still moving,” English said. “Someone who started out looking for help staying in their home gets closer to losing it while trying to navigate the system designed to help them.” What can we do? “The data is incredibly sobering, but absolutely necessary,” English said. Since Dickens took office, the city has created a $2 million eviction diversion program, a housing help center, and tenant advocacy programs designed to connect at-risk tenants to services before they reach court. More than 14,600 affordable housing units have been built or are in the pipeline, part of Dickens’ goal of building 20,000 housing units by 2030. Other cities are using policy changes to reduce eviction filings, including raising filing fees to discourage repeated filings; lengthening notice periods, which in Georgia currently stand at three business days; and sealing eviction records. English encouraged people to speak with elected representatives. Georgia law currently bans the City of Atlanta from guaranteeing tenants a right to counsel in eviction cases, he said. “Democracy dies in darkness,” English said. “If you are serious, get engaged with your city government … get engaged at the county level.” “Go vote,” he added. “We are in an election year. Act accordingly.”
Eviction Lab’s Peter Hepburn and Juan Pablo Garnham at the Atlanta History Center on Sept. 10, 2026. (Photo by Logan C. Ritchie)
Tax breaks approved for Amsterdam Walk, Trestletree By Logan C. Ritchie Invest Atlanta, the City of Atlanta’s economic arm, gave the green light to two major redevelopment projects: Amsterdam Walk near Piedmont Park and Trestletree Village Apartments in Ormewood Park. Invest Atlanta board members voted 6-2 on Sept. 17 to approve a nearly $15 million property tax break for the Amsterdam Walk project from Portman Holdings. The multi-phase project currently includes 1,100 rental units, 1,435 parking spaces, and 150,000 square feet of commercial space on 11 acres off Monroe Drive. Portman will add 39 affordable housing units, making the property a mixed-use center in a prime location on Piedmont Park. Amsterdam Walk has been a shopping center with restaurants, family-focused activities, and small commercial businesses for nearly 30 years. A rezoning from singlefamily residential to planned development/ Beltline overlay was approved by Atlanta City Council in April 2025. Proponents of Amsterdam Walk said the investment and development are crucial to bettering the neighborhood. Opponents argued that the project would worsen already heavy traffic on Monroe Drive, which is undergoing a road diet. City Council member Matt Westmoreland and Atlanta school board member Ken Zeff voted against the
measure. Zeff told constituents that “nearly $15 million in tax incentives — more than $7 million of which would come at the expense of Atlanta Public Schools — does not represent the best use of public resources.” Significant public incentives should be accompanied by a clear and compelling public benefit, Zeff said in a letter. On the opposite side of town, a $29 million tax incentive bond was approved for Trestletree Village Apartments in addition to a $2 million TAD grant. The Section 8 housing development on the Southside Beltline trail has been purchased by Wingate Companies for redevelopment and expansion. Wingate’s plan would renovate 188 affordable homes for current Trestletree residents, while adding 10 workforce housing units and 10 market-rate residences to the property. The redevelopment has sparked discourse over whether affordable housing should be integrated throughout the development rather than concentrated in one building. A letter from Trestletree Village Tenants Association does not support Wingate’s proposal to consolidate all affordable and Section 8 housing units into dedicated buildings on a single parcel, rather than integrating them into a mixedincome housing model.
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Canvas Companies acquires historic North Highridge Apartments By Logan C. Ritchie in which to invest. The company purchased North Highridge Apartments for an undisclosed amount from developer Thomas Carmichael, who owns other parcels in Poncey-Highland. The complex is known for affordable rents and residents who walk to nearby jobs. “We focus on Intown Atlanta assets with a historic story and an irreplaceable fabric to them,” Garber, who lives in the city, said. “We like to buy and build in the neighborhoods that we’re a part of.” Garber and McLoughlin have been active members of neighborhood boards and Neighborhood Planning Units (NPUs) and aim to be part of positive change, Garber said. “We’re catering to ourselves, to our
neighbors, to our friends. It’s important to us. Oftentimes, folks think of real estate development companies as these big corporate institutions, and we are far from that. We put a lot of thought and care into everything we do,” McLoughlin said. “We never do anything without intention.” Records show that North Highridge Apartments were furnished apartments for rent dating back to 1921. The apartments were located near three streetcar lines, a dry cleaner, a grocery store, and a few churches. “We need to get our feet under us and see what needs repairs or replacements, but the plan is to continue to own and operate the apartments because of their history and their legacy,” Garber said.
Photographer: Brian Hall Photography | Designers: Angelique Baez, ViviCo Interiors + Michael C. Morris, M. Crisler Designs
An aging apartment complex in the historic Poncey-Highland neighborhood has been acquired by a locally owned real estate firm that promises to maintain its legacy. Covering nearly a city block, four gray buildings make up the century-old North Highridge Apartments at the corner of North Avenue and North Highland Avenue. The new owner, Canvas Companies, said improvements will be made to the apartments, but the existing footprint and structures will remain the same. Tenants are expected to remain through their current leases. Canvas is owned and operated by Michael Garber and Benjamin McLoughlin, who told Rough Draft they look for authentic, unique neighborhoods
In 2021, Canvas bought the former boutique hotel Highland Inn – also owned by Carmichael, who had filed with the city to demolish the inn. Canvas restored the building to its 1920s purpose, opening Otto’s apartment hotel. The attached retail strip called Highland Row has been leased to local entrepreneurs including Madeira Park, Gallery Chimera, Secondwind Gear Shop, and The Zero Co.
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