Midtown Beacon by Jamestown

Volume 5, Issue 1

Spring 2013

Midtown Food Arts This issue of the Beacon is all about Midtown's art scene, but we couldn't resist adding a plug for one of our favorite arts, the art you can eat: food, glorious food.

Pop-Up Chef Returns Midtown's favorite Thursday lunch event returns this April.

op-Up Chef returns to the Plaza at 999 Peachtree this April with yummy noshes from a bevy of top Atlanta chefs. Look for chefs from Escorpion, Serpas', 4th & Swift, Empire State South, Cakes & Ale, Watershed and Rosebud to shake their spatulas and flourish their forks every Thursday, April 4th through October 31st (except for the Fourth of July, when we'll all be too busy licking popsicles and setting off bottlerocks to come to work). You'll find the chefs set up at the intersection of Peachtree and 10th Street, just three blocks from Piedmont Park and one block from the Midtown Arts MARTA station. 2

Newk's is Coming! Brookhaven's favorite fresh food hotspot, Newk's Eatery, is opening a location in Midtown, joining other newly opened hotspots, La Tagliatella and Cafe Intermezzo.

resh on the heels of La Tagliatella, the amazing new Italian restaurant that opened up last winter at Metropolis, and Cafe Intermezzo (which opened up just a couple months ago at 11th and Peachtree) comes Newk's Eatery. Newk's is a fun, budget-minded dining concept with a focus on fresh, made-to-order menu choices, available for pick-up or in-cafĂŠ dining. Menu favorites include Newk's freshly tossed salads, gourmet pizzas and specialty sandwiches. In addition, Newk's serves a variety of hearty soups, combos, desserts and add-ons, as well as a range of beverages, from their famous Newk's Classic Iced Tea to imported and domestic beers and wines. They're available for catering and offer a convenient grab-andgo cooler for even faster ordering. Look for Newk's later this summer at Metropolis, and visit them online at newks.com. Also check out cafeintermezzo.com and latagliatella.es. 3

Midtown Theater With Fox Theatre, Alliance Theater, Ansley Park Playhouse, 14th Street Playhouse and the New American Shakespeare Tavern on its roster, it's no wonder that Midtown is Atlanta's leading theater district.

he word "theater" stems from the Greek words theatron, meaning "place for viewing" and theasthai, "to behold." Even the most ancient societies held rituals and ceremonies that contained performance elements. Early Greeks足like Thespis and Aeschylus elevated the art of acting to new heights. From the morality plays of the middle ages to the bawdy comedies of the restoration to the puppetry arts of China's Han Dynasty, theater has endured, and even thrived, through all the ins-and-outs and ups-and-downs of human history. There seems to be some kind primal human instince that drives us to support live performance art. Howard Shalwitz, Artistic Director at Woolly Mammoth Theater Company, says that perhaps we share a human instinct to mimic, to project our stories onto others and to create meaning through metaphor. Whatever the reason we go to the theater, in Atlanta, Georgia, Midtown is place where theater happens. Whether you're into musicals, puppet shows, family productions, touring national plays, respected community productions or cutting-edge fringe, you'll find a theater in Midown that fits your flavor. Here are just a few of Midtown's most well-known playhouses. Enjoy a fun family outing to the fabulous Fox Theatre, where the awardwinning classic Mary Poppins will be playing through April 7, Sister Act April 23 to 28 and Hinton Battle's Love Lies May 9 to 12. For tickets visit: foxtheatre.org

14th street playhouse A thriving three-theatre complex at the corner of Juniper and 14th Streets. Take Mom to see A Raisin in the Sun this Mother's Day, May 12. 14thstplayhouse.org

Alliance Theater The lead producing theatre in the Southeast, creating the powerful experience of shared theatre for diverse people on two stages. alliancetheatre.org

Ansley Park Playhouse APP has been awarded by GLADD for bringing controversial topics to mainstream American. See their signature show Peachtree Battle thru June 7. ansleyparkplayhouse.com

Center For Puppetry Arts A magical place showcasing the wonder and art of puppetry. Look out for The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs playing May 28 to June 9. puppet.org

Fox Theatre The historic Fox Theatre: Atlantaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premiere venue for live entertainment, with 300+ performances a year ranging from Broadway to rock and more! foxtheatre.org

New American Shakespeare Tavern A professional theatre with a British pub menu available before each performance. Enjoy Julius Caesar this April followed by Hamlet in May. shakespearetavern.com

Whole World Improv Theatre A non-profit improvisational comedy theatre that has been exciting Atlanta audiences for over 18 years with its hilarious, high-energy comedy shows. wholeworldtheatre.com 5

Midtown Music From amazing outdoor festivals to performances in the park and black-tie symphony excursions, Midtown's streets are alive with the sound of music.

he word "music" springs from many sources: Old French (musique), Latin (musica), Old High German (mosica) and Dutch (muziek). But our favorite derivation is the Greek (mousike) meaning "of the Muses." Leopold Stokowski, who once conducted the New York Philharmonic, is sometimes attributed with the coining the phrase, "Music makes the world go 'round"—and we wholeheartedly agree. (In fact, see George Krauth's article, page 11, for more on how Jamestown supports music programming). Midtown is a wonderful place for music. Not only does Baton Bob routinely conduct an invisible symphony on Peachtree Street, but you'll also find a bevy of excellent music venues. You'll find amazing local music at Smith's Old Bar, the Atlanta Room and the Loft, national and regional touring bands at Center Stage, Vinyl and the Fox Theater and world-class orchestration at Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Almost anywhere you go in Midtown, from Rí Rá's Irish Pub (where they spin records every Friday and host live bands every Saturday) to outdoor festivals like Music Midtown (where they host multi-day musical extravaganzas), you'll find the streets are alive with the sound of music.

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra A nationally-renowed symphony orchestra feauring a world-class group of regular players and internationally revered guest conductors. atlantasymphony.org

Center Stage An intimate venue where every seat is a winner with premier sound and lighting systems and a cozy lounge area. See the Alkaline Trio May 11. centerstage-atlanta.com

Fox Theatre One of Atlanta's most classic venues, this art-deco beauty hosts a range of plays and musical acts. See The Postal Service June 6. foxtheatre.org

The Loft Midtown's freshest new live music venue with top-of-the-line sound, four full-service bars, and a view of the skyline. Coming soon: IAMX, May 4! centerstage-atlanta.com

RĂ RĂĄ Irish Pub DJs and dancing every Friday night, and the best local and regional acts every Saturday, starting at 11pm. rira.com

Smith's Olde Bar / Atlanta Room Good eats, great atmosphere and the city's best local and regional acts either in the upstairs music room, or the versitle new Atlanta Room. smithsoldebar.com

Vinyl Local and regional musicians and fans welcome the return of this low-key, high-quality venue for live performances. Matt Costa, April 21! centerstage-atlanta.com 7

Midtown Visual Arts Midtown is the traditional center of Atlanta's thriving art scene. From renowed exhibits at the High to the student work on display at Dewberry, Midtown has a range of quality visual arts centers.

ainting. Drawing. Sculpting. Designing. Scholars have spent lifetimes scrutinizing, cataloguing, illuminating and deconstructing these and other visual arts. From the cave paintings of Chauvet and Lacaux to the most cutting-edge printmaking and painting techniques being practiced today, art has always been something that incites the imagination. The great civilizations of the near East, Egypt and Mesopotamia were likely among the first to cultivate and celebrate the visual arts. The work that arose from these ancient societies ranged from extraordinary architecture to painting, woodworking and metalworking. These visual and applied arts forms are still celebrated in today's galleries, along with a palate of visual arts that has grown to include film making, photography, textile arts and more. Midtown's galleries and museums contain a great crosssection of visual arts, from art with an emphasis on the Jewish tradition at the Breman Museum to cutting-edge student and faculty work at SCAD's Dewberry Gallery and a celebration of modern design at MODA. Here are a few of Midtown's best-known visual arts houses.

Bill Lowe Gallery Widely considered the pre-eminent contemporary art gallery in the Southern United States. Curator Bill Lowe represents artists who share eloquent visions. lowegallery.com

Breman Museum Discover Atlanta's William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum, where stories of the holocaust and southern Jewish history come to life. thebreman.org

Dewberry Gallery of SCAD A 1,120-square-foot gallery showing at least two exibitions of Savannah College of Art and Design student, faculty, almni and visiting artist work. scad.edu/exhibitions/galleries

High Museum The leading art museum in the southeastern United States. See the work of German-born sculptor Katharina Grosse on exhibit through May 19. high.org

Gallery 1600 This second-floor Savannah College of Art and Design gallery showcases artword by SCAD students, professors, alumni and nationally recognized artists. scad.edu/exhibitions/galleries

Museum of Modern Design This spring, MODA is pleased to welcome a retrospective of the work of renowned Finnish architect Eero Saarinen titled Eero Saarinen: A Reputation. museumofdesign.org 9

Midtown: Streets Alive! Atlanta Streets Alive is closing streets to cars and opening them to the public for four hours on May 19, 2013 to create a whole new healthy, sustainable and vibrant city street experience. The route will take place along 2.7 miles of Peachtree Street and is organized by the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition with support from the Coca-Cola Company. This is the third Streets Alive event, and the first to take place in Midtown. For more info, visit atlantastreetsalive.com.

AF&WF: Save the Date After only two years, the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival has already become the city's most high-profile annual food event. AF&WF is the nation's only culinary weekend dedicated to showcasing the food and beverage traditions of the south. The weekend offers learning experiences, tasting experiences, dinners and events, with ticket packages priced to fit every budget. 2013's fesival taskes place May 30 to June 2. Info at atlfoodandwinefestival.com.

Pickin' and Strummin' Man-about-town George Krauth dishes on the fashions, flavors, designs and décor he discovers as he travels the globe tracking trends in his capacity as VP of Creative and Marketing for Jamestown.

have an unconventional playlist for running—a lot of folk. Nothing lights a fire under my feet more than Willie Nelson's cover of “City of New Orleans.” Recently, I was on my usual jaunt down the Hudson River Park Greenway listening to one of my favorite string bands, Old Crow Medicine Show, a group introduced to me by Billy Reid's Sarah Trapp in Nashville a few years ago. Billy Reid has a rich history in promoting musicians, and it got me thinking about the partnerships that Jamestown shares with its local music communities. It's a thrill to host talented musicians at Jamestown’s properties, and nothing enlivens a space or brings a community together like a live band. This summer in San Luis Obispo, California, we’ve planned an eight-week jazz series, Court Street’s Concerts on the Terrace, as a teaser to the first-ever SLO Jazz Festival, which will be held in Mission Plaza on September 29th. In New York, where rehearsal space is at a premium, our events coordinator Michael Ginsberg often loans the use of Chelsea Market's 400-foot concourse to local musicians for public rehearsals. Music is also an essential component for fundraising. Ponce City Market in Atlanta kicked off its groundbreaking in October 2011 with a huge block-party–style concert, headlined by The Indigo Girls. Party at Ponce helped Jamestown raise more than $80,000 for local charities. Nothing gets people, places, or “people places” going like live music. I hope to see you at a concert on a Jamestown property soon.

Musicians busking at Chelsea Market

Notes and updates from Midtown Alliance | midtownalliance.org | midt

Apartments: Spring & 8th Ambling University Development Group has proposed a purposebuilt student housing development at Spring and 8th.

mbling's proposed luxury student housing apartment high-rise is proposed on 1.41 acres at the 930 block of Spring Street in Atlanta. It will be the closest purpose-built off-campus apartment complex available to Georgia Tech students. The ground floor will include 10,240 square feet of retail space. A grand stair will connect the street to the amenities level, which will include a resort-style swimming pool surrounded by a club room, study room and fitness center. A retail parking structure will accommodate 261 parking spaces, and the amenities level will also include grill areas, lawns and gathering spaces for relaxation. Each unit will have a living room, communal table, kitchen with private food lockers and internet access Midtown Alliance representative stated, "This is a project that is likely to move forward quickly and the 700+ new students living there will provide new clientele nearby shops and restaurants." The project has been reported extensively in the media and more information is available online.

townatl.com

Alliance Notes More great information from Midtown Alliance, the driving force behind the revitalization of Midtown.

Yumbii: Atlanta's First Shipping Container Eatery Food truck pioneer Yumbii is planning to open its first restaurant in Midtown ATLâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and it'll be housed in a recycled shipping container! The restaurant will be located at the corner of 10th Street and Peachtree Street, where our latest pocket park is. Check the Atlanta Business Chronicle for more information. Midtown Alliance awarded the E3 Power of Place Midtown Alliance was awarded the E3 Power of Place award for the organization's leadership efforts in developing Greenprint Midtown and the creation of the Southeast's first EcoDistrict. The E3 award highlights companies, organizations, universities and individuals using innovative approaches to conserve metro Atlanta's natural resources while improving the economy. Welcome to the New Hyatt Midtown! Construction is nearly complete for an early summer opening of the new Hyatt Midtown at 125 10th St. (formerly the Hotel Midtown.) Visit hyatt.com for info.