Atlanta Intown - January 2014

Our mission: Published monthly since 1994, Atlanta INtown provides its readers with hyperlocal news and information that helps foster a sense of community in a dynamic urban setting. Live, work and play—we cover everything that makes our city home.

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Editorial

Collin Kelley

INtown Editor

collin@atlantaintownpaper.com

(404) 917-2200, ext. 102

Contributors

Ann Taylor Boutwell, Art Huckabee, Natalie Keng, Scott Lowden, Shandra Hill Smith, Clare S. Richie, Tim Sullivan, Melissa Weinman, S.B. Williams

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Article queries and calendar submissions should be emailed to collin@atlantaintownpaper.com

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Collin Kelley collin@atlantaintownpaper.com

Happy Anniversary, INtown!

Twenty years ago, a new publication launched in Atlanta called 30306. Named a er founder Chris Schroder’s neighborhood ZIP code in Virginia-Highland, the paper’s mission was to provide community features and reporting that could not be found anywhere else. at goal still holds true today.

By the time I came aboard in 2002, the publication had morphed into the more inclusive Atlanta INtown and was still providing a distinct voice in a larger coverage area. My directive was to reinvigorate INtown with a more eclectic mix of features, news and personalities. We were still years away from social media like Facebook and Twitter, so receiving INtown in the mail or picking up a copy at your local co ee house was still the only way to get hyperlocal news.

What a di erence a dozen years make.

While our monthly print publication remains the heart and soul of our operation, we’ve also learned to diversify with the advent of Twitter and Facebook. Our website at AtlantaINtownPaper.com is now

a daily destination for news and features. Under the guidance of new owner Springs Publishing, which also publishes the Reporter Newspapers, INtown’s presence in the community continues to grow.

Every day, we see the increase in readership online and our Twitter followers jump (27,000 and growing at this writing). We’re also more proactive about covering hard news that has an impact on the community. As 2014 progresses, you’re sure to see more about the Atlanta BeltLine, the Downtown streetcar project, the future of Turner Field post-Braves, and the wrangling over which cityhood proposal (Briarcli , Lakeside, Tucker?) has the most merit and political clout to become a reality.

And alongside that news, you’ll nd features and pro les on people giving back to the community (we have 20 of them this month as part of our annual special section), artists, authors, local businesses and the latest real estate news. at’s the idea Chris Schroder had two decades ago and it’s more necessary now than ever.

To mark two decades, you’ll nd a photo pro le of our core neighborhoods in each issue in 2014 (we’re starting with Midtown) and later this year, we’ll have a special 20th anniversary edition updating stories and looking back at how the city and INtown has evolved.

Happy New Year!

ABOUT THE COVER

Photographer Scott Lowden checks this month’s cover photo for 20 Under 20 in his Poncey-Highland studio. Students (back row) Cole Sullivan, Peter Myer, Anna Kate Jones, Justin Cucchi, (front row) Clay Milling and Ansley Reese were on hand for the shoot. An award winning photographer with over 20 years of experience, Lowden’s been shooting for some of the biggest brands including Bose, Kodak, Coca-Cola, Delta, and AFLAC, just to name a few. He spent the first part of his career specializing in still life, a few years directing for TV and creating some festival worthy short films, and has been concentrating on lifestyle photography for the past 10 years or so. Shooting worldwide, he currently calls Atlanta home with his wife and Sophie the dog.

From creating their own nonprofits to giving hundreds of hours of their time to volunteer with local charities and service organizations, the students we’ve selected for our sixth annual 20 Under 20 feature are sure to inspire you.

Collins Speed, 17

A junior at the Westminster Schools, Collins volunteered last summer to travel to Guatemala to help build homes for the nonprofit From Houses to Homes. In order to raise money for the trip, Collins manufactured and sold products that he personally made using his blacksmith skills, including fireplace pokers, shovels and stands. He sold all of his handcrafted tools in only a day, raising over $1,000 for the poor in Guatemala. The son of Forrest and Mary Kelly Speed, Collins said he was touched by being able to deliver the key to a finished home to a family. “Opportunities to give back in such a huge way allow me to love, help, and most importantly, get to know my neighbor more than I could have otherwise, and that is why these chances are important to me,” Collins says.

Justin Cucchi, 15

A 10th grader at Grady High School, Justin was one of two American students chosen last summer to participate in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Ocean for Life (OFL) program at the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary in California. “Each OFL participant was teamed up with a younger kid. We went to a beach and did a trash cleanup,” Justin said. “I was able to share my experiences and teach my buddy what I was learning about ocean conservation and how everyone can do their part to protect the ocean and the animals that live in it.” Justin, the son of Paige and Sean Cucchi, is also part of the Zoo Atlanta Volunteen Program, Trees Atlanta and Intown Collaborative Ministries’ Food Pantry. “Giving back to the community is important to me because it makes me feel good when I do something to help someone or something. For example, when I do a river or stream cleanup, I know that I am doing my part to protect the environment.” He wants to attend the University of California and pursue a degree in marine biology.

Congratulations to Galloway seniors Julianne Lang and Cece Bouska, two of Atlanta’s 20 under 20! Their service to local and national cancer charities have raised funds and increased awareness.

At The Galloway School, students age 3 through grade 12 are encouraged to explore their interests, discover their individual strengths, and contribute to the greater good.

Amber Abernathy, 18

A senior at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, Amber created the nonpro t Kicking Away Violence a er the shooting death of a family member. e program focuses on educating middle school students about violence. e daughter of Anthony and Donnay Abernathy, Amber also volunteers with Girl Talk, which also honored her with the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy’s Choose to Matter Award. “One of my most memorable moments was volunteering at the Special Olympics in Florida with Julie Foudy,” Amber said. I had such an amazing time getting to hang out with the Special Olympians and seeing how overjoyed they were to go out and play their sport.” Amber, who will be majoring in international business at Brandeis University as a Posse Scholar in 2014, says giving back to the community is a way to bring the world closer together and hear di erent perspectives and stories. “Giving back is a way to truly make an impact in someone’s life so that, hopefully, they can experience the best out of their lives to help change the world themselves.”

Clara Easterlin, 18

e National Charity League, City of Refuge, Buckhead Church Ministries, Atlanta Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity and Ronald McDonald House are just some of the organizations where Lovett School senior Clara has volunteered. e daughter of Nan and Ed Easterlin, Clara also serves on the Student Service Board at Lovett, and helped organize the school’s rst Relay for Life. She’s also bee on ve mission trips to Guatemala, Honduras, Dominican Republic and Costa Rica. “Giving back to the community teaches lessons that are hard to grasp any other way,” Clara says. “It has shaped me into the person I am today. Giving back is what led me to become humble and to not take simple gi s in life for granted. She plans to major in pre-med or biology in college with hopes of attending medical school in the future.

Peter Myer,

A senior at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, Peter holds an annual coat and blanket drive for Atlanta’s Homeless Haven, the Open Door Community. He’s also tutored Spanish-speaking students at La Amistad and goes to New Orleans every Easter to work with Habitat for Humanity to build homes in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Last summer, Peter received a scholarship to study Mandarin for six weeks from the U.S. State Department and volunteered at a nursing home in Jiaxing, China. “I played a song on the ukulele and a friend and I sang for an elderly Chinese woman, and she cried. She thought it was so beautiful. at touched me and we were both in tears.” e son of John Myer and Debby McCarty, Peter plans to study medicine.

St. Martin’s is a school of intentional design. Our curriculum, opportunities and facilities encourage our students to uncover the unexpected. Through discovery, they expand their individual skills, talents and interests.

Our social and spiritual community combined with challenging academic and enrichment programs provide a unique sense of place for learning. Students graduate prepared to thrive when entering Atlanta’s top-ranked high schools, and ready to create their own place in the world.

Questions?

the

lovett school congratulates atlanta Intown’s 20 under 20!

We applaud lovett’s

Katharine Walls, 18

Lovett

www.lovett.org

How

The Paideia School senior is part of the Volunteen Program at Zoo Atlanta, where she has put in over 900 service hours since joining as a freshman. She’s also on the robotics team at Fernbank Science Center and volunteers at Science Night Out, a program in which high school students lead elementary students through fun, hands-on science activities. She’s also interned with the Wylde Center community garden in Decatur. “I owe a large part of who I am now to the community in which I grew up,” Katharine says. “I am extremely grateful for the opportunities that have been afforded to me, so I think it’s important to make a positive impact in whatever way I can.” The daughter of Elizabeth Kurylo and Jim Walls, Katharine says she plans a double major in biology and sociology and also wants to join the Peace Corps after getting her undergraduate degree.

Inquiry is fueled by curiosity and discovery. When students explore their questions, passions, and interests in a hands-on, experiential learning environment, they grasp subject matter on a deeper level. They make connections that inspire original ideas. They understand how context and action impact their world.

Prepared to be college-ready and globally competitive, Mount Vernon students are the new generation of innovative thinkers, engaged citizens and compassionate leaders.

Campbell Jones ‘15 Clara easterlin ‘14 eli Mercer ‘15

Nathan Sokolic, 18

During his sophomore year, Nathan facilitated a partnership between his school, Pace Academy, and The Albert T. Mills Enrichment Center, an inner-city ministry that serves pre-schoolers from Atlanta’s toughest neighborhoods. That same year, he coordinated Pace’s most successful Thanksgiving drive to date. As a junior, Nathan launched a clothing drive for CHRIS Kids, an organization that offers an array of individualized programs and family services. He has been a service leader for Habitat for Humanity since his junior year, and leads the student body in service hours with more than 1,000 hours, most of which have been spent working with underprivileged children. “It is important to me because I have been tremendously blessed in my life,” Nathan says. “I have been provided with a loving mother, a home to live in and a fantastic school to attend. But not everyone has the opportunities that I have had and I feel that it is my responsibility to give back to those who have been less fortunate that I have.”

Olivia Koscik, 16 & Grace Broadbent, 17

Students at Woodward Academy, Olivia and Grace started a chapter of Blessings in a Backpack at the school along with Olivia’s sisters, Isabelle and Ansley. As a team they worked to pack 30 bags with food every week for needy students at Mt. Olive Elementary School. “When we were able to involve our school it was amazing to see all of the people who came to help us pack the bags,” Olivia says. “Giving back to the community is important to me because I am able to help those who are in need and hopefully inspire others to do the same.” Grace agrees. “I feel it is important to take care of those who I consider my neighbors, and Blessings in a Backpack provided me with this opportunity. Knowing that there are so many children who do not have enough to eat on the weekends that are so close by, I felt compelled to help in any way I could.” Grace, the daughter of Steve and Mary Broadbent, is a senior and Olivia, the daughter of Joe and Ella Koscik, is a junior.

Collins

For your commitment to make the world a better place, we applaud you both. Thank you for your leadership and your service.

The Westminster Schools 1424 West Paces Ferry Road NW | Atlanta, Georgia 30327 | www.westminster.net

Julianne Lang, 17 & Cecilia Bouska, 18

• Drama Workshops

• Middle School Electives

• ETGAR: Challenge for All

• Matthew Blumenthal M'silot

• “No Place for Hate”

• Peer Mediation

• Reggio Emilia Inspired ECD

• Hebrew Immersion

• Responsive Classroom

• Read, Write, Gold

• Thinking Maps

Seniors at the Galloway School, Julianne and Cecilia conceived and chaired two community breast cancer walks raising $6,000 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The daughter of Anne-Marie and Eric Lang, Julianne says her aunt, a breast cancer survivor, was her inspiration for planning the walks. “I will never forget her face as she was the first to pass the finish line,” Julianne says about her aunt. Julianne is also a member of the Atlanta Teens Laugh Comedy Project, an all female improv troupe that performs at Ronald McDonald House. Cecilia, the daughter of Jardon Bouska and Kelly Norris, also volunteers with La Amistad, a Peachtree Presbyterian Church program to help Spanish-speaking children with schoolwork, and LPI Study Abroad, where she volunteered in the kindergarten program last summer. “I feel like life should not be measured by what you have done to further yourself or how far you have gotten, but instead life should be measured by the number of people you touch,” Cecilia says.

Ages 6 weeks

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At the MJCCA’s NAEYC-accredited preschools, our loving, highly-trained, and experienced teachers guide your child through our exceptional program.

Marshall Ohlhausen, 17

In 2013, Marshall founded Shoot to Cure, a clay shooting tournament that in its first year raised over $14,000 in net proceeds for the benefit of the Press On Fund to CURE Childhood Cancer. The son of Katherine and Eric Ohlhausen, Marshall is a senior and captain of Woodward Academy’s lacrosse and clay target shooting teams. Marshall’s efforts were supported by co-chairs Tristan Cooke and John Comer, who are also on the Woodward shooting team. He received the Kate’s Club’s Community Champion Award in 2011, along with his parents and his sister Wallis, in recognition of their support of the organization’s work with children bereaving the loss of a family member. “During Shoot to Cure I had the opportunity to see what all of the work was for. We were lucky to be joined by a young cancer survivor who shot for one of the teams despite being in a wheel chair. Meeting and watching him participate in Shoot to Cure made our event seem so worthwhile.”

A senior at Paideia School, Cole is already getting his feet wet volunteering with two organizations that might eventually turn into careers. The son of Andy Sullivan and Elaine Stock, Cole is an intern for State Rep. Pat Gardner and a staff writer and member of the board of directors of VOX Teen Communications. “One of the most valuable experiences that I have had in high school has been my internship with Pat Gardner,” Cole says. “Local politics really are about helping people and I was pleasantly surprised to find that most everyone at the State Capitol was truly dedicated to doing what they felt was best for their constituents. Working with VOX, the teen newspaper, Cole says he has been able to tell other teens’ stories. “I guess you could say that my activities in the community have been focused on having a voice,” he says.

In 2011, Maggie founded For Glove of the Game, an organization dedicated to equipping and training so ball players from socioeconomically challenged high schools. “Using generous donations and the money that I earn giving private so ball lessons, For Glove of the Game gives gloves, batting gloves, bat bags, batting helmets, bats, and other pieces of equipment to deserving players,” Maggie says. “We also run clinics for these teams, teaching basic stills such as hitting and throwing. For Glove of the Game has partnered with several local high school so ball teams over the past three years, and we hope to continue equipping and holding clinics for these and other teams in the future.” A senior at e Westminster Schools, Maggie is the daughter of Pete and Susan Wellborn. “I have been so blessed over the years, so For Glove of the Game is a way for me to spread the opportunities that I have had with other deserving girls who love to compete but have never had a fair chance.”

Eli Mercer, 17

A junior at e Lovett School, Eli works with Teens Against Prejudice (TAP) and Student Diversity Leadership Conference. Eli said he became a peer facilitator for the SDLC a er a friend of his was being bullied for being gay. “He was on the verge of committing suicide for being bullied, but was saved by a call from one of the conference leaders. He began to cry. is story inspired me to be an advocate for and help others who feel di erent no matter what their situation may be.” e son of Claire and Todd Mercer, Eli said he wants to eradicate prejudices and advocate for acceptance. “I feel like it is my responsibility to be that guy who is able to take a stand for others who are being discriminated against, and say that it is wrong. It is a basic human right to feel accepted, and it is important to me that people feel so.”

India Schley-Ritchie, 18

In 2012, India and her friend Anne Marie Whitacre banded together to revamp the Atlanta Girl’s School Service Club and diversify the project, including working with e Agape Center, Furkids and creating the Martin Luther King Service weekend. e group’s core organization has been MedShare, which collects medical supplies from doctors, hospitals and companies to ship to developing nations. India says a fond memory is putting the lock on a container of supplies to Guatemala. “It was a very gratifying moment for everyone involved and thinking about how many people would bene t from our year of service reinforced our commitment to service,” India says. e daughter of Je rey and Georgia Schley-Ritchie, India says she plans to continue her work with service organizations at university and remain active in campus and community based service.

Ansley Reese, 13

is year’s youngest 20 Under 20 honoree has a vitae of service work of someone twice her age. An 8th grader at St. Martin’s Episcopal School, Ansley recently led a trip to the Atlanta Community Food Bank, where the St. Martin’s Honor Society students packed food boxes for local food pantries. She is also vice president of St. Martin’s SOLVE Club, which is a school organization that performs various service projects. Most recently, they collected supplies for the DeKalb Animal Shelter. Outside of school, Ansley and her mother are involved with the National Charity League and Ansley is also in Girl Scouts. e daughter of Clay and Susan Reese, Ansley said one of her most memorable moments as a volunteer was working with the poor at Sandy Springs United Methodist Church. “One Sunday a ernoon when I was serving a familiar group of little kids, one of the children asked, ‘We aren’t giving you anything that we have so why do you give us your own food? Don’t you want to save it for yourself?’ I told him that I wanted to help him and his other friends grow bigger and stronger so that they can one day serve others.”

Anna Kate Jones, 19

Anna Kate has been active with charitable organizations in the community since she was a student at e Lovett School. Now a freshman at the University of Georgia, she continues to support Children’s Health Care of Atlanta, City of Refuge, Northside Shepard Center, Susan G. Komen Foundation, Agape, Shop with a Bulldawg Organization and National Charity League. During the summer of 2012, Anna Kate created and led a summer camp, Girl Talk, for middle school girls at the City of Refuge. “I created Girl Talk so middle school girls could come and talk about their challenges, to share their ideas of what being beautiful on the inside meant,” she said. As part of her work the National Charity League, a mother-daughter service organization, she was recognized for her 650 hours of her time. e sister of fellow honoree Campbell Jones, Anna Kate plans to major in early childhood education. “When I volunteer to help others, those in need learn that a helping hand is available and I learn that my community is full of new friends who can teach me many life lessons.”

Campbell Jones, 17

Crossroads Community Ministries, Atlanta Union Mission, Trinity House and the Northside United Methodist Church Metro Atlanta Project are just some of the organizations where e Lovett School junior has volunteered his time. e son of Lewis and Mary Jones, Campbell said his most memorable moment as a volunteer was the rst time he brought book bags to Crossroads Community Ministries. “ e look on the faces of the employees and clients at Crossroads was unforgettable. I could not believe what a di erence something like a book bag makes in the lives of so many people,” he recalls. “ e gratefulness I felt in response to my volunteer e orts really encouraged me to continue to make community service a regular part of my high school experience.” Campbell says, “Making a di erence and learning from that di erence is really the most important part of service to me.” He plans to major in business administration and attend law school.

Clay Milling, 16

An aspiring lmmaker, Holy Innocents’ junior Clay Milling donated his time last summer to make promotional videos for the Andrew P. Stewart Center for Children in Reynoldstown. e 96-year-old, nonpro t provides a safe, enriching place for underresourced children to go to a er school and in summer. e son of Clay and Jayne Ann Milling, Clay was also a team captain for the center’s golf tournament, and helped to raise more than $3,000. Clay has now been approached by other nonpro ts for video help, and he is hoping to create videos to help get their stories out into the Atlanta community. He is also continuing to work with the Stewart Center by starting a teen board that will gather ideas from students closer to the age of the children that the center serves. “It means a lot to me that my work is contributing to such a good cause, the fact that they’re using it to raise money for such great kids,” Milling says. “Since I’ve seen the attitude of those kids who don’t have much, it’s made me appreciate all that I do have – it’s made me appreciate life more.”

Grady teacher brings Creeks to Coast learning to classroom

By Clare S. Richie

Teaching each generation about environmental science is critical. “Once we understand more about the world around us and our impact on it, we can learn how to be better stewards,” explained Korri Ellis, Grady High School AP Environmental Science and Oceanography teacher. At GHS for more than a decade, Ellis has connected students in landlocked Atlanta to streams, rivers, and oceans. In fact, she is the only teacher in Atlanta Public Schools to teach Oceanography with support from the Georgia Aquarium.

Each summer, Ellis seeks an environmental science continuing education opportunity to enhance her knowledge and rekindle her passion. “A teacher who is still excited about learning will bring that enthusiasm to her students,” she shared.

Last July, Ellis participated in Creeks to Coast, a weeklong teacher workshop that explored the Chattahoochee River system from its headwaters near Brasstown Bald, Georgia to the gulf at

Apalachicola Bay, Florida. The workshop led by Georgia Aquarium and funded by the Georgia Aquarium, Georgia Pacific and Georgia Power provided teachers with field experiences, information and best practices to bring back to their classrooms. Invertebrate sampling, hydroelectric plant tours, fish hatchery and water treatment facility visits, ranger led hikes, daily group discussions and ecosystem exploration were packed into six days.

Ellis’ blog (msellisisapes. tumblr.com) details her experiences and reflections. Paraphrased excerpts:

Day 1: We headed down the mountain to Dukes Creek. The tables were turned, as teachers became the students, learning Georgia Adopt-A-Stream macro invertebrate monitoring protocols. It was the type of class teachers would like to have every day out there in the stream.

Day 6: Where the River empties into the sea. The mixing of the salt and fresh waters in this [Apalachicola] bay creates optimal conditions for oysters to

grow, making this the epicenter of the southeastern (at-risk) oyster industry.

Now winter in Atlanta, Ellis recalls the places she couldn’t have visited on her own. “I walked in a granite tunnel below Buford Dam on Lake Lanier, where I could feel the walls vibrating as thousands of tons of water flowed overhead. I literally felt the power of water.” Through her blog and trip notebook she documented many uses of this powerful yet fragile river system as well as the policies for conservation and

protection.

Fulfilling her commitment to Creeks to Coast, Ellis will create a lesson plan to share with educators across Georgia. Her lesson plan will focus on water conservation by individuals, cities, and business – using her own pictures, context, and learning from that July week. Beyond that lesson, she refers to her trip notebook throughout the school year. Hopefully, there will be more continuing education opportunities to share with her students next year and beyond.

Manager of Education Programs for the Georgia Aquarium Donna Morgan (left) and Korri Ellis (right) examine macro invertebrates at Dukes Creek. Photo courtesy of Kim Morris-Zarneke. Justin Cucchi, one of our 20 Under 20 honorees, is also in the class.

“I walked in a granite tunnel below Buford Dam on Lake Lanier, where I could feel the walls vibrating as thousands of tons of water flowed overhead. I literally felt the power of water.”

– Korri Ellis Grady High School AP Environmental Science and Oceanography teacher

Little Linguists, a state licensed, language immersion preschool, has expanded with a second location in Decatur and has opened an elementary school, The Green School, in south Atlanta. Little Linguists offers a unique approach to early childhood learning based on neuroplasticity research and the cognitive benefits of early language acquisition. For more information, visit littlelinguistspreschool.com

Laurie Smilac’s 1st grade class designed a 3D map of e Lovett School as part of their study of maps and neighborhoods. The students were asked to create bird’s eye view maps of their own houses and a portion of their neighborhoods. That led to them wanting to create a 3D map of Lovett to scale. The students brought in boxes to be recycled into buildings. Students worked in groups to plan out the buildings using Google Earth. They talked a lot about how to draw something as if we are “flying overhead in planes.” They also went on a few tours of the school to think about the height and size of the buildings.

Trinity School will host its annual Spotlight on Art Artists Market on Feb. 3 - 8. Volunteers will transform the open space of the Trinity School gymnasium into a gallery that features thousands of pieces by more than 350 artists gifted in all genres, including contemporary, realism, impressionism, folk, sculpture and more. A children’s and youth collection, as well as an extensive artisans’ jewelry gallery and a large collection of home and garden accents round out the experience. To get a glimpse of some of the featured artists from the February opening, the Spotlight on Art Saks Gallery is open now through Jan. 28 at Saks Fifth Avenue in Phipps Plaza. For more, visit facebook.com/TrinitySchoolSpotlightonArt.

starting January 12 at 10:00 am for returning campers and January 19 at 10:00 am for first- time campers.

Map designers include (first row, l-r) Perrit S., Susanna L., Ezra D., Ella T., Henry W., John C., Brendan P., Caroline P., Shannon C. and Virginia L. Back row, l-r: Grace G., Corinne D., Ryan C., Conner D., Porter A., Anna M., Andy M. and Charlie P.

Atlanta City Council creates task force for Turner Field redevelopment

By Collin Kelley INtown Editor

The vote by the Cobb County Commission last month to enter into a deal with the Atlanta Braves for a new stadium and entertainment complex means Turner Field will be vacant after the 2016 season. During its last meeting of 2013, the Atlanta City Council meeting voted unanimously to create a Turner Field redevelopment task force.

Councilwoman Carla Smith, whose district includes The Ted, sponsored the legislation. The task force is charged with creating recommendations for residential, commercial and transportation options for the 60-acre parcel once the Braves depart for Cobb County.

Mayor Kasim Reed has said Turner Field will be demolished to make way for a mixed-use development that he hopes will

mirror nearby Glenwood Park, with its mix of small businesses, restaurants and homes.

The 20-member task force will be chaired by Smith and include representatives from the surrounding neighborhoods, including Peoplestown, Mechanicsville, Summerhill and Grant Park and even a representative from the Braves.

The city council is expected to begin confirming board members this month so task force meetings can begin in February.

A study completed last summer by Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy studies indicated that the Atlanta Braves brings in $60.8 million per year in direct fiscal

impact and tax revenues to the city.

Before the Cobb vote, the city council had passed resolutions urging Reed to

restart negotiations with the Braves, even offering up $200 million in renovations to The Ted as incentive.

Turner Field has been slated for demolition once the Braves leave for a new stadium in Cobb County in 2017. A new task force will decide what to do with the 60 acres The Ted occupies. Photo courtesy of Atlanta Braves.

Friends of English Avenue celebrate changes to community

By S.B. Williams

The old adage “a friend in need is a friend indeed” definitely applies to Friends of English Avenue – a nonprofit organization founded in response to the tragic death of a beloved 92-year-old resident Kathryn Johnson in 2006.

Just before the holiday season, Friends of English Avenue and guests gathered at Lindsey Street Baptist Church to celebrate the remarkable changes made by their efforts in the community over the past seven years.

Since Kathryn Johnston was shot in her home during a botched drug raid by Atlanta police using a fraudulent warrant, dynamic initiatives have been taken to save the neighborhood including the development of urban vegetable gardens, green spaces, beautification projects and a 45 percent reduction in crimes.

A significant step was taken when Friends of English Avenue spent $35,000 to renovate a dilapidated house and offered it to Atlanta police officer Jaime Wallace rent-free in exchange for performing public safety duties and engaging with residents in the community. Wallace mentors young people through the Police Athletic

League (PAL), and teaches Gang Resistance Education to teenagers. Fifty teens graduated in 2013.

The shooting of Kathryn Johnston illuminated the dire issues of poverty and crime in the historic English Avenue neighborhood that exists only a few steps away from Atlanta’s proudest institutions – Georgia Tech, Coca Cola and the Georgia Dome. English Avenue was named for James English, banker, brick maker, and mayor of Atlanta from 1881 to 1883. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta, also raised four children in the neighborhood.

But it was the desire and vision of Atlanta businessman John Gordon who acted to give Kathryn Johnston’s life a lasting and transforming meaning.

Providentially, it seems now, the tragedy brought Gordon together with Rev. Anthony Motley, a minster for 30 years in the English Avenue community, who became a kindred spirit and teammate in saving the historic neighborhood. Together they forged friendships with leaders, residents and beyond – resources that changed the blighted, depressed neighborhood to one of hope and action. Much has been accomplished and there are many hopes for the future. Under the direction of a resident farmer

named Jamaica, an ugly, illegal, dumping ground area was transformed into urban farm, which produced 1,600 pounds of vegetables for the English Avenue residents in 2013.

The community also hopes to benefit from $30 million in community development funding promised to neighborhoods around the new Falcons stadium.

Rev. Anthony Motley

Before and after at the Urban Farm.

Midtown has always had a colorful history – from Civil War battle eld, to hippie hangout in the 60s and 70s to the neighborhood we know today with its glittering high-rises, art scene, renovated homes and enviable shopping and dining options.

Residents: 30,000

Visitors: 6 million annually

Restaurants: 140

Parks & Greenspace: 230 acres

O ce Space: 22 million square feet

Notable Attractions: Fox eatre, High Museum of Art, Piedmont Park, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Margaret Mitchell House, Georgia Institute of Technology, e Varsity, Dogwood Festival, Atlanta Pride Festival, Music Midtown.

Editor’s note: Neighborhood Snapshots will be a monthly feature to mark INtowns’ 20th anniversary.

Midtown Snapshots (clockwise from upper right): foodies enjoy the Atlanta Wine & Wine Festival at 12th & Midtown; the view of Midtown over Lake Clara Meer at Piedmont Park; Frida Kahlo at the High Museum of Art; Garden Lights at the Atlanta Botanical Garden; up-and-coming digital artist P. Seth Thompson, who just joined Jackson Fine Art; the original Varsity location on North Avenue near the Georgia Tech campus.

Send your snapshots of Downtown to collin@atlantaintownpaper.com for next month’s feature.

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FIRST PERSON: Moving to Cabbagetown

By Melissa Weinman

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e places we live o en serve as much more than just a place to keep our things. My old Poncey-Highland apartment was full of laughter, romance and adventure. I cherished the independence I felt there living on my own for the rst time in Atlanta.

So when I realized I had outgrown that apartment, it was a thought that le me feeling both excited for what lay ahead and sad to close the door, literally, on a place that had been so important to me.

at apartment had become a vessel for my memories and crystallized a stage in my life. My story is one of many that will be painted over in the thick, white paint on those plaster walls.

But it was with a lot of excitement and optimism that I packed up my things and moved to Cabbagetown.

My boyfriend and I love our new lo . e high ceilings and concrete oors speak to his architectural sensibilities; for me, living in a renovated post-civil war cotton mill is a history lover’s dream. ough it’s just a few minutes away, Cabbagetown feels like a di erent world. at’s the beauty of living Intowneach neighborhood has its own unique character, something new to explore.

I love walking my dog through the rows of technicolor houses in Cabbagetown, where porches are rarely home to wicker furniture, serving more o en as corrals for extravagant collections of plants, folk art, ags and hanging lights.

And it’s great having Carroll Street just outside my door. e restaurants, bars, and even the errant palm tree on this bustling, narrow street make it almost seem disconnected in time and space from the otherwise industrial surroundings of east Atlanta.

It’s an exciting time to live in Cabbagetown. is curious pocket of the city is growing and changing as the construction on the Atlanta BeltLine moves forward, connecting this neighborhood to the rest of the city.

My life is in transition, and so is the place where I’m living.

From outside my new fifth floor window, I see the rusting equipment of the former Fulton Bag and Cotton Mills and the downtown skyline in the background. MARTA trains hiss by on tracks that seem to float in the air. The white stone monuments of historic Oakland Cemetery grow from the grass.

In the mornings, I like to look out those big windows at the past, present and future. It’s a hopeful view.

As well as being a new resident of Cabbagetown, Melissa Weinman is a staff writer for Reporter Newspapers.

Writer Melissa Weinman at home in her loft in Cabbagetown.

Health & Wellness Briefs

Norcross-based UHS-Pruitt will develop an upscale six-story, 120-bed nursing facility on 1.15 acres at 1753 Peachtree Street. e site is located less than half a mile south of Piedmont Hospital and the Shepherd Center.

BLAST900, a lifestyle based workout facility featuring interval-based classes, nutrition specialists, and personal tness assessments, will open at Skyhouse, 100 6th St., in Midtown next month. is will be the fourth location to open in Georgia with other locations in Athens, Buckhead and Dunwoody.

e American Cancer Society recently hosted its Centennial Birthday Celebration at e Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead (pictured at le ). e event, raised more than $540,000.

Senior services charity Senior Connections has received a $20,000 technology grant from e Wa e House Foundation. e grant will upgrade critical Meals On Wheels routing hardware and so ware components. Senior Connections prepares and delivers more than 700,000 meals annually to low-income seniors in the 10-county Atlanta and middle Georgia area. More than 400 volunteers help deliver the meals throughout the year.

Moss Robertson and his daughter Katie Sanders, part of one of Atlanta’s oldest and most prominent local business families, are planning to opening eight locations of Exercise Coach, which o ers guided tness programs for men and women. As part of the Boomershine family of auto dealers since 1929, this new venture into tness will begin in February with the opening of the rst Exercise Coach at 458 East Paces Ferry Road in Buckhead. A second location will open in John’s Creek. Additional locations are planned for Sandy Springs, Vinings, Brookhaven and Druid Hills, Alpharetta, Cumming and Dunwoody over the next four years.

Emory University School of Medicine, in collaboration with the Marcus Stroke & Neuroscience Center, will be part of a network of 25 regional coordinating centers from across the nation supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to revolutionize stroke clinical research by addressing new discoveries in prevention, treatment and recovery. e NIH Stroke Trials Network, or NIH StrokeNet, has teams of researchers representing every medical specialty needed for stroke care. According to NIH, the new system is intended to streamline stroke research by centralizing approval and review, lessening time and costs of clinical trials, and assembling a comprehensive data sharing system.

Left to right: Joy Pritchett, AuD; Susie Fages, MS; Melissa Wikoff, AuD; Rita R. Chaiken, AuD

From left, Dr. John Seffrin, CEO of The American Cancer Society, and Anthony Wilson, Executive Vice President, Customer Service and Operations of Georgia Power, and Chair of The Birthdays Ball.

Public Safety Briefs

e Governor’s O ce of Highway Safety has awarded the Atlanta Police Department a $57,500 grant award from its Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Tra c (H.E.A.T.) Program. Added to this award is $172,200 from the Atlanta Police Department, bringing the total grant program budget to $229,700. e H.E.A.T. program was designed to serve Georgia jurisdictions with the highest rates of crashes, injuries and deaths. It includes 22 Georgia counties and covers most of Metro Atlanta. e primary goals of the program are to reduce impaired driving crashes; reduce excessive speeding; increase safety belt usage; and educate the public about tra c safety.

irty DeKalb County law enforcement o cers recently met with experts from All About Developmental Disabilities (AADD) to learn how best to deal with individuals with developmental disabilities whom they are likely to encounter during emergency or law enforcement calls. AADD’s program is designed to help rst responders identify the behaviors that may indicate developmental disability – including Down Syndrome, autism and intellectual disability – and the most e ective ways to deal with them.

e Atlanta Police Department’s Path Force Unit has moved into its new headquarters at the Lo s at Reynoldstown Crossing, 890 Memorial Drive. Located on the Atlanta BeltLine, the Path Force Unit was created over the summer and has 15 o cers and three supervisors. Path Force will patrol the completed and interim trails as well as the parks along the BeltLine on foot, on bicycles and electric vehicles. e unit is being paid for by $1.8 million federal grant, and the assigned o cers are military veterans. “ e APD Path Force Unit has done a spectacular job making sure users of the Atlanta BeltLine feel safe, and welcomed,” said Mayor Kasim Reed during the opening event in December.

e Decatur Police Department is o ering these reminders to make your home safe against robberies: Be sure to lock all outside doors and windows before you leave the house or go to bed; fortify your home by installing heavy-duty locks; install secondary security devices on sliding windows; trim back bushes and trees that provide burglars with concealment; use your burlgar alarm every time you leave home; use motion sensor lights on the exterior and light timers on the interior. Submit an “Out of Town House Check” to the Decatur Police at decaturga.com (located under the City Government/City Departments tabs) and o cers will check on your home while you are away.

Oakley loves to play and she is a toy hound for sure. She also bonds very strongly with the people who love her. Oakley had a very rough start in life and was never given the chance to thrive, but she has at PAWS Atlanta. We cannot wait to see her happy, in a caring home. To adopt Oakley or any of the other cats and dogs available, visit pawsatlanta.org or stop by the shelter at 5287 Covington Highway in Decatur.

Pet Briefs

Dr. Du y Jones of Peachtree Hills Animal Hospital was recently honored by the Georgia Veterinary Medical Association (GVMA) with a President’s Award, given in recognition of invaluable contributions and dedication to the organization.

More than 400 pets and their owners were served at the recent LifeLine Animal Projects’ Healthy Pets DeKalb Event. Sponsored by Second Life, more than 300 vaccinations were given and certi cates for 120 free spay and neuters were handed out. e event was geared towards decreasing the number of animals ending up in shelters by helping DeKalb pet owners who have limited access to veterinary services and pet education. For more, visit atlantapets.org.

Tim Sullivan

New Year’s Resolutions

Last month, my buddy Mike and I were trying to meet up for a run one night only to be sideswiped by a sampler platter of daddy detail. Wives had work obligations, kids got sick, things needed baking for school events and general exhaustion clouded just about everything else. I’m sort of used to my severely reduced tness regimen, but Mike is a relatively new dad and an avid exerciser, so he’s grappling with, you know, certain doom. I suggested he buy some bigger pants.

New Year’s resolutions of the “I’m going to get in shape!” variety have never been my thing, but I’d guess that roughly 62 percent of my caloric intake this past month was represented in holiday cookies and chocolate. I need a healthy kick start to 2014 so I can attempt to keep up with my Cabbagetown Run Club crew on the rare ursday nights when family life allows for me to be there.

is past summer, Kristen and I tried one of those two-day detox juice cleanses. Kristen decided she would allow herself fruit. Stoically, I merely requested an exemption for co ee. Before work, I grabbed four gallons of what looked like watered down orange juice and ordered a couple of smoothies to take the edge o .

e clerk asked me when we planned to start the detox as I stole a sip from my smoothie. “Umm, tonight?” I lied. e truth is we were going to start the minute I got home, but I realized I was already cheating. She explained that it works best if we eat all raw fruits and vegetables for a day before and a er drinking the juice. I said we would do that today. Another lie. I was haunted by a visual of uncooked cauli ower but this clerk just had such a healthy glow I couldn’t let on I was a JV detoxer!

e juice was more grapefruit-y than orange, really pulpy, and without a hint of the sweetness I generally associate with fruit. I wondered why it didn’t taste more like that smoothie? Work was a slog and I dutifully lled my glass a few more times. I stared at the gallon jug with a combative scowl like I did the bowel clearing, liquid

plumber crap I had to drink before having a colonoscopy a few years back.

Kristen had a haircut appointment that night, so I was picking up both kids. It was about 140 degrees out and I was weak from not eating. Elliott and Margo resisted leaving the playground and it took all I had to not fall to my knees as I pleaded with them to get in the car. Apologies to the nice, bearded guy at the Frazer Center who tried to make small talk with me.

When we got home I was a shell of a father, sweating, ornery. A Cheez-it has never looked so tempting. So I made a decision while I prepared the kid’s dinner: To heck with it all, I’m eating this quinoa salad! en I nished o the kids’ le overs and joined them in having an ice cream sandwich for dessert and I was a better father for it.

So the juice thing didn’t work. No takers on Craigslist for the gallon and a half of le over grapefruit pulp either. Now I need a New Year’s resolution plan and I want your suggestions. Just know that mornings are tough for me and evenings are impossible. My calves and lower back are completely unreliable. I have as little interest in the Paleo diet as I would have in eating all-Polly-O. I can’t handle the stress of a personal trainer, I’m not counting calories or points and I don’t think my life insurance policy covers hot yoga. Ok, now, go!

Tim Sullivan grew up in a large family in the Northeast and now lives with his small family in Oakhurst. He can be reached at tim@sullivan nerugs.com

The Cabbagetown Run Club

A LOOK BACK This Month in History

Ann Taylor Boutwell

Jan. 1, 1949: Just a er midnight, the horn-blowing crowd at the Hotel Ansley’s Rainbow Roof at 92-102 Forsyth Street began to disperse. ey had danced the last dance of 1948 to Buddy Moreno’s orchestra and sang a rousing version of Auld Lang Syne. Guest had paid $7.50, including tax, for a lavish dinner and entertainment. Many departed carrying the attractive souvenir program and Manager A. Joe Crocy’s message: “Walk the road of 1949 free of burdens and recognize every day the nest in you and those you meet.” e hotel eventually became the Dinkler Plaza and was demolished in 1973.

Jan. 2, 1928: e Alhambra Apartment building on the corner of Peachtree Road and Sheridan Drive was open for public inspection. ree and four room units rented for $60 and $85, featuring front porches, stoves, refrigerators and sanitary clean oil heat. e three-story, Moorish-revival-style structure made of hollow tile brick, stone and stucco was built by J.H. Whisenant, a local developer who sold it in December 1927 for $325,000. e estimated rental value was $45,000 per year. Over time the building’s pink-colored original stucco exterior was changed to a so cream. Today the landmark condo building stands at 2855 Peachtree Road in the Garden Hills Historic District.

Jan. 4, 1926: Developers broke ground at 675 Ponce de Leon Avenue for the $3 million, 13-story Sears Roebuck site, pictured le . e Atlanta Chamber of Commerce noted the occasion in the City Builder magazine. “Atlanta was selected for the distributing point for the Southeast,” said Sears-Roebuck President C. M. Kittle, “because of the ne transportation facilities. We made a thorough investigation of the ne transportation of the entire section, desiring to serve our patrons with better and quicker service, and nally decided that Atlanta would ll the bill.” Architect George C. Nimmons designed the building, which opened seven months later on Aug. 2. e landmark building eventually became City Hall East and is now being transformed into Ponce City Market

Jan. 13, 1979: e U. S. Postal Service issued a Martin Luther King, Jr. commemorative stamp honoring the slain civil rights leader with the rst day of issue in Atlanta. e stamp was the second in the Postal Service’s annual Black Heritage series.

Jan. 13, 1939: Vivien Leigh signed on to play the role of Scarlett O’Hara in the movie Gone With e Wind. December 15, 2014 will mark the premiere’s 75th anniversary date at Atlanta’s Loew’s Grand eatre.

Jan. 15, 1986: e Boy King, produced by WSB-TV, was shown locally and at 77 other stations around the United States. e drama marks the rst national observance of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday as a holiday. Much of the WSB’s lming took place in the actual homes in the Auburn Avenue area where King grew up. e script was written by Rand Hopkins (1945-2005), a native Atlantan.

Jan. 15, 1903: Piedmont Hotel, pictured le , opened at 108-110 Peachtree Street on the corner of Luckie Street. e owners were George W. Parrott, president; Hoke Smith, vice president; and Samuel F. Parrott secretary and treasurer. It occupied nearly an entire block in the center of the downtown business and theatre district. It was demolished in 1963 to make way for the Equitable Building.

Jan. 24, 1906: Atlanta native Mary Grant Dickson entertained 40 friends in her elegant, new three-story apartment building named the Elysee Palace. Her 800 Peachtree Street address was located between the mansion of Morton R. Emmons at 794 and Cornelius J. Sheehan at 806. e 1898 Fulton County records referred to it as the Grant Dickson property. Today, the greenspace south of the Margaret Mitchell House marks the spot where Elysee Palace once stood.

Ann Taylor Boutwell is an Atlanta historian, tour guide and docent at the Margaret Mitchell House & Museum. Email her at annboutwell@bellsouth.net.

WHAT CONSUMERS WANT

Atlanta-based Cardlytics finds relevant deals for bank customers

By Collin Kelley INtown Editor

When it was announced last year that Atlanta-based Cardlytics was one of the rst businesses to sign a lease at Ponce City Market, you might have asked – like we did at INtown – what does the company do?

It turns out the company works with banks to provide a service that most debit cardholders take for granted. Created by Candler Park resident Scott Grimes and Lake Clair resident Lynne Laube, Cardlytics does the research and provides the o ers and deals that show up for bank customers to use, such as a discount for an iced latte or a two-for-one special at a local restaurant.

Since its founding in 2008, Cardlytics – which has the tagline “Reach Every One” – has partnered with more than 400 nancial institutions, including Bank of America, PNC Bank, Regions Bank and Lloyds of London. e company also has o ces in San Francisco, New York and London and employs 250 people.

Known as “card-linked marketing,” the patented technology created by Cardlytics gives banks and advertisers insight into the consumer purchase behavior of 70 percent of U.S. households.

Kasey Byrne, senior vice-president of marketing, said consumers’ privacy is at the forefront of Cardlytics’ partnerships with banks. While a consumer’s purchase history can be seen to provide deal recommendations, the cardholder’s identity never leaves the bank’s servers.

Byrne gave this example of how Cardlytics works: A regular Starbucks customer who uses a Bank of America debit card to make their purchases might see a special o er on co ee in their BankAmeriDeals account.

“ e o ers are very relevant,” Byrne said. “ e deals come from your everyday purchases and are loaded onto your card. It’s super simple.”

Grimes and Laube were working at Capital One when they stumbled upon the idea for Cardlytics. ey were working on a project and discovered that since the majority of people have shi ed to using debit cards for everyday purchases, there was a lot of potential marketing data but no way to safely record and use it.

“ e data provided insight into what consumers want by looking at what they’ve purchased in the past,” Byrne said.

Creating a start-up during the nancial collapse meant slow going at rst, but Grimes and Laube had already began fundraising and the company has, obviously, continued to grow and thrive.

e move to Ponce City Market later this year means that Cardlytics’ Atlanta employees will all be under one roof. e sta is currently scattered at four di erent o ces in the Old Fourth Ward. “We really wanted to be in the same o ce and stay in the neighborhood, because even though the o ces were close by, there was a huge divide,” Byrne said. “We’re very excited about the move.”

Quality

“A home is one of the most important assets that most people will ever buy. Homes are also where memories are made and you want to work with someone you can trust.”

WARREN BUFFETT, CHAIRMAN Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

Cardlytics founders Lynne Laube and Scott Grimes (front) with their staff at the current offices on Krog Street. The company will move next year into a big space at Ponce City Market.

Business & Retail Briefs

Indonesian-inspired furniture, art and accessory store Gado Gado (gadogado. com) has moved to its new location in the West Midtown Design District, 1483-C Chattahoochee Ave. at Collier Road. (404) 352-8888.

The Merchant at Howell Mill (themerchantATL.com) boutique is now open at 993 Marietta St. selling stationary lines such as Rifle Paper Company, Jonathan Adler, Sugar Paper, Kate Spade, Bella Ink Designs & Lilly Pulitzer, among others, as well as coffee table books, greeting cards, candles and other chic gifts and accessories.

Contemporary furniture showroom Switch Modern (switchmodern.com) has moved into a new 25,000 square-foot location in West Midtown, 670 14th St. The new showroom features lines like Poliform, Minotti, Bocci, Flexform, B&B Italia Outdoor, FLOS, MDF Italia, Walter Knoll, Verpan and more. There’s also an expanded accessories division with an expansive selection of dishes, flatware, glassware and gifts.

18|8 Fine Men’s Salons (eighteeneight.com) will soon open three locations in Atlanta with the inaugural location in Buckhead at 305 Brookhaven Ave., Suite 1140. Offering hair care, facial treatments and scalp treatments, the first location should be open by summer.

Skinchanted (skinchanted.com) has opened in Berkeley Heights shopping center, 1700 Northside Drive. The shop offers handmade, natural skincare products. All products are made in store and can be customized by choosing your own fragrance, essential oils and additives.

The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is working to implement its new Atlanta Regional Economic Competitiveness Strategy. The ARC put together a group of business, civic, education and government leaders to assess the competitive strengths and weaknesses of the Atlanta region. Now, an implementation committee is working to bring that strategy to life with four primary goal areas: a more educated workforce, helping existing businesses be more productive and profitable, become a pipeline for innovative entrepreneurs and create more livable communities.

For its work on The Real Downtown video, Central Atlanta Progress received the top honor from the Atlanta Chapter of The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) at the recent Golden Flame Awards. The Real Downtown promotional video showcases a day in the life of Downtown workers, residents and students. Watch the video at http://youtu.be/lDzdqjh1FRE.

Hala Moddelmog has been elected president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber (metroatlantachamber.com). Moddelmog, a Georgia native, previously served as Arby’s Restaurant Group president, where she led the divestiture from public company to private ownership in a deal valued at more than $400 million. She also led Susan G. Komen for the Cure and was president of Church’s Chicken.

Atlanta-based architecture and design firm Lord Aeck Sargent (lordaecksargent. com) has opened a new office in Tyson’s Corner, Va. near Washington, D.C. “The D.C. market is robust and offers excellent opportunities in all of our practice areas,” said Tony Aeck, LAS chairman. He said the new office will focus on designing multi-family housing and mixed-use projects.

Host Hotels & Resorts has sold Atlanta’s Four Seasons Hotel to Cascade Investment Group, a company founded by Microsoft’s Bill Gates. The sale price was $62 million.

The WNBA Atlanta Dream will move its corporate headquarters to Centennial Tower, 101 Marietta St., early this year. The building, which also houses offices for the Hawks, Turner Broadcasting, StubHub and Associated Press, is just a short walk from the Dream’s home court at Philips Arena.

ATLANTA MEDICAL CENTER

Dr. Summers is a family medicine practitioner and her office sees children and adults. She has extended hours for flu shots and walk-ins (7:15-8:15 a.m. on Tuesday)

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Call

Janece Shaffer’s new play set during Atlanta Exposition premieres Jan. 15

By Collin Kelley INtown Editor

Janece Shaffer has Justin Bieber to thank for her latest play, The Geller Girls, which opens Jan. 15 at The Alliance Theatre.

What does the pop heartthrob have to do with a play about two Atlanta girls coming of age at the opening of the 1895 Cotton States and International Exposition in Piedmont Park?

“My daughter had to do a social studies project with a local theme and she wanted to write about Justin Bieber, since he lived and played here for awhile at the beginning of his career,” the multi-award winning playwright recalls. “I gave her some other ideas.”

Shaffer remembered reading about the Exposition, which was held in Piedmont Park for 100 days and visited by 800,000 people. The event is remembered for Booker T. Washington’s historic “Atlanta compromise” speech on race relations and the debut of an early movie projector, plus visitors from around the world flocking to the city.

The only vestiges of the giant Exposition left in the park are staircases, terraces and planters, but Shaffer saw a way to bring the event back to life while exploring the lives of two young women and their hopes and dreams on the verge of a new millennium.

As the play begins we find teenage sisters Louisa and Rosalee Geller preparing to go to opening day of the Exposition. Louisa can’t wait to see the sights and sounds of the exhibits from all the visiting countries, while Rosalee is completely uninterested, wanting only to open her own dress shop and viewing the Exposition as a distraction.

“The girls are changed by what they see in the park,” Shaffer says. “They see women speaking in public, suffragettes and independent women making their own way in the world. The play is not only about the Geller sisters coming of age, but Atlanta coming back from the Civil War. The Exposition said, ‘Atlanta is back on the map and we’re open for business – alive and thriving.” Shaffer, a third generation Atlantan, spent four years working on The Geller Girls and says, “It was a

glorious play to write. I immersed myself in the time period – looking at photos, reading accounts of the Exposition and a friend even brought me clothing from the era.”

The play also marks a departure for time and subject matter for Shaffer. Her award-winning plays like Broke, Managing Maxie and Brownie Points are all contemporary looks at modern life and relationships,

making The Geller Girls her first “period piece.”

Shaffer is working closely with Alliance director Susan V. Booth on the play, and said she would be making changes right up until opening night. “You don’t know what you have until the actors are on the stage reading it,” she says. “I’ll make changes until they tell me to stop.”

Shaffer’s success as a playwright came a little later than expected. She got her degree in public relations at the University of Georgia, and actually worked in the PR department of the Alliance Theatre at one point. Lauded director/producer Kenny Leon was so impressed by her first play, He Looks Good In A Hat, that he directed it on the Alliance stage. That was nearly 20 years ago, and Shaffer’s career has continued to flower.

“I’m so lucky to be a writer in Atlanta,” Shaffer says. “The arts community is eager to support you, and I’ve had the pleasure to work with Kenny, Lisa Adler at Horizon Theatre and Tom Key at Theatrical Outfit. Everyone is so supportive and wants you to do well. All boats rise.”

While Shaffer is still focused on The Geller Girls, she’s also finished the first draft of a new play set in the world of country music. She’s already made trips to Nashville for research, visiting the Grand Ole’ Opry and seeing Loretta Lynn in concert.

The other excitement is that Shaffer’s husband Bill Nigut, former political reporter for WSB-TV and southern director of the Anti-Defamation League, is returning this month with a new program on GPB called On The Story. Nigut is acting as senior executive producer for the show, which Shaffer describes as “part magazine, part politics and stories you won’t hear anywhere else from around Georgia.”

And what about Shaffer’s daughter’s report on Justin Bieber for her school report? Emma found a journal from a girl who lived 100 years ago in Atlanta and compared it with her own journal from today. Sounds like there might be another writer in the Shaffer-Nigut family.

The Geller Girls runs Jan. 15 through Feb. 9 at The Alliance Theatre. For tickets and information, visit alliancetheatre.org.

Janece Shaffer

A guide for arts and cultural entertainment for the entire family

Visual Arts

Diplomatic Patterns: A Sampling of White House China: White House guests rarely get to see its china collection, but in this exhibit visitors to the Jimmy Carter Library & Museum are able to take a close look at plates used for State Dinners and the presentation pieces given to U.S. Presidents. Daily. $6 to $8. jimmycarterlibrary.org

the surface of the earth coined “inner space” in this whimsical interpretation of a familiar space that is often overlooked. Closes January 24. Admission is free. sightandsoundgallery.com

Performing Arts

their work with 40 professional ballet, modern, contemporary, jazz and aerial dance artists at Dance Canvas’ annual show at 14th Street Playhouse. January 17 and 18. $22.50 to $27.50. dancecanvas. com

DANCE CANVAS

Romare Bearden: A Black Odyssey: Romare Bearden’s collage and watercolor series at the Carlos Museum bridges the classical mythology of Homer and African-American culture. January 24 through 26 features free live readings of “The Odyssey” by Atlanta actors and special guests. Tuesday through Sunday. $6 to $8. carlos.emory.edu

Coloring: Five artists use color as a way to look at cultural and historical events at the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center. The Beatles’ 1968 “White Album,” clouds of color created by an installation of thread, and more highlight the exhibit. Opens January 10. $5 to $8. thecontemporary.org

American Encounters: Genre Painting and Everyday Life: Get a closer look at three major genre paintings at this High Museum exhibit, each of which offers a unique perspective on 19th century America. Closes January 12. $12 to $16.50. high.org

Moneyville: Take children on an interactive, hands-on tour through a money factory, an anti-counterfeiting lab, a bank and more at this fun and educational Children’s Museum of Atlanta exhibit. Closes January 12. $12.75. childrensmuseumatlanta.org

Health is a Human Right: Race and Place in America: Explore the challenges in achieving health equity in the U.S. over the past 120 years at the David J. Sencer CDC Museum. Monday through Friday. Free! cdc.gov/museum

abstract part 2: From poured plastics and fibers to geometric patterns, this Marcia Wood Gallery exhibit showcases works by local and national artists that represent unique approaches to abstract painting. Closes January 18. Admission is free. marciawoodgallery.com

Inches Above Earth: Sight + Sound

Gallery photographer Michael Reese captures on film the few inches above

Stan the Lovesick Snowman: Learn the heartwarming story of “The Snow Man” by Hans Christian Andersen in this Center for Puppetry Arts adaptation, which includes a Create-A-Puppet Workshop (or To-Go Kit), where children can make their own Stan the Snowman rod puppet. Tuesday through Sunday. $16.50, Children (2 and under): Free! puppet.org

Timon of Athens: Shakespeare’s Timon is a wealthy man who responds to flattery by hosting banquets, giving gifts and bailing out his suitors. But his life takes a turn when his fortune runs out and his friends reject his pleas for help. January 2 through 25. $15 to $36. shakespearetavern.com

Six Degrees of Separation: Actor’s Express performs the contemporary classic that saw great success on Broadway and a film adaptation in the early ‘90s about a young African-American man who cons his way into a wealthy New York couple’s lives by claiming to know their children and be the son of Sydney Poitier. Opens January 8. $15 to $40. actors-express.com

The Geller Girls: Sisters Rosalee and Louisa are finally finding their way in life, but in 1895 Atlanta, change and uncertainty, along with a handsome gentleman from New York City, are about to shake up their world. Atlanta playwright Janece Shaffer’s world premiere play premieres at the Alliance Theatre. Opens January 15. $30 to $65. alliancetheatre. com

Jardin des Tuileries - Time Travel: French language theatre company Théâtre du Rêve animates the gardens of yesterday and today at the Gardens at the High Museum in support of its latest exhibition. January 16. Free! theatredureve.com

The Book Club Play: Back by popular demand, this hilarious comedy follows a tight-knit book club whose intimate conversations turn public knowledge as it becomes the focus of a documentary film. Opens January 17. $25 to $40. horizontheatre.com

Dance Canvas 2014 Annual Performance Series: Choreographers from across the country, including James Atkinson and Paper Doll Militia, showcase

Little Raindrop Songs: Puppetry, colorful set design, comic performances and the catchy pajama-pop of Lullatone make this Alliance Theatre show a handson experience for kids ages 18 months to 5 years old. Closes January 18. $10. alliancetheatre.org

Molly Blank Jewish Concert Series: Composers of the 19th and 20th Centuries: Take a journey through 100 years of music by Jewish composers, from Mendelssohn and Mahler to Bernstein, with the Atlanta Opera Orchestra string quartet, accompanied by a pianist and singer at The Breman Jewish Museum. January 19. $65. thebreman.org

Harabel: Jonida Beqo — known on the slam poetry scene as Gypsee Yo — intertwines theatre, dance and poetry to tell her dynamic personal journey from Albanian refugee to American resident in this one-woman narrative. January 23. Call 404-727-5050 for reservations. arts. emory.edu

Simply Fantastic: Multi-faceted, multi-talented and Musical America’s 2012 Musician of the Year pianist Wu Han performs Britten’s piano concerto and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra follows with Berlioz’s colorful “Symphonie fantastique.” January 23 through 26. $24 to $75. atlantasymphony.org

Werther: Georgia State University’s School of Music tells the story of a young poet who falls in love with a woman who is already engaged at this Kopleff Recital Hall opera performance written by Jules Massenet and based on Goethe’s 1774 novel. January 24 through 26. $5 to $10. music.gsu.edu

Atlanta Community Choral Festival: Join the Atlanta Master Chorale as it welcomes three top-notch choirs from the metro area for a night of spectacular sounds in one community concert at Emory’s Schwartz Center. January 25. Free! atlantamasterchorale.org

Yonder Mountain String Band: Yonder Mountain String Band may look like a traditional bluegrass band at first glance, but they’ve created their own music that transcends any genre. They perform this month with The Travelin’ McCourys at The Tabernacle. January 25. $25. tabernacleatl. com

The Book of Mormon: The ninetime Tony Award-winning show by the creators of “South Park” called “the best musical of this century” (The New York Times) makes its Fox Theatre premiere this month. Opens January 28. $40 to $145. broadwayinatlanta.com.

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR, Y’ALL

By Natalie Keng

The Lunar New Year (also known as the Spring Festival) is one of the most significant of Asian holidays and is a time for feasting, reflection and renewal. Traditionally celebrated over 15 days, the holiday starts with the first lunar new moon of the year and ends on the full moon. Chinese New Year 4712, which begins Jan. 31, will be the Year of the Horse.

Seeing Red

The New Year’s Eve dinner, traditionally a hot pot meal, means “gathering ‘round the stove” in Chinese. It is the most important family ritual of the year (like Thanksgiving and Christmas rolled into one) and represents a night of unity, reunion and harmony. Red envelopes (hong bao) are given out to children. Fresh flowers and new outfits abound –red everywhere! Kids can stay up late playing games and seniors do the “longevity vigil” as a positive sign of their vitality. Lion dancing is another tradition during this time to chase away demons and bring good luck to businesses and communities. Forget Zumba, I was in an

all-women lion dancing troupe and came home every night with aching muscles from the lunging and jumping.

Go Fish

Popular “lucky” dishes include anything whole (complete) or long (longevity), plus fresh and candied fruit that represent good health, happiness,

prosperity and blessings. Traditional favorites include: whole chicken, duck or fish (don’t flip the fish over when eating; akin to an old fisherman’s tale of flipping a boat), long noodles, long leafy greens, long string beans, kumquats and oranges.

Local Cooking Classes

The Cook’s Warehouse and Chinese Southern Belle are hosting a number of tasty seasonal events to celebrate and learn more about Lunar New Year’s food and traditions.

Chinese Hot Pot 101 Cooking Class: Jan. 16, 6:30 p.m. at Cook’s Warehouse Brookhaven, 4062 Peachtree Road.

Chinese New Year Cultural Dinner: Jan. 24, 7 p.m. featuring a multi-course, sit-down dinner with traditional “lucky” dishes, food and cultural narration, trivia, prizes, calligraphy. Advance tickets required. More info at ChineseSouthernBelle.com.

Asian Dumplings and Pot Stickers

– Hands On: Feb. 8, 10:30 a.m. Cook’s Warehouse Midtown (Ansley Mall), 1544 Piedmont Road, Suite 403-R.

Asian Spring Rolls – Hands On: March 6, 6:30 p.m. at Cook’s Warehouse Decatur, 180 W Ponce De Leon Ave.

Where to Shop

• Din Ho Supermarket, 5379 New Peachtree Road, Chamblee.

• Ni Hao Atlanta Bookstore & Teahouse, 5391 New Peachtree Road, Chamblee

• Hong Kong Supermarket, 5495 Jimmy Carter Blvd., Norcross.

• Great Wall Supermarket, 2300 Pleasant Hill Road, Duluth

Chinese Southern Belle highlights the best of East, West...and the Deep South. Popular offerings include hands-on cooking classes, culinary tours, custom demos and a new line of handcrafted, award-winning Asian-inspired sauces, including, My Sweet Hottie. For more about Chinese Southern Belle, visit chinesesouthernbelle.com.

Lucky Chinese Dumplings

Dumplings date back to the Song Dynasty (960-1260 A.D.) in China and represent prosperity, wealth and good luck. They are a main dish for Chinese New Year and eaten year-round in northern China.

Filling:

½ lb ground pork, chicken or mixed

1 T each fresh ginger and garlic, finely grated

2 T green onion, finely chopped

2 T soy sauce

1/4 t white pepper

Mix together well.

Wrapper:

Use pre-made dumpling wrappers or make homemade dough:

3 cups all-purpose flour & about 1 ½ c cold water. Mix cold water in flour, ¼ c at a time, only as much as necessary to form smooth dough. Knead into a smooth ball. Cover and let rest 20 min.

Rolling/Wrapping:

Divide into 3-4 portions and roll into long logs. Cut into 2 inch pieces, roll into balls, flatten pieces and use rolling pin (or glass jar) to make flat, thin round wrappers, about 4-5 in. diameter. Dust work area with flour to prevent sticking. Place 1T of filling in each wrapper (if pre-made, wet the edges with water), fold, crimp and seal well. No leaky dumplings – very unlucky!

Cooking:

Boil water in large pot. Gently drop in 8-12 dumplings (not too crowded, gently swirl with spoon). Bring to boil, add ¼ c cold water. Bring to boil again and if dumplings float to the top, they are ready! Pork fillings may take one more boil. Serve with soy sauce or My Sweet Hottie Dip, Glaze and Dressing.

Above, Natalie Keng from Chinese Southern Belle shows off some of the fresh ingredients she’ll use in her cooking classes.

Left, a hot pot is made up of lucky vegetables to celebrate the Year of the Horse.

TASTING INTOWN: Serpas Restaurant Review

By Art Huckabee

Every business can have a bad day and restaurants are no exception. Such was the case on a recent Sunday night visit to Serpas at Studioplex in the Old Fourth Ward.

When we arrived, there were only three or four occupied tables with a few additional diners at the bar. Our party of four was seated at the end of a long banquet against a wall that afforded a view of the entire restaurant and kitchen. The restaurant sports an industrial chic look.

Serpas offers its share of craft cocktails. The Captain Jack Sparrow and the Ticket to Old Fourth Ward were good but on the smallish side. The bar even prepared a summertime favorite, the Church Lady -- a mix of gin, elderflower liqueur, grapefruit and cucumber. The wine list offers something for everyone. When the Sauvignon Blanc was not to the taste of one of our diners, the waiter promptly offered two different tastings for her to sample before bringing a new glass… a nice touch.

The delicate eggplant hushpuppies were masked by the accompanying bleu cheese and red gravy. The tomato PBR steamed mussels were excellent, the highlight of the meal. The accompanying brick-sized piece of focaccia was crumbly and just got in the way.

Three in our party ordered the Sunday Supper, a prix fixe menu consisting of a house salad, a choice of entrée and a dessert. The fourth person at our table ordered the hangar steak.

Our salads came as quickly as had our appetizers. The house salad is an assemblage of candied pecans, goat cheese and greens tossed in a light blistered grape vinaigrette. We also ordered some made-to-order Brioche dinner rolls that were good.

Then we began to wait, which was exacerbated by our view of the kitchen’s pass and some of our dishes waiting under a heat lamp. After 30 minutes, our only contact with our server was the silent and awkward delivery of a small plate of lemons, presumably for the soon to be arriving flounder.

I’d like to report that the food more than made up for the lapses in service but that was not the case. The beef short rib had been rendered for too short a time leaving much of the fat intact; it was chewy and a meager portion.

The pan roasted flounder had spent too much time at the pass. The once moist fish had dried out under the heat lamp hardened coating; so had the accompanying risotto.

The partially deboned, bacon wrapped, stuffed chicken chop had good flavor but was overly salted making it almost inedible. It too had lingered much too long at the pass.

The Sunday Supper sides were hit and miss. The cheese grits were creamy good. The collards were well seasoned

but under-done with a much too toothy bite. The assortment of vegetables was spoiled by the raw potatoes.

The hangar steak was chewier than even this cut of meat should be. The baby yams, broccoli, mushrooms and chimichurri seemed odd accompaniments.

The waiter was well aware of the missteps. At one point uttering, “Just take it out of my tip.” He was clearly

an employee who cared about his restaurant and was frustrated at our unraveling experience. He offered complimentary drinks or dessert as compensation.

We chose the dessert well aware that three of us had dessert included with our meals. The waiter pronounced that he was going to provide us with the restaurant’s best dessert, bread pudding. We assumed that meant that all of us were going to get the “best dessert.” We were surprised when only one of us received the much touted bread pudding while the other three received the prix fixe menu beignets. The pudding was good, served with a rich bourbon brown sugar sauce and Chantilly cream. The beignets were unlike the light and airy version that is found in New Orleans.

Unsolicited, the restaurant did take 15 percent off of our bill.

By all accounts, Serpas is obviously better than this. Two in our party had previously enjoyed several meals here.

Serpas is located at 659 Auburn Ave. #501 in the Studioplex. For more information, visit serpasrestaurant. com.

Art Huckabee is one of Yelp’s Elite Reviewers, as well as a pilot and food lover. Send feedback to TastingIntown@ AtlantaINtownPaper.com.

Top photo: The eggplant hushpuppies were overpowered by a bleu cheese and red gravy.

Bottom photo: The beef short rib was a chewey and meager portion.

Quick Bites

e Intown culinary and foodie community lost one of its shining lights on Nov. 24 when Chef Ria Pell, pictured, died from an undetected enlarged heart. More than 1,000 attended her funeral services at Westview Cemetery and a tribute and fundraising event held on Dec. 13 was sold out. Ria’s Bluebird (riasbluebird.com) at 421 Memorial Drive in Grant Park carries on in her memory.

Villagio Italian Kitchen (villagioitaliankitchen.com) has opened at 1355 Clairmont Road in Decatur serving lunch and dinner. e menu from Executive Chef Brian Obermeyer includes pizza, kabobs, pasta and more.

Nikolai’s Roof (nikolaisroof.com), perched above Downtown on the 30th oor of the Hilton Hotel, has undergone a $1 million renovation to update the 7,500 square foot space. Chef Stephanie Alderete is also re-working the menu, which features modern American fare with Russian in uences.

Parish Foods and Goods (parishatl.com) in Inman Park is getting a faceli for 2014 with a new mixologist and menu from Chef Zeb Stevenson, a winner of e Food Network’s “Chopped” competition. Details are expected to be announced this month.

Kevin Rathbun Steak (kevinrathbunsteak.com) in Inman Park has nished its new “BeltLine Patio,” which faces onto the Eastside Trail. e 926-square-foot space has radiant heaters and a 12-foot high wood-burning brick replace. Rathbun Steak is inside the 154 Krog Street building.

Gilbert’s Cafe & Bar at 219 10th Street in Midtown has been re-branded simply as G’s (gsmidtown.com). A er a week of renovations in December, the restaurant reopened as a gastropub concept with Chef Javier Viera serving up items like mac & cheese, pimento cheese burger with arugula, fried jalapeños and sh tacos.

Toscano & Sons (toscanoandsons.com) has opened a new location at 1050 N. Highland Ave. in Virginia Highland. e shop carries Italian cheeses, meats, snacks and more.

MARKET WATCH

Rise in home sales, prices & interest rates forecast for 2014

By Shandra Hill Smith

e housing outlook for 2014 includes steady rises in home prices and increasing interest rates, according to some housing professionals in the Intown market and around the nation.

As a result of the housing recovery, home prices are increasing. is means a bit of good news for those who’ve held out on selling their homes or on re nancing.

“Home prices are showing steady increases due primarily to the laws of supply (low) and demand (high),” says Mike Wright, senior vice president and managing broker, Harry Norman, Realtors Intown O ce in Atlanta. Some of the factors that have contributed to that low supply include: buyers holding out to sell until they can get more in line with what their home is worth, fewer foreclosures on the market and a slowdown on new construction.

A Clear Capital Home Data Index Market Report, in fall 2013, indicated that national home prices were up 10.9 percent from 2012. Home prices over the past year rose in 225 of 276 cities tracked by Clear Capital, a provider of real estate data and analysis.

Along with price appreciation,

expect higher interest rates, too, particularly on 30-year mortgages. “We believe that interest rates will remain relatively stable, but will continue the slow upward trend,” says Wright, “probably ending 2014 at or near ve percent for a conventional 30-year xed mortgage.”

“As unemployment continues to decrease on a national level, home prices are moderately increasing,” says Michael Rogers, president, Dorsey Alston, Realtors in Atlanta.

OLD & NEW Cathedral Antiques Show returns Jan. 26 – Feb. 2

e Cathedral Antiques Show returns to the Cathedral of St. Philip in Buckhead with a week of events, book signings, ower show, home tour and the show itself.

e antique show will be held Jan. 30 – 31 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days and Feb. 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. More than two-dozen selected dealers of period furniture, jewelry, art, and accessories ranging from 17th-century antiques to iconic mid-century modern pieces will be on hand for the event.

More than twodozen antique dealers will be on hand for the 2014 Cathedral Antique Show at Cathedral of St. Philip in Buckhead.

e rise will be gradual, not sharp, says Dale Modica, senior vice president and managing broker, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties, Midtown O ce. He expects a strong year for the 2014 housing market, particularly during the rst six months. “ ere are a lot of rst-time homebuyers and people with families who haven’t bought yet,” Modica says.

Despite news over rising interest rates, Rogers says there’s no need to panic. “I think it’s important for buyers moving into 2014 to expect interest rate increases, but to have some perspective on those increases,” says Rogers. “It’s easy to be conditioned over the last several years that interest rates could be in the three percent rate. For interest rates to creep up in the fours and ves, that should not create hysteria if buyers can have perspective on interest rate averages over the last 30 years. Interest rates were in high double digits. For someone who’s lived through that time period, a ve percent interest rate is a great deal.”

For buyers in the market in 2014, a Realtor can make all the di erence, says Lisa Johnson, vice president and managing broker, Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty, Intown O ce. “If we are still in a seller’s market then a buyer needs to be prepared to be somewhat aggressive in making o ers, especially if there are multiple o ers on the home,” says Johnson.

in the process: home inspections (often including separate inspections for radon gas, mold, lead-based paint, wood-destroying insects and organisms, among others), a survey, an appraisal, prepaid costs for taxes and insurance.”

e word for sellers?

“Sellers still need to pay close attention to the recent sold price of truly comparable properties,” according to Wright. “While prices have been rising, the lender is still going to require an appraisal before granting the loan. ey need to realize that nding the buyer is just the rst step. ey still have to get through inspections, an appraisal, and the buyer’s loan process before the closing. A professional Realtor is necessary to guide them through the complex process.”

Among the trends expected in 2014, says Rogers: many relocating from the suburbs to Intown to take advantage of walkable communities and the convenience of shopping and playing where they live. He also says condo and townhouse living are in demand as are properties near the Atlanta BeltLine, Ponce City Market and Downtown Decatur.

e Tour of Homes will be held Feb. 2 and feature homes from around Buckhead, showcasing the best in interior design and architecture. Inspiration Avenue, Jan. 30 – Feb. 2, will showcase nine unique spaces featuring the work of nine interior designers, complemented by the work of nine oral designers. In an added twist, each space will be decorated as a current interior for a historical “client” – Jane Austen or Coco Chanel, for example.

e bene ciary of the 43rd annual event will be Crossroads, which helps the homeless with housing, medical and work assistance. For a complete list of events and to buy tickets, visit cathedralantiques.org.

Wright echoes that sentiment. “Buyers need to realize that they will have to act quickly when they find the home that meets their needs,” he says. “That means getting preapproved for their loan and not taking a lot of time to make a buying decision. The likelihood of multiple offers on any given Intown property is real, so be prepared and don’t get caught up in a bidding war without having all the information to make an informed decision. Buyers should also budget other important steps

“Look for increasing emphasis on energy e ciency, high-e ciency appliances, geothermal heating and cooling, solar panels, and similar systems to play a role in buying decisions,” says Wright. “Schools remain important to Intown buyers, even those without children.”

Adds Johnson, “Outdoor living space is still hot. Gold and brass are coming back.”

The bottom line, according to Wright: “Buyers are demanding very purposeful space planning, homes with good flow, and higher-end finishes. Formal spaces are out and are being replaced with actual living space. Large kitchens with adjoining keeping rooms, outdoor entertaining space, and master suites are what’s in demand.”

Michael Rogers

Dale Modica

Lisa Johnson Mike Wright

Real Estate Briefs

Developer John Wieland is hoping to revive the One Museum Place luxury condo development across the street from the High Museum in Midtown. New plans were presented to the Midtown Development Review Committee in December. Originally envisioned seven years ago as a 23-story tower with 96 units, the new plan for One Museum Place is ve stories with 48 units ranging in price from $700 to $2.5 million.

Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate recently honored Bonneau Ansley III, Harry Norman, Realtors #1 Agent Company-wide and founder of the Ansley Group, at its 8th annual Fall Conference held in Atlanta. Ansley was presented the Rookie of the Year Award for his achievements, including his over $70 million sales volume for 2013, and for being named Christie’s International Real Estate Top Agent in Georgia.

e West Peachtree Street property that was once planned as Trump Towers has been purchased by AMLI Residential for $7 million. e 1.8-acre site at 15th Street will likely become a high-rise apartment building. e Trump project fell apart at the beginning of the economic crisis in 2008.

e Brandon Neighborhood Association marked the start of its third year in existence this past fall with an annual meeting held at the Morris Brandon Elementary School in Buckhead. e mission of the BNA is to maintain and enhance the area as a desirable residential community. A security patrol manned by o duty Atlanta police o cers is the focus of the neighborhood, although enhanced communication among residents and social outings are important elements as well. e BNA has 142 members so far this year and continues to recruit to exceed last year’s total of 162. For more information regarding membership or the work of the association, contact Beth Beskin at ebeskin@gmail.com.

e City of Decatur in partnership with the Georgia Historic Preservation Division will hold the sixth annual Decatur Old House Fair on Feb. 8 at the Courtyard Marriott

Hotel and Conference Center. is annual celebration features industry experts o ering fresh ideas, practical advice, innovative materials, and quality services for owners of older homes. For more information, visit DecaturOldHouseFair.com and be sure to check out the February issue of INtown for a feature on the event.

Jenny Pruitt, CEO of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty, hosted a reception for Atlanta-born artist Jill Steenhuis to celebrate the release of her new book, Art, Soul and Destiny. Steenhuis’s paintings of the South of France have made her much sought a er artist, and she was chosen by the Smithsonian Institute as their Cézanne specialist when museum o cials traveled to Provence for the 100th anniversary of the famed Impressionist’s death.

A New York development team, including Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp. and Arquitechtonica, wants to build three new skyscrapers on the site of what would have been the Atlanta Symphony’s new home in Midtown. According to reports, the plans call for a 56-story residential/hotel tower and two 46-story residential towers. e 4.5acre site at 98 14th Street is sandwiched between One Atlantic Center and the 1180 Peachtree tower.

iStar Residential has hired an all-new sales team, led by the top-selling high-rise agent in Atlanta, for e Residences at Mandarin Oriental Karen Rodriguez of Dorsey Alston Realtors will lead the revamped sales e orts. She brings 11 years of experience in the Buckhead luxury high-rise market to the exclusive, world-class property. e addition of Rodriguez is part of an extensive rebranding process that began in May 2012 with the reintroduction of the exclusive, ve-star luxury Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta. e debt-free property, wholly owned by real estate company iStar Financial Inc., has been reshaped into one of the top-ranked hotels in the city. Now, iStar Financial Inc. has shi ed focus to the 25-unit residential units on the top oors of the property. e Residences currently are being built-out with contemporary, highend nishes and built-in replaces with marble surrounds. Each unit will also feature a 36-inch Viking gas grill as well as a replace on its balcony. e team is also revamping the common areas with modern color palettes and marble oors. Additionally, plans are underway to build out all the remaining un nished shells. For more information, visit moresidencesatlanta.com.

Bonneau Ansley III

ANSLEY PARK - Features

DRUID HILLS - Classic home situated on double depth lot with custom millwork, built-ins, renovated kitchen, hardwoods, wrap around deck. 4Bed/3.5Bath $999,900

FMLS: 5185669

Bradford Smith 404-210-4141

BROOKHAVEN - John Willis resale in gated, upscale community with renovated chef’s kit, oversized master, spa bath, built-ins, fireplace, fenced yard. 3Bed/2.5Bath $484,900

FMLS: 5217665

Bradford Smith 404-210-4141

JOHNSON ESTATES - Exceptional all brick home with 4 finished levels, enormous level fenced yard, finished terrace level w/home theater, all bedrooms en suite. 5Bed/6.5Bath $1,190,000 FMLS: 5177482

Marc Castillo 404-449-6862

CASTLEBERRY HILL - Remarkable loft featuring 4 floors of space, commercial elevator, fabulous kit & bath renovations, rooftop deck w/amazing city views. 4Bed/3.5Bath $1,199,000 FMLS: 5214887/5214854

Sally Westmoreland 404-354-4845

INMAN PARK - Brickworks loft right on the Beltline. Beautiful end unit, 10’ ceils, floor to ceiling windows, hardwoods, renovated master bath. 2Bed/2Bath $314,900

FMLS: 5226966

Erin Fye 404-771-9822

AVONDALE ESTATES - Features open floor plan great for entertaining, updated kitchen, tons of natural light, sitting area in master, 2 car garage. 3Bed/2.5Bath $309,000

FMLS: 5191925 Sandra Smith 770-856-8144

Gerry Lowrey 678-362-9596

DECATUR - Another amazing new home from Stoney River Homes. Summer 2014 completion date – work now with builder for customizations. 4Bed/3.5Bath $799,900

FMLS: 5212000

Kathleen Sickeler 404-368-3234

BUCKHEAD - Featuring eleven, 4-story townhomes designed by award winning architects Smith Dalia & constructed by Cablik Enterprises. 3Bed/3.5Bath $1,050,000

FMLS: 5182843

Allen Snow 404-931-1176

VIRGINIA HIGHLAND - Stunning home w/ original details and modern updates! Beautiful living spaces. Front porch, screened-in porch and 2nd story sleeping porch. Private yard. 3Bed/3Bath $799,000 FMLS: 5227494

Tanya Marlatt 404-518-8787

MARIETTA - Gated 9700+ sf estate. 1.37 acres. 6 car gar, gourmet kit, 2 islands, custom cabinetry, pro appl., hardwoods, elevator, in-law suite, walk-out yard w/ creek. 6Bed/6Bath/2HalfBath $1,850,000

FMLS: 5201648 Liz Baska 770-712-8767

WEST MIDTOWN - Stunning unit w/breathtaking view of Midtown skyline. Beautiful hardwood floors. Open modern kitchen. Large master bedroom w/en suite bath. 2Bed/2Bath $330,000 FMLS: 5222199

Patrick Jones 404-680-9534

PONCEY-HIGHLAND - Pre-construction purchasers may select finishes for a custom home. Homes include 2-car gar, custom lighting, fine cabinetry, stone c’tops, roof-top terrace, & balconies. 3Bed/3Bath $559,900

FMLS: 5029379 Allen Snow 404-931-1176

MIDTOWN - Sought after gated luxury condo overlooking zen pool. 2 car gar. Concierge. Just blocks from Piedmont Park, shops and restaurants. 2Bed/2Bath $354,900

FMLS: 5216086 Allen Snow 404-931-1176

MIDTOWN - Final opportunity to purchase NEW inventory in Midtown! Dramatic design. Stunning views. Amazing curves. It’s 1010 Midtown. Incredible floorplan & walls of huge windows. 2Bed/2.5Bath $729,900 FMLS: 5181788 Sales Center 404-815-4622

DOWNTOWN - Huge unit. Multilevel loft w/25’ ceilings and industrial windows w/courtyard views. Spectacular finishes in upgraded kitchen & bath. Concrete floors. FHA approved!

$229,900 FMLS: 5217214

Wayne Anderson 404-202-1138