Atlanta Intown - February 2016

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.

CONTACT US

Editorial Collin Kelley INtown Editor collin@atlantaintownpaper.com

(404) 917-2200, ext. 102

Contributors

Dyana Bagby, Sally Bethea, Julie Herron Carson, Joe Earle, Nic Farley, Asep Mawardi, Annie Kinnet Nichols, Isadora Pennington, Clare S. Richie, John Ruch, Shandra Hill Smith, Tim Sullivan, Megan Volpert, Diane Wynocker

Submissions

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

Advertising

For information call (404) 917-2200 ext 130.

Senior Account Executives

Jeff Kremer

Janet Porter

Account Executives

Susan Lesesne

Jim Speakman

Circulation/ Subscriptions

Each month, 37,000 copies of Atlanta INtown are mailed to homes and distributed to businesses in and around ZIP codes 30306, 30307, 30308, 30309, 30324 and 30329. For delivery information, call (404) 917-2200, ext. 110.

PUBLISHED BY Springs Publishing LLC

Atlanta INtown • Reporter Newspapers 6065 Roswell Road, Suite 225 Sandy Springs, GA 30328

Phone: (404) 917-2200

Fax: (404) 917-2201

Steve Levene Founder & Publisher stevelevene@reporternewspapers.net

(404) 917-2200, ext. 111

Amy Arno Director of Sales Development amyarno@reporternewspapers.net

(404) 917-2200, ext. 112

Rico Figliolini

Creative Director rico@reporternewspapers.net

(404) 917-2200, ext. 117

Joe Earle Managing Editor joeearle@reporternewspapers.net

(404) 917-2200, ext. 122

Deborah Davis Office Manager deborahdavis@reporternewspapers.net

(404) 917-2200, ext. 110

© 2016 All rights reserved. Publisher reserves the right to refuse editorial or advertising for any reason. Publisher assumes no responsibility for information contained in advertising. Any opinions expressed in print or online do not necessarily represent the views of Atlanta INtown or Springs Publishing, LLC.

EDITOR’S LETTER

Collin Kelley collin@atlantaintownpaper.com

Ann Taylor Boutwell: An Appreciation

As you flip through this issue of INtown, you’ll find one important component missing: Ann Taylor Boutwell’s “A Look Back” column. For the past two decades, Ann has chronicled Atlanta’s unique, dramatic, wacky history in her column – from the railroad spike driven into the ground that created Terminus, to the Civil War, to the second “great fire” in 1917, to the premiere of “Gone With the Wind,” to the Civil Rights Movement, to the 1996 Summer Olympics. Ann, a former educator, researched it all and became one of the city’s keepers of the past. Now, she has decided to retire to focus on her health and return to her native Mobile, Ala. INtown will be the lesser for it.

I believe it was my first day on the job as editor back in 2002 that I received a phone call at my desk. “Hi, there… I’m Ann Boutwell, your historian.” Not long after that, Ann invited me to a tour of the Margaret Mitchell House where she worked as a docent. I soon learned that Ann was hilarious. Her tour and observations about the GWTW author were sharp, unexpected and funny. Ann would go on to appear in the acclaimed PBS documentary, “Margaret Mitchell: American Rebel.”

She was also a tour guide for the city, meeting busloads of tourists in Downtown for trips to all of the city’s historic spots, regaling them with hilarious stories and anecdotes. Something tells me that Peggy and Ann would have been fast friends.

When I first visited Ann’s apartment in Midtown, I soon discovered it was a treasure trove of books, ephemera and photos from Atlanta’s past. She was a big fan and reverential of the city’s only official historian, the late Franklin Garrett, and strove for accuracy in her reportage of the past. When Ann discovered that I

had written the very first piece about the effort to save Margaret Mitchell’s house – “The Dump” as Mitchell referred to it – back in the mid-1980s for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s defunct Sunday magazine, she produced it from her files.

We were fast friends after that. Over the years, we made trips to my hometown of Fayetteville for a visit to the old city cemetery where Mitchell’s ancestors are buried and a stop at the town library that the author helped found. There would be lunches at the Colonnade and Mary Mac’s Tea Room, movies at the Fox Theatre, events at the Atlanta History Center and numerous trips to Oakland Cemetery.

Oakland Cemetery holds a special place for Ann. INtown used to hold a regular Halloween event there, and Ann led our tours. She was a font of knowledge about all the “residents” at Atlanta’s foremost resting place. A few years ago, she called me up and asked if I would go to the cemetery with her because she had something to show me.

We parked inside the gate and Ann led me to a patch of grass in the shadow of Oakland’s historic Bell Tower. “This is my final tour stop,” she said proudly. Somehow, Ann had managed to procure a plot – a near impossibility at a

cemetery that is the resting place for more than 70,000

Atlantans – from Mitchell, to golf great Bobby Jones to Franklin Garrett. Ann was giddy that she would be in such grand company for eternity. Now that’s how to live!

From all of us at INtown, we will miss you, Ann. You have been an integral part of the team and your contribution cannot be overstated. Personally, I wish you good health and more adventures. When you get back to town, fried chicken at the Colonnade is on me.

Cameron Adams

Cameron Adams

LIFE CHANGER: SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM LAUNCHES

By Clare S. Richie

Achieve Atlanta will award approximately 900 need-based scholarships this spring to eligible Atlanta Pubic School (APS) high school senior applicants. Recipients will receive up to $5,000 per year for a four-year institution or up to $1,500 per year for a two-year college or technical school. Scholarships are renewable for student recipients who remain in good academic standing.

“Our vision is to have every student in APS complete post-secondary education and attain the full benefits that higher education provides,” shared Tina Fernandez, Achieve Atlanta Executive Director. “When paired with other financial aid, these scholarships are intended to greatly reduce the need for families to get high-interest private loans,” Fernandez added.

Recent data shows that only 1 in 5 APS high school graduates completes a postsecondary degree of any kind. Yet by 2020, 60% of the jobs in Georgia will require some form of post-secondary degree.

Need-based scholarships are a key part of Achieve Atlanta’s strategy to tear down the barriers that prevent students,

especially those who are the first in their families to go on to higher education, from completing a degree or credential after high school.

Achieve Atlanta is a supporting organization of The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, and is currently funded through a grant from the Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation.

Achieve Atlanta invests in strategies that combine financial assistance with academic and social support to increase post-secondary access, retention and completion.

Since Achieve Atlanta’s launch in July 2015, there are 30 additional mentoring adults serving all APS high schools, thanks to a partnership with the College Advising Corps and Hands on Atlanta/AmeriCorps. Prior to this effort, it is estimated that for every 400 APS high school students there was one counselor.

College Advising Corps mentors work with 11th and 12th graders on the “nuts and bolts” of going to college, such as ACT/ SAT test prep, applications, applying for scholarships and more. For ninth and 10th graders, Hands on Atlanta/AmeriCorps mentors work on building awareness and a “college-going mindset.” For example,

ninth graders hear about the importance of a good GPA and the possibilities for financing college.

Achieve Atlanta understands that while high school advising and scholarships will help more APS students access postsecondary education, it is not enough to get them over the finish line. Less than half of APS students who enroll in college graduate within six years. In fact, the majority drops out between their freshman and sophomore year.

First-generation college goers need support while in college, both academic and social/emotional. That’s why Achieve Atlanta is also designing a student advisory model with partner post-secondary institutions.

By working with partners to conduct high school and post-secondary advising, Achieve Atlanta can direct the majority of its $20 million seed money from the Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation toward its needbased scholarships.

Starting in early March, APS seniors will be able to apply for the Achieve Atlanta scholarship. Eligibility requirements include enrollment and graduation from an APS high school, and minimum standards related to GPA, financial need and postsecondary enrollment.

Full details will be available at achieveatlanta.org following the scholarship announcement at the Feb. 1 Atlanta Board of Education meeting.

“We launched the scholarship program because we believe our students deserve a fair chance to achieve their dreams,” Fernandez said. “This is a life changer for a lot of our students.”

941

Historic 1924 custom-built Tudor with authentic original architecture, lovingly maintained by the same family since 1943. Architectural details include unique entry foyer, gracious entertaining rooms, custom stone fireplaces, hardwood floors, French doors that invite enjoyment of the verdant views and handcrafted trim work and details throughout.

Peggy Hibbert

D.M. Therrell High School students visit the University of Kentucky.

College Access Coach Trudy Nelson with one of her 9th grade students.

Special

Girls Who Code Atlanta is offering its first summer immersion program this year with a deadline to sign up on March 1. Girls will learn from experts and leaders in the field of computer science,

By Dyana Bagby

High school students interested in computer science are being offered a fun and exciting way to learn about the industry seriously in need of girl power.

Girls Who Code, a national nonprofit, is actively recruiting girls to participate in its first summer immersion program in Atlanta with March 1 as the deadline to sign up. The

workshop will be held in Midtown from June 6 to July 22.

“This is for young women in STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) … and we’re seeking to offer fair representation in these fields,” said Arlene Persuad, spokesperson for Atlanta’s Girls Who Code program. There are 60 spots open in Atlanta’s summer program.

The summer immersion program

BeltLine announces lighting campaign

The Atlanta BeltLine has launched “Light the Line,” a campaign to raise $1.1 million to install lighting along the Eastside Trail.

Crowdfunding will be used to install the lights, which would be placed along the 2.3 mile segment that connects Krog Street Market to Piedmont Park.

During the construction phase of the trail, conduit was installed to support lights in the future. The BeltLine has designed a lighting plan that calls for 130 low-energy LED path lights every 90 feet. Funding for lighting will be built into the budget for future BeltLine trail segments.

Jamestown, developers of Ponce City Market, has agreed to contribute $100, 000 to the campaign.

Of the $1.1 million campaign goal, $990,000 or 90 percent of the total, will go directly to the purchase and installation of the 130 lights. Of the remaining budget, $100,000 will help support BeltLine programming on the Eastside Trail, including free fitness classes and Art on the Atlanta BeltLine installations, and $10,000 will go toward campaign management expenses.

The public can make donations and find more information by visiting lighttheline. org.

is a seven-week workshop where participants will learn about computer science, robotics, web design and mobile development. There will be presentations from women who are engineers and entrepreneurs, and top women executives will also provide career and academic mentorship.

“They will be building and creating,” Persuad said.

Founded in 2012 by Reshma Saujani, Girls Who Code seeks to close the gender gap in computer coding. Today, women represent only 18 percent of all computer science graduates, down significantly from 37 percent in 1984.

The summer immersion program is free, but in January Saujani announced $1 million in scholarships for girls to attend, thanks to partnerships with dozens of corporations, including Amazon, Facebook, Pixar Animation Studios and Twitter.

The scholarships will go toward helping cover transportation costs and also replace loss wages for girls who

have summer jobs.

“We are reaching out directly to high school principals, guidance counselors, parents, clubs and other youth programs. And we are specifically reaching out to minority students and low-income students,” said Persuad.

Girls Who Code’s summer immersion program is now in 11 cities and offered to 1,560 girls, a jump from just 20 girls in New York during its inaugural year.

“This incredible expansion shows the technology sector has finally woken up to its gender gap problem and is moving quickly to show many more young women they have a future in the industry,” said Saujani in a statement.

“I want to thank all of our partners who are as committed as we are to reversing long-held assumptions about what an engineer should be, and opening up many new doors for women across the nation.”

For more information and to register, visit girlswhocode.com.

robotics, web design and mobile development during the seven-week workshop.

Briefs

The inaugural Frank Hamilton Folk School Concert Series kicks off Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. with “A Celebration of Community Through Music” at Red Light Café in Midtown. The evening, featuring the Georgia Crackers and Rev. Jeff Mosier, will benefit the nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching, preserving and promoting folk music and arts in the greater Atlanta and Southeast regions. For more information, visit frankhamiltonfolkschool.org.

e Galloway School has hired Gareth Gri th to serve as the school’s Upper Learning principal beginning

with the 2016-17 school year. Griffith is currently employed at Maumee Valley Country Day School in Ohio, where he has served as Head of the Upper School since 2012. He will join The Galloway School as only the fourth principal of the Upper Learning division since the school’s founding in 1969.

Two Arbor Montessori School elementary students were recently invited by the Sierra Club to testify at the EPA hearings on the Clean Power Plan. The EPA hearings were held at the Sam Nunn Federal Building in downtown Atlanta. The Decatur third-graders, Katy Cywilko and Harper Dodson, spoke about why

they are concerned about pollution levels and the effects that pollution is having on the environment. The girls shared the podium with senior environmental and community leaders as well as representatives from corporations such as the Southern Company and Georgia Power.

Atlanta-based Aaron’s Inc. came to the rescue when the fridge, stove and washing machine at Carter G. Woodson Elementary School’s food pantry stopped working. Aaron’s Foundation

president, Jim Cates, along with volunteers from Aaron’s, were on hand as brand new appliances were delivered and installed. The school’s food pantry was created by Principal Susan CrimMcClendon after she notice that many students were underfed. The pantry also provided laundry services if students soiled their uniforms.

More than $1 million was raised during the 32nd Annual Mayor’s Masked Ball held in December and hosted by Mayor Kasim Reed. The money raised will benefit UNCF (United Negro College Fund), the nation’s largest private provider of scholarships and educational support to minority and low-income students, and its 38 member colleges and universities.

The students, staff and families from Primrose School of Midtown at Colony Square raised more than $7,700 for charity, making them one of the top three contributors to Primrose Schools’ annual fundraising efforts. These funds, along with money raised from more than 300 Primrose schools across the country, will benefit the company’s nonprofit organization, the Primrose Children’s Foundation.

Ahava Early Learning Center, a Reggio Emilia inspired preschool, cut the ribbon to celebrate the opening of its brand new, state-of-the art facility last month. The inquirybased, integrated curriculum encourages children to ask questions and make connections as they learn about their world. The new facility has indoor and outdoor classroom spaces, a piazza community gathering space, a designated art studio and kiln room, greenhouse, climbing wall, playground tunnel and amphitheater.

Located at Ahavath Achim Synagogue on Peachtree Battle Avenue at Northside Drive in Buckhead, the school has limited availability for spring 2016 and is accepting registration for fall 2016 and summer camp. The center is open year-round from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Scholarships are available. For more information, visit ahavalearning.org or aasynagogue.org.

Gareth Griffith

From left, Katy Cywilko, Sierra Club volunteer coordinator Yeou-Rong Jih and Harper Dodson.

Aaron’s President Jim Cates meets a student at Woodson Elementary School.

A student cuts the ribbon to open Ahava Early Learning Center.

Meetings

The Midtown Alliance 2016 Annual Meeting will be Feb. 24 at the Fox Theatre. Networking will begin at 7 a.m. and the meeting will run from 8 to 9:30 p.m. Keynote speaker Fred Kent, founder and president of Project for Public Spaces, will offer a closer look at the potential for public spaces in Midtown to create more of the energy that drives both commerce and community at street level. Kent has taken more than half a million photographs of public spaces and their users, which have appeared worldwide in exhibits and publications. For more information, visit midtownatl.com.

e Atlanta City Council will meet in full session on Feb. 1 and Feb. 15 at 1 p.m. at City Hall, 55 Trinity Ave. For agendas and more information, visit citycouncil.atlantaga.gov.

The Decatur City Commission meets in open session on the first and third Mondays of each month at City Hall, 509 North McDonough Street, at 7:30 p.m.

Community meetings, news & events

Neighborhood Planning Unit-M, which covers the Old Fourth Ward, meets Feb. 22 at 6:15 p.m. at Helene Mills Center, 515 John Wesley Dobbs Ave. For further information, visit npumatlanta.org.

News

The Georgia Building Authority plans to raze the former Georgia Archives building— the windowless structure that resembles a concrete block overlooking the Downtown Connector—and replace it with a new judicial complex, according to a report from Atlanta magazine. The project is projected to cost north of $110 million, which could make it the most expensive project ever for the state government. Gov. Nathan Deal has put $7.3 million into the state budget for the building’s design and site preparations. Two firms – Atlanta based Stevens & Wilkinson and New York-based Robert A. M. Stern – have been selected as architects for the new complex.

Ryan Gravel, who first conceived of the Atlanta BeltLine, has joined the city to guide the Atlanta City Design Project. This new project, under the direction of the Department of Planning and Community Development, will envision what Atlanta should look like decades from now, as well as guide future decisions on the growth and development of the city. Gravel is an urban planner best known for his 1999 Georgia Institute of Technology master’s thesis, which was the catalyst for the Atlanta BeltLine. Since then, he has remained involved in its implementation and currently serves on the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership board of directors. Gravel now consults with communities on planning and design for investments in infrastructure through his company, Sixpitch.

Dr. Eloisa Klementich, CEcD, has been named as the new president and CEO of Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development arm. The vote was held during the regularly scheduled meeting of the board. Dr. Klementich has previously served as interim president and CEO, as well as managing director of business development, and has worked with Invest Atlanta for four years. Previously, Klementich served as special assistant for economic development at the U.S. Economic Development Administration in the Office of the Secretary. She served as California’s assistant deputy secretary for economic development and commerce, and has held various roles with city governments, including the consultant for Mexico’s President Vicente Fox.

The state’s department of motor vehicles – known formally as the Georgia Department of Driver Services – has brand new digs at 400 Whitehall Street in Downtown. The $2.3 million building replaces the doublewide trailer that had been parked in an open area near Turner Field for more than a decade. The center is open weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to noon.

The city of Atlanta paid Atlanta Public Schools $9 million last week as part of resolving a long-running legal dispute over tax allocation district revenues from the Atlanta BeltLine, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. The city and school system have been negotiating since last year over the tax payments, which have climbed past the $13 million mark.

ELIMINATE FAT WITH COOLSCULPTING®, THE WORLD’S #1 NON-INVASIVE FAT REMOVAL TREATMENT

SCHEDULE

Dermatology Consultants P.C.

2045 Peachtree Road, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30309 678-637-4240

DermatologyConsultants.org

Results and patient experience may vary. In the U.S., the CoolSculpting procedure is FDA-cleared for the treatment of visible fat bulges in the submental area, thigh, abdomen and flank. Outside the U.S., the CoolSculpting procedure for non-invasive fat reduction is available worldwide. IC1995-A

Ryan Gravel

GET MOVING!

Easy tips to improve your heart health at home and work

February is the designated month for affairs of the heart, so while you’re working on your love life, also remember to take some time to work on the old ticker.

The American Heart Association has some easy tips for those who want to improve their cardiovascular health at home and on the job.

HOME

It’s usually convenient, comfortable and safe to work out at home. It allows your children to see you being active, which sets a good example for them. You can combine exercise with other activities, such as watching TV. If you buy exercise equipment, it’s a one-time expense and other family members can use it. It’s easy to have short bouts of activity several times a day.

Try these tips:

• Do housework yourself instead of hiring someone else to do it.

• Work in the garden or mow the grass. Rake leaves, prune, dig and pick up trash.

• Go out for a short walk before breakfast, after dinner or both. Start with 5-10 minutes and work up to 30 minutes.

• Walk or bike to the corner store instead of driving.

• When walking, pick up the pace from leisurely to brisk. Choose a hilly route.

• When watching TV, sit up instead of lying on the sofa. Or stretch. Better yet, spend a few minutes pedaling on your stationary

FEATURING OVER 85 OF THE SOUTHEAST’S LEADING MERCHANTS

bicycle while watching TV. Throw away your video remote control. Instead of asking someone to bring you a drink, get up off the couch and get it yourself.

• Stand up while talking on the telephone.

• Walk the dog.

• Park farther away at the shopping mall and walk the extra distance. Wear your walking shoes and sneak in an extra lap or two around the mall.

• Stretch to reach items in high places and squat or bend to look at items at floor level.

• Keep exercise equipment repaired and use it.

WORK

Many of us have sedentary jobs, and work takes up a significant part of our day. What can you do to increase your physical activity during the work day?

Try these tips:

• Brainstorm project ideas with a coworker while taking a walk.

• Create an exercise accountability partnership.

• Walk during business calls when you don’t need to reference important documents.

• Stand while talking on the telephone.

• Walk down the hall to speak with someone rather than using the telephone.

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Or get off a few floors early and take the stairs the rest of the way.

• Walk while waiting for the plane at the airport.

• Stay at hotels with fitness centers or swimming pools and use them while on business trips.

• Take along a jump rope or a resistance band in your suitcase when you travel. Jump and do calisthenics in your hotel room.

• Download some audio fitness coaching.

• Participate in or start a recreation league at your company.

• Form a sports team to raise money for charity events.

• Join a fitness center or YMCA near your job. Work out before or after work to avoid rush-hour traffic, or drop by for a noon workout.

• Schedule exercise time on your business calendar and treat it as any other important appointment.

• Get off the bus a few blocks early and walk the rest of the way to work or home.

• Walk around your building for a break during the work day or during lunch.

• Get a stand-up desk.

For more information about heart health, visit the American Heart Association at heart.org.

Public Safety Briefs

In 2015, Midtown Blue’s team of off-duty Atlanta Police Department (APD) officers patrolled an average of more than 400 hours each week within the Midtown Improvement District. In the second half of 2015, the team expanded coverage by creating the Midtown Blue Public Safety Patrol – a team of seven uniformed civilian public safety professionals who coordinate with APD and are now patrolling an additional 280 hours per week on foot, Segways and bicycles. These patrols are also complemented by 52 high-definition video cameras covering the majority of public right-of-ways in Midtown. If you observe a situation or a person’s behavior that looks out of place, report it. No matter how inconsequential it might seem. Call 911 first and then Midtown Blue at 404-817-0500.

The Atlanta Police Department will hand over all officer-involved shooting cases to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Police Chief George Turner says the move was prompted in part by cases in cities like Chicago, where critics have accused the police department and mayor of covering up the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.

Atlanta Fire Station No. 7 on Whitehall Street in West End has official reopened for use. Opened in 1894, No. 7 is the oldest operating station in the city. The newly renovated station houses an EMS Supervisor and Quick Intervention Crew, which are both designed to respond quickly to medical emergencies and provide rapid assessment and treatment before the patient arrives at the hospital.

is in the heart of the beautiful Ansley Park neighborhood. These threestory luxury townhomes each feature an elevator, private courtyard, guest suite located above the two-car garage, a kitchen with all Wolf appliances and the finest finishes throughout.

Changes

You’ve heard it all before: cut the salts, sweets and fatty foods if you want to lose weight and improve your health. The Emory Heart and Vascular Center has some tasty tips to improve your diet that won’t leave you hungry.

Soluble fiber can lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and higher fiber diets produce fewer triglycerides (fat in blood). In addition, fiber helps control

longer life

grains like oatmeal, ready to eat cereal made with oatbran, barley or psyllium. Look for at least 3 grams of fiber per serving.

• Enjoy fresh fruit with breakfast and as an in-between meal snack.

• Replace refined grains such as white bread and pasta with whole grains like 100 percent whole rye or whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta and brown rice.

• Eat your colors. Have at least two servings of veggies at lunch and dinner. Add okra to soup or stew, mix diced yellow bell pepper to a pasta sauce or enjoy carrot sticks with your sandwich.

• Love legumes. Enjoy high-fiber beans or legumes at least twice per week. At your next meal try replacing meat and poultry with half a cup of beans.

weight and blood sugar.

• Aim for 17 to 30 total grams of fiber daily, with 7 to 13 grams from soluble fiber.

• Start your day with whole

ENJOY HEART HEALTHY FATS… IN MODERATION

Fatty fish like salmon, in addition to walnuts and flaxseed, contain omega-3- fatty-acids, which can lower

bad cholesterol. Nuts like almonds and plant oils like olive oil contain monosaturated fat, which also helps lower bad cholesterol.

• Enjoy 3 to 4 ounces of fish like salmon at least two times per week.

• Enjoy 1 ounce of unsalted nuts 4 to 5 times per week

• Replace bad fats (saturated fats) like butter, stick margarine and vegetable shortening with plant oil like canola and olive (avoid frying) and vegetable oil-based spreads like Smart Balance.

LIMIT SODIUM AND CONTROL BLOOD PRESSURE

High blood pressure usually precedes diabetes, heart disease and kidney disease. It also makes these conditions worse.

• Limit sodium intake to 2,300 MG per day (equal to 1 teaspoon of salt). Limit to 2,000 MG if you have a history of heart disease. Start by getting rid of the saltshaker.

• Limit main meals to less than

600 MG sodium and snacks to less than 140 MG sodium.

• Replace salt with low in sodium-free seasonings like Mrs. Dash, herbs and spices.

• At restaurants, avoid high sodium condiments and sauces and make sure food isn’t salted.

MAINTAIN A HEALTHY BODY WEIGHT

Waist circumference is associated with excess abdominal fat, which is a predictor of disease risk and morbidity. Men should aim for waist circumference less than 40 inches and women less than 35.

• Exercise regularly. It promotes good cholesterol and lowers the elevated TG. Engage in at least 150 minutes of aerobic activity weekly.

• Reduce excess calories from high sugar and fat foods.

• Consume alcohol in moderation. Women one drink per day, men two drinks per day.

• For more information, visit www.Emoryhealthcare.org.

“St. Anne’s Terrace is the best place for retirement living. Take a tour and see for yourself. We did!!

SPORTS BROADCASTING CAMP

is back for our 9th year in Atlanta July 18-22, 2016

Boys and Girls 10-18 will have an opportunity to learn from the Pros

Meet Sports Celebrities

Make Sports Anchor Tapes

Nation’s #1 Sports Broadcasting Camp

Make Play-By-Play Tapes of the Super Bowl & NBA Finals

Make Reporting Tapes from a Pro Stadium

Participate in Sports Talk Radio and Pardon The Interruption (PTI) shows and much more

Day/Overnight options available. For more info: 800.319.0884 or www.playbyplaycamps.com facebook.com/sportsbroadcastingcamps • youtube.com/sportsbroadcastcamp

Total Tennis Camp at Emory

“Our goal is to engage every camper in the game of tennis for life!”

Session I: May 31-June 3 | Session II: June 6-10

Session III: June 13-17 | Session IV: June 20-24

All Sessions held at Emory University’s Woodruff PE Center (Woodpec)

Prices: Full-Day (9-4) = $325/week*

Morning Only (9-12) = $155/week

Extended Care (4-5:30) = $60/week

Early Birds - Register by March 15th and receive $25/off full-day and $10/off half-day

www.bryantcamps.com

music camp on your schedule

TimmyDaddy

By Tim Sullivan

Valentine’s Day and stuff… lots of stuff

Kristen declared Valentine’s Day a non-holiday in our relationship many years ago. It was a blow at the time of course, after harvesting my own cocoa beans and taking all those harp lessons, but now I understand where she was coming from. Call me jaded, but Valentine’s Day just isn’t far enough removed from the December holidays to allow us to forget that we just got through with all the lavishing of gifts and the chocolate-fueled gluttony.

I’m all for made-up holidays like Talk Like a Pirate Day and National Hug Day, but Valentine’s Day just reeks of commercialism. Jewelry, chocolates,

candy and cards are sold to the smitten, the obligated and everyone in between. Of all the hallowed days on the calendar, it may ring the most hollow. It’s just too much stuff. Enough of the stuff, I say!

If my recycling bins could talk after this past Christmas, where we were a household of 11 people for a week, they would concur. The mettle of the plastic was sternly tested as we stuffed (what I hope is not) a landfill’s worth of cardboard boxes and wrapping paper, not to mention kitchen and bar-related items, into the poor receptacles. If Decatur kept stats on top recyclers, we’d probably have taken that dubious award home for the

month of December.

We were so zealous in our cleanup efforts that we accidentally recycled a $50 toy. Not the whole thing mind you; that would’ve have been too clean a break. No, our casualty came in the form of an Xbox Disney Infinity game/ Lego configuration thingy. Margo, Elliott and I spent two hours constructing the Lego portion, which then snaps on to the base that plugs into the Xbox. And that’s what we would’ve done had the base not been recycled the day before. I can be something of an extreme recycler when it comes to reclaiming a tidy household.

pair of UGGS, and that is pretty much what she said upon opening the box. So I returned that box and replaced it with a second pair that she specifically instructed me to buy. The next morning, I saw that box placed next to my laptop bag, indicating they too were to go the return route. Like my dog, I am part boxer.

Dan Sasser loves coming and going as he pleases. That’s just one of many reasons he chose Canterbury Court to be his home.

“I left a tenured position so I could live wherever I wanted. Then I retired at 60 and was working part time when I discovered Canterbury Court. I thought, ‘How wonderful it would be to live there.’”

When he decided to move to Canterbury Court, he chose a studio apartment, which he says “is more than big enough for me.” The maintenance-free lifestyle also lets him keep a second home in Florida and take frequent road trips.

Dan says people are “missing the boat” by not moving to a retirement community sooner. “Here you have several restaurant options, all kinds of activities and excursions, a theater with daily showings, a heated pool and wellness center, 11 acres of beautiful gardens ... it’s like being on a permanent vacation!”

Perhaps we need to hit the pause button and re-evaluate just what the heck it is we’re doing here. We did take a day over the holiday break to go hiking and stay in a yurt at Sweetwater Creek State Park, to be one with nature and cleanse our stench of consumerism. But we packed so much stuff to get us through the single night of yurting that the minivan is one upping the recycling bins when they trade stories.

And while Christmas is well past, the return and exchange season is still thriving as the boxes keep showing up on my doorstep. Kristen had asked for a good pair of slippers, comfy and warm, but substantial enough that she can wear them to walk the dog. I splurged on a

Slipper box number three, which I had nothing to do with whatsoever, contained the winners and should have marked the end of the deluge. But one more package came addressed to my wife from a company named Wang Gang on Hangdong Road in Shanghai. I was actually pretty interested in seeing what was in this particular parcel…

Turns out we had ordered a Robin Van Persie soccer jersey for Elliott from the Dutch National Team’s website way back in mid-December. At the time, an email came from a Chinese source thanking us for the order and noting that “Ofenly, you will receive in 5-7 business days.” I guess, sometimes, things show up four weeks later from the Wang Gang, because, you know, stuff happens.

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@sullivanfinerugs.com.

Canterbury Court is Atlanta’s first and foremost continuing care retirement community, non-profit, and committed to welcoming all people.

The Neighborhood Hot List: Grant Park

1. The Park

The 131-acre greenspace is the oldest in the city, and is a favorite spot for cookouts, festivals and other events, as well as being home to Zoo Atlanta

2. Zoo Atlanta

Established in 1889, the zoo has re-imagined itself by creating large, open habitats for animals to roam and thrive. The zoo is expanding the savanna habitat and has taken over the former Cyclorama building as an event facility.

3. Architecture

The Grant Park neighborhood contains some of the city’s finest examples of Victorian architecture dating back to 1882. Along with Queen Anne and Craftsmanstyle homes, the community is one of the most desirable places to live in the city.

4. Oakland Cemetery

The final resting place for more than 70,000 people – including author Margaret Mitchell and golf legend Bobby Jones – the cemetery is one the city’s most visited historical sites.

5. Dining

The neighborhood has an eclectic mix of eateries, often named as the best in the city. Ria’s Bluebird Café is a favorite brunch and breakfast haunt, Mi Barrio serves up tasty Mexican food, Six Feet Under has delicious seafood and cocktails, while Grant Central serves up big pizza pies.

Tell us about new restaurants, attractions, shows, concerts, businesses or othe-beaten path places in your favorite neighborhood. Submit your favorite local spots (and pics!) to us at collin@atlantaintownpaper.com

Dusty loves being near people, walks and napping. He is a lowkey guy and does not need a lot of exercise. He is housebroken and non-destructive. Dusty needs a hero without kids or another dog. This is not because he’s bad dog. He has a neurological issue that makes him go after his own tail when he is stressed, but he never hurts himself and does not mean to upset anyone. Once he knows you, he is so sweet and goofy. He walks great on a leash and makes new friends easily. To adopt Dusty or any of the other available cats or dogs, visit PAWS Atlanta at pawsatlanta.org or stop by the shelter at 5287 Covington Highway in Decatur.

Pet Briefs

Pet Picks Meet

Atlanta, meet the Belle of the Atlanta BeltLine. Residents and users of the BeltLine were given to chance to vote via social media to name the trail’s new mascot and spokespet. Belle was rescued from the Atlanta Humane Society. Look for her out on the BeltLine soon.

Road Trip: Charleston

By Isadora Pennington

If you were to take European architectural style and mix it with a healthy dose of Southern charm, you’d come up with something that looks an awful lot like Charleston, SC.

Founded in 1670 by English colonists, this quaint and historic city sits comfortably between the Ashley and Cooper rivers at the base of the Charleston Harbor. The city flourished through the mid 19th century until the Civil War, when its sustained heavy damage. A slow recovery and tight budget forced property owners to repair their buildings instead of building anew, preserving the city’s antebellum charm.

Recently my fiancé and I took a visit to this adorable town for a romantic long weekend. We stayed at a great little hotel close to town called the King Charles Inn (237 Meeting St., kingcharlesinn. com), as we prefer to walk when visiting somewhere new. The hotel is in the historic district, and is a great area full of restaurants and shops. If you don’t want to walk, there are bike rentals, pedicabs, taxis and even a free trolley on most of the main streets nearby.

We spent a lot of time on Market Street, checking out both the year-round, open air, but mostly indoor farmer’s market and the shops along King Street that range from fun, touristy gift shops to high-end retailers, to dive pizza joints. You see, the city is an enigma in many ways. Near Marion Square and the downtown shopping areas, the streets are filled with throngs of college students from nearby College of Charleston when school is in session. Yet if you go just a handful of blocks further east and south toward the harbor, you’ll encounter less partying and more families, quiet residential streets, and many of the city’s art galleries.

In addition to funky and repurposed buildings (like the interior of the Urban Outfitters there –what a chandelier!) and tiny, winding cobblestone streets, there are a plethora of unique and eyecatching churches throughout the city. Near the coast is a

Local landmark Francis Marion Hotel overlooks Marion Square in the King Street shopping district.

Cafe Framboise

Many of the churches in Charleston have cemetery plots within their walls.

Fountain near the waterfront in the French Quarter.

Cafe Framboise (Cafe Au Lait, Spinach and Goat Cheese Croissant)

Bands play at Marion Square.

Shady paths connect groupings of benches and fountains along the harbor.

strip of buildings known as Rainbow Row, 13 colorful historic houses that make up the longest cluster of Georgian row houses in the United States. The city is truly, as a friend described it, a “photographer’s dream.”

At the end of our visit, our bellies full of Callie’s Hot Little Biscuits (now open in Virginia-Highland, too), we decided to pop over to one of the area’s historic forts before heading home to Atlanta.

Fort Moultrie is situated on Sullivan’s Island overlooking the Charleston Harbor, and we spent a few hours walking the property and learning some regional Civil War history. If you’ve got a hankering for a little history to round out your trip, I highly recommend going to the website charlestoncvb.com for a list of nearby forts and other historic sites you can enjoy while you’re in town.

a store featuring unique home goods and art. (“I’m a Fish Out of Water,

painting by Elizabeth Foster)

PRESERVING THE PAST

PLANS FOR HISTORIC PULLMAN YARD ARE NOT THE USUAL MIXED-USE FORMULA

By Isadora Pennington

If you’ve ever driven down DeKalb Avenue past the intersection with Clifton, you may have noticed the looming buildings of Pullman Yard just on the other side of the tracks. The property is a sprawling combination of buildings and open spaces in various states of disrepair. Despite the graffiti on the walls, it’s rare to see anyone on the lot regardless of the time of day.

Originally built as an industrial complex by the Pratt Engineering Company in 1900, the buildings have been repurposed as both a train repair center for the Pullman Company in the 1920s and then later as an operations center for the now defunct New Georgia Railroad, which provided rail service to Athens. Since the 1990s the space has been largely abandoned except for private events and a filming location, including “The Hunger Games”. The property is currently owned by the state of Georgia, and is not open to the public without going through proper channels.

The historic buildings now stand in a state of disrepair, with collapsing ceilings and overgrown greenery. The grass may get mowed from time to time, but there is virtually no care going into the property on a regular basis. It’s no wonder that this mysterious and haunting remnant of Atlanta’s industrial history has piqued the interest of multiple organizations who foresee a vision for the property.

One of those people is David Epstein, executive director of local nonprofit Atlanta Contact Point (ACP), an organization that promotes physical activity and play for children and adults to combat obesity and encourage a healthy lifestyle. The nonprofit has, in partnership with Village Habitat LLC, proposed a plan under the auspices of Pullman Preserve, that would create a mixeduse development of art studios, urban gardening, sustainability classes, retail, a nature preserve and sports facilities.

“Atlanta needs an Intown space for its residents to be active, socialize and learn new things,” Epstein said. “It is in an optimal space to create special programming and education opportunities for the surrounding neighborhoods, including unique space for schools, seniors

and adults to play and get together.”

The Pratt-Pullman property is actually part of the quiet Kirkwood neighborhood, and the community has expressed concerns with regard to redevelopment plans. Questions of vehicle access, parking, neighborhood traffic congestion, noise pollution and how best to honor and maintain the value of the historic property have lingered in the minds of those affected by the proposition.

The joint nonprofit/for-profit vision set forth by Pullman Preserve seeks to assuage those with doubts, asserting that conservation, preservation, education and a “full-bodied” approach to the development would be forefront in their plans.

“The main concern has been how to create a financially viable model,” explained Village Habitat director Greg Ramsey. “Pullman Preserve is addressing this with its for-profit and nonprofit model, designed to balance the commercial and nonprofit development to create a viable model.”

The venture would find funding from grants, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and contributions from local organizations in order to keep costs low, while also looking to generate money in studio rentals and sales at the proposed cafe, retail and market. Cooperation with inter-governmental partners, surrounding neighborhoods, and forprofit and nonprofit entities would be essential in the actualization of their plan.

“The project has been crafted so that each of these entities plays an appropriate part and together create a successful project,” Ramsey said.

In sharp contrast to Pullman Preserve, the other propositions that have been extended with regard to the property have typically been a combination of

retail, office and living space along the lines of Edgewood Retail Center on Moreland Avenue.

“We do not have many properties left in Atlanta that can be utilized for the overall well-being of the community,” Epstein said. “This is a perfect opportunity to clean, preserve and transform into a special space for people to come together to play, learn and socialize.”

Epstein and Ramsey are hopeful that their ideas for Pullman

Preserve will strike a chord with the neighborhood, and empower those in the community through sustainability education.

“We feel very strongly if the state gives us a chance, we can make it happen,” Epstein said. “Otherwise, it will just go to the highest bidder for expensive townhomes and high-end shopping.”

To learn more about Pullman Preserve and to provide feedback or volunteer, contact David at info@atlcp.org or Greg at gramsey@villagehabitat.com. You can also see more photos, plans and diagrams online at atlcp.org/pullman-yard.

Greg Ramsey and David Epstein

By Annie Kinnett Nichols

I’ve been addicted to thrift stores since I was 16. That’s when I broke gender norms and tried on my first Boy Scout uniform. I had found my fashion niche.

Since then, I’ve collected a sizable wardrobe and wear at least one thrift or vintage find everyday. In a time of Amazon, big box stores and malls, anyone can show up to a party wearing the same dress. I don’t have that problem and neither should you.

People have told me that excellent vintage is impossible to find, that all the good stuff is gone, but this has not been my experience at all. There’s always gonna be treasure troves to find as long as people have grandparents and attics and boxes that haven’t been discovered in years. And in Atlanta, it’s actually affordable.

Here are some of my favorite vintage and or thrift shops:

The Lucky Exchange

On any given day, someone will ask me where I got a piece of clothing, jewelry, shoes, purse or scarf. Lucky Exchange is usually my answer. Sheri Pair has an awesome knack for finding clean, preserved gorgeousness. From bright angora sweaters to sunglasses she picked up on a recent trip to Berlin, Sheri knows what her clients want. She’ll even pull

stuff for you if she knows what you like and send you a text. She is also my fashion police. No matter how much I love something, she will thumbs down it if it doesn’t work and look perfect on me. It’s also the only place I can find designer jeans without the painful price tag. Featuring men’s clothes as well, I find something new and fun every time I walk through the door. 212 Ponce De Leon Ave., luckyexchange.com.

Value Village

Travel south out of Little Five Points and East Atlanta on Moreland Avenue and you’ll find Value Village. Clothes, housewares, toys, couches, stereos – this place is packed with great finds. Not everything appeals; you have to roll up your sleeves and dive in. I once threw a fancy engagement party and bought up all their clear glasses, wine, sherry, jelly jars – it made the party fun and everyone got to pick their own glass. So long, red plastic cups! They have a great deal on

baby and kid’s clothes, too. When my daughter was growing up, I didn’t have the money to keep her in new clothes, but I would come to Value Village and find the perfect thing for her – lots of times with the original price tags still on them. 1374 Moreland Ave., valuevillageatlanta. com.

The Clothing Warehouse

I’ve found tons of great stuff at this Little Five Points shop through the years: cowboy boots, shirts, pants and dresses. The fantastic staff happily helped my daughter find items for cosplay. Prices are good, but some things are high end. Their displays show like a confection of colors, and it’s two floors of men and women’s clothes. 420 Moreland Ave., theclothingwarehouse.com.

Doubletake Recycled Luxury

Owner Daniel Troppy is the king when it comes to finding high-end, vintage couture. Definitely pricey, but when you’re a repeat client he will sometimes strike a deal. He’s an encyclopedia of fashion and will tell you the painful truth if you can’t carry it off. Troppy had a small storefront at Studioplex, but has currently moved everything online to doubletakerecycledluxury.com.

Highland Row Antiques

This place is the motherload! If you can’t find something here, I don’t know what to tell you. The real treasure is to be found downstairs, with one shop totally devoted to vintage and run by the owner Angela Carbon. There’s also Nutmeg Vintage. Neon Wolf and Yes!, which has faboo polyester dresses. Take your time and go through all the vendors – there’s knitted hair bows, kitchen aprons, fabrics, tablecloths and incredible old luggage sets to carry home your finds in. 628 N. Highland Ave., highlandrowantiques. com.

Paris On Ponce

My favorite place at Paris on Ponce is a shop run by Dawn Kaufman called Traveling Trends. There are racks of vintage clothes to sort through, shoes, jackets, beaded handbags and other great accessories for whether you’re traveling the world or just for a night out in Atlanta. 716 Ponce de Leon Place., parisonponce.com.

Clockwise from top left: Faux fur at Highland Row; Sheri Pair at The Lucky Exchange; beaded bags at Traveling Trends; hats galore and vintage luggage at Highland Row.

Business Briefs

e Startup Crawl returns Feb. 11, taking the idea of a bar/pub crawl and applying it to startup companies around the city. There will be drinks and other refreshments available, but crawlers will also get a snapshot of startup activity happening in Midtown and Downtown, while visiting newly opened co-working/corporate innovation space, Tech Square Labs and the consumer/design-focused downtown club, Switchyards. If you’re an entrepreneur, student or business leader interested in checking out the great ideas coming to life in our city, don’t miss this event. Tickets available via eventbrite by searching for Startup Crawl.

Phipps Plaza in Buckhead has announced that Ticknors Men’s Clothier will join its list of retailers, while expansions of Hervé Léger, Elie Tahari and Nicole Miller stores are also nearing completion. Ticknors will open in the spring on the second level in a 4,348-square-foot store offering brands like Peter Millar, Michael Kors, Johnston & Murphy, Robert Graham, Andrew Marc, Mezlan and more.

HouseDox.com has launched in Atlanta, offering homeowners a convenient platform for purchasing household services. Free to use for consumers, HouseDox currently partners with more than 25 top-rated companies including plumbing, pest control, carpet cleaning, gutter cleaning and handyman services.

Atlanta-based Foreman Seeley Fountain Architecture was recently awarded the prestigious WFX Solomon “Best Church Architect” Award for church facilities seating more than 800 people. The award was for the newly redesigned and expanded CrossPointe Church, located in Madison, Ala.

Atlanta-based startup, PlayNConnect, has launched a new dating iOS application of the same name. Available for free in Apple’s App Store, PlayNConnect allows singles to connect and forge bonds by playing quick, engaging games. Games are designed to shed light on users’ personalities in a fun and lighthearted way.

Westside Market, known for its wide variety of home furnishings, rugs and accessories, has opened a 59,000-square-foot expansion. In addition to adding more merchants, artists and a mix of new and vintage pieces, the retail space now offers a 2,000-square-foot private event space that can host up to 800 people, a 1,500-squarefoot pop-up shop and several home furnishing merchants. The market is located at 1530 Ellsworth Industrial Blvd. For more information, visit westsidemarketatl.com.

PLANNING FOR A WETTER FUTURE

wIn a pile of old papers, I found my father’s rain charts from the 1960s and ‘70s: meticulously-recorded measurements from the rain gauge in our backyard. The numbers tell the weather story of those decades; it was very wet in Atlanta (70-plus inches in one year) and throughout the Southeast.

But the rains of my childhood were steady, soaking events that rarely resulted in topped riverbanks or massive damage. There were not the deluges, with extensive flooding, that we’re now experiencing, thanks to a changing climate and watersheds hardened with roads, rooftops and parking lots.

Kent Frantz also remembers those rainy years and the water that was “always around him,” growing up in Louisville, Ky. These early experiences led him to the Navy where he trained in aerography (the production of

weather charts) and then to a 40-year career with the National Weather Service (NWS) as a senior hydrologist.

Atlanta’s Epic Storm

I recently visited Kent at the NWS Forecast Office in Peachtree City to talk about El Nino (expected to continue bringing abnormally heavy rains this winter) and to learn about the flood inundation maps that his team developed with the Corps of Engineers and U.S. Geological Survey.

After Hurricane Floyd’s devastation of the East Coast in 1999, the NWS created the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service to help emergency managers plan for weatherinduced disasters with new mapping tools to predict the location and extent of flooding

events.

Ten years after Floyd, the Atlanta region experienced a catastrophic flood in September of 2009, the result of multiple days of prolonged (El Nino-induced) rainfall that fell faster than local watersheds could handle. Property damage exceeded $300 million, 20,000 homes and buildings were harmed, and 10 people lost their lives.

At the city’s largest sewage plant – built in a vulnerable, low-lying area along the Chattahoochee in the 1930s – the earthen berm between the river and the facility was topped when the river crested at more than 28 feet. For weeks, the R.M. Clayton plant was submerged under up to 15 feet of water and raw sewage poured into Atlanta’s drinking water source.

Sewage Plant Could Flood Again

In the years following the 2009 flood, the city repaired and upgraded the Clayton plant. Kent and his colleagues completed flood inundation maps to predict future impacts in four developed watersheds in the Atlanta region.

But the berm – the barrier to keep the river out of the plant – was not raised as recommended by federal emergency managers, even after they offered to pay 75 percent of the $772,000 total project cost, according to local news reports. The city’s share would be less than $200,000

to safeguard the sewage plant and the Chattahoochee River.

Last fall, WSB-TV’s Katie Walls asked a city representative, on camera, why action had not been taken to fix the serious problem. The response: “That is a question that we’ve got to leave to the legal experts.” (The city is engaged in litigation with its insurance company over the settlement for the disaster that occurred six years ago).

The weather of the 1960s is not likely to return any time soon, if ever again. Heavier downpours and flooding, already observed, will become increasingly common, according to weather and climate experts.

We can use state-of-the art forecasting tools to prepare for the future by raising berms and keeping development out of lowlying areas. Or we can let lawyers handle the weather and manage our risks.

I know which solution I prefer.

To view the Flood Inundation Maps, see weather.gov/atlanta and click on Rivers/Lakes (National Weather Service) or ga.water.usgs. gov/fim/ (USGS).

Sally Bethea is the retired executive director of Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (chattahoochee.org), a nonprofit environmental organization whose mission is to protect and restore the drinking water supply for nearly four million people.

The epic flood of September 2009 deluged the city of Atlanta’s R.M Clayton sewage treatment plant on the Chattahoochee River with up to 15 feet of water.

Kent Frantz surveys the installation of a water staff gauge at Sweetwater Creek.

Sally Bethea

The Ken Covers Team Ken Covers

M & M Group Mandi Robertson & Michael Gaddy

The Ken Covers Team Ken Covers

David Crutcher

Courage Award Community Service Award Integrity Award

Mandi Robertson

Laurie Nickless

David Crutcher

Lynda Cox

Newcomer (to our office) of the Year Rookie of the Year

Newcomer (to our office) of the Year

Ken Altshuler

Andreas Alsdorf

Nancy Guss Mandi Robertson Michael Gaddy Ashlee Heath Ken Covers Lynda Cox Kellum Smith

HOW CHaRM’ING!

Comprehensive

Women’s Health

Lynley S. Durrett, M.D.

Obiamaka Mora, M.D.

State of the art Pelvic & Bladder Surgeries

Minimally Invasive Hysterectomy

daVinci Robotic Surgery

Bio Identical Hormone Therapy

Services offered

» Incontinence Testing & Treatment

» Abnormal Bleeding Treatment

» Annual Exams & Contraception

» Nutrient Deficiency Screening & Counseling

» Saliva Testing & Pellet Hormone Therapy

» Plus Aesthetic Services

Great News!

For the convenience of our patients, we have a new office location at Northside Hospital Campus. Appointments being accepted now! Call to schedule for either office today: 404-352-2850

Julie Sayers, PA-C

Jessica Guilfoil Killeen, WHNP-BC

Main Office: Piedmont Hospital Campus 105 Collier Rd NW, Suite 1080 Atlanta, GA 30309 404-352-2850

Satellite Office: Northside Hospital Campus 960 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 336 Atlanta, GA 30342 404-352-2850

www.mcdanielanddurrett.com

Recycling center encourages residents to drop off glass products

By Collin Kelley

In response to local recycling companies increasingly rejecting glass materials for recycling, Atlanta City Councilmember Carla Smith is encouraging city residents to take their glass items to The Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM), a citysupported recycling facility located at 1110 Hill St. SE.

CHaRM is open (except holidays) on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., and will accept glass bottles and food-grade glass jars.

It is a permanent drop-off facility that aims to improve environmental health by encouraging reuse and diverting thousands of pounds of household hazardous waste, bulky trash and other hard-to-recycle items from metro Atlanta landfills and water systems.

Created through leglislation drafted by Smith and fellow councilmember Alex Wan, CHaRM’s benefit to residents is that it accepts a wider range of items than typical curbside recycling.

“It’s important that we do our part to free our landfills of nonbiodegradable waste,” Smith said. “A growing number of recyclers in metro Atlanta, to cut costs, are refusing to recycle glass, and opting to take the material to local landfills. That’s greatly disappointing.”

Smith said while recycling properly does cost money, Live Thrive Atlanta, which runs the nonprofit CHaRM,

does welcome donations to continue its environmental mission.

While there has been coverage in the local media that local recyclers are rejecting glass and sending it on to landfills, that is not the case at CHaRM, according to executive director Peggy Whitlow Ratcliffe.

“Strategic Materials, located in southwest Atlanta, is our processor and is happy to support CHaRM,” said Ratcliffe, “We are already bringing additional containers to the center to receive Atlanta’s glass recyclables.”

Recyclers have cited increased costs for sorting mixed recyclables and have opted for a less environmentally friendly route. According to reports, recycling companies don’t want the extra cost and hassle of separating glass from other recyclables, so they are sending it on to landfills.

A complete list of the wide range of items that CHaRM will accept can be found at livethrive.org/charm/itemsaccepted/.

CHaRM will hold its its inaugural fundraiser, A CHaRM’ing Evening, on Thursday, March, 10, at Piedmont Park’s Greystone building. Yacht Rock Review will perform, and there will be fare and cocktails from Atlanta restaurants. Leading up to and during the event, CHaRM will sell raffle tickets to win a 2016 BMW i3 electric car from Global Imports. Raffle tickets are $100 each, while event tickets are $50 per person and available at livethrive.org.

Volunteers show off their CHaRM T-shirts at the special recycling center, which accepts hard-torecycle materials including glass, tires, electronics and more.

What to do with your boo on Valentine’s Day

Love Atlanta Style

By Collin Kelley

If you’re looking for something to do with your significant other or family on Valentine’s Day weekend, we’ve rounded up some romantic – and unique and fun, and delicious – ideas for you to try.

Dining Out

Many of Atlanta’s restaurants will be offering Valentine’s weekend special menus, so be sure to check OpenTable. com for what’s on the menu. Some suggestions: White Oak Kitchen & Cocktails, JCT Kitchen and Bar, One Midtown Kitchen, Babette’s Café and Makan in Decatur.

love songs and duets. Concert dates are Feb. 12, 13 and 14. On Feb. 14, “Be Mine – A Free Family Concert” will celebrate young romance in classical music with selections from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Romeo & Juliet,” “Carmen” and “La Bohème,” among others. For tickets and details, visit atlantasymphony.org.

Emory Jazz Fest

The Gary Motley Trio will be playing Feb. 13 at 8 p.m. at the Schwartz Center on campus, part of the ongoing Jazz Fest. The trio will be joined by the Emory Big Band and Emory University Symphony Orchestra Strings. For more information and tickets, visit arts.emory.edu.

Oakland’s Victorian garden cemetery as guides recount the loves, lives and losses of Atlantans of days past. “Love Stories of Oakland” also examines the symbolism of love and devotion found on monuments, headstones and mausoleums throughout the grounds. Hour-long tours available at 3 p.m., 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Feb. 13 and 14. For tickets and information, visit oaklandcemetery.com.

Dad’s Garage Theatre Company

If you haven’t checked out Dad’s new

Don’t Forget the Gift

home in the Old Fourth Ward, this Valentine’s Day show might be just the ticket. A special night of improv will be held Feb. 13 at 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Comedians will take stories from the audience to create scenes about love. For tickets and information, visit dadsgarage.com.

Philips Arena

If your love life is a circus, then take that metaphor and make it a reality by taking your sweetheart to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. There will be shows at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., so it’s good for all ages, too. For tickets and information, visit philipsarena.com.

Fox Theatre

Celebrate

Valentine’s Day by enjoying cocktails, dancing and desserts in the romantic setting of the Midtown garden, where fragrant orchids set a romantic mood with an exotic backdrop. “Valentines in the Garden” is set for 7 to 11 p.m. on Feb. 13, with decadent chocolates and other scrumptious sweets, while guests sip cocktails from cash bars, dance to live entertainment and explore Orchid Daze by night. There will also be a chance to renew your wedding vows and have your picture made at the Kiss Me Arch photo booth. For tickets and information, visit atlantabg.org.

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

The ASO will host two Valentine’s Day-themed concerts, including one for the whole family. “A Valentine’s Romance” will feature jazz guitarist and bandleader John Pizzerelli with an evening of

The Fabulous Fox in Midtown is hosting its 10th annual Valentine’s Day Celebration in the Egyptian Ballroom. This year you’ll be able to get your groove on courtesy of El Debarge and Ken Ford. For tickets and information, visit foxtheatre.org.

Oakland Cemetery

Perfect for lovers, families and friends, “Love Stories of Oakland” will be a decidedly different place to take your sweetie for Valentine’s Day. There will be more than 25 tour stops through

Pop by French Market Flowers (frenchmarketflowers.com) at Krog Street Market in Inman Park for a beautiful bouquet or pick up some sinfully delicious chocolate at Cacao (cacaoatlanta.com) at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta. Or maybe a shopping spree at Ponce City Market (poncecitymarket.com) might be just the ticket.

Atlanta Botanical Garden

Vaentine’s in the Garden

John Pizzarelli

ALL THAT JAZZ

WCLK 91.9 is one of the longest-running jazz stations in the world

By Shandra Hill Smith

As “Atlanta’s Jazz Station,” Jazz 91.9 WCLK gears up for its Feb. 17 special listener engagement kickoff mixer, followed by a March membership campaign, the station also looks back on another event that holds even more meaning these days. For its 41st anniversary benefit show last June, WCLK hosted the late Natalie Cole, the legendary songstress who died within months of the concert on New Year’s Eve 2015.

“We were so thrilled we could actually get her after she’d slowed down from performing,” says Wendy Williams, general manager for WCLK. “Her performance was just so exquisite and she was just regal in her presence. She was able to sing and hit every note like she’d always done.”

For its listener engagement kickoff, WCLK will feature jazz keyboardist Marcus Johnson before launching its spring membership campaign from March 9 to 20. During those dates, new and renewing members will have a chance to take part in a pledge drive by donating online at WCLK.com or calling in to the station.

This all falls on the heels of the station launching new weekend programming in January, with its contemporary jazz on Saturdays and a focus more on mainstream jazz on Sundays.

A station credited with introducing and helping grow the careers of local and national artists, WCLK introduced Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and actress India.Arie, vocalists Lizz Wright and Greg Porter, and musician Kamasi Washington to the Atlanta market before they saw the releases of their CDs.

In April 1974, WCLK began transmitting at 54 watts as a student training laboratory at the then Clark College, now Clark Atlanta University. Today it is one of the longest-running jazz stations in the world, with 24 hours of mainstream jazz on 91.9 FM and streaming via WCLK.com.

The nonprofit station that provides training opportunities for students majoring in mass media arts credits much of its longevity to the long-term support of listeners. It’s those listeners that WCLK counts on for support through individual donations, sustaining memberships, employee match gift programs, car donations and more, with 60 percent of WCLK’s funding from private sector support – listeners and underwriters of events.

“Those listeners turned their

listenership into membership during fundraiser campaigns and continue to support the station in some way to this day,” says Debb Moore, who has been with WCLK for 25 years and is the host of Jazz at Sundown from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. weeknights. She also hosts Sunday Jazz Suite from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Still, WCLK reached a point where its listenership had become a bit stagnant – leading the station to conduct market testing to poll its listeners. Listenership, says Williams, “wasn’t growing. That also meant that our funding base was not growing. We really had to look at that and say ‘Where do we need to be?’”

One thing was certain: The station would stick to a jazz format, what Williams describes as an underserved format. Listening to its audience, WCLK began to serve up contemporary, smooth and neo soul sounds. The increase in listenership, including among males and more diverse audiences, Williams says, was instant.

The station’s presence grew when, in 2012, it relocated its antenna from Clark Atlanta to American Tower, a commercial tower in Downtown. While the move didn’t increase the station’s wattage, it did allow WCLK “to go up higher on the FM tower.”

“By going up higher on the FM tower, that gave us a more omni-directional signal around the city; that’s what makes it appear as if we’ve increased our wattage,” says Williams.

On the CAU campus’ AM tower, WCLK was 250 feet up, while now it is 500 feet on the 1,000-foot commercial tower where it relocated.

“That significantly improved our listenership,” adds Williams, who has been with the station 21 years. “We went from being able to reach 1.2 million people within our signal coverage to now 2.4 million within our signal coverage.”

Listeners have the option of tuning in to programming hosted by seven parttime on-air announcers. Additionally, in partnership with CAU’s Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development, WCLK produces and airs a monthly live radio call-in show, “Your Health Connection,” hosted by JaQuitta Williams and featuring the center’s groundbreaking research in prostate cancer as well as a spotlight on health disparities.

In partnership with Verizon Wireless, the station produces the monthly call-in show “Heart to Heart with Dr. Tartt” that focuses on domestic violence prevention and ways to create healthy relationships.

Continued on page 30

PostSecret: The Show

“The level of engagement in the theatre was intense; the response was overwhelming.”

–Vancouver Globe and Mail

Saturday, February 6, 8:00 pm

Mature content, not recommended for children

Cyrille Aimée

“Astonishingly creative…with a brilliant sound, fresh ideas, impeccable rhythm and an overall approach that honors tradition without being shackled to the past.” –The Wall Street Journal

Saturday, February 20, 8:00 pm

Okwui Okpokwasili

Bronx Gothic

“In a voice that can be confiding or terrifying, and movement that can be ugly or sinuous, she holds the show together, lending her story unexpected emotional and physical contours.” –The New York Times

Thursday, February 25, 7:30 pm

Friday, February 26, 8:00 pm

Saturday, February 27, 8:00 pm

Call now for tickets!

Announcer Rivablue, left, talks with Dr. Bernice King during a live remote from the King Center.

ALL THAT JAZZ

Continued from previous page

Weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., listeners can tune in to Morris Baxter for “Morning Jazz,” through which Baxter aims to offer morning motivations. Those motivational words stem from his personal experience of unemployment following at least a decade in radio, and taking temporary work in the mortgage industry while his wife was pregnant with their now 10-year-old daughter, until he was able to return to radio.

“When you stay in the divine flow, I learned that you will reach your divine potential,” says Baxter. “Your passion is your purpose. Once you discover your passion, you know what your purpose is, and it makes it easier to concentrate on what it is you’re really supposed to be doing.”

Over the years, WCLK has managed to figure out its direction by keeping its eyes focused on ways to stay relevant, according to Williams. That’s particularly important considering the advent of satellite radio, an increase in syndicated programming, plus the popularity of technological gadgets such as iPods and iPads — all making it more challenging to reach younger audiences.

“You really are vying for your listener now when you recognize that people have more choices,” says Williams.

Showing up “wherever people might listen” and serving listeners what they want, she adds, is vital.

“We show up at festivals. We show

THEYBEFOREMOVE! SPRINGRUG SALE

up to host events. People come in here to pick up their concert tickets that they win on the air every day, and we’re able to shake their hands. They get to know us. They get to know the hosts. That’s like having a one-on-one relationship. And I think that’s been our blessing, even though we’ve had to evolve and we’ve had to change, too.”

To take part in WCLK’s pledge drive, call 404-880-8807 or donate safely and securely online at WCLK.com. The Feb. 17 listener engagement campaign kickoff will take place at 6 p.m. at LOFT at Castleberry Hill, 170 Northside Drive SW in Atlanta.

Morris Baxter, Morning Jazz announcer, left, chats with Rev. Jesse Jackson.

From left, WCLK General Manager Wendy Williams, announcer Debb Moore and actress Crystal Fox.

Fulton Commission Chairman John Eaves, the late Natalie Cole, center, and a guest at the Jazz 91.9 2015 Spring Benefit Concert.

Announcer Rivablue with pianist William Green.

It’s time to say goodbye to endless aisles of boxed carbs and sugary snacks. Instead, say hello to farm-fresh produce, quality meats and seafood, a wide variety of vitamins and supplements and a healthy selection of good-for-you groceries, all at great-for-you prices. It’s healthy living for less!®

Wednesday, February 3rd at 7am

The first 200 customers in line will receive 20% off their purchase.

1 FREE reusable bag with purchase, while supplies last.

At checkout, every 15th shopper will receive a coupon booklet with exclusive Sprouts savings!

FREE tastings and surprise giveaways throughout the day. Save big with $1 deals throughout the store.

Saturday, February 6th

The first 200 customers to make a purchase will receive a coupon booklet for 5 FREE sandwiches.

Sunday, February 7th

Upon checkout, every 15th customer will receive a $5 off $15 coupon valid toward their next Sprouts purchase.

Your family’s most comprehensive online guide to arts and cultural entertainment. Visit AtlantaPlanIt.com for more upcoming events.

Between the Sweet Water and the Swarm of Bees: Works by Susanne Wenger: The Carlos Museum presents screen prints and a waxbatik by Susanne Wenger, who lived and worked in Nigeria for nearly 60 years. Tuesday through Sunday. $6 to $8. carlos.emory.edu

Visual Arts

Orchid Daze: This annual orchid showcase explores the many ways these vibrantly colored plants grow on trunks, branches and the stems of other plants. Opens Feb. 13. $12.95 to $18.95. atlantabg.org

Dark of the Moon: Through amorphous forms the hidden mysteries of dream worlds, the unknown, the unconscious and the human psyche are examined in these works by Zipporah Thompson. Closes Feb. 13. Free. whitespace814.com

Basquiat: The Unknown Notebooks: These rare notebooks, presented along with 30 related paintings, drawings and mixed media works, offer an intimate look at the life of influential contemporary artist JeanMichel Basquiat. Opens Feb. 28. $12 to $19.50. high.org

Make-Believe America: This exhibition explores the height of U.S. cultural exhibitions (1955-1975) and demonstrates the ways in which design was used as a persuasive force. Opens Feb. 28. $5 to $10. museumofdesign.org

Black Chronicles II: This exhibit at Spelman College features newly discovered photographs that document the presence of black subjects in late 19th century Britain. Tuesday through Saturday. $3. spelman.edu

Nuido, The Way of Embroidery: Visit the Oglethorpe University Museum of Art to see wall hangings, obis, kimonos and other beautifully embroidered objects created by the Japanese Embroidery Center. Tuesday through Sunday. $5. museum.oglethorpe. edu

Places & Spaces: Mapping Science: This exhibit at the David J. Sencer CDC Museum demonstrates the power of maps to address vital questions about the contours and content of human knowledge. Monday through Friday. Free. cdc.gov/museum

Daniel Lismore Exhibit: Be Yourself; Everyone Else is Already Taken: SCAD Atlanta presents the first U.S. exhibition of London-based artist, stylist and designer Daniel Lismore, whose distinctive, flamboyant style has earned him the title “London’s Most

Outrageous Dresser” by Vogue. Tuesday through Sunday. $5 to $10. scadfash.org

Performing Arts

Disney’s Beauty And The Beast: This play depicts the classic story of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped in a spell placed by an enchantress. Feb. 2 through 7. $30 to $125. foxtheatre.org

The Missing Generation: In this dance and theater event, Sean Dorsey Dance presents a “love letter” to those who witnessed the loss of part of an entire generation of gay and transgender people to AIDS in the 1980s and ‘90s. Feb. 4 through 7. $22.50. 7stages.org

Moulin Rouge - The Ballet: Get up close and personal with the bohemian world of Paris in its heyday and the spiritual birthplace of the Cancan – Moulin Rouge in this performance by Atlanta Ballet. Feb. 5 through 13. $20 to $127 atlantaballet.com

PostSecret: The Show: With the assistance of projected images and video, three actors guide the audience through stories sourced from over a million anonymous and artful secrets mailed on postcards. Feb. 6. $25 to $35. arts.gatech. edu/ferstcenter

Romeo and Juliet: Join Atlanta Shakespeare Company for their 16th anniversary of performing this play about young lovers, feuding families and one Friar with good intentions. Feb. 6 through 28. $15 to $36. shakespearetavern. com

American Buffalo: an urban junk shop, three small-time crooks make plans to rob a man of his coin collection, including what they believe to be an extremely valuable “Buffalo nickel” in this play by True Colors Theatre Company. Opens Feb. 9. $20 to $50. truecolorstheatre.org

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Visit the Fox Theatre to see this dance company that brings African-American cultural expression and the American modern dance tradition to the world. Feb. 10 through 14. $21.50 to $66.50. foxtheatre. org

Emory Jazz Fest 2016:

Cohen with Gary Motley Trio: Clarinetistsaxophonist Anat Cohen joins the Gary Motley Trio in concert on Friday night of Emory Jazz Fest 2016. Feb. 12. $25. arts. emory.edu

A Valentine’s Romance: Jazz guitarist and bandleader John Pizzarelli joins the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in an evening of love songs and duets. Feb. 12 through 14. $20 to $65. atlantasymphony.org

Fancy Nancy The Musical: Follow Fancy Nancy and her best friend Bree as they prepare for their school’s ballet production in this play based on the books written by Jane O’Connor. Opens Feb. 19. $15 to $30. synchrotheatre.com

An Evening with Vince Gill & Lyle Lovett: The always witty Vince Gill and the reliably wry Lyle Lovett reunite for a 13-city tour that brings them to the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Feb. 20. $42 to $146. cobbenergycentre.com

Born for This: The BeBe Winans Story: Alliance Theatre presents the story of BeBe and CeCe Winans who encounter fame and fortune in a heart-warming tale of a journey toward self-discovery. Closes Feb. 21. $20 to $68. alliancetheatre.org

The Secret Garden: Using handcarved marionettes, puppeteer David Simpich brings Frances Hodgson Burnett’s famous British novel to the stage. Feb. 23 through 28. $25. centerforpuppetryarts. com

Experience Hendrix Tour: Now in its second decade, this tour celebrates the musical genius of Jimi Hendrix by bringing together a diverse array of extraordinary musicians, including Buddy Guy and Keb’ Mo’. Feb. 27. $36.50 to $66.50. foxtheatre. org

The Demon Barber of Fleet Street: A wronged barber escapes from prison, returning to his native London to exact revenge on the corrupt judge who unjustly imprisoned him and stole his wife and child in this play. Closes Feb. 28. $21 to $40. actors-express.com

Set in Anat

Orchid Daze

Susanne Wenger

Alvin Ailey

Buddy Guy - Experience Hendrix

Exhibit highlights Atlanta in 50 Objects

By Joe Earle

Familiar sights crowd the new exhibit at the Atlanta History Center.

Georgia Tech’s Ramblin’ Wreck holds center stage. A billboard-ready Chick-fil-A cow protests in one corner. A few feet away, a Varsity carhop’s tray hangs from a door of a ’63 Plymouth Valiant.

It’s no surprise that the items in this particular museum show seem familiar. They’re all part of Atlanta. Each was chosen to represent some important feature of the city, the exhibit’s curators say. The exhibit, “Atlanta in 50 Objects,” which opened Jan. 16 and is to be on display through July 10, is intended to show, in its own way, what makes Atlanta Atlanta.

below, is one

“I think my favorite thing is the show opened, as she and History manuscript.”

King manuscript,” guest curator Amy Wilson said on the day before the show opened, as she and History Center Exhibitions Director Don Rooney made last-minute tweaks to the exhibit. She pointed toward a case holding a series of handwritten pages from a yellow legal pad on which the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. had written the acceptance speech for his 1964 Nobel Prize. “It’s the original manuscript.”

Wilson and Rooney started 2014. The original idea behind the shows and books, such as “The in 101 Objects.” The History Center

work on the project in November 2014. The original idea behind the exhibit – gathering objects that represent important themes or events in history – had been used in a few other high-profile museum shows and books, such as “The Smithsonian’s History of America in 101 Objects.” The History Center wanted to add another element to their show. They wanted to let Atlantans pick what should be included.

“We turned it over to Atlanta,”

Rooney said.

The curators solicited ideas online built a database of 200 to 300 ideas who gave us these suggestions had share the authority. The authorship of List of subjects in hand, Wilson and Rooney set to work finding the objects

and through a suggestion box at the center. Wilson and Rooney said they built a database of 200 to 300 ideas and let the most-nominated notions rise to the top of the list. “The folks who gave us these suggestions had more knowledge on these subjects than we did,” Rooney said. “I think museums have evolved to realize they have to share the authority. The authorship of this exhibit was the public.”

Rooney set to work finding the objects to illustrate the various subjects. It made quite an eclectic collection.

What made the cut? A 1996 Olympic

What made the cut? A 1996 Olympic

torch and a classic Coke bottle, a mockup of Hartsfield-Jackson

for a Delta Air Lines stewardess, a

torch and a classic Coke bottle, a mockup of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport’s train-tothe-planes and a 1960s uniform for a Delta Air Lines stewardess, a model of downtown from architect John Portman’s offices showing the buildings he’d designed and developed, a World Series ring from the late broadcaster Skip Carey, a figure of a dying soldier from the Cyclorama, the bat Hank Aaron used to hit his 600th homer, a T-shirt from the Peachtree Road Race, a Centers for Disease Control microscope, Atlanta Constitution Editor Ralph McGill’s Presidential Medal of Freedom, a Time magazine naming Ted Turner “Man of the Year.”

Rooney said the curators couldn’t get everything they wanted into the display. They asked for an original typescript of “Gone With The Wind,” but that had to remain in a vault. At one point he thought it would be a good idea to include the cockpit from a Delta airplane, but decided it was just too big

magazine naming Ted Turner “Man of Rooney said the curators couldn’t get everything they wanted into the display. They asked for an original typescript of “Gone With The Wind,” but that had to remain in a vault. At one point he thought it would be a good idea to include the cockpit from a Delta to fit.

exhibit hall. A mold of the Atlanta Zoo’s

movie-making business is illustrated through a signature sword one character

Still, some off-beat surprises did manage to show up in the crowded exhibit hall. A mold of the Atlanta Zoo’s favorite gorilla, the late Willie B., has his handprints displayed near a car from Priscilla the Pink Pig, the children’s ride that once graced Rich’s downtown department store. Along with a display about the civil rights movement is an ax handle signed by segregationist Georgia Gov. Lester Maddox. The rise of the movie-making business is illustrated through a signature sword one character uses to lop the heads off zombies in “The Walking Dead.”

“The Walking Dead.”

What does the exhibit say about Atlanta? “It’s a very diverse place,” Wilson said.

JOE EARLE

Guest curator Amy Wilson, left, and Atlanta History Center Exhibitions Director Don Rooney, right, began planning for the “Atlanta in 50 Objects” show in 2014. Michonne’s sword from “The Walking Dead,”

of the objects.

Love Bites

Restaurants perfect for couples, friends or singles on Valentine’s Day

By Isadora Pennington

Love is in the air, and at many local restaurants it’s also on the menu. Valentine’s Day is this month, so I figured it was high time that we feature some of my favorite romantic date night spots. While I’m often more comfortable eating wings in a dive bar with friends or ordering delivery from my couch in my pjs, there’s something to be said for getting dolled up and hitting the town with the one I love.

What’s the recipe for a perfect date night outing? In my book, it’s a semi-formal restaurant usually nestled in a residential neighborhood. A good date spot has charm, romantic aesthetics (hello candlelit tables –tough for photographs, but oh so perfect for gazing into your loved one’s eyes), delicious cocktails and dishes that can be shared during heartfelt conversations.

Singles, please don’t despair. These restaurants are also wonderful outings for a friend date or a place to go and treat yourself. Everybody deserves a

You can check out the photos of my

experience below, and call now to make

Meghan Royale and Secret Girlfriend paired with a cheese plate. The Luminary, 99 Krog St., Suite Y. (404) 600-6199, theluminaryatl.com.

Warm fudge tart with dark chocolate gelato paired with Gustav Lorentz Rose.

Wisteria Restuarant, 471 N. Highland Ave. NE, (404) 525-3363, wisteria-atlanta.com.

PHOTOS BY ISADORA PENNINGTON

Cheese plate paired with Berlucchi Rose and Bell’s Two Hearted IPA. No. 246, 129 E. Ponce De Leon Ave., Decatur. (678)399-8246, no246.com.

Tomato Montrachet with cocktails The Ronnie and The Bergamot. Carroll Street Cafe, 208 Carroll St. (404) 577-2700, carrollstreetcabbagetown.com.

Almond & walnut dessert tartine withh honeyed goat cheese and cocktails Love Drunk (tall glass) and Red Herring (short glass). One Eared Stag, 1029 Edgewood Ave. NE, (404) 525-4479, oneearedstagatl.com.

By Megan Volpert

The secret of Himitsu’s success

Friends, prepare to part with your money. Himitsu belongs in New York and I’m glad to find it in Atlanta – a city whose finest chefs have been beleaguered by its second-class status in national round-ups of cuisine. The Itos, that sushi master and pastry chef power couple of Fuyuhiko and Lisa Matsuoka, are raising their game from the lovely work they do at Umi to Umi’s little sister restaurant, this perfect new hotspot nestled in a disguised location in Buckhead.

Himitsu means “secret,” after all. You have to find the email address needed to request a reservation. They email you back a confirmation, and then two hours before your reservation, you receive a keypad code. Use Umi’s valet, but you’re not going to Umi. Turn a few corners to find the fake storefront, enter your keypad code, then greet your gatekeeper to the dining room.

The dining room is on two levels and seats about 80 people. Himitsu’s ambience is about finely blended combinations of light and shadow, from the stunning gorgeousness of its orange blown glass chandelier hanging eye level with the balcony tables to the subtlety of the yellow tones in the superbly backlit bar. The bar is the star of the first floor – or the baller corner table with a velvet bench for three is the star or the golden votive holder with precisely geometric laser cut-outs is the star, or the very many kinds of unique barware and stemware are the star.

This place has ambience to spare, right down to the sparse, soft electronica piping in from hidden speakers and the giant Todd Murphy mural, “King of the Birds.” Everything here is nice to look at – brilliant, edgy, sophisticated. Go with somebody you want to impress, whether for romance or signing contracts. Go to celebrate when you finally get that promotion. Go if you already like the food at Umi and would gladly pay a little bit extra for the awesome atmosphere.

Right now, most of the Himitsu menu is drawn from Umi’s menu. This is understandable. Himitsu is the type of place where management thinks just as

much about design and service as it does about food, and they are taking their time to get each element right. By the time you’re making reservations for Valentine’s Day, they’ll be ready to show you the menu on an iPad – little bursts of digital starshine lighting up the face of the film star at your neighboring table.

So let us remember that Umi’s menu is totally great. At Himitsu, you can find some of the “sushi boxes,” which are not bentos but sushi rolls that are pressed into squares. They don’t have seaweed holding them together. The missing seaweed makes everything a bit sweeter and creamier, and the unusual sushi shape delivers ingredients in a fresh, more balanced way for the palate to consider. Don’t forget to order the avocado salad. Is it really just a half avocado with a pit dent full of wasabi vinaigrette? Yes and no. Technically, yes. But they could bottle that wasabi vinaigrette and retire next year on the windfall. You can also just go for drinks and dessert. We got five fluffy profiteroles piled like something out of The Grand Budapest Hotel, each filled with an individually icy gem of black sesame, yuzu, ginger, green tea or five spice. Wow, the five spice – a perfect wintry mix of warm and mysterious. The mille-feuille was also manna from heaven, with its two layers of chocolate between an infinitude of paperthin French pastry slices and layers of cream, miles beyond a good tiramisu. Plan to order two different cocktails. I’m not worried about which ones – this selection of divinely balanced cocktails is the work of Shingo Gokan, who performed similar magic at legendary NYC speakeasy Angel’s Share in NYC. Himitsu is the lovechild of a restaurant development dream team, and it shows in the every detail. Sure, it’s pricey, but consider Himitsu as a brief staycation in the land of elite privilege for moments when decent sushi alone is simply not enough.

Megan Volpert lives in Decatur, teaches in Roswell and writes books about popular culture.

Mille-feuille

Avocado Salad

MORE NEW EATS

A follow up roundup of new Intown restaurants

By Collin Kelley

In the January edition, we did a big feature on new restaurants opening or coming soon. Since we were preparing that issue in early December, we missed some stuff – and you let us know about it. So, even more new eats for the new year. Dig in!

AMER

At press time, this cocktail bar from the creators of Bocado, was expected to open mid-February at the Inman Quarter development, 299 N. Highland Ave. Amer, which translates to “bitter” in French, will have a drink menu focused on bitters and Italian Amari. There will also be small plates and bar snacks. Information: ameratlanta.com.

Ama

Chefs Angus Brown and Nhan Le, formerly of Lusca, will open this small seadfood restaurant at Paris on Ponce, 716 Ponce de Leon Place, in VirginiaHighland.

spring at Powers Ferry Square. Information: bonglaze.com.

Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit

The famed Charleston, SC biscuitmaker has branched out to VirginiaHighland, 1004 N. Highland Ave., and taking hot and buttered to a whole new level. From pimento cheese to fried chicken and breakfast variations galore, the shop is also open for lunch and late night treats. Information: facebook.com/ callieshotlittlebiscuitatlanta.

Char Korean Bar & Grill

Char could be serving up Korean barbecue, spicy noodles, pork belly and other favorites at Inman Quarter, 280 Elizabeth St., by the time you read this. Information: charatlanta.com.

City Winery

This wine bar, restaurant and music venue will open next door to Dancing Goats Coffee at Ponce City Market this spring. While wine will be the main attraction, expect a Mediterranean menu with Italian, French and Greek flavors. Informationa: citywinery.com/atlanta.

Hampton + Hudson

The creators of GRAIN and Cypress Street are also moving into Inman Quarter any second now, serving up pub food, beer and cocktails. Information: hamptonandhudson.com.

Callies Hot Little Biscuit

Biltong Bar

Restaurateur Justin Anthony (Cape Dutch on Cheshire Bridge Road) has just opened Biltong Bar at Ponce City Market. The South African-flavored spot in the Central Food Hall offers counter service with beef jerky and other special meats, salads, craft beer, wine and cocktails. Information: biltong-bar.com.

Brush Sushi Izakaya

Jason Liang’s new Decatur restaurant, 316 Church St., will offer up traditional Japanese sushi-ya and more when it opens this month. Information: brushatl. com.

Bon Glaze Buckhead

A box of these jewel-like gourmet doughnuts was dropped off at the INtown office and gone in seconds. There is already a location at Brookleigh Market in Brookhaven and the Buckhead location will open this

Biltong Bar

JP Atlanta Architect John Portman’s signature restaurant is open at his reimagined Peachtree Center building in Downtown, 230 Peachtree St., offering up new American cuisine in a futuristic space. Information: portman230/jp-atlanta.com

The Mercury

Brooks Cloud, Julian Goglia and Mike Blydenstein – the team behind The Pinewood in Decatur and Proof Old Fashioned Cocktail Syrups – has opened The Mercury, a cocktailfocused, classic eatery, at Ponce

Ward this spring. Information: Nextoatl. com.

South City Kitchen and Ecco Buckhead Fifth Group Restaurants is planning two new Buckhead outposts of its popular restaurants. South City Kitchen (modern Southern cuisine) will open at Capital City Plaza soon, while Ecco (seasonal European cuisine) is expected to open at Phipps Plaza in mid-2017. Information: fifthgroup.com.

Ton Ton

Guy Wong’s Japanese ramen, yakitori and sushi spot at Ponce City Market is set to open in the spring. Information: poncecitymarket.com.

Urban pL8

The paleo-centric stall at Krog Street Market in Inman Park is serving up prepared salads and sandwiches, along with a selection of daily specials, weekend brunch and gluten-free menu items. Information: urbanpl8.com.

Waffle House - Decatur

Located underneath Eddie’s Attic at 515 N. McDonough St., you can get your scattered, smothered and covered groove on 24 hours day on the courthouse square.

Mike Blydenstein’s menu has a ‘60s with items like crab bouillets, lobster fritters, TheMercuryATL.

American City Market. Executive Chef retro twist prime rib and much more. Information: com.

Nexto for her ramen open her ramen concept at 822

Chef Mihoko Obunai, known pop-ups around the country, will

Ralph McGill Blvd., in the Old Fourth

Quick Bites

Award-winning Bacchanalia restaurant has changed its menu format from the five course pre-fixe structure to a la carte ordering across the board. The menu offerings will remain familiar (caviar and oysters, crab fritters, seared foie gras and the cheese cart), but allow for more customization in ordering and larger portions. The change comes with the appointment of Executive Chef Joe Schafer, formerly of Abattoir, who was appointed to lead the Bacchanalia team. Another change for fans of the Anne Quatrano-Cliff Harrison run eateries is at Star Provisions, which is now opening at 8 a.m. for breakfast. Menu items include breakfast sandwiches, frittatas, tarts, bagels, sausage biscuits, omlettes and croissants. The counter at Star Provisions will close slightly earlier at 6 p.m., with meat and cheese departments open until 7 p.m. The bakery will continue service as before, until midnight. For information on both of the Westside eateries, visit starprovisions.com.

Metro Atlanta Kroger customers and associates contributed more than $406,000 in just six weeks to Kroger’s 2015 Can Hunger campaign and an additional $91,000 to a second initiative benefitting the Atlanta Community Food Bank. From Nov. 15 – Dec. 24, Kroger customers supported the annual Can Hunger campaign by purchasing $1, $3 and $5 icons. Each icon purchased benefitted Feeding America food banks and helped to provide food to local families in need.

Radio Roasters Coffee in Decatur is a new small batch coffee roaster, sourcing and roasting single-origin coffee. Local restaurants serving up the coffee include Victory Sandwich Bar (Decatur and Inman Park), Pine Street Market, Strippaggio and Sq/Ft Decatur. The company will also deliver freshly roasted coffee in the city of Decatur. For more information, visit radioroasters.com.

Inman Park restaurant Sotto Sotto has been named one of the “Best Italian Restaurants in America” by “Time Out New York” magazine. The publication cited the Atlanta dining favorite for its chic décor, wine list, acqua pazza and gelato.

Home

Real Estate

Westside Resurgence Architect Jerry Spangler talks about renaissance of community

By Julie Herron Carson

Witnessing

meat processing industries, and for decades remained a somewhat gritty industrial district characterized by warehouses, processing plants, industrial buildings and food storage facilities. But now, Atlanta’s Westside “is quickly becoming a pedestrian-friendly community featuring a diverse and eclectic blend of exclusive dining establishments, specialty shops, professional firms and unique, cutting-

edge residences,” according to the West Midtown Business Alliance. What distinguishes this community’s redevelopment from that of neighboring areas is the creative adaptive redesign of many of the existing structures. Business owners, developers and architects are preserving the characteristics of this once working-class neighborhood by repurposing industrial buildings into shops, restaurants, residences and even churches. Some business leaders have compared Westside’s resurgence to that of New York City’s meatpacking district.

Jerry Spangler, director of architecture at TSW, a Midtown-based architecture, planning and landscape architecture firm, is one of the visionaries helping to transform Atlanta’s Westside. As a Westside resident, he understands the balance required to maintain the community’s historical context, while creating a hip, urban destination where people want to live, work, shop, dine and play. He and his firm have been involved in a number of Westside design projects recently, including a brewery, cidery, gun shop and firing range, and a church.

“It’s exciting to work with the entrepreneurs who believe Westside’s energy and vibe make it the perfect location for their businesses,” said Spangler. “In almost every case, these are creative, driven business owners who are passionate about what they do, and have strong ideas about how they want their buildings to look and function. Our Westside design projects have all been collaborative processes with the owners, where we have shared ideas and worked as a team to repurpose and bring new life back into several unique industrial buildings.”

TSW has worked or is working with a number of businesses and property owners to find and adapt space, including Monday Night Brewing, Stoddard’s Range and Guns, Trinity Anglican Mission Church and

Urban Tree Cidery.

Repurposing old buildings is an environmentally friendly, sustainable endeavor that preserves the architectural character and historical context of a community, but there are a number of factors to consider before undertaking a project of this nature, advises Spangler.

First, he would strongly advise any entrepreneur to work with his or her architect or engineering group to conduct a thorough examination of all building structures and systems to determine their viability prior to purchase or lease. It’s crucial to know in advance what works and what doesn’t, from electrical and plumbing to floors, walls and roofs. Is the building sound? What utilities serve this building?

Because most industrial buildings are located within municipalities, redevelopment and usage are subject to zoning codes, parking requirements and other regulations. Spangler says the redevelopment team must carefully research all of the applicable codes and restrictions before undertaking a repurposing project.

His advice to other architects is to recognize that many business owners who take on a repurposing project are passionate about their vision and want to be hands-on throughout the process. They expect to be listened to and included in the design process.

“Part of the inherent value of these old buildings is the character of the space,” Spangler said. “It’s this very quality and richness that probably attracted the entrepreneur in the first place.”

Monday Night Brewing Stoddard’s Range & Guns

Trinity Church rendering

Real Estate Briefs

The Atlanta BeltLine’s Eastside Trail will get its first hotel, which will be built on a swath of land in the Old Fourth Ward just across the street from Irwin Street Market. According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, the 140-room hotel with rooftop bar, retail and restaurant space will be modeled on architecture surrounding the High Line in New York City. Guests will be just steps away from Krog Street Market, Studioplex and the Highland Avenue corridor full of restaurants and shops. Groundbreaking is expected this spring.

A treehouse in Buckhead has been named Number 1 on Airbnb’s wish list of most wanted properties. Listed as “Secluded Intown Treehouse,” the property features three connected treehouse rooms “set amongst lush greenery.” The list also says “each structure is beautifully furnished with antiques, natural artifacts and the sounds of nature around you.” The price: $350 per night.

The General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church will move from New York City to a new home in Atlanta – Grace United Methodist Church at 458 Ponce de Leon Avenue. The move includes the relocation of 150 employees, construction of a new Center for Mission Innovation and a new training facility. The North building, where office and meeting space will be located, is currently registered with the U.S. Green Building Council and is designated for LEED Gold certification. LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices. Building upgrades will include a significantly more energy efficient building with high-performance glass, added fresh-air systems, water-efficient plumbing fixtures and a photovoltaic solar array. In addition to the energy features, the project will include recycled and low-emitting materials to improve indoor air quality. The William I.H. and Lula E. Pitts Foundation has awarded Global Ministries a $500,000 grant in support of GBGM’s establishment of its new home in Atlanta.

Harry Norman, Realtors chose the Atlanta History Center as the venue for its 85th Anniversary Celebration. Company President and CEO Dan Parmer arranged the donation to the History Center of large jardinières of year-round green plantings to be presented for the main entrance area, where guests gathered for the cocktail reception. To commemorate the anniversary, a gift to the community, a check of over $46,000, was contributed to CURE Childhood Cancer. Guests at the event were Harry (“Dave”) Norman III and his sister Anne Norman Fuller, children of the late company President Harry Norman and grandchildren of the founder, Mrs. Harry Norman, Sr., known to all as “Miss Emmie.”

The Zac Team at RE/MAX Metro Atlanta CitySide has earned the service industry’s coveted Angie’s List Super Service Award, reflecting an exemplary year of real estate service provided to members of the local services marketplace and consumer review site in 2015.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices will expand their Midtown office to include a new Condominium Division, according to an announcement made by Dan Forsman, company president and CEO. Heading the launch of the Condominium Division will be Kerman Haynes, who has joined Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices as vice president of the New Homes Services Division and branch manager of the Midtown office.

The Atlanta Apartment Association (AAA) has elected Jamie Teabo, executive vice president and head of property management for Post Properties, its 2016 chair of the board of directors. Teabo previously served as vice chair in 2015 under chairman Tim Schrager.

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage has named Kathleen Sickeler as the new assistant branch manager of the company’s Intown office, where she will assist Managing Broker Vic Miller overseeing the office and its approximately 85 affiliated sales associates.

WE’LL DO THE FOOD

Seared Bay of Fundy Salmon in a Carrot Harissa Broth with Caramelized Root Vegetables ~ Or

Grilled Tenderloin, Fingerling Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Reduction and Blue Cheese Compound Butter

Kale Salad with Granny Smith Apples, Celery & a Lemon Agave Vinaigrette

Harry Norman, Jr. and his sister Anne Norman Fuller joined Harry Norman, Realtors President and CEO Dan Parmer in admiring the portrait of the company’s founder (and their grandmother) “Miss Emmie” Norman.

By John Ruch

When Scott Ruzycki, the area manager of the LA Fitness at Town Brookhaven looks around at the neighborhood, he likes what he sees: hundreds of potential customers living right next door.

“I think this is one of the smartest developments that LA Fitness has located in,” said Ruzycki. “We pull about a thousand more people than a regular LA Fitness.”

Many don’t have far to go. The gym Ruzycki manages sits in the middle of a massive “mixed-use” development on Peachtree Road in Brookhaven.

When it comes to new development, “mixed use” has become master of the moment. From The Shops Buckhead Atlanta to Sandy Springs’ City Springs project, mixed-use redevelopments are supposedly blending shops, homes and offices to create downtown-style centers from Perimeter suburbs.

The mix of retail and housing in “live-work-play” developments has been popularized by such high-profile projects as Atlantic Station and Alpharetta’s Avalon.

Town Brookhaven was among the first smaller-scale versions of those mixed-use, mega-projects to launch in the Perimeter area. It opened for business five years ago. That makes it a project that commercial developers keep in mind when they think about the mixed-use developments rising around the area.

“I love mixed-used developments,” said Steve Tart, who sits on the Sandy Springs Planning Commission and is a managing director at Genesis Real Estate Advisers, a commercial property firm.

But in Sandy Springs, which has made mixed-use redevelopment of its Roswell Road “downtown” a priority, notes of caution already are sounding about mixed-use zoning.

Sandy Springs City Council recently passed new guidelines out of concern that large apartment projects were being approved under the trendy mixed-use label and not providing enough of the

walkable, street-front-retail environment the city wants. And some Sandy Springs Planning Commission members are wary of over-promoting mixed-use development in places it might not work.

“Not every place is made to be retail ... you just can’t have it everywhere,” Tart said. “Not every community can have that live-work-play environment. It’s just not feasible unless government underwrites part of it.” He’s a supporter of City Springs, the public-private, $220 million mixed-use redevelopment underway in Sandy Springs that will include a new City Hall. City Springs has already helped inspired two other mixeduse redevelopment plans for a nearby shopping center and office complex.

Town Brookhaven is just the sort of location that raises concerns, Tart said. “I hear from [Town Brookhaven] retailers that they hadn’t performed as well as they anticipated,” he said. “It’s a little bit between everything. It’s not connected to anything…It sits so far off the road.”

The Sembler Company, which developed Town Brookhaven and leases its commercial property, did not respond to questions.

Tart said that connecting mixeduse developments to surrounding neighborhoods is key. “I think [Town Brookhaven] will be ultimately, longterm, very successful because the Buckhead community will grow to it [and] the Brookhaven community will grow around it,” he said.

Richard Munger, vice president of development at North American Properties, which created Avalon in Alpharetta, said the retail part of a mixed-use complex cannot be sustained by the complex’s residents alone. The big concern for a developer, Munger said, is “making sure the location has strong surrounding fundamentals to support the commercial uses, which include visibility, employment base, neighborhood demographics, access and demand.”

That calculation can be seen at Town Brookhaven, which combines 950 apartments, office space and 460,000 square feet of retail on a 48-acre site.

It includes street-front retail beneath apartments, like many mixed-use projects, but also has some car-oriented big-box anchors, such as Costco.

Ruzycki at the LA Fitness looks both inside and outside the complex for customers. He said the club has about 7,500 members, of whom about 2,300 to 2,400 come in on the busiest days. “Many do walk here,” presumably from the nearby apartments, he said, but the company doesn’t keep track of where they are coming from. Meanwhile, he’s looking forward to having more customers from an apartment complex being built outside Town Brookhaven, but just across the street.

Munger and Tart said that mixeduse developers have higher planning and construction costs because of the complexities of blending residential and commercial uses. That’s another reason mixed-use could prove infeasible or unsuccessful on particular sites.

But some of the underlying goals of mixed-use developments—walkability, street-front retail, interconnected retail and residential areas—can be met in better-designed single-use complexes as well, Tart said.

One trend is reconfiguring old stripmall style shopping centers into streetfacing, pedestrian-friendly centers.

Tart said his company is working on such a project in Florida now.

“We don’t need a lot of new shopping centers,” Tart said. “What we need to do is take the old ones and fix them.”

New towers proposed Towering new developments are being proposed or are underway in the Perimeter.

In Sandy Springs, an Australian developer has proposed five new skyscrapers reaching 20 to 29 stories at 1117 Perimeter Center West. Also, the Texas-based developer Hines is taking the city to court over its denial of zoning for a 25-story office building and a hotel at Northpark at Ga. 400 and Abernathy Road.

Meanwhile, in Dunwoody, CRB Realty Associates is proposing a 20-story hotel, two highrise office buildings and two residential towers up to 40 stories tall each at Dunwoody Crown Towers. And in Brookhaven, Seven Oaks is starting construction of a 15-story office building at 4004 Perimeter Summit.

– Pam Cole, Owner

ATLANTA CONTRACTORS, REMODELERS TAKE HOME AWARDS

NARI Atlanta, the local chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, has named its 2015 CotY (Contractor of the Year) award winners. Awards were presented in 20 categories which showcased residential remodeling projects including new or upgraded baths and kitchens, remodeled home interiors and exteriors, additions, landscape design, remodeled basements and whole-home renovations.

“The CotY is our most prestigious award, and signifies the highest professional recognition from industry peers,” said Jesse Morado, executive director of NARI Atlanta. “Each year, NARI members in good standing with the organization submit their projects for a panel of NARI professionals outside of Atlanta to judge.”

The 23rd Annual Atlanta 2015 CotY awards categories and winners are:

Residential Bath Under $25,000 – J Werho Construction

Residential Bath $25,000 to $50,000 – Modify Atlanta, Smyrna, with Team Entrant Dove Studio

Residential Bath $50,000 to $75,000 –Attention to Detail

Residential Bath $75,001 to $100,000 – R. Christy, Inc., with Team Entrant Danneman Designs

Residential Bath Over $100,000 –Handcrafted Homes

Residential Kitchen $30,000 to $60,000 – Keiffer J. Phillips – Patricia L. Brown, Inc.

Residential Kitchen $60,001 to $75,000 – Atlanta Design & Build, with

Team Entrant Insidesign

Residential Kitchen $100,001 to $150,000 – Atlanta Design & Build, with Team Entrant Insidesign

Residential Kitchen Over $150,000 –John Rogers Renovations

Residential Interior $75,000 to $150,000 – Structures, Inc.

Residential Interior Over $150,000

-Weidmann & Associates

Residential Interior Element $30,000 and Over – Keiffer J. Phillips – Patricia L. Brown, Inc.

Residential Addition $100,000 to $250,000 – Atlanta Building Company

Residential Addition Over $250,000 –Atlanta Building Company

Residential Exterior Under $100,000 – Weidmann & Associates

Residential Exterior $100,000 to $200,000 – Mosaic Group Architects & Remodelers

Residential Exterior Over $200,000 –Keiffer J. Phillips – Patricia L. Brown, Inc.

Entire House Over $1,000,000 –Keiffer J. Phillips – Patricia L. Brown, Inc.

Landscape Design/Outdoor Living Over $60,000 – Boyce Design

Basement Over $100,000 –Handcrafted Homes

Whether you call it “Murder Kroger” or “BeltLine Kroger,” you’ll soon be calling it dust as the Ponce de Leon Avenue supermarket is demolished to make room for a new mixed-used development.

Kroger’s Atlanta Division and New City, LLC, have announced plans to develop 725 Ponce, a mixed-use development on the Atlanta BeltLine, adjacent to Ponce City Market between North and Ponce de Leon Avenues, according to officials.

The development will break ground in the spring and include a new 60,000square-foot Kroger below 360,000 square feet of Class-A loft office space, designed to take advantage of the spectacular views of the adjacent BeltLine, Ponce City Market and Historic Fourth Ward Park.

New City founder Jim Irwin, who spearheaded the redevelopment of Ponce City Market for Jamestown, will lead the development team. “Our goal for 725 Ponce is to build on the incredible momentum of Ponce City Market and the BeltLine,” said Irwin. “It’s exciting to be able to partner with Kroger to revitalize the property and have an opportunity to design a new building that fits within the context of the historic structures next door – adding another layer to the urban landscape.”

The office space will be delivered in a similar fashion as Ponce City Market, which is currently more than 90 percent leased. The building will cater to the intown worker, and includes open floor plates with exposed 13-foot ceilings, divided light windows and a refined industrial aesthetic. The building will feature multiple stair-stepped outdoor terraces, which will provide office tenants with the opportunity to work and congregate outdoors and enjoy spectacular views of the Atlanta skyline.

The existing Kroger facility, circa 1986, will be demolished, and a brand new Kroger prototype will be constructed in its place. Over the last two years, the store was remodeled and the property redesigned, including a direct path the BeltLine’s Eastside Trail, which will remain in the new project.

“Kroger is excited to build a new store to suit the unique needs of our intown customers,” says Glynn Jenkins, public relations director for Kroger’s Atlanta Division. “The new store will include an expanded natural foods and organic assortment of products, extensive prepared

foods, ‘Click List’ online grocery ordering and other amenities so we may offer even more choices and convenience for our loyal customers.”

Below the footprint of the project, more than 900 new parking spaces will be constructed to serve future office tenants. Additionally, on evenings and weekends, this parking will be available to the public for those visiting the BeltLine and Ponce City Market. Finally, New City will be working with the owners of the adjacent Ford Factory to create a new dedicated BeltLine entrance to their building, public breezeway and new BeltLine-facing retail space inside the existing structure as part of the overall redevelopment.

“This project exemplifies the catalytic role the Atlanta BeltLine continues to play in advancing Atlanta’s stature as a worldclass walkable/bikable city,” said Paul Morris, CEO of the Atlanta BeltLine. “The confidence New City and their investors are showing at 725 Ponce further solidifies the urban development revolution taking place around the BeltLine, with robust economic development that affords residents the ability to work, shop and live their lives using the BeltLine as their primary means of transportation.”

Atlanta City Councilman Kwanza Hall has been instrumental in the adoption of the Poncey-Highland and Old Fourth Ward master plans that have paved the way for projects like 725 Ponce and Ponce City Market.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see the results of years of hard work by the community,” says Councilman Hall. “I’ve built great relationships both with Kroger and Jim Irwin during his work on Ponce City Market, and I’m excited to work with both on this new project to provide additional amenities and business opportunities for the residents of our historic neighborhoods.”

The Kroger has held its infamous moniker since the late 1980s after a body was found in a car in the parking lot. A song was written about “Murder Kroger,” and there’s an active Facebook page under that name dedicated to the store and surrounding community.

– Additional reporting by Collin Kelley

Renderings of the 725 Ponce project.

The monthly Castleberry Hill Art Stroll is a great way to check out the neighborhood’s eclectic mix of galleries (including Besharat Gallery and Nadia’s Studio, pictured), shops and restaurants. The event is held the second Friday of every month from 7 to 10 p.m. The next one is Feb. 12, so mark your calendars. Visit castleberryhill.org for more information.

Photos by Asep Mawardi

J. Shane Reed at

and Dan Benefield at Besharat.

Malcolm and Julian Gambaro at Nadia’s

great room with fireplace. 5Bed/4Bath

FMLS: 5636278 Kathleen Sickeler 404-368-3234

LAKE CLAIRE - 4 sided brick with open floor plan, hardwood floors, garage, bonus room, cathedral ceilings in living/dining rooms, basement with tons of storage, back deck overlooking fenced yard.

4Bed/2Bath $409,900 FMLS: 5630705

Mike Kondalski 404-234-9379

EASTSIDE WALK - Spacious home w/open floorpan. Upgraded kit w/walk-in pantry, ss appliances, granite counters. Hardwds on main. Expanded basement w/wet bar. 2 car garage. Deck overlooks backyard. 4Bed/4.5Bath $340,000 FMLS: 5631649 Mike Kondalski 404-234-9379

VIRGINIA HIGHLAND - This double porch home w/stepless entry through rear 2 car garage looks and lives like newer construction. Timeless design w/ gracious room sizes & open, flowing floor plan. 5Bed/4.5Bath $1,099,000 FMLS: 5627195 Sally Westmoreland 404-354-4845

ASHFORD PARK - Total renovation with hardwoods, 9’ ceilings, granite & SS in kitchen, separate dining room, vaulted master w/walk-in closet, whirlpool tub in mast bath, private deck.

3Bed/2.5Bath $549,000 FMLS: 5548636

Mike Kondalski 404-234-9379

DOWNTOWN - Spacious, well maintained loft. Urban appeal with stainless appliances and stain concrete floors. Gated parking, dog walk, friendly community. 2Bed/2Bath $250,000

FMLS: 5634756

Melissa Stratton 404-713-5850

OLD FOURTH WARD - Amazing Loft. Directly across from Ponce City Market. Adjacent to the Beltline. Beautiful Hardwoods, double-sided brick walls, large opening windows. Overlooks pool. 1Bed/1Bath. $259,000. FMLS: 5624232 Bru Krebs 404-984-0243

LENOX PARK - Adorable home featuring open floor plan, granite & SS in kitchen, beautiful hardwoods, updated fixtures, partially finished basement, large private deck. Perfect home for entertaining! 3Bed/2Bath/2Half Bath $459,900 FMLS: 5614479 Bru Krebs 404-984-0243

VIRGINIA HIGHLAND - Priceless location. One of Highland’s most desirable streets. Brick bungalow features high ceilings, hardwoods, and is lightfilled throughout. Private yard and brick patio.

3Bed/3Bath $725,000 FMLS: 5630542

Bonnie Smith 404-406-1993

VIRGINIA HIGHLAND - Sought after duplex in the heart of Virginia Highland. Hardwoods throughout, new roof, freshly painted in & out, walk-in closets, mudroom off kitchen, private fenced backyard.

2Bed/1Bath & 1Bed/1Bath $549,900 FMLS: 5612260 Melissa Stratton 404-713-5850

DECATUR - Stunning creation by Parclife Homes. Outstanding craftsmanship and attention to detail. Basement. Hardwoods, Tongue and groove stained ceilings, stacked stone fireplace, side porch, drive under garage, large lot. 5Bed/5Bath $899,900

FMLS: 5633632 Kathleen Sickeler 404-368-3234

DUNWOODY - Situated on an idyllic lot, this Earl McMillan inspired Ann Smith design features beamed, coffered and tongue & groove ceilings, banquet dining rm, fireside fam rm, his/her closets, 2 Ironwood decks. 4Bed/3Bath/2Half Bath $639,000 FMLS: 5633665 Sally Westmoreland 404-354-4845

DECATUR - Great location. Just minutes to CDC/ Emory/85/285. Spacious open kitchen. Private backyard with large covered patio.

4Bed/2.5Bath $387,600

FMLS: 5614983

Cliff Grable 404-452-7751

VIRGINIA HIGHLAND - Elegant living on 3 full floors. Stunning craftsman w/open floor plan. Cook’s kitchen. Hardwood floors. Guest bedroom on main floor. 2 Wrap-around porches. Private fenced yard. 5Bed/5Bath/1Half Bath $868,888 FMLS: 5604959 Mike Kondalski 404-234-9379

MIDTOWN - Spacious condo one block from Piedmont Park. Hardwoods in living area. Roommate floorplan. Large walkout balcony with southern exposure. Unmatched amenities. Walk to everything in Midtown. 2Bed/2Bath $274,500

FMLS: 5633506 Kurt Harvell 404-247-8555

Sunbelt Lending Services

Intown Tanya Arnold 678.777.0815

MIDTOWN - Spacious living room. Kitchen w/ solid surface counters, stainless steel appliances and tons of cabinet storage. Walk -in closet and bonus storage closet. 10 foot+ ceilings. Hardwoods. Storage unit included. 1Bed/1Bath $232,500

FMLS: 5632803 Mike Kondalski 404-234-9379