Julie Sadlier

Book some time with the Neighborhood Expert

Julie was the realtor for the seller when we purchased our first home, and we respected the way she moved through the process. When it came time to sell that house, we chose to work with Julie. She made the stressful process of selling and buying a home (with a baby and preschooler in tow) seem simple. She was available for every question, at any time of the day. We would recommend Julie to anyone who needs a knowledgeable realtor, especially in the Morningside/Virginia-Highland neighborhood.

By Grace Huseth

Inhale, exhale and flip upside down. At Virginia-Highland’s Inspire Aerial Arts, even newbies can fly off the ground as aerial artists within minutes.

Inspire offers group aerial classes, private lessons and private parties in various apparatuses such as aerial silks and aerial hoops. Owner Kimberly Snede, who has trained with countless professional aerialists and Cirque du Soleil artists from around the world, opened the high-ceiling studio space on Amsterdam Walk in 2015.

“One of my favorite things about aerial is that it allows you to express yourself creatively, but also gives you the added benefit of a great workout. If you’re like me and you get bored at the gym, you’ll love aerial because it’s like playing for adults,” Snede said.

Most start with the Intro to Aerial Dance class, which teaches beginners how to balance, transition in and out of poses and go upside in a 60 minute class. From there, aerial artists can progress to aerial fitness classes and flexibility series or drop in for open practice.

Instructor DeAndrea Clark warmed up the intro class with some jumping jacks and light stretches and then briefed the students about special ropes and how to tie them. Aerial fabric is designed to hold a maximum of 2,000 puonds and the rigging will hold at least 10,000 pounds.

“I started aerial arts by accident. It found me. I passed an aerial gym, saw the silks, took an intro class and the rest is history. I love being in the air and I’ll climb as high as I can,” Clark said.

Clark has a background as a dancer and said dancing translates well to aerial arts. She has been instructing for a year, and said the best secret to mastering the ropes is grip strength. While your arms may be solid, strong hands are often overlooked. If you are just starting off with a fitness routine, you can see progression in a few months with aerial art. If you are an athlete, you can challenge yourself in a new way by applying different muscles and skills.

“Some people may be intimidated by aerial art, but you build your strength. It definitely takes upper body strength, but it also takes core, leg and muscles that you didn’t even know you had. Everyone should try it at least once,” said Clark.

For more information about classes, visit inspireaerialarts.com.

By Joe Earle

Growing up in southeast Georgia, Bradford Bailey learned to respect his elders. His mother was a social worker, and he says she taught him to look up to senior citizens as she worked with them in their small, rural community.

When Bailey moved to metro Atlanta in 2006, freshly minted exercise physiology diploma in hand, he was surprised to find few exercise classes were offered that had been designed specifically for older participants. So he started his own program. Now his company, SeniorFitAtlanta, works in 25 to 30 senior facilities spread from Forsyth County to Palmetto to Stone Mountain, he said.

One recent afternoon, the 41-year-old Bailey worked with 13 clients in a senior living community in Brookhaven. He led the group of seniors as they worked through a series of exercises designed to focus on different muscle groups and to make them stronger.

“That’s our main concept,” Bailey said before class began. “We work on strengthening exercises. Out of all the components of fitness, that’s the one seniors benefit most from.”

Strengthening exercises help improve his clients’ muscle mass and increase bone density, he said. That, in turn, helps improve their quality of life, and helps protect them against disease and injuries in falls. If seniors are physically strong, Bailey explained, they are able to live more independent and productive lives.

He also promotes exercise as a “magical pill” against illness. “Regular exercise and physical activity can help prevent and treat all of the common deadly diseases,” he wrote recently. “For example, a 30-minute session of exercise helps to lower blood pressure, reduce blood sugar and strengthen your heart and lungs. ... No population benefits more from exercise than the senior population.”

Bailey’s classes last about 30 minutes apiece and he uses weights, rubber balls, resistance bands and other devices in his workouts. He tells his clients that the best exercise for their cardiovascular systems is simply to take regular walks. “I just ask residents to walk as much as they can,” he said. “If they can’t, they can wheel in their wheelchairs.”

His clients seem to enjoy their regular workouts. “Exercise gets the muscles going,” said Art Mongagne, who’s 95. “You’ve got to do that to keep going. If you don’t keep going, you stop. It keeps all your muscles and your body feeling active. Consequently, you feel good.”

Bailey regularly works with clients aged 85 to older than 100, he said. “The lady I just left was 93,” he said. “Eighty percent of our clients are in the 90s.”

He also is working on a line of video and on-line classes. “My ultimate goal,” Bailey said, “is to make professional fitness training available to all seniors.”

By Collin Kelley

The ongoing Westside/West Midtown development boom has prompted the Atlanta Humane Society (AHS) to pursue the potential sale of its campus at the corner of 10th Street and Howell Mill Road. The 2.29 acres of land that the current campus sits on, which includes an animal shelter and veterinary center and administration offices, has been owned by AHS since the 1930s.

According to a statement from AHS, the property is anticipated to be highly sought after as it is located in the heart of West Midtown, between several of Atlanta’s most popular retail nodes. A number of major development projects are currently underway nearby, including Stockyards Atlanta and additions to the popular Westside Provisions District. Atlanta Humane Society is being advised on the sale by Cushman & Wakefield.

The AHS said funds from the sale, alongside continued support from the community, would help facilitate the opening of a charitable animal hospital in the southwest side of the city, several neighborhood animal welfare centers across Atlanta and a specialized behavioral and medical rehabilitation center.

“With this potential property sale comes many great opportunities to advance the welfare of animals and to invest more deeply in our mission within the city of Atlanta,” said Cal Morgan, President and CEO at the Atlanta Humane Society. “We are committed to embracing and driving change within our industry, and the potential sale of our Howell Mill property has great promise to make an immense impact on animals in Atlanta.”

If the sale were completed, the AHS would also pursue the construction of a new facility in West Midtown.

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Meowmadaeus is a 13-year-old Nebelung Mix who is spayed, declawed, up-to-date on her vaccinations and ready to go home with you. She has lived in a foster home with dogs and other kitties, and she did great with everyone in the household. Don’t let her age throw you – she is healthy and has a lot of love to give. She is also very playful and loves chasing a laser pointer more than anything. She just needs to find a loving and secure home to retire in. To adopt Meowmadaeus or any of the other available cats and dogs, visit pawsatlanta.org or the PAWS Atlanta shelter at 5287 Covington Highway in Decatur.