Atlanta Intown - February 2018

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Editorial

Collin Kelley

INtown Editor

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Contributors

Evelyn Andrews, Sally Bethea, Kathy Dean, Joe Earle, Grace Huseth, Isadora Pennington, Clare Richie, Tim Sullivan, Megan Volpert

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My love-hate relationship with Amazon

Enjoy free admission and special programs on the second Sunday of each month.

FEB. 11 • mAR. 11

Designed for little kids, big kids, and the whole family, Second Sundays are for everyone. Visit us each month and experience new interactive, innovative family activities inspired by our collections and ever-changing exhibitions.

Second Sundays are sponsored by the Lettie Pate Evans Foundation.

As private, lush and green as you can get and still live Intown. Nestled deep within the neighborhood on a rare dead-end street, this renovated four-bedroom, two-story, all-brick house is situated on .5+/- acres with a fabulous walkout backyard and an adjacent waterfall. Enjoy the easy-living floor plan, which features a renovated kitchen, complete with a breakfast nook that opens to a spacious fireside family room, plus generous living and dining rooms and a separate office on the main floor. The second floor provides a private master suite, plus three additional bedrooms and a second renovated bathroom. Each bedroom offers abundant closet space. There is an attached two-car garage. Located in the Fernbank Elementary School district.

PEGGY HIBBERT

EDITOR’S

Business types have already written op-eds claiming that Boston or Washington D.C. are the leading contenders for HQ2, while SNL reduced Atlanta to a traffic hellscape with nothing of merit other than Chick-fil-A, Coca-Cola and Paula Deen’s racism (although I’m not sure what Deen has to do with Atlanta other than she’s an easy stereotype for Southerners). The fact that Amazon’s search for a second headquarters was worthy of a comedy skit shows just how much the retail behemoth has captured the public’s attention.

If Amazon locates HQ2 in Atlanta it could mean billions in additional revenue for the state and 50,000 jobs.

I have a love-hate relationship with Amazon. My novels and poetry collections are sold there and it’s usually the first place readers go to find my work. I’m a devotee of Amazon Prime, because I love the video service and two-day delivery. I also seem to order something from there every other week: a new charging cord for my iPhone, a fresh pair of walking shoes, an obscure European film on DVD that I can’t stream on Netflix. It’s become second nature to click a button and have it magically arrive at my door. While my books are sold at Amazon, I don’t buy books from there anymore. With the sale of physical books on the rise after the whole eBook thing leveled out and indie bookstores gaining a foothold again, I am willing to drive to Charis, Eagle Eye or A Cappella and spend a little extra. What is irrefutable is that Amazon is a brick-and-mortar retail killer. Toys R Us, Target, Barnes & Noble, shoe stores, supermarkets and countless small retailers are being upended by Amazon. Unlike eBooks, it doesn’t look like the public is going to lose interest in buying from Amazon.

I’m not advocating an Amazon boycott, but I am encouraging you to balance out your shopping habits. If you have a favorite small retailer or mom-and-pop shop, don’t forget to show them some love a few times a month rather than buying on your phone.

As the always prescient Joni Mitchell sang: “You don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone.”

Correction

In our January 2018 issue, there was incorrect information about 20 Under 20 runner-up Sophie Green. Here is her bio:

Sophie Green, 18

Sophie has pioneered a relationship between The Paideia School and The Connections School of Atlanta by piloting a program to teach the ball game four square, played on concrete within four quadrants with a player in each square. She saw four square as a great connecting tool for autistic teens looking to be understood by their peers and neurotypical students looking to expand beyond themselves.

I’m no clairvoyant, but I think Atlanta has a good shot at landing the new Amazon headquarters, despite what other pundits, prognosticators and Saturday Night Live might have to say about it.

Leslie Jones, Keenan Thompson and Aidy Bryant in the Amazon HQ2 sketch on SNL.

The Neighborhood

Westside Park Revealed

New renderings offer glimpse of former Bellwood Quarry site

By Collin Kelley

The City of Atlanta has unveiled new renderings of Westside Park at Bellwood Quarry, which is set to become the city’s largest greenspace.

Former mayor Kasim Reed called the park “another stake in the ground for equity, fairness and balance” in the city during an unveiling ceremony just before he left office. “The space is going to be as special as any place in the city.”

The 280-acre park just west of Downtown will be the largest in the city, while the old granite quarry will become a 2 billion gallon reservoir. The park will also connect to the Atlanta BeltLine.

Phase one will include a notable gateway entrance at the intersection of Johnson Road and Grove Park Place on the north side of the park. The gateway design will provide lighting, signage and visually appealing graphics. The restoration of Grove Park Place will include resurfacing of the roadway and the rehabilitation and enhancement of greenery along the corridor.

The park will also include a grand overlook area to maximize views of the quarryturned-reservoir as well as panoramic views of the Atlanta skyline. Visitors will be able to experience the quarry using ADA-accessible trails leading to the grand overlook. Phase one of the $26.5 million project will also include trails designed to enhance public experience and provide a pedestrian connection to and from the Proctor Creek Greenway.

“The Department of Parks and Recreation is proud and excited to announce the plans for the future Westside Park at Bellwood Quarry. Since being appointed as Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner in 2015, it has been an honor and privilege to work with the Mayor to increase access to greenspace for Atlanta residents. I thank him for his vision and his commitment,” said Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner Amy Phuong.

New renderings released by the City of Atlanta show the former Bellwood Quarry site on the Westside transformed into a 280-acre park and reservoir.

‘Crown Jewel’

Piedmont Park set to grow in 3.5-acre expansion

Piedmont Park will grow by 3.5 acres in a $100 million expansion plan announced by former mayor Kasim Reed before he left office last month.

The city signed letters of intent to purchase the property located at the corner of Piedmont Road and Monroe Drive for the expansion. Calling Piedmont the city’s “crown jewel,” Reed said the “one-in-a-generation opportunity” to purchase the property will create a new gateway to the park.

The city will contribute $20 million to the initial acquisition. Carol Tomé, CFO of The Home Depot and a member of the Atlanta Committee for Progress, has volunteered to lead the philanthropic effort raise up to $80 million in private funds to acquire all the remaining property and fund the park design and construction.

An anonymous philanthropist contributed $2 million to support the initial $20 million acquisition, according to city officials. In addition to the gift, the city will leverage various sources, including but not limited to Park Impact Fees, TSPLOST funds and watershed funds to make the acquisition. The city will also take on the current leases and utilize the net operating income generated from those leases.

As the city moves forward with this project, the Department of Parks and Recreation will host a community engagement process to incorporate public feedback in the park design. The expansion project will include a connection to the Atlanta BeltLine, improved pedestrian trails, additional open greenspace and forested land.

The current 189-acre Piedmont Park was created in 1895 after it was the site of two expositions designed to showcase the prosperity of the city after the Civil War.

Collin Kelley

–

Renderings released by the City of Atlanta show the 3.5-acre property at the intersection of Piedmont Avenue and Monroe Drive transformed into new greenspace.

ON THE AGENDA

MEETINGS

The Atlanta City Council meets Feb. 5 and Feb. 19 at 1 p.m. at City Hall, 55 Trinity Ave. For agendas and more information, visit citycouncil.atlantaga.gov.

NPU-E, which covers Midtown, Ansley Park, Home Park and Loring Heights, meets the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at Peachtree Christian Church, 1580 Peachtree St.

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.

Midtown Alliance will hold its annual meeting on Feb. 13, 7 a.m. at the Fox Theatre with keynote by transportation expert Janette Sadik-Khan. Tickets are available now at midtownatl.com.

NEWS

MARTA has applied for a federal transportation grant to fund a 9.4-mile bus rapid transit line connecting the Arts Center station to Summerhill, which is part of the massive redevelopment of the Turner Field area. The bus would use a dedicated lane, have 30 stops and a one-way travel times of 16 minutes. The estimated cost: $48.6 million.

The City of Atlanta has reached an agreement with the Atlanta Public Schools to transfer deeds for 50 properties to the school system. APS plans to sell the properties for potential mixed-use developments.

Atlanta Public Schools will make up instructional time lost during recent winter weather closures by adding 30 minutes to the end of the day from Jan. 29 through March 30.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ administration has proposed legislation to eliminate cash bonds to secure release from the City of Atlanta Detention Center.

Amazon

Primed Atlanta makes Top 20 finalist list for HQ2

By Collin Kelley

Atlanta tops the finalist list – at least alphabetically – for Amazon’s second headquarters campus. The online retail giant has released a list of 20 cities competing for what has been dubbed HQ2.

Along with Atlanta, this list includes Austin, Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Ohio, Dallas, Denver, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Miami, Montgomery County in Maryland, Nashville, Newark, New York City, Northern Virginia, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Toronto and Washington D.C.

If HQ2 were to choose metro Atlanta or Georgia, it could mean a staggering $5 billion investment and 50,000 jobs. The state and city have also offered up more than $1 billion in incentives and infrastructure improvements to sweeten the deal.

The Georgia Department of Economic Development has offered up a list of potential building sites for the 8 million square foot Amazon campus, with an area in Downtown near Philips Arena and Mercedes-Benz Stadium known as The Gulch being a top contender.

The Gulch, a below street level dead zone of parking lots, has been speculated to be the prime spot after the Atlanta Business Chronicle reported on an Oct. 30 filing with the city to develop the property. The undisclosed party filed a plan to develop 9.3 million square feet of office space, 1 million square feet of retail space, a 1,500-room hotel and 2,100 apartments at The Gulch.

A statement from Amazon said the company had received bids from 238 cities and regions across North America.

“Getting from 238 to 20 was very tough – all the proposals showed tremendous enthusiasm and creativity,” Holly Sullivan of Amazon Public Policy said in a media statement. “Through this process we learned about many new communities across North America that we will consider as locations for future infrastructure investment and job creation.”

Amazon is expected to announce its choice for HQ2 by the end of the year.

New mayor, city council sworn in at ceremony

New Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (bottom photo), Atlanta City Council President Felicia Moore (top photo) and the members of the Atlanta City Council were sworn in during a ceremony at Morehouse College on Jan. 2. New and returning members of the council posed at City Hall following the swearing-in (left photo) including Carla Smith, Marci Collier Overstreet, Natalyn Archibong, Cleta Winslow, Felicia Moore, Amir Farokhi, Michael Julian Bond, Matt Westmoreland, Andrea Boone, Joyce Sheperd, Ivory Lee Young Jr., Andre Dickens, Jennifer Ide, J.P. Matzigkeit, Howard Shook and Dustin Hillis.

BeltLine, Ga. 400 park could be funded by self-taxing residential properties

By Evelyn Andrews

Residential property owners could tax themselves to help pay for such projects as the Atlanta BeltLine and the park over Ga. 400 under proposed new state legislation.

The concept is essentially a residential version of community improvement districts, where businesses band together to tax themselves, often for transportation or beautification projects. Buckhead’s central business district around Ga. 400 has a CID.

The director of the Buckhead Community Improvement District, which is spearheading the idea for the park over Ga. 400, said his organization is not lobbying for the legislation, but would welcome using the additional funds for the park, which is estimated to cost $250 million to construct. Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. documents show that organization has been exploring the possible creation of an improvement district since at least 2015. The BeltLine is a planned 22-mile loop of multiuse trails, parks and public transit that would eventually run through south Buckhead and the Lindbergh area.

Directors of the Perimeter CIDs and two downtown CIDs say their organizations have not been involved in this effort.

State Rep. Beth Beskin, who represents part of Buckhead, said she knows the idea to create a new entity, called a special improvement district, or SID, capable of taxing apartments is being discussed by community and business leaders as a way to fund the park over Ga. 400 and the BeltLine.

A CID is only allowed by law to tax commercial businesses, not commercial residential complexes, such as apartments. The new legislation, which is House Bill 642, would allow residential complexes to be taxed if it was approved by 51 percent of taxpayers in the proposed district.

“I know there are some people who would like an SID to benefit and help fund the idea of the Park over 400 and the Atlanta BeltLine,” Beskin said.

“There is a lot of support from the business community, not uniform support, but a lot who see this as a way to fund the park,” Beskin said.

Beskin wouldn’t name who was discussing this as a way to fund the park or whether they currently sit on the board of the Buckhead CID.

Jim Durrett, the executive director of the Buckhead CID, said the organization has not been pushing for this legislation, but would use it to fund the nonprofit that will control the park, which would be a 9-acre, half-mile-long park built atop a bridge-like structure over Ga. 400 between Lenox and Peachtree roads.

“I am aware that there has been some work done. It’s not something that the BCID has been pushing for or funding,” Durrett said.

The CID is in the process of creating a nonprofit that will build and run the park if it moves forward.

“The project is currently being transitioned to be controlled by an independent nonprofit. The CID in the future would be considering using this source to fund it. We’d use whatever funding mechanism available,” Durrett said.

Some residents near the proposed park, including residents of MeridianBuckhead condos, have had concerns they could be taxed to fund the park since the first public meeting on the park. The manager of the complex did not return requests for comment.

A 2017 Georgia State University study found that the Buckhead CID could bring in an additional $950,000 in revenue each year if all multifamily residential complexes within the current CID boundaries were taxed.

Documents from Atlanta Beltline, Inc. show that the organization has been pushing for the creation of a special improvement district. Documents detail studies on the creation of a special improvement district to fund the construction of the BeltLine. One 2016 study found that commercial and residential properties along the BeltLine could contribute more than $100 million towards its construction. Other revenue would be directed to “public safety, operations and maintenance support and programmatic enhancements,” according to another document.

ABI did not return requests for comment.

The bill’s lead sponsor is Atlanta Rep. Pat Gardner. Gardner’s district includes parts of Midtown and southwest Atlanta where the BeltLine would be built or has already been constructed. Gardner did not return requests for comment.

The Perimeter CIDs is a pair of jointly operated CIDs in Perimeter Center. Its director, Ann Hanlon, said her organization has not been pushing for the legislation.

“Our focus remains on serving the needs of our commercial property owners in the district, and making sure that our investments improve access for the entire community,” Hanlon said in an email.

A.J. Robinson, the president of the downtown CIDs, Central Atlanta Progress and Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, said his organization is also not pushing for the legislation, but said he does hope CIDs will be able to tax residential developments in the future.

“We do believe, however, that commercial multifamily rental developments in our district and other CID areas are receiving a free ride on services provided by taxpayers in these areas. We hope that this inequity will be remedied in the future,” Robinson said in an email.

Team Spirit

By Clare S. Richie

On a cool damp Tuesday evening behind Atkins Park tavern in Virginia-Highland with a draft beer in one hand and a bag in the other, Carol Baylor lands the bag on the board as she warms up for a game of cornhole. After winning the CornholeATL beginners division city championship in the fall, she and teammate Wendy Dickerson are giving the intermediate level a go.

“It’s really taken off,” Baylor said.

If you’re looking for a social league this spring, consider signing up this month with a few friends or as a “free agent” for CornholeATL, Atlanta’s largest and fastest growing cornhole league.

New to cornhole? Two boards are spaced 27 feet apart front-to-front. Each team rotates tossing eight bags with one point awarded for a bag on the board, three per bag in the hole. The team with the most points is awarded the net score. This repeats until a team reaches 21. Each match consists of three games, with the winner taking two out of three games.

“When people see beginner, intermediate and advanced divisions, they think it’s competitive. Let’s be honest, it’s cornhole – a great way to meet people, hang out and have a beer during the week,” CornholeATL founder and owner Jeff Brawand said. “People who met at CornholeATL in the Highlands have gotten married or gotten jobs.”

Originally from Cincinnati where cornhole “is just massive,” Brawand would play in the evenings and on the weekends. He first joined a kickball league, but worried about pulling a muscle as he got older but still played like a kid. Plus he had to hide his drinks. He took that as a cue to start his own cornhole league.

“I missed playing with friends and the casual aspect of it,” Brawand said.

So in 2011, he started CornholeATL with about 50 players in John Howell Park every Tuesday. He kept the boards under a tarp at his wife’s (then girlfriend’s) nearby porch and used her SUV to transport them to and from the park.

A police raid set in motion the model for growing the league. Two squad cars with four armed officers descended upon John Howell Park after neighbors complained that “people were throwing objects in the park.” A few open container tickets prompted Brawand to find a venue where players could legally drink and play.

Brawand reached out to Atkins Park in Virginia-Highland and started CornholeATL’s

TOP: Players take aim at Atkins Park during a recent match.

BOTTOM: CornholeATL founder Jeff Brawand, fourth from left, hangs out with players.

first official league at a private venue.

“The police raid was the best thing that could have happened. It created a win/win/win – we get registration fees, bars get business on an otherwise slow night, and sponsors provide specials for our players,” Brawand said.

This spring season, about 1,400 CornholeATL players will participate at more than a dozen locations in greater Atlanta, including Three Taverns Brewing in Decatur, plus two new locations in Athens.

It’s a deal at $50 per person for seven weeks ($45 if you sign up early). Anyone age 21 and over is welcome. The League provides equipment, league manager, league shirts, season ending prizes and weekly specials at the various bar/restaurant locations.

“Sign up for whatever division you think is best for you,” Brawand said. There’s guidance on the website. But as a rule-of-thumb: if you don’t hit the board, pick beginner; if you sink it in the hole every time, pick advanced. Different levels ensure all players have fun and games last longer than 10 minutes.

That January evening at Atkins Park, veteran CornholeATL players Katherine Evans and Janelle DeCosta offer encouragement to those pondering joining the league.

“Anyone can do it. It’s nice to have a regular hang out every week,” DeCosta said.

To register, visit cornholeatl.com/leagues.

On

By Grace Huseth

Looking for a fresh perspective on yoga? You might just find it by hanging upside down.

Traditional yoga classes of stretches and balancing poses can be flipped with the aid of wall ropes. No, the ropes don’t offer a Cirque du Soleil aerial experience, but they do deepen stretches and introduce practitioners to inversion poses.

On one of the coldest mornings in January, I tried my first inversion yoga pose at Stillwater Yoga Studio. I was hooked – not only securely to the wall, but by all the blood flowing benefits of inversion.

“Yoga is all about an experience and observing where your consciousness is,” said Stillwater Yoga Studio director Kathleen Pringle. “All yoga is for the mind, but in Iyengar yoga, the body is used as a portal to look at the more subtle effects.”

Yoga poses performed with ropes are common in Iyengar yoga studios. In short, Iyengar yoga was developed by B.K.S. Iyengar, the father of modern yoga, who emphasized precision and alignment in poses. Common yoga poses like downward dog become transformed when ropes allow for an extra backbend and for fuller shoulder rotation.

With Pringle’s gentle instruction and eye for slight adjustments, beginners like me are able to hang in rope sirsasana, or rope headstand, completely relaxed. Once upside down, my consciousness turned to my breath in a way I had never experienced before. When inverted, there is a pause at the end of each exhalation due to the diaphragm being flipped from its natural state, an extra note offering unique peace.

Inversions also aid in blood flow back to the heart and the increase of oxygenated blood to the brain, sensory organs and face to benefit clearer thinking. It’s also credited with strengthening the cardiovascular, lymphatic, nervous system and endocrine systems of the body.

Pringle has been practicing yoga for more than 40 years and opened up her Midtown Promenade location 17 years ago. Over the years, the rope wall has served for a variety of poses, as well as physical therapy the yogi way.

“Alignment in the joints focuses the attention on what’s going on in the body. It’s basically educating yourself on your habits, helping you adjust and create more space in your own body by becoming conscious of what your patterns and habits are,” Pringle said.

Since Iyengar yoga stresses body alignment, the practice attracts many in the medical world, including physical therapists and physicians. Those with injuries, whether it’s a spinal injury or a herniated disk, can adapt poses with the ropes so they can get the benefits without pushing their limits –unless it’s necessary.

A few years ago, Pringle suffered from a frozen shoulder.

She had painful restriction of motion in her shoulder that progressed from stiffness to a calcified joint. When an orthopedic surgeon suggested she go under general anesthesia and have the arm manipulated for her, she turned to yoga instead. Pringle said the pain she endured in each session was nothing in comparison to the relief she felt afterwards. Today, Pringle works with other clients suffering from frozen shoulders by using backbends, poses that open the chest and hanging from the ropes.

“We teach how the body should be for the best health of the organs and how it impacts the mental state,” Pringle said. “Similar to how smiling releases different chemicals in the brain to make you feel happy, we put people in postures to create different physical, organic, emotional and psychological impacts.”

For more information, visit stillyoga.com.

TOP: Contributing writer Grace Huseth gave inversion yoga a try with the aid of wall ropes. BOTTOM: Yoga practitioners get into their poses at Stillwater Yoga in Midtown.

Atlanta Track Club bids for Olympic marathon trials

The Atlanta Track Club has announced its intention bring the 2020 Olympic Team Trials Marathon to the city.

ATC, the nation’s second largest running and walking organization, notified USA Track & Field that it will bid to organize the race, which will determine the three men and three women who will represent the United States at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

“Atlanta is a city with an Olympic legacy and an Olympic future,” said Rich Kenah, ATC’s Executive Director. “This is a place where national champions are crowned. From the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship to the 2019 Super Bowl and now possibly the 2020 Olympic Trials Marathon, sports fans know they can count on Atlanta to host world-class events for our country’s best athletes.”

The 2020 Olympic Trials will be held between January and March of 2020. The winner of the bid will be announced by USA Track & Field at the end of March 2018. Atlanta is one of four cities to announce their intention to bid for the event. The other cities are Austin, Chattanooga and Orlando.

Atlanta hosted the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, making it the last American city to host the summer edition of the sporting spectacle. Los Angeles will host the 2028 Summer Olympics.

PET BRIEFS

Pet Pick

King is a handsome, bright-eyed boy who is loyal and loving. He is also very playful in a goofy sort of way. He welcomes treats from his admirers, and enjoys leaning in for a reassuring pat or hug. True

to his breed, King is a strongminded working dog who looks to people for his cues. He would make an excellent addition to an adultsonly home that offers kind and consistent leadership. To adopt King or any of the other available pets available from PAWS Atlanta, visit pawsatlanta.org or the shelter at 5287 Covington Highway in Decatur.

Going Lower

Judi Kanne, RN, BSN, BA

Medical experts recently changed the blood pressure reading considered to show high blood pressure, or hypertension.

The change, announced in November by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, calls for blood pressure readings to be targeted at or below 120/80 rather than 140/90, which was the previous target cap.

The take-away from both organizations: Monitor elevated blood pressure now and avoid waiting to treat high blood pressure later.

Elevated blood pressure, previously called pre-hypertension, calls for treatment that includes key lifestyle changes. For some patients, medication will be part of their new program.

“Hypertension is the number one cardiovascular [heart and blood vessel] risk factor for death and disability from heart attack and stroke,” said Dr. Basil Margolis, Director, Emory Cardiac Rehabilitation Program. He also works as an assistant professor at Emory University School of Medicine.

Margolis added, “... [this is] information that all physicians require to optimize the management of high blood pressure in their patients. Needless to say, this is particularly relevant for the more senior members of our society today. The new 2017

hypertension guidelines will help prevent the devastating effects of this condition.”

There’s no question that treating elevated blood pressure is an important step in helping to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, many heart experts say.

But they believe more can be done when it comes to prevention.

“Those people [at 130/80 to 139/89] are already at double the risk of a heart attack,” said Dr. Paul Whelton, the lead author of the new guidelines, during an American Heart Association interview following November’s announcement.

“We’re taking what was previously pre-hypertension, and taking the upper end of that and [we’ve] said that is now Class [or Stage] 1 Hypertension,” he explained.

This new definition will result in nearly half of the U.S. adult population—46 percent—being classified as having high blood pressure, according to the American College of Cardiology.

IS THERMIva RIGHT FOR YOU?

· Has child birth or menopause relaxed or stretched your feminine tissue? Do you occasionally dribble or leak when you sneeze, cough or exercise?

· Have you ever “not quite made it” to the bathroom on time?

Continued on page 16

Killeen, APRN; Obiamaka Mora, MD, FACOG; Kadie Simonds, APRN; Lynley Durrett,

Previously McDaniel and Durrett

Copyright American Heart Association, used with permission

Going Lower

Continued from page 14

To quote the American Heart Association, “The new guidelines ... [help to] lower the definition of high blood pressure to account for complications that can occur at lower numbers and allow for earlier intervention.”

The Numbers…

February is National Heart Month, and a good opportunity to learn as much as you can about your heart. It’s even more important to know what you can do to lower the risk of heart disease—and then do it.

Heart disease is the number one killer of American men and women in the United

half of those deaths are males, according to CDC.

In Georgia, 136,000 years of potential life is lost because of cardiovascular disease, which includes all diseases of the heart and blood vessels. In 2013 alone, the related cost in Georgia was $6.1 billion, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.

symptoms are felt, the condition can be destructive to blood vessels. Such damage may lead to serious health problems over time. In fact, high blood pressure has been known as “the silent killer” for many years. There are several things you can do to keep your numbers from creeping up and to help lower the risk from damage from elevated or high blood pressure. For example, using prescribed medications correctly and making positive lifestyle changes can help, say American

also important for prevention. If you’re a busy person, it may not always be easy to make an appointment with a healthcare professional. Here are a few places you can have your blood pressure checked to make sure your numbers stay at or under 120/80.

■ Sandy Springs residents can visit any of the four fire stations in the city to have their blood pressure checked at no charge by an EMT and/or paramedic. No appointment is necessary. Find details and a list of fire stations at sandyspringsga.gov.

■ DeKalb County, Fulton County and Gwinnett County residents can also visit their local fire stations to have their blood pressure checked. Appointments are not required and there is no fee. A list of stations is available at dekalbcountyga.gov,

States. Every year, about 790,000 Americans have a heart attack, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Of these cases, 580,000 are a first heart attack and 210,000 happen to people who’ve already had a first heart attack.

More than 610,000 people die each year from heart-related diseases and more than

…And What to Do About Them

High blood pressure has a habit of sneaking up on people. While few

Heart Association experts. They also suggest that you maintain a healthy weight and get more active, eat healthier foods, reduce sodium intake and limit alcohol. This advice also helps to reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and more.

Routine blood pressure checks are

fultoncountyga.gov and gwinnettcounty. com.

■ Check with your local pharmacist. Some have blood pressure stations for your convenience; in other cases, a pharmacist can help you. Certain pharmacies offer this as a free service.

Life with Alexa

with Missy Elliott “Yo—time to wake up! The first step to being a superstar is rollin’ out the bed!” But since the kids had usually traveled to our bed by the scheduled time, the alarms proved worthless. That is, unless hearing me holler “Alexa Cancel!” first thing in the morning is worth anything.

One night Margo asked me to suggest relaxing music. The first thing that came to mind was “Orinoco Flow” by Enya. Margo queued it up and then about 20 seconds in she shouted “Alexa Cancel!” She wanted a new suggestion. I must have been in an 80’s fog because next I recommended Songbird by Kenny G. Part of me just wanted to see how emphatically Margo could demand that Alexa shut down Kenny G and another part of me was chuckling at that phase I went through in 8th grade where I thought I was into jazz... To my surprise, she dozed off. Perhaps it’s a curly hair kinship she and Mr. G share.

Another night I went in to read with Elliott and he must have felt like buttering me up because he said “Alexa, play Elliott Smith on shuffle.” Initially, I thought of Alexa as a knowit-all hockey puck but she’s growing on me. My favorite thing is the way she answers when she doesn’t know the answer. It’s flat but self-affirmed: “That is not something I know.” or “Hmmm, I am not sure about that.” I envy the equanimity with which she can bow out of a given question. I’d like to adopt her

cadence when Elliott asks me for help with his Math homework or Margo asks when we can go to Six Flags.

By Tim Sullivan

Still the night wanderings continued so obviously Alexa and Jeff needed a little help raising our children. We took the dramatic step of putting Elliott’s bed in Margo’s room. Surprisingly, the kids were on board. During the daytime they fight like Itchy and Scratchy but at night they just like knowing another warm body is nearby. So Elliott’s room now houses their desks, stuffed animals, Nerf Hoop and beanbags. And Margo’s room is quite literally, a bed room. Playing nightly on that stage is a dramatic bedtime routine featuring two kids, two adults, two fish, the dog, a hockey puck named Alexa and a giant Teddy bear named Jeff. We may need the month of February to hit our stride.

January is supposed to be the month where we shake the bad habits of Winter break and get back on our routine. But school didn’t start until the 4th, we had two days, then another weekend. That Monday the forecast called for a slim chance of freezing rain but 100% chance of NCAA Championship football in town. I didn’t disagree with the school cancellation because – let’s be honest – if we had our normal Monday traffic on top of 100,000 football fans and the President’s motorcade, I-20 would have been backed up to Tuscaloosa. We mustn’t forget, Amazon HQ2 is watching.

The following week we celebrated MLK day with a Monday off, one day of school and then an actual snowstorm. Some schools were closed a full three days. We resorted to playing Xbox and watching the better part of a Netflix series called “Haters, Back Off!” There has been so much sitting around the house I’m thinking about investing in some new sweatpants.

Despite the irregularity, we made a stab at our family New Year’s resolution of getting the kids to stay in their own beds through the night. Grandma gifted a giant Teddy bear (Margo named him Jeff) but that didn’t quite solve it. So we added a Zen-like fish tank and got them Amazon Echo Dots thinking they could choose soothing music to fall asleep to and set custom alarm clocks.

Elliott went with a new-age sounding chime for his alarm and Margo went

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.

Margo Sullivan holds Alexa while Jeff the giant teddy bear looks on.

Photo by Kim Kenney.

Horse Lovers Summer Camp

Chastain Horse Park - convenient Buckhead location!

Boys and girls ages 4-8 – Mon-Fri 8am-1pm

Many weeks to choose from during Summer 2018

Camp activities for our younger riders include horsemanship instruction (grooming, safety and more), riding lessons, crafts and games!

Contact us at (404) 252-4244 ext.1 or ponypals@chastainhorsepark.org. More information regarding summer schedule dates and registration form can be found at chastainhorsepark.org, select Riding Services, then select Summer Camp!

www.chastainhorsepark.org

404-252-4244 ext.1

Summer Academy at UGA

Summer Academy at UGA offers 54 camps this summer for teens and pre-teens (ages 11-17) who want to explore their dreams and do amazing things.

Would your student like to design a video game, explore engineering, discover oceanography, build a robot, design fashions, or perform a mock surgery? We have an awesome camp just right for everyone!

See the full list of summer camps at UGAYouthPrograms.com

JUNE 4 – JULY 27

From theater to science to entrepreneurial opportunities, The Children’s School has infinite learning experiences for age 3 through rising eighth graders during TCS Summer Camp! Register

Fun & Games

The Painted Duck brings back classic games, food to the Westside

By Grace Huseth

Duckpin bowling and vintage pub games are just two of the highlights of Justin Amick and William Stallworth’s latest business, The Painted Duck, located in the Stockyards development on the fast-growing Westside.

The Painted Duck comes three years after the opening of The Painted Pin in Buckhead, which has since garnered numerous “best of awards” for its mix of games, food and social atmosphere.

This new boutique game venue includes 16 duckpin bowling lanes, Belgian feather bowling lanes, indoor horseshoe pits, knuckleball, toad in the hole, shuffleboard courts, basketball free throw, air hockey, snookball and more.

If you come hungry, Chef Thomas Collins is serving up cuisine he has dubbed “backyard barfare” with shareable small plates, dips, sliders, sandwiches, salads and skewered wood fired meats and proteins called “quills.” Trip Sandifer heads up the beverage program, which focuses on signature and classic cocktails, artisanal wines by the glass and local and craft beer.

“We are the first boutique in the country, that we are aware of, to bring back this variation on traditional ten pin bowling,” said Amick. “In duckpin bowling, the lanes are the exact same size and the same fundamental principles of bowling rules apply, but the difference is smaller balls, smaller pins and three rolls per frame instead of two. It’s much more of a precision game. I’d say traditional bowling is more of a power game; duckpin bowling requires more finesse.”

The Painted Duck is part of Stockyard’s adaptive reuse of old warehouses on Brady Avenue dating back to the early 1900s. The basement space, which Amick describes as “cavernous ruins meets hunting lodge,” pays homage to the historical building with original stone granite and brick throughout.

The centerpiece of the design is a 50-foot mural by one of Amick’s favorite artists, Todd Murphy, which features hundreds of migrating ducks. “As they fly to the gaming courtyard, the ducks become more three dimensional and abstract,” Amick said. “They eventually fly off the canvas and convert to taxidermy – like ducks flying overhead. It’s a theatrical backdrop complete with red curtains as if the pins are on stage.

Amick said there is a secret attraction in The Painted Duck the public doesn’t know about. “In a way it’s the final game in his collection, one of mystery requiring some sleuth work,” he said. “We want it to be that fun, hidden element you either have to organically know or inquire about.”

The Painted Duck is located at 976 Brady Avenue. For more information, visit thepaintedduckatl.com.

The Painted Duck owners, Justin Amick and William Stallworth, pictured below, inside their new boutique game venue in the Stockyards Atlanta development. The giant duck mural above the lanes is by local artist Todd Murphy.

Homes Available for Immediate Closings!

Fair-trade shop Ten Thousand Villages to close in Va-Hi

By Collin Kelley

After 24 years in business, nonprofit Ten Thousand Villages has announced it will close its fair-trade retail shop in Virginia-Highland.

The shop, located at 1056 St. Charles Ave., provides fair wages through Alternative Trade Organizations (ATOs) to those creating hand-crafted artisan items. The products are made in rural and urban communities, family workshops, refugee camps, widows’ groups and neighborhood cooperatives in over 40 countries.

“While it is difficult to lose our roots in Virginia-Highland and disband our volunteer family as we know it today, we have not been able to fund business solutions to support our mission,” store manager Juliet White said. “The retail landscape is changing rapidly and Virginia-Highland has not escaped this trend. Our store model is unable to compete considering the current conditions.”

The shop will remain open until Feb. 25 and White encouraged shoppers to drop in and “help us sell everything in the shop so we continue the tradition of supporting artisans around the world until our last day.”

The shop plans to maintain normal store hours through the end of January and will communicate changes in that schedule at tenthousandvillages.com/atlanta and its Facebook page.

The shop began in 1990 when Karen Gross and Marg Lambert began selling handcrafted items in their homes and through local church fundraisers. In 1993 they opened a store, Window to the World, on St. Charles Avenue. Window to the World changed its name to Ten Thousand Villages when it joined the nonprofit in 1996.

White said the VirginiaHighland shop has provided over $3 million in fair trade purchases.

“We choose to look at this as a celebration of our success and with hope for the future of other fair traders,” White said.

BELOW: Atlanta INtown (in its previous incarnation as 30306) profiled Windows on the World in 1995. Ten Thousand Villages has been a longtime advertiser in INtown and we will miss the shop’s presence in our pages and the community.

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Atlantic Station

will soon undergo a big expansion, according to a report in Atlanta magazine. New projects will include Atlantic Yards, an office/ retail building; T3 Foundry Park, “creative offices” geared toward the tech sector; a 364unit apartment building from AMLI; and a new Embassy Suites Hotel. Other changes coming to the West Midtown development include a revamp of Central Park and upgrades to the Regal Cinema, including a 4DX cinema that mixes amusement park thrills with the moviegoing experience. There will also be upgrades to some storefronts (including a new facade for H&M), plus more new restaurants and retail to be announced soon.

Co-working office space WeWork opened its third location at 1372 Peachtree in Midtown last month and has announced a fourth will open at Terminus 100 in Buckhead this spring. The space, located at 3280 Peachtree Road NE, will have a footprint of 42,000+ square feet in Buckhead and accommodate a community of more than 840 members.

A 14-story hotel has been proposed for the corner of Peachtree Street and Ponce de Leon Avenue, just next door to the historic Fox Theatre. The Midtown Development Review Committee (MDRC) heard the proposal from Noble Investment Group and Interpark Holdings at its January meeting. Representatives presented plans for the 285,000-square-foot, dual-branded hotel, which would include four floors with 154 rooms under the Marriott Courtyard flag and another four floors with 128 rooms in the Marriott Element brand. The hotel floors would sit above five levels of parking with 185 spaces for public use. The developer has also proposed a ground floor restaurant and lounge/bar at the corner with a second floor terrace overlooking the intersection.

The City of Atlanta has established the Creative Industries Fund , a joint project between the Mayor’s Office of Film and Entertainment and Invest Atlanta to assist independent content creators and creative entrepreneurs. The program offers loans with low interest rates and flexible repayment terms for local creative entrepreneurs to use for production, post-production, distribution, marketing outreach, touring, prototype development, product development and sales and attraction for their creative projects. Applications for the Creative Industries Fund are open to independent content creators and creative entrepreneurs operating within the city through Invest Atlanta. Find out more at investatlanta.com.

The Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education has opened in Virginia-Highland at 500 Amsterdam Ave. The educational facility offers a comprehensive curriculum designed to inspire future dancers offering the opportunity to rehearse with and observe the professional company. For more information, visit centre.atlantaballet. com.

Continued on page 24

Continued from page 23

The Fox Theatre Institute has awarded 2017-18 Historic Preservation, Historic Structure Studies or Planning, and Technical Assistance and Service grants. These grants allow Georgia’s historic theaters or structures to receive much needed financial assistance, restoration support and operations mentoring. Locally, 7 Stages in Little Five Points received $50,000 to restore its marquee and HVAC repairs while $20,000 was awarded for a feasibility study to restore the Grove Theatre in the Westside’s Grove Park neighborhood.

The Fifth Third Foundation has announced its 2017 Strengthening Our Communities Fund grants for Georgia. The Fund awards grants to designated nonprofit programs that support homeownership, affordable housing, small business development and financial stability for individuals and families. Locally, the Urban League of Greater Atlanta, Georgia Advancing Communities Together, Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs and Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership each received $25,000 grants.

Vive la France! French automaker to locate new HQ in Atlanta

French car and motorcycle manufacturer Groupe PSA – the company behind Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Opel and Vauxhall – will locate its new North American headquarters in Atlanta.

“I am very pleased that PSA Groupe has selected Atlanta for its North American headquarters and look forward to working with the company’s executive leadership to grow their operations here,” said Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in a media release. “Atlanta’s automotive sector continues to expand, and the city is now home to three leading European automotive company headquarters, including PSA Groupe, Mercedes-Benz USA and Porsche Cars North America. Automotive companies are attracted to Atlanta’s highly skilled workforce, a strong research and technology community, and easy access to Europe and points across the world through HartsfieldJackson Atlanta International Airport.”

RACE THROUGH THE CITY YOU LOVE

Groupe PSA, which recently launched the mobility application brand called Free2Move, is one of the largest car manufacturers in the world, and the second largest in Europe.

“We looked at every aspect of the Atlanta community and found it to be the most suitable location for us,” said Larry Dominique, president of PSA North America. “While the overall business environment, standard of living and university system played an important part in our decision, our unique needs in terms of technology, mobility innovation and car culture ultimately identified Atlanta as our perfect choice.”

The Grove Theater, located in the Grove Park neighborhood on the city’s Westside opened in June 1941. The old cinema recently received a grant from The Fox Theatre Institute for a feasibility to restore the historic building. (Photo courtesy Jack Coursey/Cinema Treasures)

2800 Howell Mill Road Offered for $1,695,000

Coming Soon | 2882 North Hills Drive Offered for $1,850,000

875 West Paces Ferry Road Offered for $2,449,000

962 Glen Arden Way NE Offered for $1,200,000

1430 North Harris Ridge Offered for $2,075,000

692 Darlington Road NE Offered for $669,500

1749 Helen Drive NE Offered for $897,000

1183 Bellaire Drive Offered for $1,399,000

532 East Paces Ferry Road • Betsy Franks, Managing Broker www.harrynorman.com The above information

Home & Real Estate

Up in the Air…bnb

Realtor Leslie Johnson uses short-term rentals to look for his next home

By Kathy Dean

Through his career in real estate, Leslie Johnson has had a close view of the resurgence happening in many Intown Atlanta neighborhoods. He decided to get a closer view when considering where to buy his next home.

For nearly 15 years, Johnson, Managing Broker in the Harry Norman Intown Office, lived in Midtown high-rises, and he was used to the full-service lifestyle and easy commute. “I lived at 7th and Peachtree Street and managed a real estate office at 10th and Peachtree, so I had a 2-block walk,” he said.

He didn’t want to fool with a car –and he didn’t need to. “Midtown is truly a walkable community. It was cheaper without a car, and I could walk to stores, restaurants, everything I needed,” Johnson said. “I sold my car and never got around to buying another one. I had an urban lifestyle and could manage very well between MARTA, car services and Zip cars.”

Then he took his current position with the Harry Norman Intown Office in Atlanta. Its location on Piedmont Avenue near Monroe Drive meant that purchasing a car was necessary. “I considered buying a house, too, but I realized it was going to be a big change in my lifestyle.”

Johnson sold his condo and put his furnishings in storage; he didn’t have a permanent place to stay, but he had a plan. He wanted to experience the Intown neighborhoods for himself and find the right place to set down roots. It meant doing more than just looking before he leaped.

“I decided that before I bought a house or condo, I wanted to try out the neighborhood,” Johnson said. “I wanted to know: Can I walk my dog at night here? Where do I get my groceries? Can I find a pharmacy that’s open at midnight?

“And I could experience the commute from home to work. Until you live and drive in an area, you don’t actually know what it will be like.”

Through Airbnb, he found short-term rentals on homes, apartments and rooms in neighborhoods around the Atlanta BeltLine. Johnson said he was able to experience the character of each neighborhood by interacting with people in the area.

“In some Airbnb’s, where someone rented out their apartment or duplex, I stayed alone,” he said. “Many times, though, people rented out a room or section of their home.”

In those cases, Johnson got to spend time with the owners. “That was especially helpful since I could talk to them and find out about the neighborhood, get suggestions on where to eat and shop, and find out the best way to travel in and out of the area.”

Like many urban areas, Atlanta is

experiencing a return to its city center. In the last century, people were leaving the cities behind and now the trend is to come back to the city. “Atlanta is a city on the verge,” he said. “We see neighborhoods that had been all but forgotten coming back.”

According to Johnson, the resurgence of many Intown neighborhoods is largely due to the Atlanta BeltLine. The one-time railway corridor circles Atlanta’s core. It’s being developed as a multi-use trail that will connect the city’s neighborhoods.

“The BeltLine is completely changing everything. I think it’s a bigger deal for Atlanta than the Olympics were. The railroad built the city, and now it’s saving it by revitalizing the city’s urban core through the BeltLine project.”

Johnson said that the revitalization goes beyond Inman Park, Old Fourth Ward and Morningside. It reaches into neighborhoods like Peoplestown and Summerhill.

“Peoplestown is changing, but there’s a good infrastructure there,” he said. With its location close to Downtown and Midtown, the neighborhood shows a lot of potential, he added. It also offers an easy commute, with lots of ways in and out.

There are lush, hilly landscapes in Peoplestown, green with trees and affording spectacular views of Downtown. It’s a

community that Johnson feels is a good fit for him, and he has considered purchasing a home there.

“When a house listing came up, I found an Airbnb right across the street and stayed there for a week,” he said. “I could see the property every day and experience life in the neighborhood.”

Summerhill has a similar location and views of the city, but it’s not quite as developed. “There aren’t a lot of shops in Summerhill yet, but you can see where they’ll fill in,” he said. “Downtown, Midtown and Grant Park are all close by, and it has a similar feel to Peoplestown.”

In Grant Park, Johnson felt a very eclectic vibe. The neighbors were friendly, and it seemed to him that everybody knows one another. “It’s easy to find cafés to eat at. It’s still very urban and felt a lot like Midtown, but lateral, with more singlefamily homes rather than high-rises,” he said.

He also had good experiences with Ormewood Park on the east side and Mozely Park on the west side. “Mozely Park reminded me of Jefferson Park in East Point, which is well-known for its friendly neighbors who visit and have dinner together,” he said. “Mozely Park is developing that same vibe.”

Johnson shared one caution. “When

looking for a home in these traditionally underserved areas, it’s important to get professional help from a Realtor.”

For example, a grandparent may have built the home and passed it down through the family without a proper will or formal transfer of title. Very often, property deals were handled through handshakes and there is no deed to record the transaction. Claims against the property may have to be ironed out, in some cases.

“There are ways to resolve these issues,” he said, “but you need good representation, especially when buying in neighborhoods that had been underserved for so long.”

Johnson said that Airbnb has been a great way for him to try out the neighborhoods, and he recommends it. “If the neighborhood isn’t right for you, it’s okay. There’s one that will be a perfect fit. They all have character and good neighbors.”

Johnson made it clear that he has the greatest respect for the people who’ve been living in these Intown neighborhoods the whole time, the people who nurtured them and kept the area settled. “I believe that as these neighborhoods go through their redevelopment cycles, it can be done well,” he said, “The new homeowners just need to be respectful of the neighborhood’s character and history and build on it.”

Photo by Isadora Pennington

Leslie Johnson outside one of the Airbnb residences he tried out in Grant Park while searching for a new home.

Interior Design Trends

A brand new year means a fresh start for you and your home. The team at Candler Park-based Balance Design is back this month and has been exploring the hot trends for 2018. Big floral designs, natural materials and repurposing existing items are some of the trends Balance Design (balancedesignatlanta.com) is looking forward to in the new year.

NATURAL MATERIALS

This year we expect there to be a continued rising interest toward ecoconsciousness and decorating with items that are made of sustainable materials and have an organic and minimalist feel to them. People care about where their furniture comes from and how it’s made. Wicker and rattan furniture with modern and curved edges creates a softness and a visual airiness to spaces. Plus, it’s durable enough to handle the wear and tear of family life.

A NEW LOOK AT REPURPOSING

This doesn’t mean turning a pallet into a headboard, but instead utilizing vintage furniture in different ways for the home — a return to quality materials, thought out in new ways. This isn’t really a new idea or “trend” but we see it as a reinvigorated movement. What’s better than a beautiful textural dresser made into a functional bathroom vanity? Or a worn glass-enclosed bookcase used to store cookbooks in a kitchen? Whatever the piece or the need, we hope to see a significant move away from big box stores to pieces that tell a story.

TERRA COTTA FLOORS ▲

Moving away from all sleek everything, we think things are gonna get a little rough around the edges this year in the best possible way. Not only are terra cotta brick floors rich in tradition and history, they’re also rich in color. That warm, earthy hue and textured surface gives a neutral modern room a needed cozy factor.

SHADOWY PAINT COLORS ▼

Our designer Elisabeth has been looking at this photo every day this month as inspiration for her own home. “We are considering Knoxville Gray by Benjamin Moore, which despite the ‘gray’ in its name, is really more of a dusty slate blue-green,” she says. Also integral to this look is to paint the trim, or even the ceiling and floors the same vibrant color like shown here — something we have adorned in many of our client’s dining rooms and libraries.

OVERSIZED FLORALS ▲

Big, bold blooms have long been on our radar and we love the drama that they bring to a room. The contrast of clean lines and florals in this dining room is gorgeous! This look can be applied to every type of room, giving a each space a touch of modern femininity that can be balanced out with more masculine finishes and furnishings.

New life for an old church building

Perspectives in Architecture

By Melody Harclerode

A revival has energized the Lizzie Chapel Baptist Church. Built as the Atlanta Gospel Tabernacle in 1930, parishioners from four congregations enlivened this Neoclassical Revivalstyle building in Inman Park with their church services for seventy-five years. The building’s stately full-height porch and triangular feature above a set of classical columns characterize this popular architectural style in the United States during the early 1900s. Although the church was recognized as historically significant by the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and by the Atlanta Urban Design Commission in 2002, Lizzie Chapel Baptist Church shuttered its doors in 2005.

Preserving the historic character of an existing church in a popular neighborhood, yet repurposing the building to be economically viable presented a daunting task for developers and architects. As further protection for the structure, proposed renovations and additions to Lizzie Chapel Baptist Church would need the approval of savvy community leaders and the Atlanta Urban Design Commission. This landmark lingered in silence from multiple, failed development deals for nearly ten years until Kairos Development Corporation and Chasm Architecture emerged with their ambitious plans to revitalize the building.

Chasm Architecture Managing Partner Nathaniel Clark AIA led the architectural and engineering teams through the design process of transforming the two-story Lizzie Chapel Baptist Church into Lizzie Chapel Flats, a three-story, six-unit condominium project. This process entailed a complex mix of new building components and the restoration of historical elements. Clark adds, “It was important for us to be empathetic, meticulous and mature enough to stop designing when we arrived at the appropriate solution.” A new, floating concrete floor was added with minimal impact on the building exterior. The church steeple and the stained glass from 1970s and 1980s additions were removed to restore the original designs. Natural light from the tall windows draw attention to the distinctive detailing inside the six lofts.

With their thorough attention to details and history, Chasm Architecture garnered the approval of community leaders, a 2017 Merit Award from the Atlanta Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Atlanta), and a 2017 Atlanta Urban Design Commission Award of Excellence for Adaptive Use. Residents of the Lizzie Chapel Flats have reinvigorated the once-abandoned church building. A neglected eyesore has been transformed into a community asset and an exceptional housing option in Inman Park. As other historic church buildings in metropolitan Atlanta face an uncertain fate, let’s hope that Lizzie Chapel Flats can serve as inspiration for developers and architects to rehabilitate and, if necessary, repurpose these impressive structures.

Melody L. Harclerode, AIA, promotes significant historical, cultural, and natural sites as an organizational leader, architect and writer.

Lizzie Chapel Baptist Church in Inman Park has been transformed into loft-style condominiums as these renderings and construction photos show.

REAL ESTATE BRIEFS

Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) has submitted a building permit for a 14-story studenthousing tower near its main campus in Midtown. Located just off Spring Street, the building will have 592 student beds, a coffee bar and rooftop lounge.

Perennial Properties will build a two tower, 244,000-square-foot mixed-use development called 1781 Peachtree in Midtown. The development will feature 265 apartments across the two buildings along with office and retail space.

Maggie Jones has joined Dorsey Alston Realtors. In less than two years, the young Realtor has sold more than $10 million and was named Rookie of the Year.

Jonathan Rose Companies and Columbia Residential have purchased Edgewood Court Apartments in the Edgewood neighborhood. An $18 million redevelopment of the property will begin soon and is set to be completed in early 2019. Originally built in 1950, then substantially rehabbed in 1981, Edgewood Court currently consists of 204 units, all part of the federal HUD Section 8 program. Following the renovation, Edgewood Court will consist of 222 residences, with 204 remaining Section 8 and the rest as affordable tax credit units. The property’s Section 8 contract is being renewed for 20 years.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New Homes Division, its CITY HAUS Condominium Development Division and its promotional team Marketing Results won big at the annual OBIE Awards, capturing 20 Gold Awards and 17 Silver ones. The OBIE Awards are presented by the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association’s Sales and Marketing Council to honor excellence in building, remodeling, marketing and personal achievement in the home building industry.

Georgia Power and PulteGroup have joined forces to build the city’s first “Smart Neighborhood” called Altus at the Quarter. The development, located at Marietta Boulevard at Bolton Drive, will have 46 townhomes featuring solar panels, battery energy storage, voice-activated security, smart locks and lighting controlled from apps. Georgia Power will monitor the townhomes to for the effectiveness of “emerging energy technologies.”

Architecture and landscape firm TSW has promoted Laura Richter to the position of associate. Richter joined TSW in 2013 and works in the firm’s architecture and planning studios. She earned a Master of City and Regional Planning and a Master of Architecture from Georgia Tech, both with a specialization in Urban Design, as well as a Bachelor of Science and Architecture from Georgia Tech.

Epic Development has unveiled plans for R. Town Stacks in Reynoldstown. The duplexes will be located on Wilbur Avenue, not far from the Atlanta BeltLine’s Eastside Trail. The duplexes will have 2,700 square feet across three levels with rooftop terraces, two-car garages and elevators.

Ken Covers, Engel & Volkers Intown Atlanta, has been asked to return as a Star Dancer for the Alzheimer Association Fundraiser, Dancing Stars of Atlanta. He is the first alumni dancer to be asked to return to the event. He received the People’s Choice Award last year for raising the most funds year to date for the event. Covers’ inspiration is his mom, who has been battling the disease for seven years. To support Covers, visit dancingstarsofatlanta. com.

Landmark Properties and CityLife Development Partners have purchased a 1.1-acre site at Spring and 10th streets in Midtown to build a 28-story mixeduse student housing development. At 425,000 square feet, The Mark at Atlanta will feature over 780 beds, 281 apartments and more than 7,000 square feet of commercial space. Scheduled completion is August 2020.

Integrity Award

The Integrity Award is voted on by the entire office and given to the Advisor who holds themselves to consistent moral and ethical standards.

Special Recognition

Community Service Award

We’d like to celebrate Nancy’s 20 loyal years with our company! Nancy is much more than an excellent Advisor, her caring for others is unsurpassed!

Over $172,000 raised for the Georgia Chapter of the Alzheimer Association during 2017!

Friar Tuck Road 6BR • 7BA • 1HBA

Advisors: m&m group Offered to be determined

Under Contract

Coming Soon

Ken Covers

Michael Gaddy Mandi Robertson

Quinn Arnau Ashlee Heath

Emily Windham

Juan Jaramillo

Nancy Guss

Ken Covers

Sustainability Building places where birds and people thrive

Iam not, and probably never will be, a real birder. Certainly, not like my bird-loving parents who rarely traveled without several pairs of binoculars and, amazingly, could still identify birds by sound and sight, into their 90s.

Our family trips to Florida’s Sanibel Island in the late 1950s and 1960s always included outings to a protected wildlife

Urban Agriculture New AgLanta Grows-A-Lot program to help end food deserts

sanctuary that, in 1976, became the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, one of the country’s largest undeveloped mangrove ecosystems. There, we stalked Roseate Spoonbills that fed in the shallow waters, sifting the muck with their wide flat bills. The alligators were always the big entertainment for my sister and me, as we were not very interested in birds at the time.

I wish that I’d paid more attention in the incredibly diverse sanctuary and that I could visit Ding Darling just one more time with my parents and hear them tell me about the birds. When I see a Roseate Spoonbill now – in its natural habitat or in an illustration as I did recently – it always makes me think of my parents, our special island and the excitement of being the first one to spot the colorful birds.

I have other bird memories and favorites: the Great Blue Herons and Belted Kingfishers that never failed to “guide” our boat down the Chattahoochee River,

ABOVE THE WATER LINE

By Sally Bethea Sally Bethea is the retired executive director of Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and current board president of Chattahoochee Parks Conservancy whose mission is to build a community of support for the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.

Mario Cambardella City of Atlanta Urban Agriculture Director

The City of Atlanta has announced the launch of the AgLanta Grows-A-Lot program representing the first step towards creating a process by which city-owned land can be utilized for food production.

The AgLanta Grows-A-Lot pilot program will provide a 5-year renewable, license for farmers, non-profits and residents to adopt vacant, city-owned land to grow fresh, healthy food for themselves and their community. Nine out of these 10 pilot sites are located in a USDA low-income, low-access food desert area. The pilot reflects the city’s commitment to reach a goal set by Atlanta’s former Mayor Kasim Reed: ensuring that 75 percent of Atlanta

as we patrolled during my riverkeeping days; the SwallowTail Kites that swooped over our boat on the Apalachicola River, catching flying insects, gliding, rolling upside down and then speeding through the air; and, more recently, the hundreds of Sandhill Cranes that flew over downtown Atlanta on a chilly December afternoon, heading south, as we watched in awe from a fourth floor balcony and listened to their distinctive cries.

At home in my intown Atlanta neighborhood, it is the brown and white Barred Owl who thrills me, when I see him or hear his classic hoot which sounds like: “Who cooks for you, who cooks for you all.” One early evening, I looked out my back door and saw the owl sitting on a large tree branch, staring down at me with his penetrating eyes. Another time, I heard loud bird squawking and raced outside to find several small birds flying around the owl in agitation, dive bombing him. Just a few weeks ago, I heard him hoot in the morning, as I woke up to snow that had fallen during the night.

residents will be within a 10-minute walk to healthy food by 2020. This goal has been incorporated and Atlanta’s new Resilience Strategy. The Grows-A-Lot pilot represents one of the many action steps in the Resilient Atlanta Strategy (which covers numerous topics, ranging from affordable housing to clean energy, transportation etc.) to be implemented in 2018.

The Office of Resilience led by Chief Resilience Officer Stephanie Stuckey, with urban agriculture director Mario Cambardella, food systems planner Elizabeth Beak, and a host of community partners spent a year planning this program. The team analyzed 78 vacant, city-owned properties and identified 10 properties suitable for food production. An advisory committee comprised of urban growers and food system leaders helped create a clear

Maybe I am a birder, of sorts: one who just needs to pay more attention (now that I’m retired) and learn about these amazing and beautiful creatures. Fortunately, there is a thriving chapter of the National Audubon Society in Atlanta, originally established nearly one hundred years ago as the Atlanta Birding Club.

For the past four years, Atlanta Audubon Society (AAS) has been led by Nikki Belmonte. A longtime birder with degrees in wildlife conservation and environmental education, Nikki says that she has a “job of passion.” Her organization, which offers field trips and lectures, organizes bird counts and monitoring programs and restores bird habitat in the 20-county metro region, is, according to Nikki, on a growth trajectory with new staff and initiatives.

Bird Fest 2018 will take place from April 14–May 13, featuring exclusive, bird and nature-centered field trips, workshops, and other special events across metro Atlanta and Georgia. Authors Julie Zikafoose and Janisse Ray are confirmed speakers. Registration opens to AAS members on March 1 and the public on March 8 at atlantaaudubon.org/ atlanta-bird-fest. Slots fill up fast, so register early.

application process.

The good news is Atlanta’s food desert map is also changing to reflect the evolution of Atlanta’s local food movement. A food desert is defined as an area that has limited access to affordable and nutritious food. Between 2010 and 2016 Atlanta’s food desert area decreased by 17 percent (from covering 53 percent of the total area of the City of Atlanta to 36 percent). However, there is more work to be done.

Partnerships will be key in ensuring that AgLanta pilot Grows-A-Lot urban garden and farm teams succeed. We invite you to visit AgLanta.org to learn more about the program.

Editor’s Note: To read a more extensive version of Mario Cambardella’s column on AgLanta, visit AtlantaINtownPaper.com.

If

you are passionate about real estate and are looking for the perfect match, contact me for an introduction to the best team in town. You will fall in love.

Live Bold and Passionate for Life.

Park Pride awards grants for greenspaces around Intown

Park Pride has announced that $1,027,000 has been granted to 14 community groups in Atlanta and DeKalb to fund capital park improvements. This is the largest amount Park Pride has granted to communities in a single grant cycle. To date, Park Pride has awarded over $5.8 million to projects that include new playgrounds, bridges and piers, informational kiosks and signage, trails, exercise equipment, community gardens, land acquisition for new parks or park expansions and more.

Established in 2004, Park Pride’s matching grant programs award varying amounts of funding to community groups seeking to revitalize their neighborhood greenspaces. Three distinct grants provide awards of different sizes, designed to support Friends of the Park groups taking on larger projects as they grow and develop capacity. Legacy Grants (grants of $50,000 and up) are funded by the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation; Community Building Grants ($2,500-$50,000) are funded by The Home Depot Foundation; and Small Change Grants (up to $2,500) are funded by the Cecil B. Day Foundation.

LEGACY GRANTS

Park Pride awarded Legacy Grants to seven community groups. These grants are only available to groups within the City of Atlanta. Legacy Grants have been awarded to the following:

• The Friends of Armand Park are implementing the first phase of a new park, which will serve both as a community gathering space and as the trailhead to the South Fork Trail. The plan includes a playground, pathways and landscape improvements.

• The Atlanta Memorial Park Conservancy will create a nature trail through Atlanta Memorial Park with footbridges and a boardwalk. The project also includes rain gardens, landscaping and drainage improvements, as well as the transformation of a gravel area into an open lawn.

• The Friends of Channing Valley Park will replace aging play equipment and add seating to create a safe and engaging play space for the neighborhood.

• Little 5 Alive will implement a redesign of Findley Plaza to transform it into a vibrant, welcoming community space.

• The Friends of Knight Park will transform a dilapidated brick building into a welcoming walled garden, creating a gathering space for this active community.

• The Friends of Noble Park will enhance the park with landscape and hardscape improvements and a new playground.

• The Friends of Sara Gonzales Park will implement a comprehensive redesign to optimize usage of the park. Improvements include an expanded playground, a playing field and improved connectivity and access to the surrounding community.

COMMUNITY GRANTS

Park Pride’s Community Building Grants are available to community groups located in both the City of Atlanta (COA) and DeKalb County (DC). Seven grants were awarded to:

• The Friends of Briarlake Forest Park (DC) will implement Phase I of their master plan that includes a circulation trail and park amenities.

• The Friends of Frazier-Rowe Park (DC) will build a pavilion with an accessible trail that connects to other areas of the park.

• The Friends of Hairston Park (DC) will add three fitness stations and a nature trail to provide activities for a broad range of users.

• The Friends of N.H. Scott Park (DC) will implement Phase I of park improvements, which includes wayfinding signage and a community garden.

• The Friends of Phoenix II Park (COA) will clean and refresh an existing playground and engage more neighborhood children with the addition of toddler equipment.

• Habesha will upgrade the community garden at Rosa Burney Park (COA) with new, raised garden beds and the installation of a solar-powered irrigation system connecting to an existing 3,000-gallon cistern.

• The Friends of South Atlanta Park (COA) will add benches to provide seating in their newly installed playground.

To learn more about Park Pride grants, visit parkpride.org/we-can-help/grant-programs/.

The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition recently handed out the VeloCity Awards , sponsored by the Grady Health Foundation’s VeloCity Atlanta inaugural ride. The honored organizations include the Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (Bike-Friendly Initiative Award for Mural Bike Rack Project), TSW and the Atlatna Office of Zoning and Development (Bike-Friendly Policy Award for bike rack requirements and zoning update), and Newport USA and Central Atlanta Progress/Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (Bike-Friendly Street Award for Downtown Atlanta plans).

The City of Atlanta’s PATH Parkway has been named number one on the Best New Bikeways of 2017 list by PeopleforBikes. The list is compiled based on conversations with local and national infrastructure experts around the country with particular emphasis on projects that link networks of low-stress bikeways. Peopleforbikes defines “low-stress bikeways” as physically protected bike lanes, offstreet paths and neighborhood bikeways. Created in partnership with the PATH Foundation, Turner, The Coca-Cola Company and Georgia Institute of Technology, PATH Parkway is 1.5 miles trail connecting West Midtown to Georgia Tech, The Coca-Cola Company Atlanta Office Complex and Downtown.

News You Can Eat

Cocktail Love

Try these delectable drinks for Valentine’s Day date night

By Isadora Pennington

While there’s plenty of debate on whether Valentine’s Day has any merit as holiday or if it’s a longstanding marketing ploy to sell cards and candy, it’s still a time of year when many of us take the opportunity to go on a fancy date night and profess our love to our significant others.

So this year as you make your plans, order your flowers and try to find the perfect, poetic card that speaks to your specific relationship, perhaps consider choosing a restaurant that offers delectable cocktails that will please both you and your partner. My husband and I, for example, have very different tastes in cocktails. I prefer something fruity, tart and light, while he usually sticks with smokier, richer, chocolate-y flavors. When we choose a spot for a night out on the town, it’s important to consider robust menus that will cater to both of our tastes without sacrificing the quality of either.

For this month’s feature, I’ve profiled four of my favorite local venues that offer a variety of tasty adult beverages that are sure to please even the pickiest of cocktail drinkers.

99 Krog St., Krog Street Market

ticonderogaclub.com or (404) 458-4534

Ticonderoga Cup: Plantation Grand Reserve Rum, cognac, sherry, pineapple, lemon, mint served in copper mug - $10

Hinterland Hare: Dickel Rye Whiskey, lemon, tawny port, sorghum, cherry - $11

▲ LEON’S FULL SERVICE

131 E Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur leonsfullservice.com or (404) 687-0500

Amaro Daiquiri: Amaro di Angostura, blood orange, finger lime, cane syrup, bitters - $12

The Fourth One: mezcal, cognac, amaro, p.x. Sherry, spiced pomegranate, spearmint, bitters - $12

◄ GUNSHOW

924 Garrett St. gunshowatl.com or (404) 380-1886

Winter Pimm’s Punch: Pimm’s, sherry, tequila, winter fruit, balsamic, ginger beer, basil - $7

Tiger Lady: Charcoal rye, Chinese black bean vermouth, ginger, chicory, copper cherry - $13

254 W Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur pinewoodtr.com or (404) 373-5507

Goonies Never Say Die!: Bourbon, velvet falernum, ginger, lime, grains of paradise - $11

Grounds for Divorce: gin, blood orange, lime, ginger, amaro - $11

▼ TICONDEROGA CLUB

▼ THE PINEWOOD

Creamy, Dreamy Chocolate

We wanted to make something.”

Kristen Hard, whose 15-year-old business, Cacao, also makes chocolate directly from cacao beans, expresses an even more ambitious goal. She wants to make the best chocolate in the world.

Before she started her company 15 years ago, Hard was working as a private chef. As a girl, she had always been interested in science and in inventing, she said. “I kind of had this brain where I have a balance with this obsession for science and for art,” she said.

She realized in her early 20s that chocolate came from processing the seeds of a plant, and “it blew my mind. It was like all these dots connected… like the stars aligned.”

When she started Cacao, Hard said, she was among a handful of custom bean-to-bar chocolate makers in the country. Her business has drawn national attention. Notices from magazines such as Travel + Leisure, Food + Wine and Oprah decorate the walls of her office in her northwest Atlanta factory.

Cacao sells $8 chocolate bars and a variety of specialty confections, such as truffles or $21.50 Salame di Cioccolato, which looks

like salami, online or through her company’s Buckhead shop or café in Virginia-Highland.

Hard said she’s now working to convince cacao farmers to grow rare varieties of the cacao plant and she wants to create a marketplace that would allow farmers to be able to afford to grow those varieties.

“Over the last 100 years, cacao has been bred [to increase] disease resistance and yield,” she said. “They have bred out flavors.”

She said she’s trying to entice farmers to grow heirloom varieties that produce fruit that is sweeter and less bitter. “I’m looking for the rarest, the less than 1 percent, cacao,” Hard said. “It exists. It’s really hard to find.”

At the same time, she said, cacao farmers are aging, so a way must be found to encourage younger people to replace them on the farm.

“I am trying to redefine things so our children and children’s children will have this,” Hard said. “I just feel like there is a way to make a change in this world if you put your mind to it.”

And, while we can, to enjoy a bit of chocolate along the way.

CACAO CHOCOLATE COMPANY

The Shops Buckhead, 3035 Peachtree Road, (404) 228-4023

By Joe Earle

Chocolate is a mainstay of the Valentine’s Day gift-giving experience, but did you know there are two types of chocolate makers? Some shops buy chocolate in bulk and melt it down to make candies and other chocolate treats. Others, like Xocolatl and Cacao, are in the “bean-to-bar” part of the business. They turn cacao beans into richly flavored chocolate.

Elaine Read and Matt Weyandt own Xocolatl (which they pronounce “chock-olat-tul”), a company based at Krog Street Market near Downtown. It’s named for the word that described chocolate to the Aztecs and, which they point out by a happy coincidence, ends in the letters “A-T-L,” a standard designation for their hometown.

Read came late to chocolate. “I didn’t like chocolate growing up,” she said. “To me, it was always too sweet. I always went for apple pie.”

That changed when the couple lived in Costa Rica. On their first trip to the Central American country, they were backpacking refugees from political campaigns in the U.S., Read said.

A few years later, they returned, taking their kids with them, and lived for about eight months in the jungle near the beach.

“We had a wooden house, a two-bedroom house, about 250 square feet,” Read said. “We had a toddler and a baby. Everything was always wet. We were in the rainforest.”

While there, they discovered local farmers markets and “a gaggle” of local farmers who were producing chocolate from cacao seeds. Some were American ex-pats like them, she said.

It was a revelation. “When I was a kid, my family had gone to the Hershey factory in Pennsylvania,” she said. “I thought chocolate was sort of man-made. I had no idea [it came] from the seed of a fruit.”

After they returned to Atlanta, they made chocolate as hobbyists, Read said. Then they sold bars at community festivals. They set up their full-time shop in the Krog Street Market in 2014, just a couple of months after the market opened, she said.

Now they make chocolate from beans imported from Peru and other South American, Central American and African countries and sell their hand-made chocolate bars for $9 or $9.50 apiece, three for $25 or five for $42. The also offer tours and tastings.

“We knew we wanted to get away from desk jobs,” Read said. “My job for 15 years was sitting at a computer and reading emails and writing emails. …We wanted to do something that we made.

Virginia-Highland, 1046 N. Highland Ave., (404) 892-8202

Cacao Factory, 202 Permalume Pl., (404) 221-9090 cacaoatlanta.com

XOCOLATL CHOCOLATE

Krog Street Market, 99 Krog St., (404) 604-9642 xocolatlchocolate.com

Visit their website for info on tours and to sign up.

ganache hearts and much more.

Joe Earle

Elaine Read and her husband, Matt Weyandt, make Xocolatl chocolate bars.

Chocolates from Cacao

For Valentine’s Day, I am taking my wife to a castle for dinner, where she will order off a menu dreamed up by women in a restaurant managed by women. It’s possible to do this right in the middle of Midtown thanks to the gorgeously designed and totally yummy Rose + Rye. The restaurant is owned by 1Kept’s Thaddeus Keefe, and it has a similarly warm vibe of low lights, dark wood, fresh ingredients and accessible plates.

Tasting Intown

By Megan Volpert

Like all the oddball mansions around Ansley Park, the restaurant’s architecture is a twisted yet spacious delight. Hand your keys to the valet and walk in through the hulking wooden doors to be greeted by a staircase to the dining room, which is hugged by a modern set of low-slung cocktail tables in a setting of exposed bricks and pipes. There’s a small bar in the back, hidden by the staircase, and a slightly larger bar upstairs that offers a sweeping view of city sparkle at night, the cozy heat of original wood playing smartly against cool furnishings. The cocktails are astutely mixed but not too pretentious or fussy—unless you count that many of them are named for Ernest Hemingway novels.

The dining room is also a study in understated contrasts. White ostrich leather booths and small chandeliers produce an austerity balanced by the activity of an open kitchen and artsy, animated guests. The space feels at once historic and modern,

and the total effect is one of blessed seclusion, a retreat amidst the skyscrapers and a perfect environment for date nights or celebrations. The menu itself, which offers more small plates than entrees, is conducive to sharing. With an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients in American dishes that are creative yet utterly comprehensible, Rose + Rye offers food that is more interested in delight than surprise.

Amongst the starters, there is plenty to love for meat and potato people—a soup that includes leeks, duck with grit cakes, pork belly with gnocci, the default go-to of a Caesar salad palatably amped up by smoke and kale. The two standout starters are each $14. Their burratta salad lets the cheese hang back as part of a crisp green ensemble of julienne snap peas and a fluffy pesto foam. Both creamy and crispy, it’s a textural and flavorful masterclass in how to balance ingredients. Foam also starred in perhaps the most offbeat small plate, the french toast, which features both roasted and pickled mushrooms under a glorious pile of fondue bubbles. The presentation is striking, and as the foam melts into the french toast, this decadent dish becomes ever more gooey and saturated. Foams are often useless garnishes and flavorless presentation gimmicks, but their use on this menu is properly integrated

and valuable to the dishes.

The six entree options, ranging from $22 to $45, offer something relatively standard for everyone—chicken, tuna, snapper, duck, pork chop, ribeye. Of the four proteins we tried, every one was properly moist. Many of the wintry sides naturally focused on available greens, but some of the sauce accompaniments were quite special. The pork chop included a pickle plum chutney and the snapper included a wild cherry reduction, both of which jazzed up classic sides like root vegetable purees or sweet potatoes.

That chutney visited us again for dessert with fantastic results that may be overlooked by many diners. Although the panna cotta with fig jam and rosemary shortbread was on point and the dark chocolate tart with bacon fat popcorn will go over big with most everybody, the silent star is a delicate olive oil cake with vanilla whipped mascarpone and pickled plums. After a meal so confident in its freshness and artful simplicity, this is the perfect light finish. If you want coffee, there’s a weird challenge there—they serve it in tiny glassware that holds maybe five sips. A server will watch your table like a hawk and refill it a thousand times if you want, which will annoy those who take cream or sugar or those who like coffee to stay hot. The whimsy and presentation of it first amuses and then quickly disappoints. Other than that small thing, the magic of Rose + Rye feels perfectly sustainable for repeat visits.

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

Red snapper

Burrata

Cocktails

French Toast

Dessert and coffee

QUICK BITES

Park Tavern in Piedmont Park will host Oysterfest on Saturday, Feb. 17, featuring fried, raw and steamed oysters, fried shrimp, ice-cold brews, handcrafted cocktails. There will also be live music from Atlanta Funk Society and more. Doors open at 1 p.m. and music begins at 2 p.m. For ages 21 and up, general admission tickets are available, starting at $10, at parktavern.com.

Farm Burger is set to open its fifth metro location this month at The George in Grant Park, 275 Memorial Drive. The restaurant makes its burgers from 100 percent grass-fed beef that’s dry-aged, ground fresh and cooked to order. For more information, visit farmburger.net.

The Local Pizzaiolo (pronounced pizza-yolo) is open at 1000 Marietta St., Suite 202, on the Westside. The pizza restaurant plans to open three more locations this year and next at Toco Hills, Sandy Springs and Madison Yards. For more information, visit thelocalpizzaiolo.com.

Fifth Group Restaurants has announced plans for a second Alma Cocina concept at the Terminus development in Buckhead, to be located at what was previously the Bricktop’s space. Slated to open mid-2019, the restaurant and bar will bring the restaurant’s Mexican cuisine to the mixed-use development. Visit fifthgroup.com for more details.

Sage Woodfire Tavern plans to open in the former Morton’s space across from the Mandarian Oriental Hotel at 3379 Peachtree Road in Buckhead. The two-story restaurant will feature a large dining room, expansive bar area, patio seating and private dining rooms on the second floor. Visit sagewoodfiretavern.com to keep up with its progress.

The Halal Guys will be serving up their famed gyros in a second Atlanta location – the under-construction Modera by Mill Creek apartment building on 8th Street in Midtown. The 1,486 square feet of street-level space is scheduled to open soon. The first location opened last year on Buford Highway. For more, visit thehalalguys.com.

The Studio

Love Atlanta Style

By Collin Kelley

If you’re looking for food and fun on or around Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14, we’ve rounded up some unique ideas for you to try around Intown.

DINING OUT

Many of Atlanta’s restaurants will be offering Valentine’s Day special menus, including Saltyard, Hampton + Hudson, City Winery, Rathbun’s. Check OpenTable.com for even more dining suggestions.

PAULA COLE AT CITY WINERY

The Grammy Award-winning artist behind “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone” and “I Don’t Want to Wait” will give an intimate performance at the Old Fourth Ward venue on Feb. 14, 8 p.m. Tickets are available at citywinery.com/atlanta.

OAKLAND CEMETERY

Perfect for lovers, families and friends, “Love Stories of Oakland” is an hour-long tour through Oakland’s Victorian garden cemetery as storytellers recount the loves, lives, and losses of Atlantans of days past. The special tours will be held Feb. 10 and 11. Visit oaklandcemetery.com for more information.

◄ VALENTINES IN THE GARDEN

Enjoy an elegant evening of music, dancing, cocktails, desserts and orchids at the Atlanta Botanical Garden on Feb. 10 from 7 to 11 p.m. Take a stroll through the tropical conservatories and experience Orchid Daze by night at the Fuqua Orchid Center. For tickets and information, visit atlantabg.org.

SKYLINE

Enjoy and evening of carnival games, miniature golf, beer and ice-skating atop Ponce City Market. Visit skylineparkatlanta. com for details.

MARY J. BLIGE AT THE FOX ▼

The R&B icon performs at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in Midtown on Feb. 13 at 8 p.m. Tickets available at foxtheatre.org.

HORIZON THEATRE COMPANY ▼

Horizon kicks off its 2018 season with “The Ballad of Klook and Vinette,” a musical about a drifter who meets a woman on the run. Romantic sparks fly, but the past catches up with them in this funny and poignant story full of poetry and jazz. For tickets, visit horizontheatre.com.

◄ SKYVIEW FERRIS WHEEL

Head Downtown for a romantic Ferris Wheel ride on the giant SkyView Atlanta, which offers gorgeous views of the cityscape. If you can’t make it to Paris, this is the next best thing: SkyView was once a fixture at Place de la Concorde near the Louvre. For information, visit skyviewatlanta.com.

PARK AT PONCE CITY MARKET ►

Works of HeART

Art show and sale benefit to help heal Atlanta’s abused children

By Clare S. Richie

An art show and sale set for Feb. 23 will support a local nonprofit that works with abused children and their families.

The 4th annual Works of HeART Benefit at The American Spirit Works, 199 Armour Drive, will offer guests the opportunity to eat, mingle with artists and select a piece of art from more than 100 local and international artists to raise funds for the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy (GCCA).

“By attending Works of HeART and bidding on art, you’ll have fun and benefit a very important cause,” co-chair Hilary Grotewold said. She’s been involved with the fundraiser since the beginning – first as an attendee, then as a volunteer, and as co-chair this year and last.

Established in 1987, GCCA champions the needs of sexually and physically abused children through prevention, intervention, therapy and collaboration. The nonprofit works to ensure that children in Fulton and DeKalb counties receive needed services following a report of abuse at no cost to their families. To date, the Center has served more than 16,000 children and leads the nation in comprehensive prevention training and programs.

“When I learned more about what the center does in our local Atlanta community –that really resonated with me,” Grotewold said.

Each year more than 30,000 substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect are reported in our state. In response, the center provides video-recorded forensic interviews for more than 700 child abuse victims each year, conducts more than 1,300 counseling and therapy sessions, and trains thousands of adults to recognize, react and respond to child sexual abuse.

Last year, Grotewold reached out to long-time friend and fellow Midtown resident Kacie Gordon about volunteering with GCCA. Gordon was impressed by the nonprofit and was surprised more people didn’t’ know about it.

“I want to spend my efforts doing something in my community and this is a really powerful way to do that,” Gordon said.

Gordon agreed to co-chair with Grotewold last year and this year the duo became a trio, adding veteran volunteer Nichelle Wilson Cowan.

“Being a beacon has encouraged my friends who may have been touched by abuse to seek healing – it’s never to late to heal,” Cowan shared.

Perhaps that’s why even the artists, like George Settos who donates his canvases of celebrity icons to the event, are also advocates for the work GCCA provides for victims of abuse.

With more than 100 artists donating their creations to Works of HeART, like artist couple Victoria Jackson and Aziz Kadmiri who have supported the event since the beginning, there is sure to be something to catch your eye.

“No matter what your price range is, we have art for you to bid on,” Grotewold explained.

You can bid on silent auction items the week before and up until the night of the event from your smartphone, if you pre-register.

“In 2017, we raised almost $40,000 net. This year, we hope to raise more than $50,000 net in order to ensure that every family has the tools and resources they need to heal,” Zobida Dat, GCCA director of development, said.

These funds are critical because GCCA can see generations of those they’ve served over the past 25 years leading healthy adult lives. Child sexual abuse victims really do benefit from early intervention by trained professionals.

“Our goal is to introduce more people in Atlanta to what GCCA does,” Gordon said.

For tickets to the art show and sale, visit worksofheart.info. To pre-register for the auction, go to heart2018. auction-bid.org.

Photos courtey Joe Carlos Photography

Artist Sanithna Phansavanh at work.

On the Frontline

Atlanta photojournalist Ryan Vizzions heads into conflict zones to capture images

By Isadora Pennington

Natural disasters, protests and matters of life or death – these are the subjects that Atlanta-based independent photojournalist Ryan Vizzions is dedicated to capturing when he’s in the field. “When I go and I cover issues, it’s because I am passionate about knowing what is happening,” he explained. “I want to understand what’s happening.”

Vizzions’ path started with grief. After his father’s suicide in 2009, he was struggling with the loss, and turned to photography as a means to cope.

Initially, he took photos of street scenes around Atlanta, but then he decided to quit his job bought a plane ticket to Thailand, and landed in the middle of the Red Shirt Protests against dictatorship. Vizzions grabbed his camera and went to check out the resistance compound in the middle of the city. Everyone assumed he was a journalist. “That’s kind of what sparked my interest in social justice,” he said.

In the years that followed, Vizzions

found himself on the front line of various conflicts, often in the very heart of community movements. His work first gained international attention when he began documenting the Dakota Access Pipeline protests at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota. Welcomed by community elders and leaders of the movement, Vizzions found himself at the center of the conflict, documenting the water cannons and tanks contrasting sharply to prayer circles, ceremonies and the day-today lives of the water protectors.

“Especially as an independent photojournalist, they really took me and showed appreciation,” Vizzions said of the community at Standing Rock. “When you have your heart behind your work, they work with you.”

Vizzions was one of the only truly independent media sources that covered the events that unfolded in North Dakota, and as a result his photos provided a unique perspective from inside the community. The powerful portraits of water protectors

confronting soldiers have been printed in publications around the world, and he has won a number of awards for his work.

Late last year, Vizzions wet to Puerto Rico in the wake of hurricanes that devastated the island’s power grid. Working with the local community and town officials, he documented their struggle to regain some sense of normalcy in the absence of electricity. Vizzions said without the internet, Puerto Ricans felt –and still feel – shut off and ignored by the outside world and the government.

“One thing I’ve learned is that if you stay neutral in situations between the oppressed and the oppressors, you’re pretty much just being complicit with the oppressors,” he explained, admitting that he does bring a bias to his coverage of these events.

For Vizzions, that’s actually the point. Given that he is not represented by any publication, and instead does grassroots fundraising to finance his trips, he only goes after issues that strike him as being in significant need of independent media coverage.

Neither the power outages in Puerto Rico nor the Standing Rock protests are over, and Vizzions feels that he has an obligation to keep awareness up about these issues. “I feel like I owe it to the movement to continue to talk about it and get it out there until it’s over,” Vizzions said.

He’s also working on a book about his experience at Standing Rock.

For more about Vizzions’ work, visit ryanvizzions.com and on social media @ ryanvizzions.

Chief Arvol Looking Horse at Standing Rock

A teepee at night at Standing Rock.

A mounted protester faces a police line at Standing Rock.

Ryan Vizzions

Visual Arts

Ancient Blue Ornament: In this exhibit at Atlanta Contemporary Art Center Kamrooz Aram utilizes painting, sculpture, and photography to examine the intersections between ornamental non-Western art, which has often been deemed “minor” throughout Western art history, and Modernism with its great phobia of the ornamental. Tuesday through Sunday. Free. atlantacontemporary. org

A Corner of Nature: Thomas Deans Fine Art presents an exhibit by Donald Beal, David Kidd and Stephen Pentak, three artists who are inspired by nature. Monday through Saturday. Free! thomasdeansfineart. com

Ebola: People + Public Health + Political Will: This exhibition at the

David J. Sencer CDC Museum is an investigation of the historic 2014-16 Ebola Fever Virus epidemic in West Africa, the United States, and around the world. Monday through Friday. Free. cdc. gov/museum

From Here I Saw What Happened and I Cried & Selected Works: Hammonds House Museum presents an exhibit by Carrie Mae Weems that exposes how photography has played a key role throughout history in shaping and supporting racism, stereotyping and social injustice. Wednesday through Sunday. $3 to $7. hammondshouse. org

¡NUEVOlution!: This major exhibition at the Atlanta History Center explores the surprising ways that Latinos are shaping the South and the South is shaping Latinos. Open daily. Free to $21.50.

atlantahistorycenter.com

Reconstructions: For this exhibit at the Swan Coach House Gallery, artists respond to a provisional city landscape in their works. Through Feb. 16. Free. swangallery.org

Divine Felines: Cats of Ancient Egypt: The Carlos Museum presents “Divine Felines: Cats of Ancient Egypt,” an exhibition featuring cats and lions (and even dogs and jackals) in ancient Egyptian mythology, kingship, and everyday life. Opens Feb. 10. Free to $8. carlos.emory.edu

Designing a Playful City: If Atlanta is to be a great city in which to live, designing great places for children to play must become a top priority, and MODA’s new exhibition explores design for play. Opens Feb. 18. Free to $10. museumofdesign.org

beloved blues, jazz and gospel singer Francine Reed will pay tribute to Johnny Mercer’s incomparable legacy by performing a selection of his many hits at Rialto Center for the Arts. Feb. 11. $31 to $63. rialtocenter.org

King Hedley II: In 1980s inner city Pittsburgh King Hedley II is an ex-con peddling stolen refrigerators to save up for his own business and hopefully a new life in this play by True Colors Theatre Company performed at Southwest Arts Center. Opens Feb. 13. $20 to $35. truecolorstheatre.org

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Discover dance that reveals our deepest humanity and our capacity to endure when the Ailey company returns to Atlanta’s Fox Theatre for one week only. Feb. 14 through 18. $21.50 to $85.50. foxtheatre.org

St. Vincent: See St. Vincent, known for her literate, emotionally intricate songs and rich, beautifully crafted pop melodies, at The Tabernacle. Feb. 17. $38.50. tabernacleatl. com

The Mystery of Love and Sex: She’s Jewish, he’s Christian, he’s black, she’s white. Their differences intensify their connection until sexual desire complicates everything in this show by Out Front Theatre Company. Feb. 1 through 18. $15 to $25. outfronttheatre.com

Nufonia Must Fall by Kid Koala

Monday, Feb. 12 7:30 pm

Tuesday, Feb. 13 7:30 pm

A tender love story of a robot on the verge of obsolescence–mixing puppets, live string quartet, and film. DJ and musician Kid Koala presents his graphic novel-turned-movie where the action is filmed and edited in real time to create a live silent film, all in view of the audience.

Rebirth Brass Band

Saturday, Feb. 24 8:00 pm

It’s a Mardi Gras celebration with the famed New Orleans group known for combining traditional brass band music with funk, jazz, soul, and hip-hop.

Thaddeus Phillips and Lucidity Suitcase

Intercontinental:

17 Border Crossings

Fri./Sat., March 2-3 8:00 pm

Joris Laarman Lab: Design in the Digital Age: From furniture generated by algorithms to a “living” lampshade made of genetically modified cells, the work of pioneering Dutch designer Joris Laarman - on view at the High Museum of Art - redefines the boundaries between art, science and technology. Opens Feb. 18. Free to $14.50. high.org

Pulp Addiction: Alan Avery Fine Art presents an exhibit by Anatoly Tsiris, who has gained high recognition for his largescale woodturnings. Opens Feb. 23. Free. alanaveryartcompany.com

Performing Arts

Dinosaur!: Alliance Theatre presents this play for young children that is a gentle and awe-inspiring introduction to the wonders of the pre-historic world. Through Feb. 18. Free to $10. alliancetheatre.org

Don Quixote: Atlanta Ballet presents a classic ballet story at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre that blends exquisite dancing with an often humorous swashbuckling tale. Feb. 2 through 10. $20 to $129. atlantaballet.com

Adam Trent: Direct from Broadway, Adam Trent, the breakout star of the world’s best selling magic show “The Illusionists,” brings his signature brand of magic and illusion to this 90-minute spectacle at the Fox Theatre. Feb. 3. $28.50 to $48.50. foxtheatre.org

Romeo and Juliet: Atlanta Shakespeare Company celebrates the 18th anniversary of performing this play about young lovers, feuding families and one Friar with good intentions. Opens Feb. 3. $23 to $42. shakespearetavern.com

Lana Del Ray: See noir-pop star Lana Del Ray in concert at Philips Arena. Feb. 5. $39.50 to $125. philipsarena.com

Johnny Mercer Tribute: Hard-bop trumpeter and vocalist Joe Gransden and

RENT 20th Anniversary Tour: A reimagining of Puccini’s La Bohème, RENT, presented at the Fox Theatre, follows an unforgettable year in the lives of seven artists struggling to follow their dreams without selling out. Feb. 20 through 28. $30 to $145.50. foxtheatre.org

The Daughter of the Regiment: When she receives new information about her identity, Marie, a spirited and charming tomboy who was adopted and raised by a French army regiment, must decide whether to follow her place in society or follow her heart in The Atlanta Opera’s show presented at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Opens Feb. 24. $35 to $131. atlantaopera.org

Eva Yerbabuena Company: Famed for her speed, power, dramatic footwork and her expression of traditional flamenco forms through her own inimitable style, Eva Yerbabuena brings her show to Atlanta’s Rialto Center for the Arts. Feb. 24. $34.85 to $69. rialtocenter.org

Big Apple Circus: Visit Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park to see a full lineup of global artists and acts, including 10-time world record-holding high wire artist Nik Wallenda and fan favorite Grandma the Clown. Closes Feb. 25. $29 to $93. vzwamp.com

From the history of passports to smuggling fried chicken into other countries, this travel saga from the genius mind of Thaddeus Phillips is a miraculous sojourn that transports us to very real places: Hungary, Serbia, Morocco, Colombia, Holland, Mexico, and more.

COLDWELL BANKER

DECATUR - Original brick with sunrm, covered porch, huge kitchen & butler’s pantry, add’l fin space with BR, flex rm and full bath above the detached parking. Excellent finishes! All certified Earthcraft homes. Outstanding floor plan. $1,125,000

FMLS: 5925279 Kathleen Sickeler 404.368.3234

DECATUR - Iris floorpan features sunrm, finished bsmt w/additional rms and full bath, large kitchen with breakfast area & butler’s pantry, beautiful master suite, 2 car garage and stand out finishes! 5Bed/5Bath

$1,199,000

FMLS: 5925323 Kathleen Sickeler 404.368.3234

ST MARLO COUNTRY CLUB - Offers 2 story foyer, 2 story great room w/wall of windows overlooks golf course. Sep living room/study & banquet sized dining. Kitchen w/breakfast area/bar and keeping room w/ stone fireplace. 5Bed/4.5Bath $649,900

FMLS: 5932823 Helene DeLoach 404.210.6250

ANSLEY PARK - Updated and expanded home, granite kitchen with SS appliances open to family room w/built-ins. Sunroom is an ideal office space & guest suite w/full bath. Master boasts his & her closets and a Jacuzzi tub. 4Bed/4 Full Bath/2 Half Bath $984,900

FMLS: 5944112 Bru Krebs 404.984.0243

GRANT BENTEEN PARK - This is the PARK II floorplan, one of three new homes on quiet dead end street. 4br/2.5ba w/screen porch, fabulous built ins, large walk in closets, appliance package, tons of energy savers! 4Bed/2.5Bath $419,900

FMLS: 5948930 Kathleen Sickeler 404.368.3234

FMLS: 5947857 John Petrou 404.444.5323

STERLING ON THE LAKE - Luxurious open 2 story foyer, 5 bedrooms, 4 full baths, including bedroom on the main. Open kitchen w/granite, cream cabinets, huge island, double ovens. Living area has stone fireplace & built-in bookshelf. 5Bed/4Bath $415,000

FMLS: 5938514 Ann Finley 404.276.8290

AQUA - Corner unit with SE views to Stone Mountain. Private elevator, large open floor plan w/floor-to-ceiling windows, hardwood floors, Lutron automated blinds, Viking appliances and hi-end finishes & fixtures throughout. 2Bed/2Bath $525,000

FMLS: 5939549 Erin Fye 404.771.9822

GRANT BENTEEN PARK - This is the PARK II floorplan, one of three new homes on quiet dead end street. 4br/2.5ba w/screen porch, fabulous built ins, large walk in closets, appliance package, tons of energy savers! 4Bed/2.5Bath $419,900

FMLS: 5948925 Kathleen Sickeler 404.368.3234

NORTH DECATUR HEIGHTS - House built on 2 lots, 12 & 13, as per original plat plan. May be purchased and existing house may be renovated. Or house may be torn down for construction of new house. 3Bed/2Bath $499,000

FMLS: 5935558 Barney Hill 678.644.2784

ASHFORD PARK - Great cozy home in Brookhaven, close to public transport. Great kitchen, nice living rooms, separate entrance from the kitchen, lots of closet spaces great for STORAGE. Beautiful backyard w/chimney & great swing. 2Bed/1Bath $360,000

FMLS: 5948249 Nanda Ragala 404.542.4988

COLONY PARK CITIHOMES II - This home has hardwoods throughout with a perfect walk out covered balcony. Granite and SS appliances in the kitchen, all appliances and washer/dryer remain with home.

2Bed/1Bath $300,000

FMLS: 5950456 Bru Krebs 404.984.0243

GRANT BENTEEN PARK - Ready Spring 2018, this is the OHM floorpan, one of three new homes on quiet dead end street. 5br/3ba with screen porch, fabulous built ins, excellent appliance package, tons of energy savers. 5Bed/3Bath $395,000

FMLS: 5948934 Kathleen Sickeler 404.368.3234

DECATUR - Master on the main, bsmt w/stained concrete floors and media rm, large flex space and storage rm up, two car drive under garage, abundance of SF - The Edna floorpan has it all! 5Bed/6Bath

$1,250,000

FMLS: 5925329 Kathleen Sickeler 404.368.3234

NISKEY LAKE - 3 car garage, HDWDS, tile flooring in kitchen and baths, separate living, dining, family, private bonus room over the garage and a sunroom overlooking the tranquilizing lake. 5Bed/3Bath $299,000

FMLS: 5950466 Lamar Golar 404.643.1888

EDGEWOOD - EarthCraft award winner, stylish and sophisticated detail, along with all of the high performance features providing greater comfort, indoor air quality, functionality and energy efficiency make this a truly unique offering. 4Bed/3Bath $650,000

FMLS: 5929695 Clarke Weeks 404.932.0391