Atlanta Intown - May 2021

1776 Johnson Road

COMING SOON

4 BED | 3 BATH

Fully renovated, move-in ready Morningside home. Complete with four bedrooms and gourmet kitchen. Spacious rear motor court.

1316 N. Highland N.E.

ACTIVE LISTING | OFFERED FOR $1,070,000 3 BED | 3.5 BATH

Fully modernized bungalow in vibrant Morningside. Features large rooms and high ceilings, second-floor has loft-like feel, expansive motor court that leads to elevated front porch, eat-in kitchen, rear covered porch, basement makes ideal workshop.

1289 N. Highland Avenue N.E.

PRICE IMPROVEMENT | OFFERED FOR $775,000

3 BED | 2 BATH

Charming home filled with character in ideal location—walking to Morningside shops, restaurants and farmer’s market. Fireplace, eat-in kitchen with oversized island. Covered front porch, large rear deck, spa-like master bathroom. Fenced backyard, motor court.

1748 Wildwood Road N.E.

PRICE IMPROVEMENT | OFFERED FOR $1,249,000

6 BED | 6 BATH

Excellent Morningside home almost 5,000 sqft in size. Three finished levels with 6 bedrooms and 2 separate home offices—one with a separate exterior entrance. The home also features an oversized 2-car garage and abundant storage.

1801 Woodcliffe Terrace N.E.

UNDER CONTRACT | OFFERED FOR $799,000

3 BED | 3 BATH

Outstanding Morningside ranch home on level lot overlooking the Wildwood Urban Forest. This home features a large open floor plan, two car attached garage, and a large deck. It is located on super quiet street, and is a great place for a family.

1782 Johnson Road N.E.

UNDER CONTRACT | OFFERED FOR $799,000 3 BED | 3 BATH

Beautiful, open floorplan with large two car garage. Flat back yard extends to serene outdoor oasis perfect for entertaining as we enter the spring season.

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Circulation

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New Listing • Brookhaven • 2597 Stoland Drive

3 Bedrooms • 1.5 Bathrooms • Offered for $549,000

Recently renovated, this open floor plan home offers all of today’s desires, including a new kitchen open to the dining and living rooms plus a fireside family room and an office or sunroom leading to the walkout backyard. Outdoor living includes a deck and firepit as well as landscaped gardens with raised beds. On the main level, enjoy three nicely sized bedrooms, a remodeled full bathroom with a double vanity and a half bathroom. Additional details include a side-entry carport opening to the mudroom and adjacent laundry/pantry, an auxiliary building for storage and a workshop, a new driveway, a tankless water heater, a newer roof, irrigation and refinished hardwood floors. This fabulous location is two blocks from the new elementary school and moments to all of Brookhaven’s amenities, retail and restaurants.

#1 Agent in Druid Hills cell 404.444.0192 office 404.874.0300

peggy@atlantafinehomes.com

Your Neighborhood Expert with Global Connections

Condos, COVID vaccines, and the arc of justice

In February, I wrote about my frustrating quest to buy a condo. Well, dear readers, I think I’ve finally found one. I don’t want to jinx it, but an offer was made and accepted, earnest money was wired, an inspection was completed, and now we’re in the due diligence period.

The light and bright condo is on a top floor in the heart of Midtown. The Fox Theatre is a few blocks away, while Piedmont Park is a short stroll in the other direction. In between is a fantastic assortment of shops and restaurants, so I’m looking forward to parking my car and walking everywhere.

Editor’s Letter

has been editor of Atlanta Intown for almost two decades. He’s also an award-winning poet and novelist.

collin@AtlantaIntownPaper.com

I had the heartbreak of losing two other condos I really loved to higher bids. After five months of going to see condos and townhomes every single weekend (and sometimes during the week), I was about to renew my lease and give up. Hat tip to BFF Karen Head who spotted the Midtown listing a mere hour after it appeared online and texted me the link and to my agent Connor Thompson with EXP Realty, who has the patience of a saint. I had no idea how picky I truly am until this homebuying adventure began.

I also got my COVID-19 vaccine during the same time period. I felt incredibly lucky to book an appointment for the Johnson & Johnson one-dose until two weeks later when it was paused due to blood clot issues. Yikes!

I felt like I’d been hit by a bus for around 36 hours, my arm was sore and accompanied by a rash, but the side-effects lifted quickly and now I’ve joined the inoculated ranks. I’m hoping, in the very near future, I can finally ditch the damnable mask, interact at less distance, and never see a plexiglass divider ever again.

Atlanta’s arts community is also excited about more vaccinations as you’ll see in this month’s triumphant cover story, “The Arts Are Back!” Yes, live music, shows, and events. There’s still going to be some social distancing, mask requirements, and many of the events are being held outdoors, but I’m quite all right with that. I never thought I’d be sick of streaming, but when I looped back to re-watching old “X-Files” episodes, I knew my entertainment value needed a serious recalibration. I’m giddy with the thought of walking down Peachtree from my new condo to see “Hamilton” at the Fabulous Fox.

On a more somber note, I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the passing of two people who were close to Atlanta Intown. Our former advertising executive David Burleson passed away in February. He was with Intown for more than a decade and his big personality and drive helped make Intown a success.

We also lost Susan Tucker, the longtime owner of Tucker & Associates Public Relations and Advertising in April. Susan was in the business for nearly 50 years and, as an editor, I appreciated her attention to detail in pitching stories and knowing just what our readers might want. Both David and Susan will be greatly missed by all of us who knew them.

Finally, as we were sending this issue to the printer, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of all charges in last spring’s murder of George Floyd. There was a momentary, collective releasing of breath as Chauvin was held accountable for his actions.

It was hard to describe the court win as “justice,” as the specter of injustice in the cases of Breonna Taylor, Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland, Rayshard Brooks, and so many others still hang heavy in the air. And now 13-year-old Adam Toledo, who was shot in Chicago with his hands in the air, becomes the latest youth to die in a confrontation with police.

As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Right now, we’re still in the curve.

Collin Kelley

George Floyd

Back to the Books

By Clare S. Richie

After more than a year of virtual offerings and curbside service, DeKalb and Fulton County Library Systems are reopening in phases to keep patrons and staff safe.

DeKalb patrons must make an appointment to use computers or browse six days a week at 21 branches (excluding Stone Mountain and Scottdale-Tobie Grant branches). Starting in May, limited numbers of Fulton patrons can use computers and browse at 32 branches on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The Auburn Avenue Research Library is open by appointment only and the Central Library remains closed for the time being as renovations are completed.

“Our duty is to serve the public,” said Gayle Holloman, Executive Director Fulton County Library System. “We want them

to come back in, see their smiling faces and share thoughts about books. We miss that, too. We are appreciative of their patience and we ask that they hold on just a little bit longer.”

Curbside services and virtual programming are expected to continue through the summer for both library systems. In-person programming and meeting room rentals could phase in later this fall.

“We’re still here even though we had to close our doors for a while,” said Alison L. Weissinger, Director DeKalb County Public Library. “We recognize our place as the community living room and are working very hard to welcome people back in.”

COVID-19 was transformational as local libraries shifted from gathering spots and expanded virtual offerings for all ages.

“We figured out how to get people library cards online and added to all of our

digital databases,” Weissinger said. “Most book clubs have stayed active on Zoom or Google Meet. Our Georgia Center for the Book author programs are on Zoom.”

Fulton County’s expanded digital offerings included Kanopy, a database of thousands of movies and documentaries and Paper.co, which provides online homework help from expert tutors.

To replicate what was offered inside the branches, both created taped or live stream programming.

“If you go to our website [fulcolibrary.org] you will see all sorts of wonderful activities that children can participate in. We have craft programs where materials are given out to the public when they come for curbside services,” Holloman said.

Innovative staff, like West End’s Bonita McZorn, created a children’s book window display that allowed children to select their own books from outside the branch. Other branches, like Cleveland Avenue, followed.

Local libraries responded to the increased need for internet access and devices.

“We boosted our WiFi signal for about 10 hours a day to provide internet access outside our buildings,” Weissinger said. Demand increased for the “Take the Internet Home with You”

200 hotspot checkout program, funded primarily by DeKalb Library Foundation. Fulton County’s 140 Chromebooks and 120 hot spots were constantly checked out.

“If we had 1,000 of them, we’d be able to get them all out in a day,” Holloman said.

Now patrons can access computers inside nearly all Fulton and DeKalb branches. Fulton County is starting with two days, Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., for

Meagan Stone leads virtual story time at the Fulton County Library. System.

Curbside pickup at the Cleveland Avenue branch.

limited number of patrons to use computers and browse. Curbside services will still be offered on other days.

“We want to phase in. We know things are changing for the better but we don’t want to start too fast and then close everything down,” Holloman said. Also, library staff are helping with vaccine scheduling and intake.

DeKalb County patrons can schedule an

hour appointment for computer use (with 30-minute cleaning time in-between) or browsing. Branch safety modifications include plexiglass shields at desks, temperature scanners, hand sanitizer, tagging available computers and enforcing the county mask mandate. As long as staff remain split into two teams, hours will remain 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., MondaysSaturdays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on

Tuesdays.

“We’ll start out at 40 percent capacity inching that up as the staff and the public get vaccinated,” Weissinger said. “Once the community reaches herd immunity, we’ll get much closer to no time limits or capacity limits. Probably the last thing added will be in-person programming. We hope that’s toward the end of the year.”

Summer programming, such as the

statewide Tails and Tales summer reading challenge, will be largely virtual with some outdoor offerings, like expanding StoryWalks to include Glenlake Park, Dunwoody, Arabia Mountain and Clarkston.

“We take a book and put the pages onto signs that follow a path through a park or nature area,” Weissinger said. “It gets you moving outdoors with your family and reading.” Books aligned with the summer theme will change every other week and can be read in English and Spanish.

As we return to our favorite branches, let’s thank the staff who have been creative and adaptive throughout the pandemic to foster community and love of reading.

“The staff has stepped up – they’ve been phenomenal. As we move forward we are going to adjust and readjust. And before long we should be back to more of what we call normal traditional library service,” Holloman said.

Staff helps with curbside pickup at the Buckhead branch.

Staffer Ruthie Metzler at the Youth Services Desk at the Decatur Library.

News RoundUp

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued the One Atlanta: One APD Community Policing Roadmap to combat crime concerns including a new public safety training academy, expanding the surveillance camera network, expanding At-Promise Centers for at-risk youth, and requiring additional training for officers to defuse dangerous situations.

The Atlanta Department of Transportation is installing 25 mph speed signs that will reduce the speed limit to nearly 75 percent of the city’s streets.

A portion of Centennial Olympic Park in Downtown has reopened after being closed since last summer, WednesdaysSundays, 10 am-6 pm.

The Atlanta Regional Commission announced that the planned extension of 15th Street was recently awarded a $2 million grant from the Federal Highway Administration.

MARTA contracts for study of BeltLine rail; Northeast Trail segment completed

By Collin Kelley

MARTA has signed a contract to begin a feasibility study for adding the light rail component to the Atlanta BeltLine loop.

The transit authority’s board of directors authorized a contract for a comprehensive engineering analysis for light rail that would connect to current MARTA heavy rail stations. The feasibility study will be conducted by VHB/Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. at a cost of $500,000.

According to a statement released by MARTA, the six-month study is an important step towards requesting federal funding support as well as taking a close look at design gaps in connecting the BeltLine to existing transit.

“MARTA appreciates that advocates for BeltLine rail are eager to see dirt turned, but upon analysis of initial environmental and engineering studies conducted by Atlanta BeltLine Inc. [ABI], we identified significant gaps that must be addressed,” said MARTA General Manager and CEO Jeffrey Parker. “This is typical for a project of this size and this feasibility study will examine technical issues and risks involved in building light rail on the BeltLine and give us a better sense of overall project costs and feasibility. Right now, we have lines on a map with little to no connectivity. For this project to progress and ultimately succeed, it must connect to the existing MARTA system.”

The draft environmental study documents released by ABI were primarily trail-based with some rail considerations which did not address several areas of rail transit concerns. The planning review of the documents revealed transit connectivity gaps to the north between Ansley Mall and Lindbergh Center rail station and to the south between the existing Streetcar and I-20. Additionally, alignment options to MARTA heavy rail stations and alongside existing private

railroad tracks have not been adequately addressed and require more evaluation.

“The board saw this feasibility study as an important next step in MARTA’s commitment to its customers who support transit expansion along the BeltLine, and throughout the system,” said MARTA Board Chair Rita Scott.

“When people hear of another study, they may be tempted to criticize this as overanalysis, but this level of due diligence is paramount to providing safe, efficient, and connected transit, which is the goal of everyone involved in this massive

project.”

Advocacy group BeltLine Rail Now maintained in a post on its website and social media that light rail was the only answer and questioned MARTA’s “handwringing and doubt.”

In the post on its website, the organization asked, “Why are we still talking about this 20 years after the BeltLine vision captured the hearts and minds of our city? Since 2005, at least three separate expert reviews came to the same official conclusion: the best transit mode for the BeltLine is light rail.”

The post went on: “The BeltLine is designed for higher density residential and commercial development, which requires higher-volume transit. Real progress with affordable housing, in quantity and quality, is only possible with increased density. And with direct connections to MARTA at new infill stations, we can begin to address transit equity in a meaningful way in Atlanta and repair the damage of prior decades that divided and separated Atlantans along racial lines.”

In other BeltLine news, ABI and Georgia Power have completed work on a portion of the Northeast Trail and it is now open to the public in an advanced interim state. The trail runs through the Piedmont Heights and Ansley Park neighborhoods and is accessible behind Ansley Mall and via a ramp connection from Montgomery Ferry Road.

At 0.7 miles in length, this paved, multi-use trail – known as Segment 2 – is part of the larger Northeast Trail that will ultimately connect from the northern end of the Eastside Trail by Piedmont Park up to the Lindbergh MARTA station.

The next phase of work for Segment 2 will fully complete 1.2 miles of the multi-use trail between Westminster Drive and Mayson Street, including: the paved trail, a connection to Piedmont Avenue, lighting and security cameras, bridgework, planting, and stormwater management systems.

A rendering of rail on the BeltLine at Memorial Drive.

A new segment of the Northeast Trail is complete.

8

During

Bottoms issues order expanding voting access in wake of senate bill

By Collin Kelley

Mayor

Keisha Lance

Bottoms has signed an administrative order to mitigate the impact of new voting restrictions imposed by controversial Senate Bill 202.

“The voting restrictions of SB 202 will disproportionately impact Atlanta residents—particularly in communities of color and other minority groups,” Bottoms said in a statement. “This administrative order is designed to do what those in the majority of the state legislature did not — expand access to our right to vote.”

The order directs the city’s Chief Equity Officer to develop a plan of action to expand opportunity and access to the ballot box, including:

■ Coordinating with ATL311 and the Mayor’s Office of Constituent Services to provide training to staff members on voter registration and general information on early, absentee, and in-person voting, in order that they may communicate this information to residents.

■ Coordinating with ATL311 and the Mayor’s Office of Constituent Services to disseminate information to residents on how to obtain the forms of identification required for absentee voting.

■ Coordinating with the Operational Departments to include QR Codes or links to websites providing information regarding voter registration and absentee voting in water bills and other mailings.

■ Working with corporate and community partners to develop and implement public service announcements and other communications to provide clarity on new voting related deadlines and timelines.

The administrative order comes in the wake of corporate backlash against the restrictive new voting laws and Major League Baseball moving this summer’s AllStar Game from Atlanta to Denver, Colorado.

The new voting law, signed by Gov. Brian Kemp on March 25, has already drawn a flurry of lawsuits from civil rights organizations who claim the measures will impact the ability of Black people to vote.

The law imposes new voter identification requirements for absentee ballots, empowers state officials to take over local elections boards, limits the use of ballot drop boxes, allows for unlimited challenges to a voter’s qualifications, cuts the runoff election period from nine to four weeks, shortens the time voters have to request an absentee ballot, and even criminalizes giving food and water to voters waiting in line at polling places.

these uncertain times, HammerSmith is here for you and your family. We provide safe, essential services, architectural designs and home renovations. Start planning today for how to live better in a changed world.

The voting restrictions of SB 202 will disproportionately impact Atlanta residents—particularly in communities of color and other minority groups

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms

Mayor says Buckhead cityhood not a solution to crime

By John Ruch

In an April 12 speech to the Buckhead Rotary Club, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms blasted Buckhead cityhood as a non-solution to crime.

Legislation was introduced at the end of this year’s General Assembly session to create “Buckhead City.” Since a new city requires approval over two legislative sessions, it will be 2022 before voters would see it on a ballot.

“In creating a new city, you’re not building a wall around the city,” Bottoms told club members in a virtual appearance. “You’re not locking residents in and keeping everyone out. It doesn’t address crime. The way that we address crime is to continue to work together as we have done for decades, as a city, as one city.”

Bottoms placed Buckhead and Atlanta crime in the national context and attributed it to mental and social pressures of the pandemic.

“We are experiencing what I call a COVID crime wave,” she said. “… I’ve heard some say it’s an excuse when you say it’s happening everywhere. It’s not an excuse. It’s a fact.”

Citing her own crime-fighting plan, Bottoms said she has spoken directly with President Joe Biden about crime and that he agrees about the pandemic being a factor. She said she expects the city to receive about $178 million in money from the federal American Rescue Plan Act and that the Biden administration will allow it to be spent with “flexibility,” including on public safety.

Questioned by a concerned resident, Bottoms acknowledged that she is delaying a search for a permanent police chief, while pushing back on the effect on policing and crime.

“The short answer is no. I cannot say when a new police chief will be named,” Bottoms said when asked whether a search process is underway. One reason for the delay, she said, is that many cities nationwide are searching for chiefs, so recruitment is more difficult than usual. “And secondly, this is an election year…. I don’t want it to become political fodder,” Bottoms added of the search process.

She said she is “very pleased” with interim Chief Rodney Bryant’s work and that he has agreed to remain in the job as long as she wants, including the possibility of being the permanent chief. “Let me clear, Rodney Bryant serving as the interim police chief is not the reason we are having an uptick in crime in the city,” Bottoms said.

Bottoms acknowledged the effect of crime concerns, as well as pandemic-related pressures, in spawning the effort to make Buckhead its own city. “It has caused us in many ways to be very uncomfortable as a city because we’ve endured many challenges as a city. But I can tell you that the solution to this is not to create a city of Buckhead,” she said, adding that such an effort is a “very expensive proposition” with such questions as the establishment of a new school system.

“I can tell you that the city of Atlanta very much values Buckhead,” Bottoms said. “We very much consider Buckhead a part of the city of Atlanta, and an important part of the city of Atlanta. And it has never been any intention from me personally or from our administration not to provide Buckhead with the services and the protection that it needs, just as we do across the city of Atlanta.”

EDUCATION BRIEFS

The Atlanta Board of Education has approved key adjustments to the Atlanta Public Schools’ (APS) FY2021 operating budget. Since the state’s $1,000 retention bonus did not include all job titles, APS will provide one-time $1,000 payments to all full-time staff and $500 to all parttime staff and permanent substitutes. In addition, APS has moved forward with part of a compensation package originally proposed for next fiscal year, which is a 2% across-the-board increase to all of the pay scales. The district is also committed to providing raises and step increases as part of its developing general fund budget for FY2022.

UPS provided more than 55,000 books through the Georgia Family Connection Partnership to be distributed throughout the city, with a portion of those books going to APS students in support of the Race2Read challenge. The initiative is designed to boost leisure reading citywide to close the literacy gap. For more information on how businesses can help directly support the Race2Read challenge

through “wish list” items including book donations and more, contact jsaunders@ atlanta.k12.ga.us. For information on how businesses can become a Race2Read Friend or Literacy Champion, contact a EducationEquity@ulgatl.org. Individuals and families can also help by logging their leisure reading minutes daily at Race2Read.org.

▲ Oglethorpe University has named Laura Renée Chandler as its first Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, a member of the senior administrative leadership team. In this new role, Dr. Chandler will lead the strategic discussion advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion across the university and, working with key campus leaders, will build, guide, and assess policies and practices that encourage diversity, equity, and inclusion as a means of improving Oglethorpe’s cultural climate and identity. Dr. Chandler is the former Director of University of South Dakota’s Center for Diversity and Community. She received her MA and PhD in History from Rice University in Houston, TX, and a BA in Political Science from Macalester College in Saint Paul, MN.

Grady High School’s student newspaper, The Southerner, has been named as a winner of the National Scholastic Press Association’s (NSPA) 2021 Pacemaker Award in Online Journalism. The Southerner was one of just 13 online publications to receive the honor, out of a field of hundreds of applicants vying for the award. The Southerners student editors are Katherine Esterl, Anna Fedorova, Kamryn Harty, Tyler Jones, Kiki Soto, and Charlotte Spears. The faculty advisor is Delbert Ellerton.

Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School’s 6th annual President’s Cup Golf Tournament held on March 29 at Capital City Club in Brookhaven raised $200,000 for student scholarships. The money raised supports the private, college-prep education of 550 high school students from underserved populations. Since 2015, the golf tournament has raised over $950,000 to help cover the gap between the income earned from the school’s innovative Corporate Work Study program and the cost to educate the students.

May is Better Hearing Month!

It’s time to thank the children

I was at CVS the other day and they were administering COVID vaccines. I had that euphoric, high-fivey feeling I get at Mercedes-Benz Stadium when Atlanta United scores a goal and felt like dapping up everyone in there.

The sentiment will have to suffice though as I surmised touching strangers at CVS would be frowned upon these days. But have we singled out pharmacy workers for praise yet? In a year where a mildly sick person was essentially the third rail, these people are seriously heroic to me.

Timmy Daddy

Tim Sullivan

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.

We’ve identified so many groups that rightfully deserve all the banging of pots and pans. The nurses, doctors, first responders, grocery store clerks, teachers, sanitation workers and so on. Even parents have gotten some accolades or at the very least permission to cut ourselves some slack. But you know what? It’s time to thank the children.

I know, I know, they’ve driven you completely bonkers this past year with their incessant habit of always BEING RIGHT THERE but think about it: a 10-year-old kid has spent more than 10 percent of her life in quarantine. 10 years old! At this point it seems cute that we used to stress about things like screen time. The monitoring app probably just reads “All The Time.” But I’m thankful that my kids could at least keep up with their friends through devices and gaming. To borrow a line from famous high schooler John Bender: “It’s sort of social. Demented and sad, but social.”

We need to start wrapping our brains around how difficult this has been for the kids. Ask any pediatrician. While there has been a decline in need for antibiotics there has been an explosion of other health issues for teens, tweens and even the younger set. Anxiety, depression, weight loss or weight gain — things we typically navigate through in adulthood are now facing

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your average 12-year-old. And this doesn’t even address those that lost loved ones to the virus, which is a significant number.

It’s like living in the upside down. Elliott and Margo are seven for seven each on clean COVID tests; do we celebrate? They are like mini-epidemiologists at this point. Do we congratulate them on the knowledge they’ve obtained? Basketball season being canceled this winter has torn Elliott to shreds he misses it so much. Graduations, proms, birthday parties and sleepovers were wiped out. Yet in many households, it’s the children policing the adults on pandemic protocols.

A hapless government response to the virus outbreak kept most schools closed for an eternity. This time last year there was heated debate about tattoo parlors and bowling alleys opening back up while it was assumed school would remain virtual. They are finally back in person for a masked half-day, but merely talking to a classmate carries the rule-breaking risk of a playground cigarette. Because the adults screwed up so much, the pandemic has been carried on the backs of children. Those yesteryear, five miles through the snow type stories we love to tell our kids about our own childhoods have been nullified. They have lived through a pandemic! Game over. They win by losing harder.

I don’t know how or if we can ever give them their due. For starters there should be lots of hugs and understanding. Maybe a special trip, a puppy or candy is in order if those things work in your household like they do mine. A mix of gratitude and apologies needs to be conveyed. I’m not saying we canonize them (I couldn’t get Elliott or Margo to help me clean the spring pollen off the porch today) but these kids deserve a mountain of acknowledgement. Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your fortitude. Thank you for your leadership. And I’m so so sorry. You all grew up a little quicker than you ever should have had to.

Margo Sullivan and her friends Ellie and Penny walking to school in Oakhurst.

New Designer Model by Habachy Designs

Coloring Outside the Lines

Amy Leavell Bransford will expand Aviary Beauty + Wellness to Summerhill this summer

a quarter of a century. What did she teach you about running your own business?

By Collin Kelley

The daughter of a rock legend and a pioneering businesswoman, Amy Leavell Bransford forged her own path with trailblazing Aviary Beauty

with a water feature and New Age music” and that wasn’t me.

The other option was very clinical, like a doctor’s office.

+

Wellness and SparrowHawk Studio, both located at Studioplex in Old Fourth Ward. With a second location of Aviary opening in Summerhill this June, we talked to Bransford about growing up in a famous family, meeting David Bowie, and her mission to create space for artists who “color outside the lines.” And, of course, we got her eclectic playlist – filled with new and classic tunes – for our In the Mix series. Scan the code under her photo or search Atlanta Intown on Spotify.

Q. Aviary was a trailblazer on Intown’s spa scene. Can you reflect on your decision to open the shop and its growth after more than a decade in business?

A. When I opened in 2009 it was a response to the fact that I didn’t fit into the mold of the typical Atlanta spa. I had experience working in a local day spa that was very “Zen

When I found my 1,100 square foot studio in Old Fourth Ward, I knew it was home. The space is very rustic, industrial and the history of the building really spoke to me. The courtyard entry with all of the fruit trees and vines makes Studioplex one of Atlanta’s most unique buildings that has always been home to creative residents and businesses.

I opened a boutique tattoo studio there in 2017, SparrowHawk Studio. Again, it was a response to there not being a place for artists to work who felt like they didn’t fit into the mold of the typical shop. I am very proud of that; we are a collective of Misfit Toys. Now, I am expanding Aviary Beauty + Wellness to a second location in Summerhill. I guess we just keep going to try to provide jobs for people who want to color outside the lines.

Q. Your mom, Rose Lane Leavell, ran a successful boutique in Macon, GA for

A. I literally grew up in mom’s shop, Cornucopia, which was Macon’s most fashion forward boutique. She opened it when I was 2. Mom was carrying lines like Betsy Johnson many years before it was a department store brand. Going on shopping trips with Mom to Atlanta and New York taught me to look for brands that are unique and not ubiquitous, which I do for my own business today. Growing up in a womanowned business, whose clientele were also mostly women and trans women, influenced me a lot. Macon also had an underground trans and drag scene at the Pegasus Lounge until it burned in the 1980s, and many of them shopped for their gowns and apparel at Cornucopia. So being a child of my parents exposed me to a lot of experiences that shaped who I am today.

Q. Your dad, keyboardist Chuck Leavell, is a familiar name to anyone who loves the Allman Brothers and Rolling Stones. How did growing up in a musical household inspire you?

A. My Dad moved away from his hometown of Tuscaloosa, AL as a teenager to go to Muscle Shoals and play on soul records,

which was a shocking thing to do at the time. This was all with the civil rights movement happening in the background. When I stop to think about that sometimes, I think how punk that was for the era. He later moved to Macon and met my mom, who worked for the record label. So, they were OG “it” couple in the early 1970s. I also worked for Capricorn Records as a publicist to bands like Cake and Widespread Panic when they moved to Atlanta in the ‘90s. Having the experience of growing up in a musical family and then later having the experience of working with the Walden family really shaped me. Phil Walden [co-founder of Capricorn] was a legend, and I got to work outside his office every day.

Q. Okay, you have to dish on at least one cool celebrity encounter.

A. My favorite one ever is David Bowie. It was during a Rolling Stones tour in the ‘90s when backstage of every concert was a who’s who of celebrity A List. I saw Dad talking with Bowie across the room and walked over to inject myself into the conversation for a forced introduction. He was such a kind man he asked me a lot of questions about myself with genuine, even if pretend, interest. I’m not sure whether Bowie tried to elevate me to his level or he met me at mine, but it’s a thing I think about a lot in relationships. Meeting people where they are is something I strive for.

Q. What song or album is on constant repeat these days?

A. The first song on my playlist is Wildfires from the band Sault. This is probably my favorite stye of music. Also, I love Cherry Glazer. My husband [Steve] and kids went to Pappy & Harriet’s for lunch on a visit to Joshua Tree in 2018 and they were performing. I have been pretty obsessed ever since. My kids, Rocco and Miles, are 12 and 15 and in their own music discovery right now. They are delving into bands like Gorillaz, Radiohead and Tame Impala. I loved Brit pop so it has been fun to rediscover Damon Albarn music with them. I also remember doing the same thing with my parents’ records when I was their age, except it was REM’s “Murmur” or Jimi Hendrix’s “Electric Ladyland.”

6-year-old Amy with her parents, Chuck and Rose Leavell.

In the courtyard outside Aviary Wellness + Beauty’s Studioplex location

Experts make recommendations on future of Underground

for the city and a gathering place for Atlantans of all ages to utilize,” said Lalani.

“We commissioned the design charrette as first step in creating a uniquely activated entertainment district that will restore the sense of wonderment and excitement around Underground Atlanta. We look forward to the opportunity to speak with the community to hear their thoughts on what uses will best serve the needs of the surrounding neighborhoods and the city to allow us to create an informed plan for this project.”

By Collin Kelley

After purchasing Underground Atlanta for $31.6 million last November, the Downtown property’s new owner is considering multifamily residential options, more retail and restaurants, and reactivating outdoor spaces.

Those are some of the recommendations that came out of a recent three-day design charrette with some of Atlanta’s leading urban planners, architects, engineers and placemaking experts.

The team, which was assembled by owner Shaneel Lalani, CEO of Billionaires Funding Group (BFG), and HGOR, an Atlanta-based urban design, placemaking and landscape architecture firm, envisioned the first drafts of a master plan for the storied district. To follow the charrette, Lalani said the team would soon seek community feedback to help inform the final master plan.

“Our hope with the redevelopment of Underground Atlanta is to create the right environment

JUST LISTED!

At the design charrette, the experts split into three teams each focusing on different elements of the project. Following Lalani’s vision of a multi-phased redevelopment, the team presented a first draft of a master plan that addresses the rehabilitation of existing historic buildings and structures; incorporates viable residential options; creates engaging retail and entertainment concepts at both the street level and the underground mall around Kenny’s Alley; adds programmable indoor and outdoor public spaces and rehabs existing public areas, and includes plans for vertical growth with the addition of taller buildings for a variety of potential uses.

The team also indicated a need for immediate onsite activation and programming to draw people back to Underground. BFG said there would be continuing conversations with neighborhood stakeholders to ensure the redevelopment considers the identity, insight and needs of Downtown.

“Underground Atlanta will always have a place in Atlanta’s history as well as the feeling of nostalgia among the many who visited the district over the years,” said A.J. Robinson, president of Central Atlanta Progress (CAP). “To ensure the success of Underground’s next phase, we must revive its sense of relevance. I was inspired by the conversations and initial plans that were presented at the charrette, and the team’s understanding of what is needed to create a great place within our Downtown community. I am impressed with Shaneel and his team’s vision to reestablish Underground Atlanta’s importance in our city’s future.”

In addition to the design charrette, BFG hired a leasing director with significant urban retail leasing experience, India Turkell, who will focus on retail and restaurant leasing for the 400,000-square-foot district.

Lalani purchased Underground from South Carolina-based developer WRS, which had purchased the bought the property from the city in 2017 for $34.6 million and had planned to redevelop the 12-acre site into a live-work-shop community. WRS had announced several projects – including a hotel, an LGBTQ+ nightclub/restaurants, and apartments – but said the pandemic had caused a delay in construction.

Lalani also purchased the nearby One Park Tower, a 300,000-square-foot office building located at 34 Peachtree Street in Downtown, for $12.75 million, earlier this year.

Lalani’s planned redevelopment is another chapter in Underground’s storied history.

The retail and entertainment district, which became best known for hosting the annual Peach Drop on New Year’s Eve and as the home of The Masquerade music venue, was created after the Civil War as bridges and viaducts were built over Downtown’s railroad tracks. The section of the city, containing about 12-acres, was eventually covered and forgotten as the street level was raised one-and-a-half stories by the end of the 1920s.

Underground was rediscovered in the 1960s and the original store fronts, brick streets and gas lamps were renovated and turned into a restaurant and nightclub district in 1969, including the original Dante’s Down the Hatch. The heyday was short-lived and Underground became home to vagrants until the late 80s, when it was resurrected again in 1989.

The second heyday didn’t last long either as the upscale retailers and restaurants fled and were replaced by small shops, chain stores and fast-food restaurants.

Local engineers, architects, and designers recently gathered for a three-day charrette on redeveloping Underground Atlanta.

2 of the development with construction expected to begin in fall 2022.

BUSINESS BRIEFS

▲U.K.-based Puttshack opened its first indoor mini-golf and food venue in April at The Interlock development at 1085 Howell Mill Road on the Westside. The 25,000 square foot space has four techdriven golf courses, global-inspired dining menu, cocktail bar, and rooftop patio. Puttshack currently has three locations in London and will soon open venues in Chicago and Miami later this year. For more information, visit puttshack.com. Also coming to The Interlock: a 42,154 square foot Publix supermarket in phase

►Switchyards, the members only work club, plans to reopen its doors May 3 after a 14 month shutdown due to the pandemic. While the original Downtown location won’t reopen just yet, Westside and the new Cabbagetown location will open to current members and begin adding new members from a sizable waitlist. The cost: $50 per month. According to Switchyards creative director Brandon Hinman, the new 6,000 square foot Cabbagetown location at 670 Memorial Drive was set to open before COVID-19 arrived and has been waiting for members ever since. Hinman said the former Brother Moto motorcycle shop has been totally transformed into an “awesome workspace” including a library room in the former garage. There’s also plenty of outside space to work for those who aren’t comfortable working indoors just yet. For more information, visit switchyards.com.

TeamViewer, a global provider of secure remote connectivity solutions and workplace digitalization technology, will

open a sales and business development office in Atlanta, creating more than 100 jobs in the metro area over the next four years. The company was still narrowing down a location at press time. New job opportunities will be focused on sales, business development, customer support, and solution delivery. Individuals interested in career opportunities with TeamViewer are encouraged to visit jobs. teamviewer.com/jobs.

Buckhead’s Lenox Marketplace has been purchased by Selig Enterprises and an Ohio teachers’ pension fund. The multi-level mall at 3535 Peachtree Road, between Wieuca and Oak Valley roads, is anchored by Target, Publix, Dick’s Sporting Goods and LA Fitness. The other new owner is the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio, which holds nearly $80 billion in investment assets.

Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) announced that its executive director, Doug Hooker, will be retiring on March 31, 2022. Hooker began his tenure with the agency in November 2011 leading more than 240 employees across the Atlanta region.

◄Leon Eplan, the city planner who established Atlanta’s Neighborhood Planning Unit (NPU) system, died April 15 at the age of 92. In his long career, Eplan was appointed Commissioner for the Department of Budget and Planning in 1974, was involved in the planning of the MARTA rail system and came back to work for the city to assist in the planning of the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Georgia Officials to Determine Fate of Okefenokee

By Sally Bethea

The fate of the largest wildlife refuge east of the Mississippi River – a freshwater ecosystem of international importance, unparalleled biodiversity, and pristine wilderness – rests in the hands of Georgia officials.

Gov. Brian Kemp, his appointed Board of Natural Resources, and the state regulatory agency that they manage (Environmental Protection Division-EPD) will determine

Above the Water Line

The Okefenokee Swamp is a huge, shallow depression – nearly 12 times the size of Lake Lanier at 438,000 acres – that lies west, and immediately adjacent to, Trail Ridge: a mile-wide linear terrace of ancient origin. Running more than 100 miles across southeastern Georgia to northeastern Florida, it stands above the surrounding lowlands at an average height of a 16-story building. Once located many miles offshore when this area was covered by the sea during the last Ice Age, Trail Ridge is now about 45 miles from, and parallel to, the Atlantic Ocean.

Historically, the ridge formed a natural trail for Indians and early white settlers traveling through the coastal lowlands. Of critical importance to the Okefenokee’s structural integrity and function, Trail Ridge serves as the swamp’s eastern hydrological barrier. This natural blockade helps keep the slow-moving, blackwater system intact to support thousands of native plant, insect, and animal species – and attract the more than half a million humans who annually visit the refuge, contributing $64 million to local economies.

whether or not the complex hydrology of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is compromised by invasive mining activities.

Last year’s rollback of water protection laws by the Trump Administration resulted in the abrupt removal of any oversight or decisionmaking related to these proposed activities by federal agencies, including the Corps of Engineers, EPA and Fish and Wildlife Service.

Since the middle of the last century, the titanium-bearing heavy mineral sands found in Trail Ridge have motivated companies to establish strip mining operations nearby. In the 1990s, DuPont attempted to place a mine on the edge of the refuge – igniting a struggle that spanned nearly a decade before the company abandoned its plans. Titanium is a strong, lightweight mineral used to make pigments that whiten paint, cosmetics, toothpaste and even Oreo cooking filling. In my September 2019 column, I described

this battle and the successful outcome; passionate and strategic local activists and the federal government were able to protect the irreplaceable natural asset.

Two years ago, Twin Pines Minerals (TPM), an Alabama-based company, picked up the DuPont mantle and proposed to strip-mine another deposit of titanium to depths of up to 50 feet – deeper than the immediately adjacent Okefenokee depression – just outside the southeastern boundary of the refuge in Charlton County. This time around, as noted above, federal scientists and policy-makers will not play a role in officially reviewing TPM’s application and issuing permits, thanks to last year’s significant weakening of environmental laws. Over several decades, TPM could mine anywhere from 12,000 to 30,000 acres, starting with what the company calls a “demonstration project” on about 700 acres – once the Georgia EPD has considered and issued five environmental permits.

Prior to their removal from the review process, US Fish & Wildlife Service issued formal comments noting that the swamp “represents one of the very few selfcontained, naturally functioning wetlands in the world” – and that impacts from the TPM proposal are “not sufficiently known and whatever is done may be permanent.”

The USFWS report said the major unknown is the potential to drain the swamp, which would expose peat beds that would stoke wildfires. Intensity wildfires would pump enormous amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere and damage the timber economy. So, the mining is both a climate change threat and a threat to the timber economy that is the lifeblood of the area along with tourism.

Among the other unknowns: the hydrologic model presented by TPM to justify “negligible” impacts to the swamp has not been widely peer-reviewed; limited data was collected to use in the model; the maximum depth of future mining is uncertain; impacts to wildlife, federallylisted species, and recreation have not been thoroughly evaluated; and post-mining habitat restoration plans are incomplete – to name just a few.

While the “unknowns” regarding the damage this mining operation may impose on the Okefenokee are alarming, the “knowns” concerning the track record of TPM and its president Steve Ingle are highly disturbing. According to mining opponents, the company has a “long history of noncompliance, plain disregard for environmental protections… and making false statements to the federal government.”

In one instance, TPM submitted applications to state and federal authorities claiming it had the right to mine property near the swamp that it did not own or lease. In another case, Ingle serves as vice president of a power company that has been cited for air pollution, odor, noise and water violations at two wood-burning plants in northeast Georgia; railroad ties treated with creosote were burned at these sites, until the activity was recently outlawed. Citizens claim that Ingle’s company came to their communities “under false pretenses and misinformation.”

The Georgia EPD has said that TPM’s five environmental permit applications will undergo a comprehensive analysis and that public hearings will be held. While this is a positive sign – as long as the studies are independent and extensive – TPM has not been shy about engaging dozens of lobbyists

Sally Bethea

Sally Bethea is the retired executive director of Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and an environmental and sustainability advocate.

to cultivate support from elected officials, including former U.S. Senator David Perdue. Impressively, 60,000 comment letters against the mining proposal were submitted to federal agencies in the past two years, reflecting overwhelming support for the protection of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. A similar effort must now target Gov. Kemp and the Georgia EPD, asking them to delay or halt the project. Written comments should be sent to TwinPines.Comment@dnr.ga.gov.

More information at: Okefenokee Protection Alliance (protectokefenokee.org) and Georgia River Network (garivers.org).

ECO BRIEFS

Trees Atlanta’s annual Root Ball will be held virtually this year on May 27 to recognize the 2021 Tree Champion award winners, (re)celebrate the 2020 winners, and lift a glass in honor of the groundbreaking for the organization’s new headquarters on Warner Street in southwest Atlanta. Tickets are available at treesatlanta.org.

Piedmont Park Conservancy is offering free guided tours of the Midtown greenspace every Saturday during the Green Market through November. The tours begin at 10 a.m. and last from 60 to 90 minutes. Sign-up is required at piedmontpark.org/sightseeingand-tours/.

Georgia Power has launched a 100% renewable, off-grid electric vehicle (EV) charging station available for use by students, staff, and the general public at Atlanta Technical College, 1560 Metropolitan Parkway. The EV ARC (Electric Vehicle Autonomous Renewable Charger) is solar powered and can be used 24/7, in any kind of weather condition – even if there is a power outage in the area.

We are proud to be recognized by the ARA as Top Producers in 2020. In this unique market, it’s more important than ever to be working with Realtors who understand the ever changing dynamics of the Atlanta market. We are always available to you and here to help.

New, Now, Next

A roundup of new living options coming soon and available for move-in

By Collin Kelley

The proliferation of building cranes across Midtown and Downtown will continue unabated for years to come as more high-rises prepare to break ground.

Atlanta’s love affair with mixed-use developments will mean tall apartment buildings with ground floor retail and restaurant space. There’s even a high-rise coming to Downtown earmarked for public school teachers and education professionals Here’s a roundup of some of the announced projects and a few that are opening their doors soon.

One of the most talked about Midtown projects is Middle Street Partners’ 1081 Juniper Street dual-tower project which will mean the demolition of beloved LGBTQ+ favorites Einstein’s restaurant and Joe’s on Juniper.

1081 Juniper will have a 38 and 34 story tower with a combined 470 apartments and 9,000 square feet of retail. At its April meeting, the Midtown Development Review Committee (DRC) urged the developer to rethink the streetlevel experience and consider adding more outdoor dining space.

Whether Einstein’s and Joe’s will have space in the new development or reopen elsewhere has not been confirmed by

Metrotainment Cafes.

The DRC also saw updated plans from Toll Brothers for a dual-tower project at 1018 West Peachtree Street First proposed before the pandemic, the first phase of the project is a 37-story residential tower with 376 apartments and 4,900 square foot retail along West Peachtree The second phase is a 35-story student tower fronting Spring Street. The developer is addressing DRC concerns about retail/restaurant access, bike parking, and shielding for the parking deck.

Just up the street, Hanover Company is preparing to go vertical with a 40-story mixeduse tower at 1230 West Peachtree. The project will consist of more than 400 apartments, 260,000 square feet of office space, and 8,600 square feet of ground-level retail.

Staying in Midtown, Lincoln Ventures’ 859 Spring student housing project will loom over the Cheetah strip club at the edge of Technology Square. The 26-story building will have 195 units with 550 beds for students, ground-level retail, and underground parking. The parking was a design modification made by Lincoln after discussions with neighboring MidCity Lofts and the city.

In Downton, RBH Group plans to build a 445-unit teachers and seniors project at 98 Cone Street. Called Teachers Village-Seniors Village Atlanta, the

31-story building would include 229 units for teachers, 140 of which would be reserved for a mix of households with incomes at 60 percent and 80 percent of area median income. Other units would be earmarked for ages 55 and up and include independent and assisted living residences. There would also be a parking deck and retail on the lower two floors. RBH has similar teacher village projects in Hartford, CT and Newark, NJ.

If you’re ready to buy now, Seven88 West Midtown, a new 22-story residential condo complex at 930 Howell Mill Road, has four model homes available for tours. Open by appointment, the model homes feature four unique floor plans ranging from one to three bedrooms, offering options for a variety of buyer preferences. Hardwood floors, large windows, and lux kitchens are some of the details in the homes ranging in price from the high $200,000s to more than $1 million. For more information, visit 788WestMidtown.com.

Capital City Real Estate is also breaking ground on The Roycraft, a new six-story, 42-unit luxury condominium development on the Atlanta BeltLine in Virginia-Highland. The first units are slated to be completed by summer 2022 and are being marketed by @Ansley Developer Services.

Located at 675 Drewry Street NE, with direct access to the Beltline’s Eastside Trail, The Roycraft will feature one-, two- and three-bedroom condominiums priced from the low $400,000s to $1.2 million. The Roycraft is taking its design cues from the historic Craftsman-style homes that dot the Virginia-Highland neighborhood. For sales information, visit theroycraftcondos. com.

And if you’re ready to sign a lease in a new neighborhood, head south to Broadstone Summerhill. Alliance Residential Company’s new luxury apartment complex at 100 Fulton Street is comprised of three residential buildings

with 276 studio, one and two-bedroom apartment units. Each open-floorplan unit has custom entry mud benches, large-format wet-islands, plank-style vinyl wood flooring, designer lighting packages, custom cabinetry, quartz countertops, topof-the-line stainless steel appliances and sleek Moen plumbing fixtures. For more details, visit broadstonesummerhill.com.

1018 West Peachtree

Broadstone Summerhill

1081 Juniper

The Roycraft

We Are Engel & Völkers Atlanta

Morningside

17 Highland Park LN NE 4 Bed | 4 Full Bath

at $939,000

Listing Agent: Kristen Pollock 404-946-1770

Listing Agent: Susie Profitt 404-915-9367

Avondale East

3207 Rockbridge RD

Bed | 4 Full Bath Offered at $704,347

Listing Agent: David Hollingshead 212-851-6393

447 Plateau PL NW 3 Bed | 3 Full Bath | 1 Half Bath Offered at $699,900

Listing Agent: Jonathan

Listing Agent: Jeremy Smith 404-861-8734

Elle At Oakhurst

Buckhead 121 Mead Rd

Listing Agent: Julian Rather 404-822-6321

By Collin Kelley

railroad sleeper cars until the mid-1950s. It was a train repair and manufacturing yard under several names until the 1970s. Most people still call it Pullman Yard.

What’s happening their now? The site’s large, abandoned buildings became a favorite filming location for hits like “The Hunger Games,” “Divergent,” and “Baby Driver,” so it seems natural that the site was purchased by LA-based Atomic Entertainment to become a hub for filmmakers and creatives. In the words of Atomic co-founder Adam Rosenfelt, “Have lunch, grab a drink, see some art, and watch a movie being made.”

So where do I live? Alliance Residential is finishing up Pratt Pullman’s first residential component, Broadstone Pullman, a 354unit apartment complex spread across three buildings. The mix of studio, one, and two-bedrooms will be available early next year. Expect an industrial aesthetic including brick walls, exposed beams, and

ductwork. More residential options are coming to the site “over the next couple of years,” Rosenfelt said. On the edge of the district, more new homes are being built, including Pullman Flats (pullmanflats.com), and the preserved cottages in the Kirkwood neighborhood are adjacent to the Pratt Pullman District.

Can I visit now? The ballyhooed “Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” (vangoghexpo.com) opens May 19 in the iconic Building 1 and will be onsite through at least the end of the year. The first restaurants and bars open on the site this month, too, including The Abby Singer pub. Also debuting is the Historic Rail Park, a “moveable alcohol park” inside modified shipping containers that will traverse the district on uncovered, historic rail lines.

For more information, visit pullmanyards. com, facebook.com/prattpullmandistrict, or @prattpullmandistrict on Instagram.

Where

Where does the name come from? Pratt Engineering operated a sugar and fertilizer procession plant on the site starting in 1904 (and made munitions there during World War I) before it was purchased in 1926 by the Pullman company to repair their

A rendering of Pratt Pullman District.

Building 1 will be hosting “Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience.”

Broadstone Pullman apartments are under construction.

▲Goode Van Slyke Architecture has designed a new townhome community for well-known Atlanta developer Brock Built Homes. Ten29 West will include 61 boutique townhomes on the Westside featuring rooftop terraces with skyline views. The four-story buildings also feature three-bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths, high ceilings and private two-car garages. The residential development is located along Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway near the location of Microsoft’s recentlyannounced campus. For more information, visit brockbuilt.com.

REAL ESTATE BRIEFS

Bellwood Homes has announced it will build new homes on the Westside in the Grove Park, Almond Park and Carey Park neighborhoods. Bellwood’s new home offerings, which will be priced from $289,000, will feature one and two-level home designs ranging from 1,700 to more than 2,000 square feet. Bellwood Homes will exclusively partner with Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty to handle sales for the new homes. For more information, visit BellwoodHomesATL.com.

The Midtown Neighbors’ Association will host its 8th Annual Midtown Garden Stroll on Sunday, May 16, from noon until 5 p.m. This free event, open to the general public, takes place throughout the Historic Midtown Garden District. The stroll is an outdoor self-guided tour, providing a rare opportunity to experience some of Midtown’s most impressive private gardens. Guests may obtain a map of participating homes one-week prior to the event via our website (MidtownAtlanta.org); on the Midtown Neighbors’ Association Facebook page; or pick up a complimentary printed copy on the day of the event. Masks and social distancing will be required.

A new agency, HOME Real Estate, has been established with some of the city’s most notable Reatlors onboard. The agent roster includes Travis Reed, Studie Young, Cathy Boston, Carol Young, and Mary Stuart Iverson, along with many up-and-coming heavy hitters. The firm’s portfolio includes homes in Buckhead, Tuxedo Park, Historic Brookhaven, Ansley Park, Peachtree Hills, West Midtown, East Cobb and Sandy Springs. Offices are located at 1819 Peachtree Road, Suite 100. For more information, call (404) 383-4663.

►Midtown condo project J5 has undergone a $1 million retrofit and reimaging project to make it as contemporary as possible, according to Berkshire Hathaway’s Karen Rodriguez, whose Group Kora has taken over sales and marketing. The project’s owner, Deluxeton, got behind the retrofit just after the building was completed. Rodriguez said the pandemic was the main factor. “We took cues from the pandemic and how the condo buyer must haves are different now than they were pre-pandemic and how we are meeting those needs even if they didn’t exist before. From branding, to positioning, to product offering, to lobby and common area changes to adding new amenities for the work from home buyer. Top to bottom, we changed everything and did it in a record time of 90 days so we could launch all the changes in 2021.”

What can you learn about senior living at our upcoming event? A whole bunch.

Ask questions. It’s casual, easy and you’re invited.

Lunch & Learn

Thursday, June 3rd • 11:30am

Join us for an interactive presentation on senior living and exceptional services & safeguards offered along with a tour of our beautiful community. Afterwards, enjoy a lunch especially prepared by our executive chef & culinary staff. Seating is limited. To RSVP, please call 404.369.7523 .

Water matters in the garden

Water is the center of life on Earth. Water covers 61% of our Earth’s surface. I am made of nearly 60% water, and water makes up as much as 95% of some plants.

The Environmental Gardener

Greg Levine co-executive director of Trees Atlanta, describes himself as happiest when his hands are in the dirt.

Plants are basically water and a few other things, so H2O deserves quite a bit of a gardener’s attention. As the old expression goes, “April showers bring May flowers.”

When to water and how much are the critical details to growing healthy plants. Paying attention to rain and drought is important. Watering starts on day one after installation and new plants need to be watched closely starting in May, when rain becomes inconsistent and, with Georgia’s unusual weather, sometimes non-existent.

There are no exact rules for watering, but a schedule combined with regular observation decreases the chance for the loss of plants.

I like to create separate plans for perennials and woody plants. Perennials typically need frequent watering a few weeks after installation, then twice a week for two or three months. Trees and shrubs need to be watered twice a week after a winter or spring install for at least a month. Once weekly through summer will keep them going, and unlike most perennials it is best to check on them during the second growing season as well.

Not all plants are equal when it comes to water, so learn your plant species’ particular needs and make sure they are met. Drought resistant plants still need water for the first growing season to get established, while wetland plants may need watering for several years to get well established and subsidized during drought.

Loosening up your soil and mixing in organic matter with a shovel or pitchfork can help with water dispersal, percolation, and drainage. Adding organic matter to the top layer every year can do the trick over time and be easier on your back. Water-wise solutions for the garden include collecting stormwater in rain barrels, using drip irrigation, creating rain gardens, and watering in the morning.

Here are a few of my favorite droughttolerant and water-loving native plants that flower in May.

I am a great lover of ephemeral perennials. They are usually found in woodlands, coming up in March and

usually disappearing by July, as the heat gets to be too much and rain dissipates. It is great fun to watch them pop up in early spring.

▲Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) appreciates a constantly moist to wet soil. It grows to be a bit over 12 inches tall, creates white apple-like blossoms and develops a thicket of little umbrella-like leaves sitting on a stalk. The plant also produces an edible fruit, but the rest of the plant is poisonous if eaten in large quantities.

▲Another ephemeral is the wood lily, also known as Sweet Betsy (Trillium cuneatum). They can be 4 inches to 14 inches tall. They usually have three dark mottled green leaves and maroon flowers that sit on the top of the stem like a candle flame. A trillium plant can live for a hundred years and can take seven years before it flowers. This is the easiest trillium

to grow, but it still needs a high organic soil and average soil moisture. These plants should only be purchased from reputable nurseries, grown in nursery beds or by seed -- not wild collected. Plant save organizations like the Georgia Native Plant Society, can also be good sources for ephemerals, and they can be appreciated in abundance at Woodlands Garden in Decatur.

to the soil and plant high with the soil mounded around the root ball. There are many species that range in size from a shrub to small tree. Their flowers vary in combinations of white, pink, yellow, orange and red and can bloom from March to July. Again, it depends on the species. Many people like their form, which can be reminiscent of Japanese maples.

Trees are the center of the garden, and their survival is important in a drought; they create your yard’s ecosystem, and it takes many years to replace them if they die. Mulching is one important way to retain moisture in the soil and save water.

▲One of the most drought tolerant perennials is butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa). It needs well drained dry soil and full sun, basically thriving with neglect when it’s in the right place. Their lovely orange flowers provide nectar for many pollinators, and it’s a host plant for Monarch, Queen, and Soldier butterflies. When choosing butterfly weed, be aware that the tropical butterfly weed can confuse Monarchs migration because of the extended blooming time and may actually be toxic to them, so it is best not to plant. Make sure you get a native species, and go by the Latin name, when possible.

▲Deciduous native azaleas (Rhododendron spp.) are a favorite in the garden world. They need average moisture and good drainage, add pine bark fines

▲My favorite May-blooming tree is yellowwood (Cladrastis lutea). It needs average soil moisture and drainage. The 12-inch panicle of flowers are white with a light lemony fragrance, but are sparse in some years. Its pale yellow fall color against its gray bark makes yellowwood a four-season tree. It is a legume, like green beans, and can fix nitrogen in the soil, benefiting many other plants in the garden. I have had the pinkflowered variety ‘Perkins Pink’ at the center of my garden for 20 years, and it never disappoints. Water is the key to life. Remember, when it’s hot outside and you feel more thirsty, so does your garden.

Showing a Passion for Spirits

By Isadora Pennington

If you’re a lover of spirits and all things local, you’re in luck. Local distilleries turning out small-batch bourbons, ryes and specialty rums are bubbling up around metro Atlanta. “Spirits production is an art form,” Seth Watson, founder of Distillery of Modern Art in Chamblee. “After spending nearly two decades in hospitality, I decided to sell my old business and create a new distillery from the ground up.”

A relative newcomer, the Distillery of Modern Art opened in May of 2020. The business combines production of spirits with an art gallery. “Having no preconceived notions of the industry allows for us to create our own path,” Watson said.

The first new distillery inside the Perimeter was Independent Distilling Company in Decatur. The company opened its doors in 2014. Founder Michael Anderson offers a core set of five spirits: Independent White Rum, Independent Barrel Aged Rum, Hellbender Corn Whiskey, Hellbender Bourbon Whiskey and Hellbender Straight Rye Whiskey.

In addition, they experiment with other spirits such as barrel-finished whiskeys, single malts, brandies, and gin. “We like to use local and high-quality ingredients and are always up to collaborate with local wineries, cideries, breweries and farmers,” said whiskey specialist Casey Teague.

NEW RESTAURANT RADAR

Maepole is now open at 72 Georgia Ave. in Summerhill with a menu of mostly plant-based plates (think super greens, brown rice, sweet

It must work. The company is planning to move to a bigger space in Decatur and a celebration of its seventh birthday with the release of a Hellbender Bottled in Bond Bourbon.

ASW Distillery, located just a stone’s throw from Sweetwater Brewery in Atlanta, is among the city’s oldest established distilleries. “Every type of whiskey, we make it here,” said Chad Ralston, head of marketing.

Two roommates from the University of Georgia, Jim Chasteen and Charlie Thompson, founded the company after they came up with the recipe for a clear whiskey in 2011. They first produced the spirit in a facility in Charleston under the name American Spirit Whiskey. A few years later, the two opened up their first facility in Georgia.

In 2015 they brought on master distiller and partner Justin Manglitz and the team opened their distillery and tasting room on Armour Drive in 2016. They have since expanded to include a larger facility on the westside near the BeltLine and plan to soon open a tasting room at The Battery. Some of the company’s best-selling spirits include Fiddler Bourbon, Resurgens Rye, and Duality Double Malt.

“It’s a super hands-on effort, not only distilling the whiskeys but also for that heartwood product,” Ralston said as he described the way Manglitz sources, seasons, and hand-chars the wood for staves that add flavor to some of their offerings.

The ASW tasting room is popular among locals, and their spirits are winning prestigious Get your morning fix at Breakfast at Barney’s, 349 Decatur St. in the Pencil Factory Lofts, with a menu featuring everything from salmon croquettes and shrimp and grits to French toast and steak and eggs. See the menu at breakfastatbarneys. com.

Papi’s Cuban Cuisine is slated to open its second Atlanta location this month at Krog Street Market, 99 Krog St., in Inman Park serving up Cuban sandwiches, deep fried plantains, and more. Visit papisgrill.com for more.

Located near the Fox Theatre, El Viñedo Local is now open at 730 Peachtree St. in Midtown, currently serving breakfast and lunch with dinner and wine coming soon. The South Americaninspired restaurant serving empanadas, arepas, tostones, and ceviche. For more, visit elvinedolocal.com.

ASW The Distillery at American Spirit Works, one of the distilleries that opened in recent years in metro Atlanta, makes, ages and bottles a variety of types of spirits, including Fiddler Bourbon.

awards. ASW’s Cask Strength Ameireaganach Maris Otter Unpeated Single Malt won World’s Best Craft Whiskey and a Double Gold, a designation achieved when all 40 judges unanimously agree to award gold to a spirit.

In 2020, faced with shutdowns because of the coronavirus pandemic, local spirits makers got inventive and began using their distilleries to make a different sort of product: hand sanitizer. Old Fourth Distillery and ASW both donated sanitizer to local healthcare professionals and to Atlanta residents who suddenly could not find sanitizer on the shelves of local stores.

where to find some metro area distillers

ASW The Distillery at American Spirit Works

199 Armour Dr NE, Atlanta, 30324

www.aswdistillery.com, 404-590-2279

ASW The Whiskey Exchange 1000 White Street SW Atlanta, 30310 www.aswdistillery.com, 404-590-2279

Distillery of Modern Art 2197 Irvindale Way, Chamblee, 30341 www.distilleryofmodernart.com 404-482-2663

Independent Distilling Company 731 College Ave, Decatur, 30030 www.independentdistilling.com 678-576-3804

Old Fourth Distillery 487 Edgewood Ave SE, Atlanta, 30312 www.o4d.com, 844-653-3687

Incoming

Storico Vino – from the creative team behind Storico Fresco and Forza Storico – is pouring an extensive selection of Italian wines with a menu of pastas, panini, salads and more at 3065 Peachtree Road in Buckhead. Find out more at storico.com/ vino.

►Juniper Café: Lazy Betty Chefs Ron Hsu and Aaron Phillips new Vietnamese restaurant and bakery on the Westside this summer.

◄Politan Row: Colony Square’s new food hall will hold its official grand opening celebration June 24-26. Jack Bai’s hibachi bowl concept Gekko and Michaela Merrick’s Creole-Mexican street taco concept Pretty Little Tacos are the latest additions.

Photos by Isadora Pennington

Authentic Indian cuisine with a modern twist is on the menu at Tabla, located in the Modera building at 3005 Peachtree Road in Buckhead. Visit tablaatlanta.com.

In Vaccines and Vino Veritas

It was music to our ears: on March 25 when Georgia opened up COVID-19 vaccines to anybody over the age of 16. That means that within a few months, there will be a large portion of our state vaccinated and life as we currently know it will be different.

Women + Wine

Georgia is officially open and people are ready to party!

While we all know that the city never fully shut down, the last year threw the wine and restaurants businesses into disarray. Operating at limited capacity with severe shopping restrictions has not been easy. However, it quickly occurred to us that very soon our industry is going to start to come alive again. Not only will restaurant patios be bursting at the seams, but the bar will have guests at almost every seat, and the tables will be teeming.

For the past year, our wine stores, 3 Parks and VinoTeca, have cobbled together weekly virtual tastings on Zoom, winemaker interviews on IG Live and even a handful of outdoor tastings on the sidewalks of surprisingly busy streets. Our distributors, importers, and employees did their best to engage our customers with education, music, laughter and, of course, good wine – but there was always a distance and we are ready to hug a few necks.

For many of our customers and for our staff, our businesses are more than just a place to buy wine – we have worked hard to create a sense of community. But, like most industries, the pandemic has forced the entire hospitality industry into the extremes of creative thinking. Balancing the safety of our teams and our customers has been nothing short exhausting. Now, like opening a Chateau Petrus Bordeaux, the payoff will be rewarding.

Restaurateurs are doing the same. “We are excited to allow limited people in the dining but we’re still being very cautious since we know that everyone hasn’t been vaccinated yet, even though our staff has,” said Jarina Naone, owner of El Ponce in Poncey-Highland. “We want people to know that we are still being very safe and have put lots of thought and energy into our reopen.”

Over the last year, El Ponce relied solely on outdoor seating and takeout as Naone and business partner Rosa Thurnher waited for the vaccines to kick-in and for patio season to arrive. They closed their main dining room last March and were able to cautiously reopen for indoor seating in April once their entire staff was vaccinated.

With Cinco de Mayo around the corner they knew it was time to open. Jarina and Rosa removed some tables and restructured the main dining room to limit capacity in their notoriously vibrant and busy restaurant. To the dismay of many scenemakers and booty shakers, El Bar, one of Atlanta’s favorite late night dance clubs, will not be reopening. It’s been reimagined as a gorgeous fair-trade boutique called Tiendita specializing in products made by Latinx women.

With some help from science and a lot of pent up energy, an industry that took the biggest hit during the pandemic will thrive again. Diners will revel in the sound of glasses clinking, silverware touching ceramic, and a dynamic energy that can only be found in the company of others.

Katie Rice & Sarah Pierre

Rice owns VinoTeca in Inman Park and Pierre owns 3 Parks Wine Shop in Glenwood Park..

El Ponce co-owners Jarina Naone and Rosa Thurnher.

Katie’s Wine Pick

Osmote FLX Cayuga White Pet Nat from Finger Lakes, NY

To welcome the warmer weather, we love introducing customers to the joys of Pet Nat. Cayuga is a hybrid grape that was created at Cornell’s Agricultural Experiment Station in upstate New York. Through the magic of science, a Lambrusca variety has become a New York heirloom grape that makes some seriously good juice. This Petillant Natural (wines that finish fermenting in the bottle which allows trapped CO2 to make it bubbly) is what I am crushing on right now. On the nose, it has notes of pineapple, saline and green apple. The palate gives zippy acidity and just the right amount of creaminess. FLX fits for any summer time park hang or paired with seafood. The average retail price is $25.

Now We’re Drinking: Alec Bales

By Collin Kelley

Alec Bales is lead bartender at the Ticonderoga Club in Inman Park, joining the staff as a server when it first opened in 2015. Bales started learning his mixology skills long before he was legally allowed to work behind a bar, so his classic yet distinct cocktails keep patrons coming back for more. We caught up with Alec for our Q&A and to get his groovy Spotify playlist.

Q. We know you make cocktails every night for patrons at Ticonderoga Club, but what’s your favorite drink?

A. I mostly drink beer and wine, but the occasional cocktail is probably an Americano.

Q. You taught yourself some early bartending skills by watching YouTube videos, how does your training continue now that you’re working behind a busy bar?

A. Everyday behind a bar is different so I just try to stay flexible and challenge myself as often as possible.

Q. We don’t want you to cheat on Ticonderoga, but what are some of your other favorite places to drink around town?

A.The Porter in Little Five Points and Halfway Crooks in Summerhill.

Q. When you’re not behind the bar, what keeps you busy in the city?

A. Drinking coffee at Aurora and vintage shopping at Drugstore, the vintage shop in Little Five Points.

Q. What song or album has been on repeat lately?

A. “Kyoto” by Phoebe Bridgers.

All the Toppings

Atlanta college student Raymond Qin’s food delivery app helps the community

By Kathy Dean

When the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult for many people to get meals and groceries, a lot of people pitched in to help where they could. Raymond Qin, a 20-year-old metro Atlanta native and C5 Georgia alumnus, saw a way to use social media to benefit his community.

The son of first-generation Chinese American immigrants, Qin is a sophomore at Harvard University –and he’s also an entrepreneur. His startup – Toppings – is designed to promote local businesses while giving people in the community easier access to food.

“Toppings is a social delivery app that encourages and rewards users for bringing food back for their friends when they are out grabbing a bite themselves,” Qin explained. “This is done through a social network where users can add friends and join different delivery groups.”

With integrated payment processing, splitting the bill is easy and secure. And, Qin added, there are “notifications so you never miss an opportunity for free delivery, and location tracking to make it easy to identify where your order is and where you can order from.”

The great thing is that there are benefits for everyone involved. Orderers get free delivery; deliverers earn free food, in-app rewards, and store credit – and participating restaurants and stores enjoy profit guarantee and a low delivery commission of 6-12%.

The need for feed

Qin said that his idea for Toppings started at the beginning of the pandemic when schools began shutting campuses, and he was sent home.

“At the time, some people in the neighborhood around me began getting COVID and other families, especially those with elderly immunecompromised members, began taking precautions and limiting going out,” he said. He saw that there was a serious issue with people being able to get the groceries and food they needed.

“We actually decided to start a WeChat messaging group for several families in the neighborhood so that when someone went out, others could ask them to bring something back for them,” Qin continued. “We quickly found this to be a much better alternative to delivery platforms and began working on a more robust product.”

The Toppings concept has gone through OneSixOne’s incubator program, Harvard’s Builder’s Incubation Program, Harvard i-labs Venture Program and is currently being beta tested on Harvard University’s campus, with plans to expand to multiple campuses in the summer and fall of 2021.

Impact of C5 Georgia

Qin credits C5 Georgia with giving him the tools to become a leader and innovator. The nonprofit helps students achieve goals that include: graduate from high school and pursue college or meaningful employment, acquire leadership skills, make positive contributions to the community, develop and maintain positive relationships and respect human diversity.

“C5 Georgia was one of the most transformative experiences from my youth and continues to inspire me every day,” he said. “Through C5, I was able to experience and live through lessons of leadership and impact, and I think that’s the biggest difference between C5 Georgia and other youth programs. It doesn’t just preach lessons and empty statements.”

The program was begun by John Alm, former President and CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises. The program’s concept grew from a four-week summer camp to a fiveyear, year-round leadership development and college readiness program.

Qin added that C5 taught him empathy by putting people from diverse backgrounds together to share stories and experiences. “It inspired impact by having students lead service projects and it built leaders by planting people in challenging situations,” he said. “I can confidently say that C5 is what made me believe that I can lead, impact and inspire change – all of which drives me towards entrepreneurship and impact-focused work.”

Today, C5 Georgia is a member of a nationwide network of youth foundations operating in Los Angeles, New England and Texas with corporate partners/sponsors that include Coca-Cola, Chick-fil-A, Fulton County, Inspire Brands, Kimberly Clark, Microsoft, UPS and West Rock. Learn more at c5georgia.org.

Get involved

Now Qin is offering an opportunity to other students. He said that Toppings is currently looking for summer interns with experience in React Native frontend development. Interested applicants should send their resumes to raymondqin@toppingsapp. com.

If you’re interested in participating in Toppings, visit toppingsapp.com and sign up for the waitlist to bring free food and free delivery to your area.

Toppings founder Raymond Qin.

Chattahoochee Food Works food hall opens

By Collin Kelley

Chattahoochee Food Works – the new food hall at The Works development on the Upper Westside – is now open with more than a dozen restaurants serving up an eclectic array of food.

Hours for the food hall will be Monday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. with bar hours Monday through Friday from noon to 10 p.m. and weekends from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The 22,000 square foot food hall includes TydeTate Kitchen, Sakura Ramen Bar, Morelli’s Ice Cream, Belen de la Cruz, Pomodoro Bella, Baked Kitchen South African Street Food, Monster Cravings, Cubanos ATL, Graffiti Breakfast, Flying Fish Sushi & Robata Grill, Bakerdude, Unbelibubble Tea House, Philly G. Steaks, Bahn Mi Station, Taqueria La Luz, and Sakura Sake & Gift Ideas.

The space also includes a large communal indoor/outdoor bar and expansive outdoor seating.

The Works is located at 1295 Chattahoochee Ave. NW. Find out more about the restaurants at chattahoocheefoodworks.com.

QUICK BITES

Ponce City Market’s Central Food Hall will expand this summer, adding over 5,000 square feet of space on the first floor. The expansion will move into the Onward Reserve space (which has relocated to the second floor) and a former property management office. The new wing will house six restaurants and retail shops, plus communal seating throughout, including Nani’s Rotisserie Chicken, Vietvana Pho Noodle House, and JJ’s Flower Shop.

Sarah Pierre of 3 Parks Wine will curate a special tasting at the Burns Mansion to benefit the Grant Park Conservancy on June 5. There will be two socially distanced seatings of no more than 50 people held from 4-6 p.m and 7-9 p.m. Tickets are $125 per person at gpconservancy.org.

Staplehouse has transitioned from award-winning restaurant to a neighborhood market offering pastas, pastries, beer and wine along with Chef Ryan Smith cooking up favorites like chicken liver tart, smoked brisket and grain bowls for takeout or to enjoy on the patio or garden space. Staplehouse is still at 541 Edgewood Ave. in Old Fourth Ward. Visit staplehouse.com for more information.

offering java, grab-and-go pastries and breakfast sandwiches. Visit thevictorianatlanta.com for more.

Chef/owner Joey Ward has reopened Southern Belle in Poncey-Highland offering sociallydistanced four- and seven-course tasting menus for dinner, served in the restaurant’s dining room and on the patio, weather permitting. For more, visit southernbelleatl.com.

▲Patronize Downtown restaurants and then enjoy Lunch in Woodruff Park, where café tables and chairs are set up Monday-Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. A park attendant will be onsite to sanitize tables after each use. Check out atlantadowntown.com/experience/ dining to find Downtown restaurants.

Mexican restaurant Chido & Padre’s has reopened at 128 East Andrews Drive in Buckhead after being closed during the pandemic. Executive Chef Thomas Goss has put a modern spin on traditional Mexican recipes from Oaxaca, Puebla and Sinaloa. Visit chidoandpadres.com for more information.

▲Atlanta-based artist and cookbook author Matthew Terrell has launched his latest project, “Living the Dream,” a new cooking and lifestyle show sponsored by a grant from Fulton County Arts & Culture. Episodes of the show, which Terrell describes as “Martha Stewart meets Peewee’s Playhouse,” will be streaming at GoddessBlessYou.com.

High-tech kitchen and classroom Epicurean Theatre, which will be located inside the new Epicurean Hotel in Midtown, will host both educational and entertaining forums for the open discussion of a wide range of topics from cultural trends and cooking techniques, to the art of mixology, wine-tasting and more. Events will include immersive demonstrations, tastings, and pairings all led by notable local and regional chefs and beverage professionals.Visit EpicureanHotelAtlanta.com.

Intowners were distraught when Marchet Sparks announced at the end of March that she would close her Le Petite Marche eatery in Kirkwood. A few weeks later, Sparks announced a reprieve. She’s sold the cafe to the owners of Atlanta Breakfast Club and ABC Chicken & Waffles. Sparks said the new owners are committed to keeping Le Petit Marche exactly as it is: so it’ll be the same place that you know and love! And you’ll see me stopping by frequently!” The restaurant is expected to reopen June 1.

Farm Burger has taken over the former Yeah! Burger space at 1017 N. Highland Ave. in the heart of Virginia-Highland. Serving “100% grass-fed beef,” the Atlanta-based burger joint also has locations in Decatur, Grant Park, and Midtown. The restaurant’s parking lot will also be playing host to the brand new Virginia-Highland Community Farmers Market, which will be open every Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. selling fresh produce, artisan goods, and more.

►Tickets are on sale now for dining-in-the-dark event Pitch Black, which will be held in a secret location in Atlanta this July. Each dining experience lasts 90 minutes, giving diners ample time to get comfortable with their new surroundings, and enjoy a two-course meal with a drink – blindfolded. A live host will be entertaining diners with multiple games and challenges centered around the sensory experience. Tickets cost $80.00 per person. Visit hidden.com and select Atlanta from the menu to purchase tickets and get more details.

▲If you love plants and coffee, then you’ll love the new shop slated to open this month at 1336 Glenwood Avenue in East Atlanta Village. The Victorian and Bellwood Coffee are joining forces for this new shop featuring rare plants with the coffee bar at its heart

Restaurant RIP: Golden Eagle in Reynoldstown, One Eared Stag in Inman Park, Bocado on the Westside and Botanico Bar & Kitchen in Buckhead. Both Bocado and Botanico said they plan to reopen in new locations.

The Arts are Back!

Live events, festivals return after a year of pandemic closure and streaming

By Collin Kelley

With most of Georgia’s pandemic restrictions lifted by the governor and the accelerated rollout of the vaccine, Intown arts organizations are returning to live performances and events this month. And while it’s not a complete return to “normalcy,” being able to see a play, concert, Broadway show, and stroll through a weekend art festival is a step in the right direction.

Of course, there will still be COVID-19 precautions in place. Most organizations will still be practicing social distancing and many will require masks, so be sure to check the precautions before you buy your tickets and head to the venue. You can also check out Intown’s shiny new Rough Draft Atlanta events calendar featuring things to do around the city at calendar. roughdraftatlanta.com.

along five streets will host live music from 56 different musicians and bands, while food trucks will be parked along Barnette Street. Wear a mask and watch for monitors who will be ensuring social distancing. For a list of the bands and to sign up for the accompanying 5K race, visit virginiahighlanddistrict.com/events/ porchfest-and-rock-n-run-5k/

Variety Playhouse

The Little Five Points hall reopen its doors with concerts by Trevor Hall on May 11 and The Residents on May 17. Visit variety-playhouse.com for tickets and details.

Alliance Theatre

The Alliance has returned to live performances outside its home at the Woodruff Arts Center in Midtown.

The Under the Tent Series is featuring a concert staging of “Working: A Musical” now through June 6 and the Woody Guthrie-inspired “Songs to Grow On” May 6-16. For tickets and more details, visit alliancetheatre.org.

Atlanta Opera

The Atlanta Opera is wooing patrons back with two production – “The Threepenny Opera” and “The Threepenny Carmen” – being held outdoors in an open-air tent in the Cobb Energy Centre parking lot through May 9. The Opera made national headlines last fall when it returned to live performances with a pair of shows in the “”Molly Blank Big Tent Series” on the Oglethorpe University campus. The Opera is also collaborating with True Colors Theatre Company on “The Concert for Unity” at Southwest Arts Center on May 9 at 2:30 p.m. featuring Black opera stars. For more information and tickets visit atlantaopera.org.

Happening Now State Farm Arena

The Downtown venue will host its first entertainment event in more than a year May 7-8 with the “In Real Life Comedy Tour” featuring Mike Epps, DC Young Fly, Lavell Crawford, Karlous Miller, and Kountry Wayne. Tickets were selling out fast due to reduced capacity in the arena, so be sure to visit statefarmarena.com to snag yours.

Virginia-Highland Porchfest & Rock N Run 5K

Taking a cue from the Oakhurst neighborhood’s successful Porchfest (which is set to return in the fall), VaHi’s event is set for May 8 from noon to 6 p.m. Porches

High Museum

The High Museum is stepping up its offerings with a spring and summer of big exhibitions including “Our Good Earth: Rural Life and American Art” and “Underexposed: Women Photographers from the Collection” – both running through Aug. 1 – and the touring “Calder-Picasso” opening on June 26. For tickets and details, visit high.org.

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel

Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience

Les Trois Femmes Deux by Mickalene Thomas at the High.

Courtenay Collins and Tawana Montgomery in Working: at the Alliance.

Museum of Design

Atlanta (MODA)

MODA reopened last month for private, hour-long visits for parties of one to 10 people at a time. through May 31. On exhibition is “Bike to the Future,” showcasing the latest in bicycle design featuring bikes from Philippe Starck, Tobias Knockaer, Edison, VanMoof, Civilized Cycles and more. For tickets and information, visit museumofdesign.org.

Atlanta Botanical Garden

“SUPER natural: Aerial Art in Motion, Glass Art in Bloom” opens May 15 featuring a custommade “skynet” billowing in the air above Storza Woods like a flock of multi-colored birds, while over-scale glass floral sculptures blossom throughout the more formal gardens. The skynet, called “Dream Flora”, is an experiential aerial sculpture by Patrick Shearn of Los Angeles-based Poetic Kinetics, known for its large-scale works of public art; the contemporary glass art is the creation of Seattle artist Jason Gamrath. For details, visit atlantabg.org.

Georgia Tech

Arts Skyline Series

Art at Tech is also taking its programming outdoors with the socially-distanced Skyline Series, which continues in May with the Atlanta Ballet (April 30-May 9), Dance Canvas (May 15-16), Terminus School of Modern Ballet (May 17-18). For tickets and details, visit arts.gatech.edu.

The Masquerade

The iconic music venue is set to bring fans back to Underground Atlanta on June 12 with a show by Hot Mulligan, Heart Attack Man, Meet Me @ The Altar, and Super American. Other upcoming concerts

Coming Soon

Fox Theatre

The blockbuster musical “Hamilton” presented by Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Atlanta will welcome fans back to Fabulous Fox from Aug. 25 to Sept. 26. Other shows and concerts coming in the fall include Chris Tucker Comedy Tour, Allstar Legends of Hip Hop, Bill Burr, Boz Scaggs, Bill Maher, “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Dr. Suess’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas,” Sarah Brightman, and Widespread Panic’s New Year’s Eve show. For details and tickets, visit foxtheatre.org.

Dogwood Festival

include Tech N9NE (June 16), the Sad Summer Festival including All Time Low and The Story So Far (July 10), and Cody Ko and Noel Miller (July 25). For the full lineup of upcoming shows, visit masqueradeatlanta.com.

Festival Fever: Chastain, Ponce, & Piedmont Park

The Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces is restarting its slate of festivals beginning with the Chastain Park Spring Arts & Crafts Festival on May 15-16, Spring Festival on Ponce on June 5-6, and Piedmont Park Arts Festival on Aug. 21-22. For a full calendar of events and details, visit affps.com.

The 85th annual event is now scheduled to take place in Piedmont Park Aug. 6-8. For updates, visit dogwood.org.

Atlanta Symphony

Symphony Hall reopens on Aug. 22 for “One Night of Queen” performed by Gary Mullin & The Works. Other upcoming live shows include “Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox” (Sept. 8), Alan Parsons Project (Sept. 12), Amos Lee with the ASO (Sept. 24), and Chris Botti with the ASO (Nov. 5). For tickets and a full calendar visit aso.org.

Dragon Con

The annual sci-fi, fantasy, and cosplay fest is selling tickets for its annual Labor Day extravaganza, Sept. 2-6, at dragoncon.org.

New Worlds

Illuminarium will create ‘cinematic immersion’ on the BeltLine this summer

By Collin Kelley

Want to get up close with elephants, lions and giraffes on an African safari? How about taking a walk on the moon? Or maybe sip a cocktail inside a Rousseau painting? All of that will possible this July when Illuminarium Experiences opens on the Atlanta BeltLine’s Eastside Trail.

Using the most advanced projection, sound, and augmented reality technology for a “cinematic immersion” into different worlds, the 30,000 square foot attraction will be located inside Poncey-Highland’s Common Ground development, also home to New Realm Brewing and TWO urban licks, and just a short walk to Ponce City Market.

CEO Alan Greenberg – the former publisher of Esquire magazine and founder of Avenues: The World School, among other global endeavors – feels like he’s got a tiger by the tail with what will soon be an international entertainment company. More Illiuminariums are coming to Las Vegas, Miami, and Asia soon, but Greenberg said Atlanta was the perfect place to launch and be the company’s world headquarters.

“We originally planned to open in New York City, but I love the vibe of Atlanta, so we decided to open ‘off-Broadway,’” Greenberg said. “We looked around the Georgia Aquarium for a space, but nothing was big enough. When we saw this space at Common Ground, we knew it was the perfect place to start.”

That “perfect place” contains 30,000 square feet of space and soaring 22foot ceilings. The main “spectacle” – as Greenberg calls it – will be projected inside an 8,000 square foot room where visitors are completely surrounded by a massive 360×360 canvas projecting images so clear you might be inclined to step back as a lion jumps from its rocky perch. As a herd of elephants approaches, you’ll feel them coming thanks to haptics in the floor. When you’re strolling across the surface of the moon, be sure to look down: your

feet will be leaving tracks and kicking up clouds of dust. Sounds and even scents will also take visitors deeper into the experience.

Greenberg said he was inspired by the Atelier des Lumières in Paris and Yayoi Kusama’s “Infinity Room” installations, and even the original immersive experience, Atlanta’s own Cyclorama.

When Illuminarium opens this summer, the premiere spectacle will be “Wild: A Safari Experience” created by partner Radical Media during three trips

to Africa. The films were shot in 8K, so the resolution is startling in its clarity. Take a selfie for Instagram and it will look like you’re on a grassy savanna in Kenya as a murmuration of bats swoops and dives among the acacia trees. Kids are sure to be thrilled and awed by the experience, and Greenberg said there will be special field trip opportunities for kindergartners through high schoolers.

Early next year, “Spacewalk” will zoom guests out into our solar system and beyond to see the comets of the Kuiper belt, the celestial wonder of stellar Nebula,

An African safari, walking on the moon, and swimming with jellyfish are some of the immersive experiences coming to the under construction Illuminarium. (Photos by Collin Kelley)

and for a stroll across the red surface of Mars. Greenberg said a new spectacle will be introduced around every six months.

At night, a smaller theater will be transformed into what Greenberg calls “the coolest bar in Atlanta” with the same capabilities to transport visitors anywhere. At Illuminarium After Dark, you’ll be able to sip a glass of wine and dine on a small plate on a Tokyo street or deep inside a lush forest or amid undulating jellyfish. There will also be an outdoor patio overlooking the BeltLine serving up food and drinks while you wait your turn or to wind down after the experience.

An ever-changing retail shop will feature the usual key chains, magnets, and mugs, but also artisan goods made by crafters from around the world, including Africa for the premiere of “Wild.”

Illuminarium has also partnered with global conservation organization, WildArk, to work collaboratively with local partners and communities to protect prioritized wildlife, biodiversity and ecosystems around the world. Greenberg said the company will donate a portion of all ticket and merchandising revenue

annually to WildArk.

With $60 million in investment capital, Greenberg has assembled a team of global partners. Along with Radical Media producing content, Greenberg has assembled a team of partners that include Legends, which operates more than 150 venues and attractions around the world including The View from The Shard in London and the One World Trade Center observatory; award-winning architecture and design firm Rockwell Group; and Panasonic, which is developing new technology for Illuminarium to test in its “lab space” also located on the BeltLine. Leading a tour of the still under construction space in mid-April, Greenberg predicted Illuminarium will be “one of Atlanta’s greatest attractions” and draw families from around the southeast to see it. He said parking for the attraction in the densely packed Poncey-Highland area would be handled with shuttles, off-site parking, and plans to utilize a 2,000 square foot parking deck at New City’s Fourth Ward project (future home of Mailchimp) across the BeltLine.

“There needs to be more to do in Atlanta, and we’re going to bring people the world and beyond,” Greenberg said.

Tickets, which will range in price from $30 to $40, will be available in early May at illuminarium.com.

That Which Endures: Atlanta’s Folk Art Park

A quarter century out, the legacy of the Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics lives on. The event, held from July 19 to Aug. 4, marked the anniversary of the Summer Olympics held in Athens, Greece a century earlier. For any city, designation as the Summer Olympics site is a significant honor.

Inside the Arts

One remnant of the Summer Olympics with which many Atlanta residents may be less familiar is Folk Art Park. Constructed under the direction of the Corporation for Olympic Development in Atlanta (CODA), Folk Art Park spans a section of the Downtown Connector at the intersections of Piedmont Avenue and Baker Street, and Cortland Street and Ralph McGill Boulevard.

Camille Russell Love

Camille Russell Love

Love has been executive director of the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (@ atlantaoca) for more than two decades.

The park boasts artwork by twelve regional artists. Among them are prominent names such as Eddie Owens Martin, R.A. Miller, James Harold Jennings, Vollis Simpson, Archie Byron and Howard Finster. The initial proposal for the park won the international design competition for Urban Spaces in New American City and was the first public art project situated on Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT) property. The project’s goal was a simple one, sort of—to create a space that would engage pedestrians and motorists while celebrating the diversity and power of Southern folk art.

The Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico defines folk art as, “decorative or utilitarian…is handmade…is learned formally or informally, or is self-taught… is of, by and for the people; all people, is inclusive of class, status, culture, community, ethnicity, gender, and religion.” To this dictum, Atlanta’s Folk Art Park is true. The artists

come from different walks of life and represent various backgrounds. Most were not formally educated and are self-taught.

Archie Byron (1928-2005), is one such example. Before art, or a tree root, more accurately, discovered Byron, he owned a security company. In fact, when an assassin’s bullet killed his childhood friend, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Byron’s company provided bodyguards and surveillance for Mrs. King and the children. Seven years later, while out on a security job, he noticed a tree root that resemble a gun. Intrigued, he brought the root home and his wife challenged him to create something with it. Byron’s career as an artist began in that moment. And like Byron’s, such stories abound at Atlanta’s Folk Art Park.

The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA) recently completed a three-phase restoration of Folk Art Park. Visitors once again can immerse themselves in this unique and quintessential Atlanta cultural environment as it was created 25 years ago. As one OCA staff person observed, “One thing I love about this array of monuments is that it communicates something special about Atlanta – one doesn’t need to walk through the halls of academia to have one’s voice heard and revered. There is a sort of transcultural intelligence showcased in this area that speaks to the ancestral roots within every human.”

A virtual tour of Folk-Art Park can be accessed in the Google Play store by searching for City of Atlanta’s Public Art.

Back in those days, vinyl was the way to get your music

From the Crates

Kelly McCoy

Kelly McCoy

is a veteran Atlanta broadcaster who writes about the days popular music only came on vinyl records, which often were stored in crates.

In past From the Crates columns, I’ve written about my memories and experiences at wonderful concerts at some of Atlanta’s prime venues from back in those days.

Wherever you enjoyed your first concert, I feel fairly safe in saying that you were listening to the radio when you first heard — and heard about — the group or performer you were going to see. More

than likely, in the 60s or and 70s, their hits were heard on AM radio, because that was before FM stations started playing not only singles, but cuts from albums.

Yes, we actually played 45s on the air!

Chances are they were “stock” copies, just like the ones you bought and played at home. But there were special copies made just for radio station use, too. Those promotional copies were unusual. Some had the same song on both sides – one side had a mono recording, the other was stereo. Most had “intro times” on them to inform the on-air person how many seconds they had to speak over the beginning of the song.

We played records a lot, and after much use, a hit record often accumulated pops and scratches that didn’t help the song quality. If you heard a song broadcast that had a fuzzy, crackling sound at the beginning, the term for this noise was “cue burn.” We had to “cue the record” to the

right location on the single so it would immediately begin once we started the turntable.

Quite often a record was marked to show whether the song faded at the end or ended abruptly, with what we called a “cold ending.” If the records didn’t have this information printed on them, it could be written on the label by hand, or — to really look professional — with a typed sticker.

All the information helped an on-air person to run a “tight board.” The enemy of radio is “dead air,” when nothing is being broadcast. The sound of silence is the worst radio nightmare. Silence occurred when someone wasn’t paying attention or didn’t have enough song length for a bathroom break. We just hoped for long songs when we had to pee.

Now, back to the vinyl.

Record stores were ample in the 70s and 80s. The bigger groups back then

included Record Bar, Turtles, and Franklin Music. There were the great old family, or “mom and pop” stores. Jim Salle’s Music Store in Buckhead is where you could buy 45s, albums, instruments, and concert tickets. Clark Music on the square in Decatur was another local fave.

For a nominal fee and obligation to be a regular customer, Columbia House record club could allow you to purchase albums by mail for mere pennies and a subscription to buy more. We had Richway stores, K-Marts, Zayres and other discount places that sold vinyl.

Sears stores sold records and tapes. They also sold musical instruments. I remember shopping at Sears on Ponce de Leon and in Buckhead.

Peaches Records and Tapes, the “mother ship,” opened in 1975.

Not only could you find any album by any artist known to mankind, Peaches offered merchandise included clothing and the highly coveted Peaches record-storage wooden crates.

Most major artists that were touring through Atlanta would hold promotions there to meet their

fans, and, of course, offer plenty of fresh copies of their music for purchase.

By the late 70s, there were around 45 Peaches locations. They closed in the early 80s, but longtime Atlantans still tell stories about Peaches.

Vinyl has made an amazing comeback in recent years as some fans think the old records sound better than new methods of delivering music. I recently read an article that said even cassette tapes are returning, so I guess we can look forward to seeing more long strands of skinny tape on the side of the road.

I also must mention the 8-track tape. Yes, the convenience of playing them in your car or home was wonderful, “scratch free” and convenient but it did take years for me to be able to listen to some songs without the anticipated interruption that would happen midway through the tune as the next “track” began. Remember?

S e l l i n g V i r g i n i a - H i g h l a n d f o r o v e r 1 5 y e a r s

T h e B r o c k w a y G r o u p i s a p r o u d s p o n s o r o f t h e f i r s t a n n u a l V i r g i n i a - H i g h l a n d P o r c h f e s t o n S a t u r d a y , M a y 8 t h ! J o i n u s a t t h e e v e n t a n d o n t h e p o r c h e s o f o u r n e i g h b o r s C o m e s e e w h

S O L D i n V A H I

N a n c y G r i e v e , S e n i o r L o a n O f f i c e r

5 n a n c y g r i e v e @ s h e l t e r m o r t g a g e c o m w w w n a n c y g r i e v e l o a n s c o m

F R A N K B R O C K W A Y

l e s t a t e n e t

A l l n f o r m a t i o n d e e m e d r e a b l e b u t n o t g u a r a n t e e d E q u a l O p p o r t u n t y H o u s i n g P r o v d e r E a c h o f f i c e s n d e p e n d e n t l y o w n e d a n d o p e r a t e d

The Rust Hunter

Sculptor William Massey finds art in discarded, overlooked items

lived experience. It’s like the things you do mixed with – when you look in the mirror what do you see?”

Massey seeks out items that have had a life of their own, that have a story, and are in his words, “authentic.” He sources much of his materials by scouring vacant lots and gutters, dumpster diving, and searching at times on hands and knees through the grounds of old farms. He looks for items that would otherwise be overlooked, those that have been forgotten and discarded bring him the most joy. When composing smaller scale works that are meant to be displayed inside, such as with the wall-mounted Grace portrait, he incorporates a variety of objects and different materials such as picture frames, pencils, brushes, eyeglasses and the like. Larger pieces intended to be displayed outside are generally made of metal as the material is more durable in the elements.

with the community that surrounds the installations, and an appreciation for broken things. Meeting the composed and articulate artist, it is rather surprising to learn just how much Massey relates to that which has been discarded, forgotten, and underappreciated.

“I related more to the grit and the depth of something that had been used, or broken, or cut, or crushed, and abused and tossed away than some sterile piece of new material… even if it’s not cool and crisp and smooth and beautiful, there’s something honest about it.”

Massey’s artwork has a way of interrupting the life cycle of everyday items. He is captivated by the story they tell, and muses about how everything we create and use was once a marvel of human engineering. It was then utilized, and used, before being abandoned. Those items that would otherwise end up in a landfill (like the one just outside his studio) are then rescued by Massey. In this

By Isadora Pennington

On a warm spring day I loaded up my car and set off towards South Atlanta. I followed quiet residential streets that eventually gave way to construction sites, run down buildings, and vacant lots. At the end of a winding road, a massive mountain of junk loomed overhead indicating that I had arrived. I crossed the train tracks and found myself in the parking lot of South River Art Studios.

Here, in a rather nondescript garage space, is the studio of artist William Massey. Known for his massive sculptural figures composed of found objects and metal, Massey has been hard at work in this studio since October of 2019. Inside are a variety of tools, conceptual sketches, miniature models used for reference, and of course, piles of metal everywhere you look.

“I’m most intrigued by the human form and I feel like it is most relatable... especially when it’s a human form made out of inherently human items like a lamp, a tire, a shovel, yard equipment,” said Massey. His works have graced the Atlanta BeltLine for years now, faces overlooking the day-today of countless Atlantans who often pause to photograph, inspect, and appreciate these oversized assemblage sculptural portraits.

“It’s a level of familiarity that I’m still working out in my brain, it’s this mystery of intriguing people by making something so familiar like the human form out of things that are so familiar from the home, from your

“Most of my work is an amalgamation of all different materials: plastics, wood, paint, metal, household items,” said Massey. “The whole process for a lot of my art is finding relationships between things that weren’t meant to be mixed together, and connecting the dots between objects that couldn’t be more dissimilar.”

There are several common themes that can be seen throughout Massey’s work; unification of disparate items, inclusion and interaction

way they go on to live a new life and tell a new story, all while portraying the scars of the passage of time to which they have been subjected. It is those very marks, the rust and bends and cracks, which intrigue Massey and add the authenticity he constantly seeks in his sculptures.

As we sat together in his studio the afternoon light filtered in through the doors and the sounds of free range chickens roaming the property filled the air, occasionally interrupted by the rumble of a train passing by on the tracks. Artists in neighboring studios could be heard mumbling through the walls. I was taken by Massey’s artistic drive, his passion, candor, humility and most of all his humanity. Before I loaded myself back into my car and left this otherworldly place of art and tools and objects, he led me to a warehouse where he was constructing giant steel hands that reach up to the sky. He clambered up into the framework and got to work. It was there, diligently working with intense concentration, shrouded in sparks and beneath layers of dirt and dust and sweat, that I saw him for what he really is: an artist, a visionary, and innately, truly, alive.

William Massey at work in his south Atlanta studio.

(Photos by Isadora Pennington)

Books All Georgians Should Read Revealed

Georgia Center for the Book (GCB) selected the works of prize-winning authors and illustrators with Georgia connections for the 2021 “Books All Georgians Should Read” and “Books All Young Georgians Should Read” lists. The year marks the eighth annual release for both reading lists.

“The Georgia Center for the Book believes that the ‘Books All Georgians Should Read’ and the ‘Books All Young Georgians Should Read’ lists are a wonderful way to honor the extraordinary talent of these authors and illustrators and give us the opportunity to inform readers across our state of the contributions being made to Georgia’s literary heritage,” said Joe Davich, Executive Director of the GCB.

2021 Books All Young Georgians Should Read

Yes, No, Maybe So

By Becky Albertalli

and Aisha

The Monster Hypothesis

By Romily Bernard

Not Quite Snow White

Illustrated by Ebony Glenn

Saeed

Save the Crash-Test Dummies

Illustrated by TeMika Grooms

I’m Not Dying with You Tonight

By Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal

Girls Like Us

By Randi Pink

Bilal Cooks Daal

By Aisha Saeed

Clean

Getaway

By Nic Stone

Just South of Home

By Karen Strong

Kent State

By Deborah Wiles

2021 Books All Georgians Should Read

Smokelore: A Short History of Barbecue in America

By Jim Auchmutey

Slide to Unlock: Poems

By Julie Bloemeke

Things New and Strange: A Southerner’s Journey through the Smithsonian Collections

By G. Wayne Clough

How to Bury Your Brother: A Novel

By Lindsey Rogers Cook

Native: Identity, Belonging, & Rediscovering God

By Kaitlin Curtice

The Nature of Remains: A Novel

By Ginger Eager

Body Braille: Poems

By Beth Gylys

Coming Full Circle: From Jim Crow to Journalism

By Wanda Smalls Lloyd

Passionate for Justice: Ida B. Wells as Prophet for Our Time

By

Catherine Meeks, PhD, and Nibs Stroupe

The Last Widow: A Novel

By Karin Slaughter

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painting, drawing, pottery, or photography