Atlanta Intown - December 2021

As we come together with family and friends this time of year for holidays, we also look back on the Intown real estate market this year. From the very beginning of the year home sales took off at an unprecedented rate. We saw inventory come to all time low and prices hit an all-time high. Though not surprising, Morningside has always been one of the most coveted places to live in the city because of its great location, schools, and wide variety of home styles. This year for the first time, we saw home sales pass the $3 million dollars mark. Whether you are selling a home in the $1 million dollar range or multi million dollar range, the most successful home sales take planning. I was so proud to be involved in both of the homes that sold above $3 million price point this year- representing both buyer and seller. I truly understand the value of Morningside homes like few others do. A very successful home sale take planning and now more than ever before it is even more important to plan well. Whether you are planning to sell next month or next year, call me so we can begin to put a plan in place together. Knowing where to focus time, energy and money plays a very important role in maximizing the sale of your home. As one of the leading Intown REALTORS® for the last 10 years, nothing give me more pleasure than helping Intown residents realize their dream home or achieve their dream results.

YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD EXPERT, Ken Covers

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KAWS PRINTS

Taking stock of an unexpected year

Since my last letter, I’ve been to a movie theatre and to a sold-out concert at State Farm Arena. It felt odd, a little scary, but also life-affirming. Or maybe I should say, life-getting-back-to-some-semblance-ofnormal-affirming.

I hadn’t been to the cinema or a concert in two years, thanks to COVID and cancer. I saw Daniel Craig’s final outing as James Bond, “No Time To Die,” and thoroughly enjoyed it, although I disagree with critics that it’s the best 007 movie ever. For me, that will always belong to “A View To A Kill” with Sir Roger Moore and Grace Jones camping and vamping to a Duran Duran soundtrack. I shall not be moved from this stance, so don’t @ me.

There were only a dozen people in the theater, so easy to social distance, but the Harry Styles concert was something else. I felt more at ease thanks to the COVID protocols, but it was still soooo weird to be back in a space with that many people. We had to show our vaccine cards and wear masks throughout, which the majority seemed to do. Styles’ transformation from boy band heartthrob to heir-apparent of the 1970s, California rock sound of Fleetwood Mac is a pleasantly surprising glow up.

In October, I took a weekend trip to Knoxville to visit a friend and it felt really good to get out of Atlanta for two days after spending this whole year barely leaving a square-mile area. I hadn’t been to Knoxville in nearly 40 years. My last trip there was in 1982 with my parents for the World’s Fair, which is very near the top of my worst family vacations ever list. Let’s just say that 100-degree temperatures and the theme of “energy turns the world” was a sweaty bore to 12-year-old me.

My cancer diagnosis, followed by surgery, radiation treatment, physical therapy and seemingly endless doctor appointments has pretty much ruled my year. I do not recommend buying a home in the middle of all that like I did.

I’m feeling much better, although I still have days where my energy level seems nonexistent. December also marks six months since my surgery, so that means MRIs and CT scans for Christmas. I’d just as soon have Santa leave a lump of coal in my stocking. But I’m keeping my fingers, toes, and legs crossed that I’ll get the “all clear” from my oncologist and not “oops, we missed a spot.”

The most uplifting part of this unexpected year has been the outpouring of support from the readers of Atlanta Intown. I received countless emails, social media messages, and phone calls from folks checking in on me while I was recovering. It truly has been a balm. Intown, which is about it enter its 28th year in existence, continues to evolve and grow thanks to our talented team and savvy partnerships, including Atlanta Civic Circle, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GPB News, Georgia Health News and our latest with WABE.

We’ve joined forces with Atlanta’s home for NPR to launch “How Do You Atlanta?,” a community calendar offering easy access to city events. Check it out at HowDoYouAtlanta.com and submit your own happenings for inclusion. As Hugh Downs used to say, “we’re in touch, so you be in touch.”

Happy Holidays!

Atlanta’s alternative to 911 has helped hundreds. Now for the hard road ahead

By Lisa Hagen | WABE

Preston Marshall works in an artdeco fantasy called Atlanta’s Hotel Midtown. Lots of gold, giant floral wallpaper and furniture that looks like it’s from the set of “Mad Men.”

Marshall runs loss prevention at the hotel, and in his line of work, keeping the fantasy intact sometimes means keeping people out.

“Well in the past, the only option we had was calling 911 and calling the police,” said Marshall.

He’s had to do it a lot, but there have been times when it gives him an uneasy feeling.

“My heart reached out to some of the individuals, especially knowing that some of these people have substance abuse issues or some of them had mental issues,” he said.

But since this summer, Marshall’s had a new option. He’s one of more than 800 Atlantans who’ve called 311 as an alternative to calling the police when they see someone struggling with their mental health, extreme poverty or a range of other non-emergency quality of life concerns.

It’s called the Policing Alternative and Diversion Initiative or PAD, which sends out response teams from their office downtown.

“So each team is assigned a van. We have it stocked with food, hygiene items, toiletries, all that, so that way you know — we pass by these areas all the time — we’re able to help people,” said PAD referral manager Chyna Quarker.

She’s usually the one taking calls as they come in and tries to figure out what local agencies or organizations might be useful for each situation. Meanwhile, the two-person

teams head out. They’re people who’ve worked in hospitals, in mental health and sometimes peers with lived experience of homelessness or addiction.

PAD helps get people medical care, deal with financial entanglements, find emergency shelter or ideally, long term, stable housing. Quarker said very often, people just need help applying for things like ID cards and other official documents.

“Right now, we’re right at 800 I think for community referrals and…we’re expected to probably do a thousand next year,” she said.

After a pilot run Downtown and in East Atlanta, the program went city-wide in July, and Quarker says it’s been a busy six months.

They’ve diverted nearly 300 hundred arrests, according to Quarker, but PAD is a small team, working on vast, complex problems built up over many years, in some cases.

“Our current system, which we have had in place for decades, is that the police are available to respond to basically any concern,” PAD executive director Moki Macias said. “And the expectation is that they will make that person disappear.”

But she says if that person is arrested for a minor offense, they’re generally released with all the same problems they had to begin with, now with the added trauma of their time in jail. Macias says that’s why a big part of PAD’s work is community education.

Someone from the organization gives every caller a transparent debrief about what the teams were able to help with, or not. Often that can include explaining that PAD does not exist to make people disappear or force anyone to do things without consent. Macias acknowledges that can frustrate some

community members who call in expecting a quick fix.

“What we are promising folks is that when we show up, we’ll have a respectful, kind, creative, proactive engagement with the person, and that we will do our very best to reduce harm for that person and for the community they’re in,” said Macias.

A handful of diversion initiatives like PAD have popped up across the country, including in Albany, NY, Santa Fe, NM, and Louisville, KY. Most are modeled on a Seattle program that started almost ten years ago.

Lisa Daugaard is a former public defender who helped start the Let Everyone Advance with Dignity or LEAD program in Seattle, which originally stood for Law Enforcement Assistance Diversion.

The next thing Atlanta will have to learn, she said, is how to keep up with demand for the long haul.

“The main comparative advantage that the policing system has always had in the popular imagination is that officers come,” said Daugaard.

Day or night, the deal is, eventually someone shows up. Both in Atlanta and Seattle, these alternative services aren’t available 24/7. In Atlanta, PAD is only open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays.

Another challenge, Daugaard said, is that as more people learn about the program, it gets harder to show up on each call. She said she’s seen how that can work to undermine the whole idea.

“Lots of appropriate referrals are made, and community members see that there isn’t a response and that tends to reduce people’s belief and enthusiasm for the idea of an alternative that they would have supported

had there been a response,” she said.

Atlanta’s PAD initiative was able to expand citywide because the city council approved a $1.5 million dollar infusion in 2020.

In Seattle, the diversion program’s annual budget has grown to $13 million. Atlanta’s police department, meanwhile, runs on $230 million.

In November, the Atlanta City Council approved legislation to begin an intergovernmental agreement with Fulton County to create and establish the Center for Diversion and Services.

The center will provide care and services as an alternative to incarceration for those experiencing poverty, homelessness, substance abuse, or mental health issues. The center, which will also be in partnership with Grady Hospital and PAD, will also help reduce the overall population at the city and Fulton County jails.

People who work with PAD and diversion programs stress that their capabilities are only as strong as the assistance services available in a given community. Likewise, its successes are dependent on how much investment it receives relative to other public safety institutions like the police.

In Seattle, after ten years in operation, Daugaard says her people are gearing up for a request to double their current budget. For now in Atlanta, Macias is just trying to find a sustainable funding stream that can keep PAD running as the city’s political leadership shifts.

This story was made possible in partnership with WABE and support from The 4am Fund for reporting on mental health and policing.

Moki Macias, executive director of the Policing Alternative and Diversion Initiative or PAD.

(Lisa Hagen)

A PAD volunteer consults with a person in need of services.

Preston Marshall, who runs loss prevention at Atlanta’s Hotel Midtown. (Lisa Hagen)

Atlanta answers the call to help Afghan allies

By Clare S. Richie

Afghan allies who evacuated after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan have already started arriving to metro Atlanta to rebuild their lives, aided by resettlement agencies, nonprofits, the local Afghan community, and compassionate Atlantans.

As of Nov. 12, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Atlanta had welcomed 350 Afghans, including pregnant women, babies, and young children.

“This is a bold, ambitious answer to a humanitarian and moral calling,” said the IRC in Atlanta’s Executive Director Justin Howell. “These are families who had a real fear of persecution of being killed for support they provided to the U.S.”

The IRC in Atlanta has committed to resettle 800 of the 1,500 Afghan humanitarian parolees coming to Georgia in addition to 900 refugees from other countries like Syria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and El Salvador. The nonprofit provides resettlement and case management services, adult education classes, youth programs, employment assistance, asset building resources, community health response programs, and immigration services.

Howell recently completed two deployments at a U.S. military site “safe haven” where he worked with federal agencies to welcome and process Afghan allies – and has since focused on preparing Atlanta to receive them.

“Just leaving your homeland is traumatic but leaving under the chaos of the evacuation, leaving family behind and being in limbo at the ‘safe haven’ further exacerbates that trauma. They want to get on with their lives, start working, provide for their families and achieve beyond bare necessities,” Howell said.

Bahar Mehr, an Afghan refugee who arrived last year, understands the road ahead.

“It’s tough being here in the U.S., facing

a lot of things that are new,” Mehr said. “All of these people coming need support not just financially but also emotionally.”

The obstacles Afghans face are many as they connect to employment, housing, education, health care and other activities of daily life.

“The real challenge right now is affordable housing, which we know is a huge crisis locally, regionally and nationally,” Howell said. “Normally, we would have six to eight weeks advance notice for a family arriving – now we have 48 hours. We are forced into using short-term housing before we can move people into long-term housing.”

Families from rural Afghan provinces may require more guidance and services

“A lot of the young women are illiterate because the Taliban made it unsafe to attend school,” said Dr. Hogai Nassery, Afghan American Alliance of Georgia co-founder and a practicing physician who came to the U.S. from Afghanistan with her family when she was five years old. “Families are large because of lack of access to family planning and high infant mortality rate. One

family didn’t know the difference between a refrigerator and a freezer. Most are familiar with cell phones, thankfully.”

Resettlement agencies are trying to staff up quickly, but are doing so from depleted ranks. After the Trump administration repeatedly set the lowest refugee arrival levels in the program’s 40-year history, one-third of resettlement agencies shut down and those that stayed open reduced staff.

“We’ve resettled more people in the last month than we have in the last two years combined,” Howell said. “We are looking to hire everyone from caseworkers, casework supervisors, employment staff and more. The good thing is Georgia has always been one of the top 10 states for welcoming refugees. While we may not have had the volume in the past four years, the institutional muscle memory is there.”

That muscle memory includes thoughtful collaboration among resettlement agencies, nonprofits, businesses and community groups to serve each new Afghan neighbor holistically.

In that spirit, the Afghan American Alliance of Georgia recently formed to fill

in gaps in partnership with resettlement agencies, match every newly arrived family with family here and create a sense of community for the newly arrived to thrive. On Nov. 6, the alliance partnered with IRC in Atlanta, Ethaar and others to host a new Afghan arrival event at the East Cobb Islamic Center.

“We served 70 people with clothing, shoes, diapers, hygiene kits, school supplies,” Dr. Nassery said. “The mosque fed them a meal. ICNA [Islamic Circle of North America] had a mobile clinic there to do

Here’s How You Can Help

Resettlement agencies: Rescue.org/ GiveAtlanta; Atlanta@Rescue.org; On Facebook and Instagram: @ircatlanta Community Based Organizations: Refugeewomensnetworkinc.org; Afghan American Alliance of Georgia on Facebook or afgameralliancega@ gmail.com; ethaarusa.org

Dr. Hogai Nassery with the IRC’s Fiona Freeman, Christopher Carpenter, Shannon McGuffey and Ayaz Ahmed

Justin and Baseer at Kabul Market

health checks. IRC set up a table so families could speak to them about employment or any caseworker needs – that was probably the most popular spot in the event. As soon as these families get placed in permanent housing others will take their place. This is

a strategy we’ll need to use for a while.”

Businesses like Kabul Market in Decatur – run by Afghan refugee Baseer Basil, who arrived in 2014 – have also answered the call. After working with the IRC in Atlanta’s Microenterprise Development program, Basil secured larger space to bake Afghan bread and butcher fresh cuts of halal goat, beef, lamb, and chicken.

“In one month, IRC ordered more than 200 hot welcome meals – rice with raisins, lamb or chicken, salad, bread, spinach –for new Afghan families,” Basil said. “The first time they go to their apartment, the welcome meal makes it home.”

There are many ways to engage.

The IRC in Atlanta needs help identifying temporary housing – hotels, spare apartments or separate space within a home – while they secure permanent housing. The nonprofit has also launched a $1.7 million fundraising campaign as “government funds barely cover half of the real costs of resettlement.”

“Donations help cover unmet housing costs, medical costs, school supplies, hygiene kits; invest in staff capacity to help new families secure employment, enroll kids in school and start their new lives,” Howell said.

“It’s amazing how generous this community has been,” Dr. Nassery said. “I hope it continues. Sometimes, honestly, it brings me to tears when I see how much people want to help.”

Georgia Institute of Technology Brain Research Study

MARTA will reduce bus service on 96 of its 113 routes beginning Dec. 18 due to a staffing shortage. The routes affected will go to a Saturday schedule. No routes are being eliminated and there will be no change to MARTA’s rail service.

Atlanta is the only U.S. city to be featured in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2022. Atlanta ranks fourth behind Auckland, New Zealand; Taipei, Taiwan and Freiburg, Germany.

A Georgia Senate committee held a hearing Nov. 4 about the proposed Buckhead City, laying the groundwork to get legislation to place a referendum on the November 2022 ballot.

Max Cleland, a former U.S. senator and former leader of the Veterans Administration, died Nov. 9 at the age of 79. The Vietnam War vet was also Georgia’s secretary of state from 1982 to 1996.

Atlanta’s international affairs director receives knighthood from France

By Collin Kelley

What do these people have in common: Oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, celebrated actress Isabelle Huppert, French President Francois Mitterrand, U.S. Navy Admiral Frank Bowman, and the Atlanta Mayor’s Office of International Affairs Director Vanessa Ibarra?

They are all recipients of the French National Order of Merit (Ordre national du Mérite) awarded by the President of

France. Ibarra now holds the rank of knight for her efforts in advancing the relationship between the country and the City of Atlanta.

Ibarra, who has worked in the mayor’s office for seven years, said she had to read the email she received three times – and even sent it to a friend – to comprehend that she’d received the prestigious honor.

“I’m a knight now,” Ibarra said incredulously. “Who gets knighted these days in this century?”

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Ibarra’s connection to France dates to her childhood. Born in Venezuela, her family moved to the country just after her birth when her father took a job there. Her two siblings were also born in France.

“I thought my father was French,” she recalled. “He insisted we speak French. Even after we moved when I was 6, my parents believed it was extremely important to have French language and schooling. They kept us in it no matter where we moved, including Mexico and finally the U.S.”

Ibarra attended Georgia State University, where she studied abroad – in France, of course – and received her master’s degree in international business.

Her career trajectory had her working in French trade and investment role, before she joined the city in 2015. She ascended to her current directorial position when her mentor Claire Angelle left the position.

Ibarra said she was proud of her accomplishments in fostering the city’s startup exchange program with French sister city Toulouse and in Atlanta being named a “French Tech Hub” for startups looking to expand in North America.

“When I look at this medal, I feel an immense sense of pride and respect for what it stands for, for the personal journey to get here and smile because I know that none of the work that I have done throughout the years would be possible without the commitment and support of all those here,” she said.

Ibarra received her knighthood during a recent celebration at the French Consul General Vincent Hommeril’s residence. It was bestowed on behalf of French President Emmanuel Macron and Ambassador Philippe Etienne.

French Consul General Vincent Hommeril pins the Order of Merit onto Vanessa Ibarra.

Sweet Auburn has lost 47% of its historic buildings

By Collin Kelley

The National Park Service (NPS) has released a study to help guide future preservation of the Sweet Auburn National Historic Landmark (NHL) District after discovering that the community has lost many of its important buildings.

The Integrity and Condition Assessment conducted by New South Associates Inc. on

HIT THE TRAIL ON AN BIKE

behalf of NPS found that Sweet Auburn has lost 47% of its historic buildings since being designated as an NHL in 1976.

The report states that while several prominent buildings endure, iconic landmarks like the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, Butler Street YMCA and Walden buildings remain vacant after several years and are at risk for deterioration and demolition by neglect.

Additionally, development within the district and on its edges challenge ongoing preservation, the report said.

“The Sweet Auburn National Historic Landmark District remains an outstanding example of American history and culture,” said Cynthia Walton, regional manager for NPS archeological and historic preservation partnerships. “It also faces serious preservation challenges. With the information collected in this study, the community can better understand and protect the district’s unique character that makes it significant in American history.”

Despite the alarming loss of historic buildings noted, the study concludes that “…the district’s remaining historic buildings continue to convey the sense of time and place of a small-scale historic commercial area dating from the 1910s to the 1960s.”

The study highlights several preservation successes, including rehabilitation of the Municipal Market and Odd Fellows Building, and establishment of Sweet Auburn Works, a nonprofit serving as an advocacy liaison for the community.

The study also shows that the Sweet Auburn NHL District remains a cultural

center for the larger community and calls it “an irreplaceable part of American history.”

Maintenance of historic properties, whether as a single building or a large district, requires constant attention and active management. NPS will continue to monitor the Sweet Auburn NHL District and welcomes new information concerning the issues identified in the study.

“The NPS will continue to follow proposed projects that may diminish the integrity of the Sweet Auburn NHL District,” Walton said. “We have recommended several steps to improve the overall health of the district, such as updating NHL and National Register documentation to help properties better secure preservation grants. We look forward to assisting the community as it continuously works to achieve its preservation goals.”

The Atlanta Preservation Center said preserving Sweet Auburn would be a challenge.

“The continued pressures to preserve this significant district are only going to persist,” APC Executive Director David Y. Mitchell said. “The ability to find that space where cultural identity and the needs of today meet is going to only be accomplished by thoughtful engagement on every level. The Atlanta Preservation is looking forward to participating in this work.”

The Sweet Auburn National Historic Landmark District was considered the hub of African American prosperity during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Originally named Wheat Street and renamed Auburn Avenue in 1893, the street became the heart of Atlanta’s Black social, religious, cultural and business activities during the segregated Jim Crow era.

It birthed some of the nation’s most successful Black businesses and contributed to Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s formative development. African American businesses converged on the west end of Auburn Avenue, increased in number from 10 to 72 between 1900 and 1920, and eventually led the nation in the concentration of blackowned businesses.

The district comprises 18.8 acres along portions of Auburn Avenue, Edgewood Avenue, Piedmont Avenue, Courtland Street, John Wesley Dobbs Ave, and Bell Street.

Find out more about the Sweet Auburn NHL District Study by visiting go.nps.gov/ sweetauburn.

The Butler Street YMCA is abandoned and deteriorating in Sweet Auburn. (Photo by Darin Givens, @atlurbanist)

A historic image of Sweet Auburn with Butler Street YMCA visible at center. (Courtesy NPS/Library of Congress)

Bravo to the Champs!

Timmy Daddy

One silver lining of the socially distanced pandemic was that we never got sick with anything. Now after a full household slate of COVID vaccines it was almost hard to believe my kids weren’t feeling well.

It turned out to just be good ol’ strep throat. Admittedly, strep throat is a weird thing to feel nostalgic for, but this diagnosis brought me back to simpler times. Antibiotics were prescribed, no drastic quarantine was required, and we

Aaron, but I think we can just change one letter and sort this whole thing out. The Braves become The Bravos (which many people call them anyway) and we all move on. Bravo! Adopt the Hammer in place of the Tomahawk and we honor Hank as well. Then the Chop House becomes the Hammer House and let’s be honest, that’s a more appropriate description of what goes on in there anyway, isn’t it?

Our household feels very sports-centric these days, even when it comes to school.

A scheduling quirk has Elliott ending every day of freshman year with an elective called “Team Sports” and then a period of P.E. So, we hear more about him draining three pointers or playing Wiffle Ball than physics, but he seems to be enjoying it. We’re learning that our son is a stealthy student. I never see him hunkering down to assignments but even his effort grades have been excellent. Could it be that some of the time he’s squirreled away in his room is spent studying?

didn’t have to fret about how sick anyone might get. They were cleared for a return to school 24 hours after the first dose. Which was fantastic because returning to all day, in-person school this school year was like winning the World Series for us parentals.

Incidentally, the late nights of watching the Braves march to the World Series title may account for the drag on our immune systems. When they were up 7-0 heading into the bottom of the 9th inning in decisive Game 6, Elliott mused that if they found a way to lose “it would be the most Atlanta thing ever.” But that designation more aptly describes the drive-by, speedvictory parade. Major League Baseball may have to check the bus drivers for performance enhancing drugs but hey, what’s a baseball season without a scandal?

I am however, in the camp that is ready for a Braves name change and for the tomahawk chop to be retired. Some are suggesting the team be renamed the Hammers in honor of Hammering Hank

Margo will let you know what’s going on, though. Like the other day when she was at the cutting board and informed me that she was slicing up the “penultimate apple” in a testing sort of way. Yes, I do know what that means, but I certainly didn’t when I was in sixth grade. Anyway, I guess ELA class is going well. She’s also taking Band and learning how to play the euphonium (that was indeed a new word for me this year). When she practices it sounds like ships coming into harbor, so it’s sort of like living seaside. And when she plays “Mary Had a Little Lamb” I can totally name that tune. I may have to check in with her science teacher, because this conversation transpired without a trace of any misgivings:

Margo: I was in science class today and I saw a cute house on Zillow that I want to live in.

Me: What?

Margo: It’s in Connecticut

Me: Wait, why were you…

Margo: It’s $11 million dollars.

There’s probably a lot to unpack there, but I should just be supportive, right? Plus, I’m too busy being thankful for the progress we’ve made in Atlanta this fall. Returning to normal feels like winning and winning feels superlative. So, cheers to the Bravos and bravo to the educators –my true Champs of 2021.

The Braves speeding out of town with their World Series trophy. (Photo by Asep Mawardi)

Cheshire Bridge business owners fear they won’t survive road closure

By Collin Kelley

Demolition crews have removed a fire-damaged bridge over Peachtree Creek that has kept Cheshire Bridge Road closed for four months, wreaking havoc on local businesses, and causing headaches for residents.

However, reconstruction of the bridge is not expected to begin until sometime in the new year. Businesses impacted by the closure said they weren’t sure they would survive until the road reopens.

The bridge was closed to traffic after a fire severely compromised its safety in early August. Cheshire Bridge Road remains closed between Woodland and Faulkner roads.

According to the ATLDOT, a demolition contractor was selected in late September and vendors worked to move power, water, gas, cable, and phone lines off the bridge and around the construction zone.

“We are grateful for the patience and continued support of the local community in the face of the tremendous inconvenience caused by the Cheshire Bridge closure,” said Atlanta Department of Transportation Commissioner Josh Rowan. “Issues encountered during the utility relocation process have delayed the

start of demolition, but work should progress well from this point.”

At press time, Rowan said in a statement that his office was preparing a bid package for design and construction and expected to have a contractor on board soon after demolition was complete.

“We remain committed to getting the bridge demolished and replaced as safely and quickly as possible,” Rowan said.

Sachi Takahara, owner of Nakato Japanese Restaurant, said businesses along Cheshire Bridge are struggling.

“There are businesses along Cheshire Bridge that are doggy-paddling trying to stay afloat because of the road closure and that’s on top of COVID,” Takahara said.

Nakato is closer to the Piedmont side, but Takahara said she’s seen a noticeable dip in customers and sales. She called the lack of communication from the city with businessowners and stakeholders a “fiasco.”

Takahara recalled the I-85 bridge fire in 2017 and how it was repaired in three months. “If they can rebuild that bridge in a few months, they can do the repair on Cheshire Bridge in less than a year.”

Sara Keith, director of the Atlanta School of Photography, said the bridge closure would eventually be a “death sentence to businesses in this area.”

Jennifer Ohme, senior consultant for the Piedmont Heights Alliance, said businesses along Cheshire Bridge had seen up to an 80 percent drop in sales. She said the closure not only hampers customers getting to businesses, but also deliveries.

“We’ve asked the city to install more

signage that businesses are open and for detours around the closure,” Ohme said.

As further evidence in the breakdown of communication, Ohme said she only found out about the start of the bridge demolition work after Atlanta Intown forwarded her a statement from the DOT.

Daniel Dailey, owner of Johnny’s Pizza, started one of several online petitions to spur the city to action.

“The detour around the Cheshire Bridge has had a dramatic impact on street traffic and foot traffic,” Dailey said. “In the first three weeks, I saw a 30 percent decline in total sales and a 50 percent decline in dine-in sales.”

Dailey said he’d been told it could take as long as 18 months for the bridge to be repaired. “Many businesses will not survive if repairing and rebuilding this bridge is not a priority.”

Ohme said businesses are not the only ones suffering. She said traffic has increased significantly on residential streets as motorists detour around the closed bridge and many residents have reported their morning commutes taking 15 minutes longer. There has also been disruption in mail and package delivery as well as MARTA’s bus routes.

The Atlanta Fire Department battles the bridge blaze on Aug. 5.

Google maps shows the bridge, now demolished, over South Fork Peachtree Creek.

TurnSignl app designed to de-escalate encounters with police

By Collin Kelley

Tech startup TurnSignl has created an app with the goal of de-escalating encounters between motorists and the police.

The Minneapolis-based company recently launched the app in Georgia and has nearly a dozen attorneys signed on to advise drivers how to interact with law enforcement if they are pulled over in a traffic stop.

Founded by Mychal Frelix, Andre Creighton, and Jazz Hampton in 2020, the TurnSignl app connects the user to an attorney via phone and also records the encounter with police. The lawyer gives

real-time legal advice to the user during the interaction with law enforcement.

Hampton said he and his partners created the app after watching multiple traffic stops go wrong, including Philando Castile, who was shot seven times at close range in his car by a St. Paul policeman. Cofounders Creighton and Frelix grew up

going to school and playing sports with the Castile family.

With the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other high-profile incidents, the co-founders knew that had to be part of a solution. All three left fulltime tech jobs to build TurnSignl and the company now employs a dozen people.

“We built TurnSignl app to bridge a gap in communication, protect the civil rights of drivers, and make sure everyone gets home safely,” Hampton said.

He was quick to point out that TurnSignl is not a “cop watch” app. “We have met with the police to make sure they feel good about this app, because it’s

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for them, too. We also want officers to feel safe when they are approaching a car.”

Hampton said recruiting attorneys has been easier than expected. “They are excited to be part of it and have reached out to us to become part of the team.”

With TurnSignl now live in Georgia, there are ongoing efforts to make law enforcement around the state aware of the app.

An officer may ask a motorist to put away or shut off their phone, and Hampton said the driver should let the officer know they are using the app and ask to remain on the line, but in the end follow commands.

TurnSignl is gaining popularity in

A New Kind of Village

Social club provides family space

By Kathy Dean

It’s said that it takes a village to raise a child. The recent pandemic has disrupted, even dismantled, many of those villages, adding more pressure than ever on parents and children.

Atlanta’s new social club, Kiin, will help relieve some of that pressure by providing support and a nurturing space. “Families, the backbone of our society, are struggling and desperate for childcare and community,” said Sarah Kilpatrick, Kiin Founder and CEO.

she explained. “Our vision is to build an alliance of families that care for each other and the community around them.”

Kirkpatrick reported that the Kiin team has been overwhelmed by the positive response they’ve received. “Former Kefi families have been such huge cheerleaders, brand ambassadors and advocates throughout this process,” she said.

One former Kefi member, Rachael, shared, “At Kefi, not only had we found our village, but we found an extended family. It’s most fitting that their new space is called Kiin because that is exactly what they are to

Minnesota, where iHeartRadio just offered the app to all its employees. Memberships are $6.99 per month or $60 per year, however those who can’t afford it will still be able download and use the app.

Subscribers get a bumper sticker for their vehicle, which Hampton said would also alert an approaching police officer that the driver has the app.

Hampton said TurnSignl also hopes to partner with historically Black colleges and universities to offer the app to students at low or no cost.

The rollout of the app will continue nationwide with Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and California next on the list.

“We know that parents need more time to accomplish their goals and more flexibility in managing their lives; kids need more opportunities to play and freedom to explore and grow in a safe environment; and families need more time together in a supportive community,” she added. “It’s time we built a new kind of village.”

Aimed primarily at millennial families with children under the age of 10, Kiin will provide work, life and play services such as on-demand, developmentally appropriate childcare. There will also be adultsonly, distractionfree spaces for parents, as well as educational panels, networking opportunities, wellness classes, community gatherings and family takeaway meals.

Kirkpatrick stressed that parents and kids are struggling with isolation and lack of support, a problem before the pandemic that has only been exacerbated.

A founding member of Red Wagon Ventures (Chick-Fil-A’s first nonfood innovation) Kirkpatrick was also co-founder of Kefi, the former family social club in Buckhead that closed earlier this year.

She explained that Kefi was initially created to be a family entertainment destination. “During the pandemic, we realized that families have plenty of entertainment options and not much in the way of support and community, so we pivoted and evolved our concept,”

us – family.”

The entire Kiin leadership team consists of working women and moms, in addition to Kilpatrick’s former Kefi co-founders as consultants. Another Kiin co-founder, writer Grace Yu, who previously led ad campaigns for Audi, Apple, Delta and Google, will oversee the club’s creative direction.

The Kiin experience will begin with a series of pop-ups while the team works to secure funding for a centrally located physical space in Atlanta. Kiin is still in its early building stages and hopes to have a formal membership waitlist in the near future, Kirkpatrick said.

“In the meantime, follow us on social – Instagram, LinkedIn and like,” she suggested. “We see everything personally and love chatting with new friends – pop into our DMs anytime. Subscribe to our email list on the website.”

Visit findyourkiin.com for more details.

TurnSignl co-founder Jazz Hampton.

Kiin co-counders Grace Yu (top) and Sarah Kilpatrick (bottom).

Filling In

Two big projects set to bring offices, apartments, retail to Eastside Trail

By Collin Kelley

It was only a matter of time before the remaining open parcels of land along the Atlanta BeltLine’s buzzy Eastside Trail began to fill in. Two big developments just steps from each other are set to see a massive expansion of StudioPlex with offices, apartments, retail, and restaurants.

Portman Holdings recently went back to the drawing board for a mixed-use development that will sit on a strip of property at the corner of Irwin Street, Auburn Avenue, and the Eastside Trail.

Mike Greene, Portman’s vice president of development, told Urbanize Atlanta that the $85-million, six-story, Class A office project will also have an “outdoor living room” space for the general public to enjoy.

The 1.3-acre property was originally envisioned as a hotel, but the pandemic squashed that idea, according to Greene.

The 130,00-sqare-foot development, which will technically sit at 667 Auburn Avenue, is part of the StudioPlex master

development plan. Portman hinted at its future tenant base by stating it would design the office building with large, open floorplans favored by tech companies.

The large public porch space with multiple seating areas will also have 7,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space, plus a detached kiosk for grabbing drinks. A restaurant, coffee shop, and two small retail spaces are planned with design work from Square Feet Studio.

Just a short stroll down the Eastside Trail, the strip of land between the shops and townhomes of SPX Alley and the Edgewood Avenue bridge will soon be home to an apartment complex with BeltLine facing retail.

Columbia Ventures is developing the $37 million project as another aspect of the StudioPlex buildout.

With an address of 678 Edgewood Ave, there are expected to be 114 apartments ranging in size from 400 to 1,200 square feet with 14 percent reserved for affordable housing. The ground floor will have a mix of shops and restaurants.

678 Edgwood Avenue will have 114 apartments and ground floor shops facing the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail.

The “public porch” at 667 Auburn Avenue will also face the Eastside Trail.

The 667 Auburn Avenue mixed-use project will feature offices, retail, and restaurants. Katina Asbell & Evia Golde

Fine Homes, LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act.

61-story tower could become city’s 5th tallest building

Left, and top right, The 1072 West Peachtree project from Rockefeller Group could become the city’s 5th tallest building.

Bottom right, Two views of the proposed Stratus Midtown at Peachtree Place.

By Collin Kelley

The Midtown Development Review Committee got its first look at a mixed-use project that could become Atlanta’s fifth tallest building.

The 61-story tower proposed for 1072 West Peachtree St., currently the site of a U.S. Post Office branch, would rise 733 feet – taller than the Westin Peachtree Plaza in Downtown and almost as tall at the nearby Bank of

America tower. Check out the renderings in the slideshow above.

Midtown Development Review Committee (DRC) met virtually on Nov. 9 to hear the proposal from Rockefeller Group and architect TVS Design.

The tower project includes 350 apartments and 212,000 square feet of office space above a parking podium with 6,600 square feet of ground-floor retail.

The DRC asked for more detail about the

retail space, storefront facades, and parking deck, as well as made recommendations on modifying the streetscape along both 12th St. and West Peachtree Street.

The DRC also heard a proposal from Trammell Crow, Duda Paine and HGOR for a project called Stratus Midtown, located along 10th Street, Crescent Avenue, and

Peachtree Place.

The 30-story building would have 464,000 square feet of office above a parking podium. At street level, there would be 8,900 square feet of retail along 10th Street, a 2,200 square-foot multipurpose room facing Crescent Avenue, and a 2,100 square-foot café facing Peachtree Place. As part of the project, Crescent Avenue would be modified into a pedestrianfriendly shared street in partnership with the Atlanta History Center’s Margaret Mitchell House.

The DRC recommended providing alternative street lighting and landscaping plans for Crescent Avenue, expanding the café space, and to reconsider parking deck facades with design cues from nearby historic buildings.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS ― Jared

BEECH VALLEY ROAD OFFERED FOR $849,000

Your Next Home Could Be In… Castleberry Hill

PRESENTED BY:

The Atlanta-Journal Constitution is committed to facilitating conversations on the topics important to aging well in Atlanta and providing you resources to live your best senior life — especially in today’s challenging environment. Aging in Atlanta has returned with monthly print sections this fall featuring more local content than ever. We also launched a monthly Aging in Atlanta newsletter this spring.

Visit us at ajc.com/aging to access a recording of our fall virtual event, sign up for the newsletter, and learn more about our special print sections.

You’ll find plenty of 55+ focused content there as well as links to our previously published sections and events.

By Collin Kelley

Where is it?

Adjacent to Downtown, next to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and soon to be connected to the massive Centennial Yards mixed-use development.

What’s the history of the neighborhood? Before the Civil War, the area was called Snake Nation, the city’s red light district filled with prostitutes and gambling dens. By the time the war came, the area was being reclaimed as an industrial hub. The community was named for a grocer, Daniel Castleberry, one of the original settlers of the neighborhood. Castleberry Hill became a bustling community of laborers, tradespeople, and railroad workers. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 and is a favorite filming location.

What’s going on there? Home to a number of art galleries and a monthly art stroll, there’s also a popular dining scene in the neighborhood, including favorites like No Mas

Cantina, Elliott Street Deli & Pub, Escobar Tapas, Dat Fire Jerk Chicken, Old Lady Gang, The Spinning Pie, Frost Bistro and the legendary Paschal’s, a favorite meeting place for the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. You can also grab food and drinks at the recently opened Reverb by Hard Rock hotel.

What about buying a home? Those old warehouses and industrial spaces have been reclaimed as hip loft spaces, while new loft/condos are more recent or under-construction. You can get a condo for under $200,000, but prices for lofts go up to more than $500,000. Those prices are expected to jump when the reconstructed Nelson Street Bridge reopens connecting Castleberry Hill directly to Centennial Yards and South Dwntn developments.

Old warehouses and industrial buildings have been reclaimed in Castleberry Hill.

Castleberry Lofts

Tacos at No Mas Cantina Fried chicken at Pascal’s

Bark, berries and evergreen delights

The Environmental Gardener

December in Atlanta is a great time to reflect on the past growing season and make plans for next year. And, while there are still chores like last minute weeding and deadheading, as well as planting spring bulbs we intended to plant in November, the pace is slower and the days are shorter. This means that there is

take over and crowd out desirable perennials, and annuals. It also competes with shrubs and trees that are trying to get established. It really is a bully.

Groundcovers for shade

If you have a shade garden, consider native plants for ground covers. A few well-placed groups of evergreen ferns -like our native Christmas fern or evergreen hardy ginger -- will provide a green carpet throughout the year.

There are four species of hardy ginger (no relation to the ginger you eat) Hexastylis that grow in Georgia but Hexastylis arifolia has the most widespread distribution in the state.

You may not recognize the name but if you take a walk in the woods, these plants may look familiar. Hardy gingers also are known as “little brown jugs” for their distinctive flowers that look very much like miniature jugs. You have to peek under

sculptures in the winter garden. Another favorite and one that holds on to its leaves until spring, is our native American beech, Fagus grandifolia. The tawny leaves persist through the winter and finally drop in spring before the new foliage appears. This noble tree makes a great specimen if you have the space as it is happiest if it can spread out and up, reaching heights of 50 feet to 70 feet, and sometimes up to 100 feet. The nuts are a favorite of squirrels, and a variety of birds including woodpeckers.

Hollies

Most people are familiar with hollies, but not all hollies are created equal.

For an elegant evergreen, our native American holly, Ilex opaca is hard to beat.

While most hollies require a male pollinator of the same species to ensure that the female holly produces its colorful berries, if you live near a wooded area, chances are there will be American holly to

pollinate your female. This beauty grows in full sun to half shade and can reach heights of 15-50 feet tall. I would plant three in a group or one for a specimen.

Make sure the soil is well drained.

If you want to make a big splash with colorful fruits, plant some deciduous hollies in front of American hollies. Unlike the evergreen American hollies, deciduous types drop all their leaves in late fall and show off bright red, orange or yellow fruit (depending on the selection) throughout the winter. Winterberry, Ilex verticillata is a good choice for a deciduous holly because it will grow in well drained soils but also in soils that may be periodically flooded.

Evergreens

Below are a few native evergreens that are adaptable and easy to grow.

Florida Leucothoe (Agarista populifolia) is a large, multi-stemmed shrub with tall, arching branches. It produces masses of tiny, fragrant, bellshaped, creamy white flowers in spring and is a welcome addition when combined with deciduous native azaleas on other shrubs and trees.

Small Anise tree (Illicium parviflorum) has olive green leaves and an upright habit. It makes a good informal screen or evergreen backdrop. It will toleratesun or shade and moist or dry soils. The leaves are fragrant when you break or crush them.

more time to sit by the fire pit and relax without feeling guilty.

The bones

December is also a good time to examine the “bones of your garden.” I heard or read somewhere a long time ago that if your garden looks good in winter, then it probably looks good throughout the year. This makes sense to me. While I don’t recommend a garden filled with evergreens, I do like the effect of combining select evergreens and deciduous trees and shrubs for the best effect.

When you design your garden, you may want to consider plants for the ceiling, the mid-ground, the foreground, and the carpet (such as ground covers or turf). Just make sure you never plant English Ivy for your carpet or anywhere else. While it is evergreen, it will quickly

the leaves to get a good look at them. Recently a garden friend said someone had complained that a hardy ginger was taking over their garden. I had not heard of this problem, but even native plants can be aggressive. Just make sure you site them in the right spot. Despite its long moniker, Hexastylis shuttleworthii var. haperi ‘Callaway’ is a charmer year around. With its small shiny mottled foliage it stands out in the garden especially in winter. Combine it with native ferns and spring wildflowers.

Winter sculptures

As a lover of trees in every season, I look forward to the winter silhouettes of majestic oaks, diminutive dogwoods and the native Tupelo or Black Gum, Nyssa sylvatica. As this tree matures the bark develops a distinctive blocky look.

All of these native trees create living

Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is a tough native tree that is drought resistant and adaptable. The berry-like cones that female trees produce provide food for many different birds. There are numerous selections and forms of this tree with different shades of green and bluegreen foliage. Great for a specimen or an evergreen screen. Avoid planting them near apple trees due to Cedar apple rust.

All of the plants highlighted here offer interest throughout the year but many of them shine in the winter landscape. So, when you think about adding plants to your garden, make sure to consider what they will look like in every season.

Beech Tree Leaves

Agarista populifolia evergreen shrubs surround tree trunk

Erica Glasener is the Community Involvement and Events Manager for the Piedmont Park Conservancy. She also serves on the advisory board for Trees Atlanta.

Beech Tree Leaves

►The owners of Peachtree Center in Downtown won’t confirm several social media postings that it plans to convert one of its office towers into residential. A Linked In post by real estate agent Tim Wright with Avison Young said the 27-story South Tower of Peachtree Center would be converted to 340 residential units by 2023. Whether the residential will be condos or apartments is unclear. However, Taylor White, the principal, senior managing director and chief investment officer with Peachtree Center’s owner, Banyan Street Capital, would not confirm or deny the project in a statement emailed to Atlanta Intown. “We are big believers in the future of Downtown Atlanta and have made significant investments at and around Peachtree Center, such as our Ascent Peachtree project. While we are excited about the possibilities for this tower, it’s too premature to share specific plans at this time.”

▲Ken Covers of Engel & Volkers Atlanta made the highest sale in Morningside for the year with a $3.3 million stately mansion 1664 W. Sussex Road NE. The completely renovated, six-bedroom circa 1949 home was only on the market for a month before it was snapped up.

◄The 13th annual Home for the Holidays Designer Showhouse & Marketplace is welcoming visitors now through Dec. 12. This year’s home is located at 3466 Old Plantation Road and is decorated to the nines by some of the region’s top designers. There’s also pop-up shops, floral demonstrations, candlelight tours and more. For details and tickets, visit atlantaholidayhome.com.

▲McShane Construction Company was selected by Mercy Housing Southeast and their partner, Project Community Connections Incorporated, to build Thrive Sweet Auburn. The new mixed-use development will combine117 affordable apartment units with 11,400 square feet of ground-floor office space for PCCI. Twenty-three of these units will be permanent supportive housing for individuals and families transitioning out of homelessness.

►Condo development 40 West 12th has opened to its first residents and prospective buyers. Co-developed by Selig Development and Rockefeller Group, the building offers 64 residences at mixed-use 1105 West Peachtree, which includes the new Epicurean Atlanta hotel and an office building anchored by Google. Current pricing at 40 West 12th ranges from $1.1 million to $2.6 million and above, with Engel & Völkers Atlanta leading the sales efforts. Find out more at 40west12th.com.

Investment firm Colliers recently closed a $19,200,000 construction loan on a 140-unit, two-building multifamily project in the Old Fourth Ward. The 105,650-square-foot project, which will reach completion during the fourth quarter of 2022, is the first non-lowincome development in the Boulevard subdistrict of the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood.

Seven88 West Midtown was recognized at the 41st annual OBIE Awards with three Gold and two Silver OBIEs for its floor plan and model home design, as well as its marketing efforts. The OBIE Awards, presented by the Atlanta Sales and Marketing Council on behalf of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association, recognize outstanding achievements in the homebuilding industry.

◄ The first Kingsboro at Lenbrook residents have already moved in, and just a few of the new 39 flats and 14 villas remain available for sale. All residents are able to enjoy Lenbrook’s acclaimed services, programs, and amenities including five distinct dining venues as well as a continuum of on-site healthcare services. Find out more at lenbrook-

Robert Fairer, Model Mariacarla Boscono backstage at John Galliano’s Spring/Summer 2002 runway show

Publix will anchor new Summerhill retail center

By Collin Kelley

Branch Properties has officially acquired 4.4 acres to codevelop Summerhill Station, a shopping center on Hank Aaron Drive that will be anchored by the previously announced Publix supermarket.

Slated for delivery in early 2023, Publix will take up 50,000 of the 87,000-square-foot development. A twolevel parking deck will allow for direct access to both levels of the surrounding retail buildings.

New renderings, above in the slideshow, were also released by Branch, who said the Publix would include a deli, bakery, and pharmacy.

Branch, which partnered with

development firm Carter for the project, said it had already seen “impressive leasing momentum” at Summerhill Station, but did not offer the names of potential retail shops opening there.

“This closing marks a milestone in our endeavor to bring the Summerhill neighborhood a much-needed, accessible retail destination with a quality grocery store,” said Branch Chief Investment Officer Jesse Shannon.

Carter is transforming the surrounding 19-block area into a bustling hub for retail, dining, housing and office, alongside Georgia State University’s athletic facilities.

“We are excited to partner with Branch to lead the development of the Publix center in Summerhill,” said Scott Taylor, president and CEO of

NEW RESTAURANT RADAR

Daily Chew, 2127 Liddell Drive, offers housemade rotisserie chickens, pitas, protein bowls, and breakfast and lunch fare reminiscent of founder Julia Kesler Imerman’s Jewish and South African roots. Visit dailychewatl. com.

Carter. “We believe their expertise and experience in building best-in-class retail centers will bring a development of the highest quality to the neighborhood.”

Octopus Kitchen is now open in the former Lazy Llama/Hobnob space at 1551 Piedmont Ave. offering seafood (Mediterranean sea bass, crabmeat soup) and you can toke on hookahs in the outdoor garden space. Visit @ theoctopuskitchen on Instagram.

Clean Juice, 780 Memorial Drive, is offering USDA-certified organic cold-press juices and smoothies in Reynoldstown. Visit cleanjuice.com.

Pho Cue, 925 Garrett St., adds Vietnamese flavor to Texas barbecue in Glenwood Park. The menu features bánh mì and pho bowls served with Texasstyle smoked brisket, pulled pork dumplings, smoked brisket egg rolls, and lemongrass pepper wet smoked wings. Visit eatphocue.com.

Groundbreaking for the shopping center is expected before the end of December.

‘Tis The Season: The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Wine Collection

Women + Wine

Christmas Dinner Out

By Collin Kelley

If spending Christmas in the kitchen isn’t your idea of a good time, then make a reservation at one of Intown’s restaurants offering holiday dinner.

Be sure to visit OpenTable.com to find even more dining options and make your reservation early to get your preferred time and table.

STK

It’s not every day that one gets to drink

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tache Grand Cru Monopole 1999, but when you’re a wine collector, drinking a bottle this rare could happen a few times in your life. For us, it hasn’t happened yet. Could it be we’re hanging out in the wrong wine circles?

Anyone Can Do It

Historically, wine has been seen as a luxury item: television depicting wine as the liquid of the rich, with “Great Gatsby” style champagne towers, women dressed in diamonds and pearls, and old grey hairs going on and on about Bordeaux. We are pleased to say those days are past and wine is finally a product for all. The barriers of entry have been lifted – anyone can be a wine collector, no matter the age or demographic. Certainly, just like anything, collecting wine takes time, an open mind, and a bit of research, but anyone can do it. There are more resources available today than ever before and one should never be afraid to ask questions. If you are consistently tasting new wines, you’ll quickly have an overall understanding of the basics.

Unlike books, art, or jewelry, wine is an agricultural product. There is a shelf life, an expiration date. This is why fewer people collect wine than other material items. Some might say collecting wine is a bit more of a risk, especially for the inexperienced. The rest of us say it’s all part of the fun. It’s important

to note that not all wine is intended to be aged: a light, fresh, easy drinking white, rosé, or red all below $20 are generally wines that should be consumed within 3-5 years. The reality is that most wines produced are meant to be enjoyed right away.

Once you have decided to begin your wine journey, the first step is a trip to your local wine retailer. There is no guidebook on what to collect, however, there is a fundamental criteria that you must follow: start with what you like and build accordingly. There is no point in collecting wines that you don’t enjoy drinking. Slow and steady growth is the optimal way in achieving the wine collection of your dreams.

Budget Minded

Set aside a monthly wine budget that will go directly towards building your ideal cellar. It doesn’t have to be large, but it does have to be consistent. Start small and gradually increase as you become more confident in the process.

Part of the budget will go directly towards wines that will lay down and be forgotten for a few years, the remainder of the budget will purchase the wine for your home – the daily drinkers. These wines will be used as a tool to expand your wine knowledge. Over time, a collection will begin to amass. Keep in mind, there will be many

Incoming

La Semilla: Vegan pop-up coming to Reynoldstown. (Spring 2022)

Sushi Hayakawa: Coming to Star Metals in West Midtown. (early 2022)

Carmel: New seafood concept from creator of Rina and Aziza. (2022)

instances when you can’t find the wine you are looking for locally. In these situations, there is the option to purchase from a private seller, online retailers, or big auction houses such as Acker Merrall & Condit (Acker Wines), Zachys Wine Auction, and Hart Davis Hart just to name a few. But let’s face it, when it comes to rare bottle collecting, it’s still all about who you know.

We sat down with Eddie Meyers from Brookhaven Wines to get a bit more insight into Atlanta’s wine collectors. Eddie wears many hats in the Atlanta wine scene, but most notably, Meyers works with clients throughout the city managing their wine cellars. Myers has a rotating list of roughly 100 collectors who use his services to organize, inventory, catalogue, and fill their personal cellars. His client list, which is solely built from referrals, ranges from aspiring collectors to wine aficionados. There is no collection too small or too large for Meyers. Outside of cellar management, one of Myers most common call ahead services is travel planning and the pre-selection of wines for dinners at restaurants - this can be for corporations or individuals.

People collect wine for two reasons: for personal consumption or as an investment. Sorry friends, this is not your get-rich-quick investment approach don’t make this hobby the main part of your investment portfolio. You’ll be highly disappointed. A large portion of wine stored in private cellars is there to be aged and drunk at a later time. Many will be given away as gifts or shared with friends and family. We asked Eddie what he thought motivated people to collect wine to which he responded, “People collect things in general because there is a collector’s need in the brain that searches to find the acquisition, the possession of things. Whether it’s shoes, handbags, baseball cards, and for an extreme example you can look at a property tycoon and say they are doing the same with high-rises...it just depends on what our brain cliques with.”

The Midtown steakhouse will be offering Christmas specials and an a-la-carte menu for dine-in and takeout. Reservations at stksteakhouse.com.

Le Colonial

The French/Vietnamese restaurant in Buckhead is open Christmas Eve and Day, as well and New Year’s Eve and Day. Make reservations at lecolonialatlanta. com.

Cuts Steakhouse

The Downtown eatery has time slots left for its Christmas Day dinner. Make a reservation at cutsatlanta.com.

Nan Thai Fine Dining

Let Chef Nan Niyomkul do the cooking this Christmas Day with a full menu of Thai dishes. Find out more at nanfinedining.com.

Hard Rock Café

For something a little more musical and casual, Hard Rock Cafe in Downtown is also serving a Christmas feast. Visit hardrockcafe.com/atlanta.

Tuk Tuk Thai Food Loft

Chef DeeDee Niyomkul will be preparing a Thai feast if you’re ready to ditch the usual ham and turkey. More details at tuktukatl.com.

Fogo de Chao

If you want to fill your belly with meat, then this Buckhead restaurant will definitely fit the bill. Make a reservation at fogodechao.com.

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

Continued from page

Storage Matters

Be sure you are properly storing your bottles on their side in a cool, dark space. While Excel spreadsheets are great, we highly recommended using CellarTracker to manage your wine inventory. If you already have a significant amount of wine that has not been catalogued, this is a perfect opportunity to consult with your trusted wine retailer to take on the task. When adding to your collection, purchasing multiple bottles of the same wine allows you to revisit the vintage every few years to explore the wine’s evolution. And don’t forget, wine does not have to break the bank! Meyers suggests aging moderately priced wines around $25-30. A beautiful bottle of red Burgundy with 18 months of age can give it just enough time to “settle into its own power.” Drinking a bottle that has had time to age is “like being in a wine region and understanding it for the first time. It’s so soft, smooth, and so integrated. It’s a pretty bell curve from start to finish in terms of the flavor profile” says Meyers as we enjoy a beautiful glass of 2011 Podere Poggio Scalette ‘Il Carbonaione’ from his personal collection. Deciding when to open a bottle of wine might be the most intimidating part of having a collection. But have no fear - there is no perfect time to open your bottle of wine. If you wait for that “special” occasion, you may never open it. Wine is subjective, so have fun with it!

There is something very euphoric about a remarkable bottle of wine. A fond memory of a wine can take you back to the exact time and place the wine was consumed. That special wine that can never be forgotten. Take notes, take photos, and share wine with friends. And always remember, whichever path you take in your wine collection journey, buy what you love drinking. Wine is the ultimate love story.

Sarah’s Holiday Gift Pick

2018 Leonetti Sangiovese, Walla Walla, Washington

This Sangiovese is made to age for 2030 years in your cellar!

Full body red, with a rich mouthfeel and firm tannins. Black cherry fruit notes, with hints of dried herb, and graphite. This wine is made to age so lay this bottle down and don’t look back for another 20 years. $105 at 3 Parks Wine Shop

Katie’s Holiday Gift Pick

2006 Remelluri Reserva,

Rioja, Spain

Happy Holidays from Team 360° ATL

Team Members, 12 Months of Giving

Each month, one of our agents will pick their favorite charity, and Team 360˚ ATL will either donate money or spend time volunteering. In November and December we are contributing to:

Russ and I have adopted all of our pets from the Atlanta Humane Society, including our current fur babies, Frances and Carl. They are a no-kill shelter and provide reduced-cost veterinary services, including no-cost spay and neuter programs, free pet food programs, and adoption services.

Silence the Shame is a mental health education and non-profit awareness organization. Through wellness training, compelling content, and outreach programs, we aim to normalize the conversation, peel back the layers of Shame, eliminate the stigma, and provide mental well-being support.

Dylan Corbett

QUICK BITES

▲Westside restaurant Miller Union celebrated its 12th birthday on Nov. 10 with a surprise special guest: Mick Jagger. Owner/chef Steven Satterfield posted a photo of himself with The Rolling Stone’s front man to his Instagram (@millerunionchef) to the delight of customers and fans. “I could say he was there to wish us a happy birthday, but truth be told, the Stones are playing here this week and he just wanted a good meal on a night off,” Satterfield wrote about his meeting with the rock legend. Jagger was in tourist mode before the Stone’s gig at Mercdes-Benz Stadium, posting photos to his own IG account of his visits to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack, Clermont Hotel, and posing on the Jackson Street Bridge.

Eater Atlanta reports that restauranteur Quynh “Q” Trinh is closing We Suki Suki and the Global Grub Collective in East Atlanta Village by year’s end. She said the pandemic, lack of dine-in service, and recent run-ins with customers and food delivery drivers unwilling to wear masks helped fuel her decision. Trinh said she would focus on growing her latest venture: dinner and movie experience Eatavision.

◄Chef Justin Dixon has opened his sandwich popup Humble Mumble (IG @humblemumbleatl) in Coda food hall at Tech Square. Named after the Outkast song, the pop-up is offering sack lunches during the day and unusual, but apropos Atlantacentric cuisine like lamb meatball Spaghetti-Os and chili flake, lemongrass and lime-glazed wings.

Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse has reopened at Phipps Plaza offering lunch and dinner daily and Sunday brunch. Executive Chef, Robbie Burton has kept the favorites and added some new suprises, like the Kobe Beef Meatballs and handmade pasta dishes. Make reservations at davios.com.

Popmenu has become a corporate partner and technology resource for Giving Kitchen, the nonprofit dedicated to helping food service workers in crisis. Both headquartered in Atlanta, Popmenu and Giving Kitchen will work to expand the nonprofit’s reach and philanthropic activities locally as well as in Nashville and other markets where Giving Kitchen is building its operations. Since its inception in 2013, Giving Kitchen has awarded over $5 million to food service workers facing illness, injuries, deaths of family members and housing disasters.

Georgia Boy, the acclaimed speakeasy-style restaurant hidden inside chef Joey Ward’s popular Poncey-Highland eatery Southern Belle, returns on Dec. 2 offering a 16-course chef’s tasting menu. For more information, visit southernbelleatl.com.

Holiday Fun Galore!

The festive season is in full-swing, and we’ve got event suggestions

By Kathy Dean and Collin Kelley

What a difference a year makes! The pandemic squashed most of the holiday fun last year, but festive events are plentiful this December. Whether you’re marking Christmas, Chanukah, or New Year’s Eve, there’s something for everyone.

Down the Hatch. Tickets and info at promontoryp.com/current.

Fox Theatre

The Fabulous Fox Theatre has a host of holiday shows including KLove Christmas Tour, Dec. 1; The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Musical, Dec. 5; A Christmas Symphony with Sarah Brightman, Dec. 13; Hip Hop Nutcracker, Dec. 14; and Cirque Dreams Holidaze, Dec. 23-24. Visit foxtheatre.org for tickets and details.

◄Dad’s Garage

Invasion: Christmas Carol returns Dec. 3-19 for a night of mayhem as a traditional staging of Dickens’ holiday classic is hijacked by an improv character. In past productions it’s been Pennywise from Stephen King’s “It,” Martha Stewart, Mr. T, Elmo, and even Jesus. Get tickets at dadsgarage.com.

OnStage Atlanta

Two actors portray 20 zany characters in A Tuna Christmas, an affectionate commentary and withering satire of small town, Southern life and attitudes. The show runs Dec. 2-19. Get tickets at onstageatlanta.com.

Atlantic Station

Strap on your skates for Skate the Station through Jan. 17 and you don’t even have to leave your car to drive through ATL Holiday Lights in the Pinnacle Lot.

Decatur Square ►

The Decatur Menorah Lighting is Dec. 5 at 4:30 p.m. on the Decatur Square featuring music, entertainment, dreidels, hot latkes, crafts for kids and more. The event is hosted by Chabad Intown. Visit chabadintown.org for more information.

Ponce City Market

A plethora of holiday events is happening at the shopping destination, including the annual Menorah Lighting Ceremony with Chabad Intown on Dec. 2 at 6 p.m., Skate the Sky ice skating on The Roof, Fireside Roasting & Toasting Pods for groups of four to make s’mores, and a family-friendly celebration to welcome 2022 called Noon Year’s Eve on Dec. 3. To see all the events, visit poncecitymarket. com.

Underground Atlanta

Continuing through Dec. 18,

Underground Atlanta welcomes David

Weber and his one man production of A Christmas Carol to Down the Hatch, the historic underground pirate ship once famed as Atlanta restaurant Dante’s

Virginia Highland

The Virginia Highland Tour of Lights and Winterfest is Dec. 3-4 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. with homes in the neighborhood decked out in twinkling lights. There’s also the 2-mile Jingle Jog and an Artist Market with over 50 local artisans, live music, and more. Visit virginiahighlanddistrict.com for tickets and details.

Check

▲Callanwolde Fine Arts Center

Winter House runs from Nov. 26 to Dec. 11 featuring festive and seasonal workshops like ginger bread house making, flower arranging, glass etching, calligraphy, pottery, blacksmithing and more. There will also be a beer garden and wine bar. To register, visit callanwolde.org/winterhouse.

Mayor’s Masked Ball

Outgoing Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms will host her final UNCF Mayor’s Masked Ball on Dec. 18 to benefit the United Negro College Fund. The gala will take place at the Marriott Marquis and feature actress Lynn Whitfield and actor/comedian Chris Tucker. For more information, visit uncf.org/atlanta.

State Farm Arena

Celebration Festival is set for Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. featuring R&B artists Tamar Braxton, Johnny Gill, The City, Keith Sweat, Sheila E, and Stokley. Tickets and information are available at statefarmarena.com/events/ detail/celebration-festival.

Colony Square

The Lighting at Colony Square is planned as an all-day family celebration to benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta on Dec. 4, 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m. The inaugural Tree Lighting Show will start

Continued on page 36

out these and more events at atlanticstation.com.

COMPASSIONATE CARE RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER

Northside Medical Midtown is now open, bringing powerful expertise to the heart of Atlanta. Over 20 practices are based out of our new state-of-the-art facility. To better serve you, we’re offering virtual or in-person visits depending on your needs. Schedule an appointment today.

Clinical Specialities include:

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Pig, Out!

Readers remember the iconic Pink Pig ride

By Collin Kelley

Riding the Pink Pig has been a holiday tradition since 1956 when it launched as an indoor monorail then called the “Snowball Express” – hanging from the ceiling of the toy department at the old Rich’s Department Store in downtown Atlanta.

For a generation of kids, squeezing into the Pink Pig after it moved to the roof of Rich’s department store in 1965 was as important as a visit with Santa Claus.

The up-close view of the giant Christmas tree and the glittering city skyline would put anyone in the holiday spirit. The coveted “I Rode the Pink Pig” sticker was worn proudly on coat lapels during lunch at The Magnolia Room inside Rich’s or for a treat at The Varsity.

When Rich’s closed in 1991, the Pink Pig moved to the Festival of Trees at the World Congress Center before moving to its final home in 2003 on top of the Macy’s parking deck at Lenox Square.

The Pig’s two cars were called Percival and Priscilla. Percival retired to the Atlanta History Center, but Priscilla continued to make the holiday rounds at Lenox until 2019. The attraction was put on hold in 2020 due to the pandemic. In September, Macy’s announced

Continued from page 34

at 5:30 p.m. Just before 6 p.m., there will be a countdown to light the 52-foot tree on the West Retail Roof. There’s also the Atlanta Santa Speedo Run, Dec. 11, 12-4 p.m., and Smiles for the Season holiday breakfast, Dec. 12, 8-10 a.m. with special characters and a visit from Santa. Visit colonysquare.com for more.

Rialto Center for the Arts

The 24th Annual Gala Holiday Concert, presented by the Georgia State School of Music, is slated for Dec. 5 at 3 p.m. Tickets range $14.45-$36. Christmas with Calabria Foti and Bob McChesney will feature masters of vocals, violin and trombone on Dec. 11, 8 p.m. Tickets range $39.10-$81. Info and tickets are available at Rialto.GSU.edu.

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Leslie Odom, Jr.’s The Christmas Tour will spotlight the talents of the awardwinning vocalist, songwriter and actor on Dec. 15, 8 p.m. The ASO’s schedule includes much more, including Holiday Concert at Reinhardt University, Dec. 15; Holiday Concert at North Avenue Presbyterian Church, Dec. 16; Handel’s Messiah, Dec. 17-18, Holiday Concert in Madison, Georgia, Dec. 17, and New Year’s Eve Celebration at City Springs, Dec. 31. Tickets and details at atlantasymphony.org.

Fernbank Museum

Fernbank After Dark: Holiday Party is for adults 21+ to enjoy an after-hours holiday get-together with drinks and live music on Dec. 10, 7-11 p.m. For more info, visit fernbankmuseum.org.

Variety Playhouse

A Very Dave Barnes Christmas will feature singer/songwriter Dave Barnes playing music and sharing his wit on Dec. 18, 8 p.m. The tickets range $29-$59. The 10th Annual Holiday Hootenanny, benefitting Atlanta Habitat for Humanity, has a musical line-up that includes Randall Bramblett and Jim Lauderdale among

many others. It’s slated for Dec. 19, 7 p.m. Details and tickets are available at variety-playhouse.com.

The Wren’s Nest

For the holidays, artist Tokie Rome-Taylor’s photo exhibition One Day Soon Come celebrates Black children of the south. The work puts them at the center, to see their connections, cultural richness, and belonging within history. The free

event runs now thru Dec. 31. Details at wrensnest.org.

◄Zoo Atlanta

IllumiNights at the Zoo: A Chinese Lantern Festival is happening nightly through Jan. 16 from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. featuring more than 80 animal lanterns –some up to 20 feet tall. Tickets and more details at zooatlanta.org.

Bellyard Hotel

Ring In the New Year with a special New Year’s Celebration at Bellyard Hotel on Dec. 31, 8 p.m.- 1 a.m. Tickets cover two cocktails, dinner and dessert buffets, and a champagne toast at midnight. There will be a cash bar. Only 115 tickets are available to the public, but guests who stay at Bellyard on 12/31 can purchase the tickets, $100 per person, for 50% off. Call (404) 806-8333 or visit bellyardhotel. com to find out more.

◄Cathedral of St. Philip

The Brass Holiday Concert is Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. featuring members of the Atlanta Symphony Brass. For tickets and information, visit cathedralatl.org/ concerts.

the Pink Pig would not return. We asked readers to share their memories of the Pink Pig. Here are a few.

“I rode the Pink Pig at Rich’s Downtown throughout my childhood. It was always the highlight of the Christmas season. I remember cherishing the sticker I received after the ride. So long, Pink Pig. Thanks for all the rides and good memories.”

– Auntie Shun

“Ah, the view of all those toys through your little window! I can’t think about riding the Pink Pig without thinking of the lighting of the great tree, atop the crystal bridge just as the singer would hit the high note in ‘O Holy Night.’”

– Karen Head

“When we first moved here in the 70’s, we rode it downtown. It was the whitest thing ever! We were really confused about the fuss of it.”

– Theresa Davis

“Riding the Pink Pig was such a fun experience. I remember going with my first grade class on a field trip to ride the Pink Pig and then having a picnic in a small nearby park. I met

some of my college classmates my freshman year (fall of ‘87) at Rich’s to experience the Pink Pig one more time. Squeezing our adultish bodies (and booties) into the old girl was quite a hoot. Good times!”

– Cliff Smith

“My father took my younger sister and me to ride the Pink Pig in 1957 or ‘58. He was holding our hands as he led us to Priscilla. I assumed he would get on with us, but when he didn’t, I was scared to death. Then I looked down and saw him looking up at us and finally realized it was just going in a circle on the ceiling, we’d soon be back on the ground.”

– Cathy Tolan Curlette

“I rode the Pink Pig for the first time in 1976 during a first- grade field trip to Rich’s where we also saw Santa Claus. I don’t think you could get away with a field trip like that nowadays.

Seeing the giant Christmas tree just outside the window and the buildings of Atlanta was so awe-inspiring as a kid. I went back in 1990 before the grand old store closed and managed to squeeze onto the Pink Pig as an adult. It was hilarious how tiny and cramped it was inside, but it was worth the effort.

The ride wasn’t the same once it moved to Lenox, but Christmas won’t be the same without the Pink Pig.”

– Tina Miller

Art & Activism

Yehimi Cambrón uses her work to elevate immigrant stories

Naturally creative, Cambrón has been making art for her entire life and devoted herself to being a full-time artist in 2019. Born in Michoacán, Mexico and raised in Atlanta, Cambrón is an artist, activist, and public speaker. Though she knows she is often described as such, she doesn’t use the term “Dreamer” when talking about herself as it perpetuates a narrative that labels immigrants as either good or bad. This term, along with many others and designations placed on immigrants in this country, is inherently problematic and harmful to the immigrant community. “That narrative throws our parents under the bus,” she said. Instead, Cambrón simply refers to herself as a DACA recipient.

Propped against the wall in her studio are a few matted prints of photographs depicting her massive

By Isadora Pennington

I had to check my GPS twice when I arrived at the plantation-style building located at 5329 Mimosa Drive. ‘The Mayor’s House’ is a traditional Southern home that was built by enslaved people in the 1800s for Andrew Johnson, the first mayor of Stone Mountain. The oldest standing structure in the city, the home was purchased by husband-and-wife team Daniel and Shellane Brown in 2015. In recent years the aging building had fallen into disrepair and the Browns have since transformed into a community incubator complete with a coffee shop, lounge areas, and artist studios. I was there to meet with activist Yehimi Cambrón, a revolutionary and spirited artist dedicated to using her platform to improve the lives of immigrants in America and, more centrally, Atlanta.

On the floor above the bustling cafe is Cambrón’s bright workspace, separated by a bead curtain in the doorway. A rolling rack with t-shirts emblazoned with her iconic Monarch butterfly design is tucked in the corner adjacent to a shelf stacked with books, brushes, and mason jars full of paint from recent projects. Light filters in through the windows to illuminate rolling desks that are stacked high with works on paper and piles of delicate paper butterflies. Bookshelves lined with awards, photographs, and keepsakes. I found my way to the couch in the corner, taking in the pleasant space while we discussed Cambrón’s artwork and her life’s goals.

“Art was the only thing that I could do that no one could take away from me,” explained Cambrón, opening up about her experience as an undocumented child living in Georgia. “It was always a safe space for me when I immigrated here; the art classroom is what gave me the confidence to thrive as a third grader in the public school system who didn’t speak English.”

murals that are in such prominent locations like Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the city of Hapeville just a few miles away from the airport, around the corner from the Georgia Capitol, and the Latin American Association building on Buford Highway. Depicting people of color, and typically hyper focused on the immigrant experience, they highlight a demographic that is often overlooked in Atlanta, a city which Cambrón has experienced as a black-and-white city

“My artwork focuses on elevating the stories of immigrants and celebrating their humanity and their dignity. I focus specifically on centering the voices of undocumented people in the South through their portraits on a monumental scale most of the time, through their own words and stories without them being filtered, censored, or white-washed.”

I recently viewed Cambrón’s, #ChingaLaMigra, which is installed in a nearly hidden area of the Atlanta Contemporary called the Sliver Space. This piece features 1,996 meticulously hand cut and delicately water-painted butterflies that are pinned to the walls and suspended from the ceiling. The number represents the capacity for detainees at the Stewart Detention Center (SDC) in Lumpkin, Georgia. This for-profit facility is one of the largest immigrant detention centers in the country. Targeted for closure by Georgia’s ACLU and the Detention Watch Network in 2012 and following the deaths of eifght detainees in the last five years, SDC has been cited for numerous human rights violations. Dehumanizing treatment and isolation have worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Cambrón wanted to use her platform as an artist to bring attention to the plight of those held within the SDC’s walls.

In #ChingaLaMigra the butterflies, each as unique as the people they represent, appear to be pushing upwards to freedom from the confined space. Behind a partition is a speaker which plays the voices of those who have been affected by the confinement of SDC. Nine black butterflies pinned to the back wall have their names scrawled next to them, these are in homage to the immigrants who lost their lives there.

“The ever-present monarch butterfly is a huge element in my work because of the symbolism of it being a creature that we identify with as immigrants,” Cambrón explained. “It has been used in immigration activism for a long time – it is a fragile but also very resilient creature that goes on this epic journey across borders, and each generation is stronger and stronger. So how can we not identify with that duality of this fragile creature? Because at the end of the day our immigration status makes our livelihood and our stability very fragile, but we also have this forced resilience because of the obstacles

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Top, Yehimi Cambrón creates butterflies for the #ChingaLaMigra installation at the Atlanta Contemporary. (Photo by Pouya Dianat). Above, Cambrón inside the #ChingaLaMigra exhibition at the Atlanta Contemporary. (Photo by Sergio Suarez)

WE ARE GROWING. WE ARE BREAKING RECORDS.

We Are Engel & Völkers Atlanta

From walk-by hellos with our neighbors and local philanthropic initiatives, to celebrating record breaking sales with nearby Morningside clients, 2021 has proven to be a year of great success and relationship building with those who make this community the home that it is. We would like to personally extend warm holiday wishes to each and every one of our Morningside residents.

that we face as undocumented people.”

Despite being celebrated and embraced by her community, Cambrón is not exempt from the tenuous existence of her immigration status. Plagued by nightmares about being raided by ICE since she was a child, she has an innate understanding of the plight that immigrants face in our country.

Cambrón carries a significant responsibility as one of the few undocumented artists working in such a visible way in our city and even the country. She was the first undocumented artist to ever show her work at the High Museum of Art, for example, and her hard-earned reputation has given her unique access to institutions with reach. “I never would have dreamed that I would have been in a museum at that age, I was 27 at the time,” said Cambrón. She uses her artwork to bring attention to the all-too-often unheard struggles of immigrants, hoping to educate, inform, and provide actionable steps to improve their lives in real ways.

One of Cambrón’s most iconic images is the Education is Liberation Monarch. This motif is half butterfly and half book, united in the center by a pencil. Originally developed when Cambrón was working as a full-time teacher, the symbol was created in response to a request from two fellow Teach for America staff members who were supporting DACAmented Corps members. They wanted something that would highlight the intersection between the identity of an immigrant and their role as educators, and so the Education is Liberation Monarch was born.

“It’s a symbol that for me represents so

much resistance. It represents our fight to thrive, and not just to survive. Our parents did that for us; they migrated so we could survive. Their courageous decision has given me the privilege to find ways to thrive. The book is that thriving piece.”

Cambrón hopes that by continuing to paint murals and create works that exist in public spaces she can provide a muchneeded bridge to awareness of the issues that immigrants face in this country. ““Family separation, immigration detention, anti-

blackness, racism, imagining a future beyond DACA, all the complex issues that form part of our experience,” said Cambrón.

Working hand in hand with El Refugio, a hospitality and visitation ministry serving immigrants at SDC and their loved ones, she often uses her social media accounts to share actionable aid. Those efforts include fundraising, coordination of transportation once released from SDC (she told me how immigrants are often driven to the airport and deposited there with nothing more than the clothes on their backs, and frequently in the dead of the night), and care packages to help newly released immigrants as they acclimate to life outside of the detention center.

Check out Cambrón’s website at yehimicambrón.com and follow her on Instagram at @ycambron.

Photo by Pouya Dianat

Cambrón at works on a mural in Decatur. (Photo by Hector Amador)

8

Enriching the city with art

Inside the Arts

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.

ELEVATE Atlanta closed on Halloween weekend. Appropriately, the eight-week long arts festival ended in Southwest Atlanta at Fort Mac with a drive-in screening of Tyler Perry’s cult classic, Boo2! A Madea Halloween. To the chagrin of many, Tyler Perry was not in attendance (although his movie studio is close by); however, this introduced movie goers and loyal ELEVATE patrons to a largely unfamiliar area of the city, yet one that is enjoying a tremendous renaissance.

This year’s decision to expand ELEVATE beyond its traditional weeklong programming in one community to citywide celebrations across eight weekends proved to be a good one, even if the proverbial road to El Dorado had detours

and landmines along the way. Helping Atlanta residents emerge from their COVID-induced isolations to engage in the arts and arts-related activities not only helped individuals and families, but also the multi-community programming added some much-needed energy and excitement to the city’s cultural grid.

The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA) first launched ELEVATE in October 2011. For the past decade, the curated, temporary public art program focused attention on and showcased specific Atlanta communities – using as its creative fuel local artists and neighborhood resources. The festival employed free public art activities and events as driving forces for good – art appreciation, civic responsibility, and social justice among them. This year’s expanded programming replicated that model and significantly benefitted the entire city.

ELEVATE planning had been underway since early in the year and the decision to make it an eight-week festival was made in the spring. The curator was confirmed in June and OCA staff learned that funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) gave the office an opportunity to provide additional support to local artists and arts organizations. And while this was a great benefit to our local

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arts community, the funding process presented some logistical challenges to some of the artists and projects that were supported.

Confirmation of funding came in early August, and artists had to submit proposals by the end of that same month for programs that would begin in midSeptember. And while we recognized early on the potentially aggressive nature of this schedule, our office saw the opportunity as an important one for the Atlanta arts community. In the end, we received over 90 proposals of which 60 were eligible to receive funding.

For those familiar with the complexities of government bureaucracies, the Federal Government’s is challenging. To everyone’s credit, we all endured the hoop jumping, i-dotting,

breaking time speaks volumes about the caliber and determination of artists who call Atlanta home.

From Sept. 10 through Oct. 31, ELEVATE Atlanta hosted 175 events – roughly 22 events each week. And while this space is not sufficient to list each one, among them were exhibitions, performances, public art displays, murals, concerts,

to its original mission, ELEVATE Atlanta elevated arts and culture in the City of Atlanta to unprecedented heights.

Now, with ELEVATE Atlanta 2021 squarely behind us, we want to hear from you. If you attended an ELEVATE event, program, and/or activity, we want to know your thoughts. Please complete our survey and offer your suggestions: tinyurl.com/ ym2h8veu. The information you provide will assist us as we begin to plan next year’s ELEVATE.

To be sure, ELEVATE will most likely not revert to the weeklong event of previous years. And while ELEVATE 2022 may not occur over eight weeks, it will be a city-wide celebration of arts and culture. Atlanta artists and creatives are PHENOMENAL. We have seen that with the right resources they can create

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Beacon Dance performance during ELEVATE at Cook Park. (Photo by Emily Fisher)