Atlanta News

From the New York Times:

The grass and trees at Augusta National Golf Club help make the course a treasure — but also an allergy nightmare.

From the Atlanta Daily World:

APRIL 9 1865—Black regiments led an as­sault on and eventually captured a key Southern fort helping bring the Civil War to an end. The nine regiments led by Gen. John Hawkins smashed through Confederate defenses at Forth Blakely, Ala. The 68th Division of USCT (United States Colored Troops) had some of the highest casualties of … Continued

The post This Week In Black History April 9-15, 2025 appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

From the New York Times:

John Waldrop, an orthopedic surgeon, amassed a vast collection of ornithological specimens as part of what he called an “obsessive hobby.” He’s now into wood carvings.

From WABE Local News:

Grady Health System broke ground Wednesday on a new, freestanding Emergency Department in south Fulton County.  Plans for the new Union City facility have been in the works for more […]

From WABE Local News:

After experiencing the loss of two pregnancies, Gainesville couple Kate and Dewayne Luevano decided to turn their grief into action. The Luevanos’ daughter Emerson was lost in the second trimester. […]

Images: Civil rights landmark's conversion to housing is full speed ahead Josh Green Wed, 04/09/2025 - 14:25

A residential-conversion project years in the making is barreling ahead for a Westside property that played an important role in Jim Crow-era Atlanta. 

The adaptive-reuse project, Heritage Village at West Lake, is rehabbing and transforming a 1950s building at 239 West Lake Ave. into five stories of multifamily residences with unique goals, according to developers Columbia Residential and their partners Quest Community Development Organization. 

Spread across nearly 7 acres in the historic West Lake neighborhood, the formerly vacant property is located just north of Westview Cemetery and Interstate 20.

Status of exterior renovations earlier this year at the former Waluhaje Hotel. Google Maps

The Heritage Village at West Lake's location, between Westview Cemetery (bottom left) and Shirley Clarke Franklin Park (formerly Westside Park, at top). Google Maps

According to Atlanta Housing, a financial partner in the project, the building in question was originally developed in 1951 as the Waluhaje Hotel and Apartment Complex. During the South’s segregated era, the property served Black patrons and residents—and housed a large ballroom where many top jazz musicians of the era performed. 

The hotel and apartments were sold in 1967, and the property operated for decades as Atlanta Job Corps’ headquarters. That organization provided vocational, residential, and education services and training until closing in 2017. The following year, Columbia and Quest acquired the property from Job Corps via a joint venture. 

According to Columbia, the 61,300-square-foot conversion project will create 102 one-bedroom apartments, with a goal of providing modernized living options while preserving the site’s rich history. 

Of those apartments, 24 will be set aside specifically for single men and women, ages 18 to 24, who are aging out of the foster care system. Job and life skills training, an entrepreneurial incubator space, and other services and resources will be offered onsite, according to Quest officials. 

The project's scope also includes a community health clinic. 

The Heritage Village project will aim to allow “community rebuilding to start with the most vulnerable, hard-to-reach, and lower-income populations,” per a Quest project overview. 

Planned look of the Heritage Village's back facade at 239 W. Lake Ave.via Quest Community Development Organization

via Quest Community Development Organization

Atlanta Housing announced in July that more than $35 million in financing had closed to bring the project to fruition. It’s considered the agency’s first New Markets Tax Credit-financed development**,**and all units will be added to Atlanta Housing-assistedHomeFlex rental unit inventory once finished.                                            

According to Atlanta Housing, 100 percent of the apartments will be reserved for households earning no more than 30 percent of the area median income, including a portion for veterans and formerly homeless Atlantans. The remainder of the 6.8-acre property could be developed as future phases, per the agency. 

Other financial partners in the project include Westside Future Fund, Enterprise Community Partners, Corporation for Supportive Housing, Partners for HOME, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta, the Home Depot Foundation, and Truist Bank, among others. 

Find more context and imagery in the gallery above. 

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239 West Lake Ave. NW Heritage Village at West Lake West Lake Waluhaje Hotel Apartments Job Corps. Atlanta Housing CHRIS180 Columbia Residential Quest Quest Community Development Organization Quest Communities Affordable Housing affordable housing New Markets Tax Credit Adaptive-Reuse Development Adaptive-Reuse Project Adaptive-Reuse Adaptive Reuse affordable senior housing senior housing Atlanta Job Corps Foster Care Westside Future Fund Enterprise Community Partners Corporation for Supportive Housing Partners for Home Annie E. Casey Foundation Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta The Home Depot Foundation Truist Bank

Images

The Heritage Village at West Lake's location, between Westview Cemetery (bottom left) and Shirley Clarke Franklin Park (formerly Westside Park, at top). Google Maps

Status of exterior renovations earlier this year at the former Waluhaje Hotel. Google Maps

Planned look of the Heritage Village's back facade at 239 W. Lake Ave.via Quest Community Development Organization

via Quest Community Development Organization

via Quest Community Development Organization

Aerial image that shows the West Lake property's scope in relation to downtown and Midtown, off to the east. Columbia Residential/FB

Subtitle Forthcoming Heritage Village at West Lake once operated as Waluhaje Hotel, apartments, jazz haven

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From WABE Politics News:

The Georgia General Assembly concluded its 2025 legislative session on Friday with the passage of roughly 400 bills and resolutions combined. The abrupt end of the session gave way to […]

From WABE Local News:

Saturday’s nationwide “Hands Off!” protests saw as many as 3 million people demonstrate against the Trump Administration’s current actions. People gathered in big cities and small towns, including several protests […]

Arts Atlanta:

Each week, ArtsATL curates a selection of the most exciting arts and culture events happening in Atlanta this weekend, highlighting 9 must-see experiences.  :: Thursday W.J. Lofton Meet Me There is a monthly intergenerational poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction experience curated by trans/genderqueer poet and sound artist Samuel Ace. This month, they’ll feature Atlanta poet W.J. Lofton and his new...

From WABE Politics News:

Facing a global market meltdown, President Donald Trump on Wednesday abruptly backed down on his tariffs on most nations for 90 days, but raised his tax rate on Chinese imports […]

North of Atlanta, boutique, modern mountain hotel options coming Josh Green Wed, 04/09/2025 - 12:29

Don’t call it glamping. 

No, folks, this is a “groundbreaking” lodging option and “sanctuary of architectural brilliance” in the North Georgia Mountains, about 60 miles north of Buckhead. 

That’s how a preview announcement for Vayhaus Ellijay describes the new boutique hotel venture at 167 Vauhaus Trail in the small town of Talking Rock, where “roughing it” basically means going without room service for the night. 

The concept from husband-wife hospitality veterans Mike and Raquel Ayres is on pace to open later this spring, spread across 60 wooded, rolling acres marketed as being soothingly, charmingly unpredictable. 

Courtesy of Vayhaus Ellijay

North of Atlanta's suburbs, the unique lodging concept's location at 167 Vauhaus Trail in Talking Rock. Google Maps

Expect 12 private, modern-style bungalows dotted across the property, each with mountain forest views and an emphasis on huge glass walls to help bring the outdoors inside. Other bungalow features will include hammocks, a dipping pool/hot tub, and what’s described as “celestial bathing.” 

The goal is to lend a feeling of adventure and immersion without sacrificing comfort. (Note: high-speed internet, suspended fireplaces, full kitchens, and golf carts are included). 

Other aspects of the property include The Disco Forest (description: “an intimate evergreen nook with ambient lighting and a way to play music, creating a simple yet special space for couples to share a dance”) and The Culvert Lounge (a “collection of structural pods nestled by the nearby creek that invite moments of reflection, conversation, and quiet inspiration.”) Other perks coming later in 2025 include on-site saunas and what’s called the Triple Waterfall Plunge Pools, per hotel leadership. 

Nearby recreation options include hiking trails, mountain biking routes, fly-fishing, horseback riding, vineyard tours, and tubing, per the Vayhaus announcement.  

Listed king-bed options start at $475 per night. Sorry, fido: no pets allowed. 

Courtesy of Vayhaus Ellijay

Courtesy of Vayhaus Ellijay

“The idea for Vayhaus came from a frustration with existing options,” said Mike Ayers, who started the brand with vacation homes opened throughout Georgia and Tennessee in 2020. “Traditional hotels felt uninspired, and while there were adventure-focused stays, they often lacked thoughtful design or real comfort. We saw an opportunity to create something different.”  

Vayhaus properties are “designed to create an emotional reaction and an uncompromising commitment to design,” added Raquel Ayers in the announcement, “where every detail contributes to an experience that sticks with you long after you leave.” 

Find more context and Vayhaus Ellijay imagery in the gallery above. 

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167 VAUHAUS Trail Talking Rock Ellijay Georgia Ellijay OTP North Georgia Mountains Georgia Hotels VAYHAUS Ellijay Mike Ayres Raquel Ayres Georgia Road Trips Atlanta Hotels Glamping Georgia Mountains Things to Do in Atlanta Georgia Trips modern design Modern Architecture

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North of Atlanta's suburbs, the unique lodging concept's location at 167 Vauhaus Trail in Talking Rock. Google Maps

Courtesy of Vayhaus Ellijay

Courtesy of Vayhaus Ellijay

Courtesy of Vayhaus Ellijay

Courtesy of Vayhaus Ellijay

Courtesy of Vayhaus Ellijay

Subtitle 60-acre Vayhaus concept called “sanctuary of architectural brilliance” in N. Georgia Mountains

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From WABE Arts and Culture News:

There’s a rare kind of artist who can shapeshift without ever losing the thread – who can tap into different eras, sounds and states of mind, and still feel unmistakably […]

From the Saporta Report:

If you’ve spent a spring in Atlanta you know two things for certain: pollen and festivals. Spring is when everyone emerges from their long winter hibernation to play in the streets once more. This year, April is jam packed with festivals during every upcoming weekend, so although the pollen may hinder your mood — don’t […]

The post April in Atlanta means festivals galore: Dogwood Fest, 420 Fest & Inman Park Fest all return appeared first on SaportaReport.

Arts Atlanta:

Each week, ArtsATL delivers a critic’s short list of the shows, exhibitions, concerts and events we recommend for the coming weeks within one discipline in the kaleidoscope of Atlanta arts and culture. Every week, we’ll present a different art form. :: In addition to the shows listed below, Atlanta boasts several venues where you can hear jazz...

From WABE Arts and Culture News:

Zoo Atlanta is pouncing into the springtime with a newly renovated African lion complex now open to the public. The $3 million project, which took six months to complete, features […]

From the New York Times:

He invented the Big Bertha driver, which changed the game of golf. Bobby Jones, a creator of the tournament, was a Callaway cousin.

From the New York Times:

A pickleball injury sidelined him last year, but he is returning to a course he loves.

From WABE Arts and Culture News:

Few experiences can capture the awkwardness of adolescence — the aspirations, the pressures, the moments of pure mortification — like the school spelling bee. It’s celebrated with warmth, humor and […]

Arts Atlanta:

The title of the exhibition Y3K: Black Quantum Futures at One Contemporary on Edgewood Avenue, curated by gallery director and founder Faron Manuel, can be traced to the 2016 book Black Quantum Futurism: Theory & Practice (Volume 1) written by Rasheedah Phillips, with contributions by Moor Mother Goddess and more. In the book, the author...

From WABE Local News:

The patrons walking up the first fairway at Augusta National during a sun-splashed practice round for the Masters managed to find a nice viewpoint between a couple of pines, where […]

From WABE Politics News:

China on Wednesday announced an additional 50% retaliatory tariff on all U.S. imports, bringing the total tariff level to 84%. The measures are a response to President Trump’s latest round […]

Arts Atlanta:

On April 3, Atlanta’s Out of Hand Theater announced the immediate suspension of its innovative Equitable Vaccines (EqVax) program following a decision by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to rescind previously allocated public health funding. The sudden funding cut is a major blow to the theater company, which says the grant was...

From the Atlanta Tribune:

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has announced her intention to run for governor of Georgia during an appearance at this year’s Leading Women Defined Summit. Bottoms, Atlanta’s 60th mayor is a graduate of Douglas High School, FAMU, and Georgia State University, served as a senior advisor to President Joe Biden and resigned the position, […]

The post Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Announces Run for Governor of Georgia appeared first on Atlanta Tribune.

From WABE Arts and Culture News:

One of the most extraordinary and, perhaps, neglected cinematic voices of the 1970s and ‘80s is coming to Atlanta’s Plaza Theatre – not only on the screen, but in person. […]

From the Atlanta Tribune:

National Black Arts Festival to Honor Designer LaQuan Smith and Artist Amanda Williams at the 19th Annual Fine Art + Fashion Benefit Presented by Neiman Marcus The long-standing National Black Arts Festival (NBAF) organization will host its annual “Fine Art + Fashion” Benefit at the Atlanta History Center in partnership with Neiman Marcus. The benefit will take […]

The post National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta to Honor Designer LaQuan Smith and Artist Amanda Williams appeared first on Atlanta Tribune.