Atlanta News

From WABE Local News:

Atlanta is opening another housing complex for those who are homeless — the third such opening this year. The latest reimagines the 1960s-era Atlanta Motel, which had sat deteriorating along […]

Best Atlanta Neighborhood 2024, 1st round: (3) Old Fourth Ward vs. (14) Adair Park Josh Green Wed, 12/18/2024 - 17:43 As part of ongoing Best of Atlanta 2024 coverage, Urbanize’s fourth-annual Best Atlanta Neighborhood tournament is kicking off with 16 places vying for the prestige of being called the city’s greatest. (Note: Seeding from 1 to 16 was determined by reader nominations this month—so no pitchforks, please.)

For each Round 1 contest, voting will be open for just 24 hours. Please, let’s keep the tourney fun and positive, as one neighborhood rises above the rest in very public fashion. The eliminations begin now!

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(3) Old Fourth Ward

The distinctive Forth hotel tower, at left, and Overline Residences apartments, as seen from Historic Fourth Ward Park earlier this year. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Synonymous with explosive Beltline development and MLK historical significance, Old Fourth Ward has been a hotbed of supersonic growth and generally more vibrant urban scenarios for what seems like ages now. Nonetheless, this eastside powerhouse hasn’t claimed the (nonexistent) trophy in one of these contests for a dozen years. With a strong No. 3 seed, could that change in 2024?

As usual, O4W happenings this year were too numerous to list here, but a few highlights: Two high-rise hospitality concepts—New City’s diamond-patterned Forth hotel and the Scout Living tower over Ponce City Market—drew back their curtains in 2024, as rare for-sale condos debuted nearby at The Leon on Ponce. Speaking of Ponce, a Complete Streets overhaul came together as an effort to improve pedestrian and bike connections between Boulevard and John Lewis Freedom Parkway. Elsewhere, the Atlanta Civic Center redo edged toward groundbreaking, and the relatively affordable evolution of Boulevard continued to rise.

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(14) Adair Park

Quintessential Atlanta bungalows from the early 20th century are found throughout Adair Park. Adair Park.com

Back in 2021, historic, proud, and feisty Adair Park charged all the way to the Final Four in this hallowed contest of neighborly resolve. And why not? This Southwest Atlanta community has been a darling for Beltline-spurred investment (and yes, displacement) for the better part of a decade. These days, Realtor.com pegs the median home listing price at $445,000 (and falling) in Adair Park, but that still represents a discount over many intown places with comparable perks and charm. 

Adair Park this year solidified itself as the launchpad for one of Atlanta’s greatest traditions, the Beltline Lantern Parade, which is permanently a Westside Trail thing now. Elsewhere, a 14-unit, modern-style townhome proposal has come to light that could bring further residential growth. Adair Park pulled off one of the biggest upsets in tourney history in 2021, toppling mighty Midtown. Could it repeat that success against tourney titan O4W in ’24? We shall see.

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Best of Atlanta 2024 Atlanta Neighborhoods Where to Live Atlanta Where to Rent Atlanta Polls Urbanize Polls Urbanize Tournament Best Atlanta Neighborhood Best Atlanta Neighborhoods Adair Park Old Fourth Ward

Subtitle Who should advance to the Elite Eight? Cast your vote now!

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From WABE Local News:

A New York federal judge on Wednesday ordered Rudy Giuliani to appear in court in early January to face claims that he should be held in contempt for failing to […]

Upgrades for Atlanta's signature park on tap in new year Josh Green Wed, 12/18/2024 - 16:18 With its snazzy new direct Beltline connection, André 3000 flute-a-palooza, and lack of Music Midtown damage, 2024 has been a significant year in the annals of Atlanta’s most-visited greenspace. But positive happenings at Piedmont Park are just getting started, according to its official stewards.

The Piedmont Park Conservancy this year celebrated its 35th anniversary and 120th for the park by raising funds and putting together the first Comprehensive Plan for upgrades, expansions, and upkeep in a quarter-century.

Exactly how those changes will be rolled out in the short term is now coming into clearer focus.

Earlier this year, the nonprofit launched the Piedmont Park Conservancy 35th Anniversary Appeal, a campaign to raise $3 million for a masterplan to add new greenspace and acreage, implement enhancements and needed improvements, and generally help reimagine the park’s more than 200 acres.

“Thanks to several extremely generous donors,” conservancy officials wrote in an email to Urbanize Atlanta this week, “we have raised nearly $2 million in support for park improvement projects, several of which are underway.”

January volleyball in Atlanta's marquee greenspace. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Here’s a rundown of what’s happening—and what’s to come as a new year dawns.

• Warmer welcome: Where the new Beltline segment meets Monroe Drive and 10th Street, work is expected to begin early next year on “a great new entry experience” to the park, the conservancy reports. That includes a new park sign near Park Tavern’s entrance, a stone sitting wall, and a large new planting bed.

• They urned it: Like other planting vignettes, all historic stone urns built for the Cotton States Exposition of 1895 have been replanted around Piedmont Park.

Example of reinvigorated, historic park planters. Courtesy of Piedmont Park Conservancy

• Runners, rejoice: In early 2025, the conservancy plans to resurface the park’s popular Active Oval with new crushed composite and then level it for heavy use come spring.

• Pool refresh: A thorough refurbishment of the park’s pool and aquatic center kicked off before Thanksgiving that’s prepped the pool for new tiling and a pump room overhaul. Additions will include new shade structures, furniture, a fresh sound system, and other changes before the pool reopens on Memorial Day next year, per the conservancy.

• Firmly planted: An initiative to plant flowering shrubs and native annuals at 12th and 14th Street entrances and several others along 10th Street and Park Drive has recently wrapped.

• Root causes: Set for completion in early 2025, a comprehensive health assessment and inventory of more than 7,000 trees throughout the park is underway now. The conservancy plans to partner with the City of Atlanta for a three-year tree care initiative with a goal of planting several thousand new trees and preserving mature, historic ones.

• Widespread upkeep: Maintenance projects scheduled across Piedmont Park will include repair and painting of park buildings and railings, drainage and erosion control projects, plus paving and curb repair.

• Future vision: Details are still being finalized, but the conservancy is preparing to unveil its first Comprehensive Plan in more than 25 years in 2025. “The plan,” according to the conservancy, “will guide the future of Piedmont Park, ensuring it remains a thriving urban oasis for generations to come.”

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Piedmont Park Piedmont Park Conservancy Piedmont Park Comprehensive Plan Atlanta Parks Atlanta Parks and Recreation Parks and Recreation Atlanta Greenspaces Midtown Parks Midtown Projects Park Tavern

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Example of reinvigorated, historic park planters. Courtesy of Piedmont Park Conservancy

Subtitle Piedmont Park forecasts grand new entry, aquatic center fixes, Active Oval changes, more in 2025

Neighborhood Midtown

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From WABE Politics News:

This coverage is made possible through a partnership between WABE and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization. The last-minute budget bill before the U.S. Congress, unveiled Tuesday night, includes billions […]

From the New York Times:

A group of Democratic lawmakers accused Georgia Pathways to Coverage, the only Medicaid work requirement program in the country, of spending little of its funding on health benefits.

From the Saporta Report:

After a rocky journey, the historic Norcross Woman’s Club building is officially under city of Norcross ownership. The Georgia Trust For Historic Preservation announced its agreement with the city to sell the building for $450,000 on Dec. 17.  The sale comes after a months-long struggle over who would own and control the historic property. The […]

The post City of Norcross buys historic woman’s club with new preservation appeared first on SaportaReport.

From WABE Local News:

This year marks 70 years since the Supreme Court issued its historic decision in the Brown v. Board of Education lawsuit. The landmark ruling outlawed racial segregation in public schools. […]

From WABE Arts and Culture News:

Musical scores enrich the content they accompany, whether in film, television or even video games. Composers write music to support or enhance emotional moments and to help establish an overall […]

From WABE Local News:

Georgia lawmakers should consider expanding mental health services, staffing and de-escalation training to address deaths and neglect at state prisons, a panel of lawmakers said last week. The panel voted […]

From WABE Arts and Culture News:

Holiday cheer, ugly sweaters and chestnuts roasting all have their place. But Out Front Theatre Company has decided to go off the rails this season with a hilarious new holiday […]

From WABE Arts and Culture News:

Atlanta is proud of its history of world-class music, which includes the Grammy-nominated soul singer-songwriter Anthony David. Today, the acclaimed writer, musician and vocalist himself looks back with pride on […]

From WABE Local News:

Metro Atlanta residents are wrapping up their holiday shopping for gifts and gathering last-minute ingredients for family feasts. The time is ticking to pick up food and cooking items from […]

Best Atlanta Neighborhood 2024, 1st round: (5) Downtown vs. (12) Lake Claire Josh Green Wed, 12/18/2024 - 13:44 As part of ongoing Best of Atlanta 2024 coverage, Urbanize’s fourth-annual Best Atlanta Neighborhood tournament is kicking off with 16 places vying for the prestige of being called the city’s greatest. (Note: Seeding from 1 to 16 was determined by reader nominations this month—so no pitchforks, please.)

For each Round 1 contest, voting will be open for just 24 hours. Please, let’s keep the tourney fun and positive, as one neighborhood rises above the rest in very public fashion. The eliminations begin now!

…

(5) Downtown

Construction progress in May on Centennial Yards' first ground-up new tower to top out, The Mitchell apartments. Urbanize Atlanta

In 2024, downtown finally started doing its best Midtown impression, beginning with the official opening of a nearly 1,000-room glassy hotel tower in January (Atlanta’s largest in four decades) and not really slowing down from there. After a generation of talk and almost no action, The Gulch at long last started clearly becoming something more vibrant and useful, as Centennial Yards morphed into a massive construction zone with two towers now standing and more World Cup-focused development not far behind.

Meanwhile, Atlanta Ventures’ team of entrepreneurs kept putting more money where their mouths are, adding properties and launching renovations across a portfolio of more than 50 buildings and 6 acres of parking lots. Elsewhere, MARTA’s Five Points overhaul is back on track, the storied Atlanta Constitution building and Stitch project are showing promise, Underground is set to grow way up, a groundbreaking for the 2 Peachtree tower’s affordable housing conversion appears imminent—and that’s just scratching the surface. Thanks, FIFA.

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(12) Lake Claire

A typically tony Lake Claire street that blends traditional and contemporary housing styles. Google Maps

Folks, let’s have a round of applause for Lake Claire, which earned enough nominations in 2024 to make its Best Atlanta Neighborhood tourney debut. Known for being hilly, pretty, and well-kept (but never pretentiously so) with a rollicking neighborhood pool and hip communal hangout in the Lake Claire Community Land Trust (RIP, Big Lou), this close-knit neighborhood of roughly 1,200 homes is tucked between Candler Park and Decatur.

Unlike with downtown, not a whole lot changed in Lake Claire this year, apart from several large single-family homes coming on the scene, including a four-unit infill build called The Square on Gordon with starting prices around $1.2 million. But that’s okay. Large-scale changes are no prerequisite, of course, for neighborhoods that were solid in the first place.  

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Best of Atlanta 2024 Atlanta Neighborhoods Where to Live Atlanta Where to Rent Atlanta Polls Urbanize Polls Urbanize Tournament Best Atlanta Neighborhood Best Atlanta Neighborhoods Downtown Lake Claire

Subtitle Who should advance to the Elite Eight? Cast your vote now!

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From the Saporta Report:

The holidays are a special time for self-reflection and sense of community. By extension, many nonprofits often see higher volumes of volunteers in the months around the winter holiday season. Claire Arnold, associate director of community and civic engagement with Hands On Atlanta, which connects interested people with volunteer opportunities, said community interest inquiries triple […]

The post Make the urge to volunteer around the holidays a lasting habit appeared first on SaportaReport.

From WABE Politics News:

During the transition period between President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump, there has been at least some coordination on West Wing affairs. But not when it comes to Biden’s Gender Policy Council, which […]

From the Saporta Report:

Serving my community in the Georgia State House has been the greatest honor of my career. Every day, I work to improve the lives of my neighbors and to support small businesses in our communities. However, advocating for my constituents does not stop at the State House. It includes supporting initiatives that I know will […]

The post A cornerstone of economic mobility — access to credit and capital appeared first on SaportaReport.

From the Atlanta Tribune:

B.E.S.T. (Business Engineering Science Technology) Academy will honor civic and community leader, the late Thomas W. Dortch, Jr., by renaming the school “The B.E.S.T. Academy at The Thomas W. Dortch, Jr. Institute” on Tuesday. The school’s renaming ceremony will honor the contributions and legacy of Dortch, a longtime member and former chair of the 100 Black […]

The post B.E.S.T. Academy to Rename School in Honor of the Late Thomas W. Dortch Jr. appeared first on Atlanta Tribune.

From the Atlanta Tribune:

Kevin Kelley is dedicated to making the world better. And that is not as much a cliché as it is a statement of fact. Kelly, an accomplished attorney of 22 years is not only distinguished for his remarkable win record in court, but also for his flair for fine dining and his unimpeachable culinary palette. […]

The post Kitchen + Kocktails Brings Ultimate in Cuisine and Culture to Atlanta Foodies and Influencers appeared first on Atlanta Tribune.

Arts Atlanta:

In many ways, Run the Jewels (RTJ), the hip-hop duo made up of Atlanta native Michael “Killer Mike” Render and Brooklynite Jaime “El-P” Meline, is emblematic of the last half-century of rap music. Their story is the story of the music industry, reflecting and directly informed by the events of the past ten years in...

From WABE Politics News:

The Senate is voting Wednesday on final passage of a sweeping defense bill that will authorize significant pay raises for junior enlisted service members and boost overall military spending to […]

From WABE Local News:

Atlanta’s new public safety training center that’s been the subject of protests for years is finally built, and officials must now find a way to balance security with community building. […]

Arts Atlanta:

The 2024 calendar year evoked a rainbow of emotions from Atlanta audiences, ranging from dark humor to childlike joy. And no wonder — topics covered the entire human condition, from getting that first job outside of prison (Clyde’s) to the challenges of emigration (The Chinese Lady) to falling madly in love (A Third Way) to...

Arts Atlanta:

Everyone remembers when Frozen mania gripped the world in 2013 — and a few more may remember when the story of Queen Elsa and Princess Anna graced the Broadway stage in 2018. Now, Frozen: the Musical is hitting the Atlanta stage with City Springs Theatre Company’s regional premiere production, through December 29. This production is...

From WABE Local News:

Last year when she was pregnant with her daughter, Jaqwendolyn Gaynor developed health complications that made her high risk. As her due date approached, her symptoms grew worse. “I had […]