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How to spend a day in O4W

O4W

12 p.m.

BeltLine Eastside Trail

Atlanta’s urban connector the BeltLine is still a work in progress, but it has a few elements ready for public use, and one of the most rewarding is the Eastside Trail. The trail runs from the intersection of Monroe Drive and 10th Street (at the southeast corner of Piedmont Park), all the way to Irwin and Krog Streets in Inman Park, and passes by quintessentially Atlanta sites like Freedom Parkway and the Historic Fourth Ward Park. Walk it, bike it, rollerblade it—no matter what, get out into the fresh air. In its entirety, the trail adds up to about 2.25 miles.

 

1:30 p.m.

Condesa Coffee

If you’ve gone the north-to-south route on the trail, it’s a short jaunt over to Condesa Coffee (480 John Wesley Dobbs Ave) for your mid-afternoon caffeine fix. But Condesa’s not quite your average coffee shop: The baristas are dressed to the nines. They make latte art. They serve simple but elegant plates of breakfast food and sandwiches. And there’s a full bar. It’s still all about the coffee, featuring espressos and cappuccinos and all the other “o”s, but Condesa is certainly a step up from your neighborhood Starbucks. Plus, if it’s a nice day out (which hopefully it has been, if you’ve been walking for two miles), sit outside: facing east, you can see infinite green space; facing west, you’ve got a lovely view of the Atlanta skyline.

 

3 p.m.

Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Site

No visit to the O4W/Sweet Auburn area is complete without an acknowledgment of the late great Dr. King and his life’s work—after all, this neighborhood was his stomping grounds for quite some time. Less than a half mile from the coffee shop, you can explore a multitude of aspects of Dr. King’s legacy: from Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he preached, to the “I Have a Dream” World Peace Rose Garden, which features King-centric poems by Atlanta students, to the beautifully serene reflection pool outside the tombs of Dr. King himself and his wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King.

Learn more about the King Center here.

 

6 p.m.

Edgewood Corner Tavern

It doesn’t get much more American than this. Finish off your day at burger and beer hub The Corner Tavern, whose Edgewood location (464 Edgewood Ave) has a special every. Single. Day. Of. The. Week. On Thursdays, there’s breakfast for dinner and bar trivia. Friday is crab legs night. On Saturdays, stop in for live music. No matter what day you choose to have your O4W adventure, you can always find some excitement going down in the Corner Tavern.

Get a walk-through of the day’s spots with this map:

Humans of the Old Fourth Ward

Using pictures and short quotes, the blog Humans of New York catalogs the inhabitants of New York City. The blog has become somewhat of a sensation, with over four million followers on Facebook and Instagram. It shows a side–or many sides–of New York that most people don’t see.  So what better way to showcase the diverse character of the Old Fourth Ward than by coming up with our very own Humans of the Old Fourth Ward. Enjoy.

Shenita
“She brings 13 little kids to school every day and is here waiting for them when it’s done,” The crossing guard said.
“They stay with me until I know they got somewhere to go,” Shenita told me.
“Usually it’s not long, sometimes a couple days.”
“I don’t know why you’d want a photo of me.”
Mark
“I do comedy too, I’m a regular at the Laughing Skull. Also I’m a doorman at Noni’s. I don’t usually paint, but I’m helping my friend out.”
Jeremy
“Old Fourth Ward Baby! Proud citizen, all my life.”
"We're tourists from Baltimore."
“We’re tourists from Baltimore.”
Connie
“I don’t want a picture with the stroller, let me do my thing.” 
Lauren
“When we moved here seven years ago there were more abandoned or crack houses on our street than lived in ones.”
Miso Puggy
Dog of the Old Fourth Ward

 

Artists breathe life into the walls of Decatur

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Scattered across Atlanta you can find beautiful paintings on walls of buildings. These murals are part of the the Living Walls Atlanta Conference, a collective effort between local and international artist to use street art “to promote, educate and change perspectives about public space,” according to the organization’s mission statement. Started in 2010, Living Walls has created public art in various corners of metro-Atlanta. You can currently find six living Walls murals on Decatur’s walls. Here they are!

1. 430 West Trinity Place
(Beacon Hill Complex)
by Michi and Adrian Barzaga 

Pumped up to see the first wall, I followed the GPS on my phone. When the GPS announced that I had arrived, I looked up to see this:

Suh_Decatur_Blog_2The construction workers at the site could not remember tearing down a mural on one of the walls, but numerous residents could confirm the construction site was formerly the Beacon Hill Recreation Center, where the mural had been previously. Living Walls creations have a history of being torn down or painted over for different reasons. As seen in the photo below, this wall seemed to have been demolished as a part of a larger remodeling project for the whole block.
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Disheartened, I continued my search for the murals.

2. 113 East Court Square
(Squash Blossom Building)
by Gaia and Nanook

Located in the middle of the courtyard, the second wall was the easiest to find.

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The first picture didn’t capture the intricacy of the mural, so I tried to capture some of the details in a close-up picture.

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3. 133 Sycamore Street
(Dancer’s Core Alley)
by Sam Parker

The third location was the most difficult to find. Although you can see the alley from the courtyard, a bolted gate blocks that entrance.

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The second entrance is through a parking lot. it’s definitely not a location you’ll stumble across.

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Then the narrow alley made it impossible to capture a single picture with the entire mural. Here is a portion of the mural.

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4. 211 East Trinity Place 
(Back wall of Twain’s) 
by Doodles, Gaia and Clown Soldier 

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There was another mural on the adjacent wall of the Living Walls mural. Twain’s garbage small deterred me from getting closer to the second mural (pictured right).

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The last two murals can be found on opposing sides of a seemingly abandoned building right down the road from Twain’s.

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5. 302 East Howard Avenue 
by Freddy Sam and Ever 

The larger of the two murals faces the west.

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6. 308 East Howard Avenue 
by Jason Kofke

The final mural in Downtown Decatur can be found on the opposing side of the larger mural.

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There is an additional wall in south Decatur, located at East Lake Drive in Oakhurst.

The highlight of my trip was that although I got lost numerous times, every single person I stumbled across went out of their way to answer my questions. Thank you residents of Decatur!

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The Paintings of Peachtree

The Paintings of Peachtree

A glance at Midtown Atlanta’s art scene

  1. Known for its vibrant culture, Midtown is blossoming into one
    of Atlanta’s hottest neighborhoods. Midtown is Atlanta’s heart of the arts. From street art to esteemed museums, Midtown is home to some of the best artwork
    in the city. While there is no shortage of renowned artists featured in the museums,
    many of the galleries introduce up-and-coming talent.

  2. The High Museum of Art is the leading art museum in the southeastern United States. With more than 13,000 pieces of artwork, the collection houses everything from the classics to the contemporary.
  3. The Birthday Girl With Her Favorite Painting. Dragon (Drache) by Anslem Kiefer. @nicomeadows #modernart #highmuseum #anslemkiefer #vsco #vscocam
  4. High Museum of Art, Atlanta
  5. While the High Museum is the most famous in Atlanta, Midtown is lined with noteworthy museums and galleries. Just across the street, The Museum of Design Atlanta highlights creativity through design.
  6. Atlanta – Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)
  7. MODA even curated a competition in the form of a museum exhibition. Emerging artists collaborated with interior and set designers to showcase unique, original designs.
  8. MODA | The South’s Next Wave Design Challenge
  9. #5ThingsToDoToday ‘Alchemy 3’ at Beep Beep Gallery, Dave Nelson and Marlon Patton at the Goat Farm  http://ow.ly/rSTsD 
  10. Midtown does not have a specific art district. The neighohood is peppered with numerous hidden gems. Beep Beep Gallery is one of them — tucked away on Charles Allen Drive, the gallery is home to eclectic artwork created by emerging Atlanta artists. Rumor has it that their exhibition openings, or parties, are the place to be if you’re one of the “cool kids.”
  11. Mentions and buzz for Beep Beep Gallery:  http://sch.mp/0jC0A  – RT @carolinecox All the cool kids will be at beep beep gallery tonight …
  12. Beep Beep Gallery always has something exciting to honk about.
  13. What it is my playurr partner art soldiers? We …
  14. “Gold Party” featuring 7 new artists opens this Saturday at Beep Beep!  http://fb.me/XdRj8B8t 
  15. Gold Party’s looking great on the walls. See y’all at the opening Saturday.
  16. The Robert Matre Gallery displays artist Robert Matre’s own photography and a collection of unique modern paintings and sculptures. The gallery is known for its “bold, vibrant and impactful works.” Rotating exhibitions feature both national and international, emerging, and established contemporary artists.
  17. In Midtown, art is not just in the galleries, but on the city’s walls, streets and bridges. The shots below are just a taste of how street art brings the neighborhood to life.
  18. Whattup Blood?? Got a quick shot as I was leaving the dog park today..Anybody wanna venture around Piedmont Park soon?
  19. Whether you set out for a day at the museum or are dashing between a tattoo shop and a bistro, keep you eyes open because you’ll be sure to experience some of Atlanta’s finest art.

 

Glamour Paws

They don’t sell dog food, only natural nutrition. They don’t sell collars, only jeweled accessories and fashion outfits. There are no kennels, only hotel lofts with stocked mini bars. There isn’t an outdoor fenced-in yard, only an indoor park with eco-friendly synthetic, antimicrobial grass.
The cats and dogs don’t have their nails clipped, but they receive pedicures. They don’t have their hair clipped, but they receive styling, blowouts, and coloring. Glamour Paws is the ultimate pet experience.

Out of my element: my pedicure at Sugarcoat Salon

photo(4)It was Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014. I had been alive for 20 years and 13 days. I was sitting in a padded chair at Virginia-Highland’s Sugarcoat Salon, and I was about to receive the first pedicure of my life.

I glanced at the tub of water at my feet, nervously looked back at my pedicurist—a pleasant, middle-aged woman who introduced herself to me as Essie—and blurted out the first thing that came to my mind.

“Is this gonna hurt?”

Essie laughed and shook her head. I remained unconvinced, and opted for something called the “Essential” purely because it sounded the least threatening of the available services.

I was treated to a long and nerve-wracking process that was definitely not intended to be long and nerve-wracking. Sugarcoat did everything right—the chairs were comfortable, the water was warm, and the employees were friendly—but I found it difficult to fully enjoy the experience, because, well, this woman was looking at my feet. My feet are disgusting. Even I don’t enjoy looking at my feet. This is not an experience I would wish upon anyone, let alone for an extended period of time. As the water turned less and less blue and more and more foot-gunk-colored, I made a mental note to leave Essie a sizable tip.

I’m in rare company, apparently. Essie told me that Sugarcoat only gets a male customer every two or three weeks, and even then it’s usually a man coming with his wife. I had no such excuse, only my friend sitting to my right and gleefully snapping photos. The whole process was over sooner than I expected—the Essential took 20 minutes at most, ending abruptly when I politely turned down coloring.

Sugarcoat itself is a fine establishment, at least from what I can tell from my limited salon expertise. For one thing, it was named to Atlanta magazine’s “Best of Atlanta 2013” list. It’s also small, intimate, and very pink, sandwiched pleasantly between a pair of larger shops. Most importantly, the windows are strategically placed so as not to allow prying eyes to confirm that yes, that is Ryan from my physics class getting his nails done. I left with wet feet and no complaints.

I’m not going to speak definitively on whether or not I’ll be visiting again, but I will say that I thoroughly examined my feet in the passenger seat on the ride back home, and came away very pleasantly surprised.

Contact Sugarcoat here:

256 Pharr Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30305

404-814-2121

sugarcoatbeauty.com

 

Swoonin’ and Groovin’ in the ATL: Jazz Night in Decatur

Hotlanta’s notorious reputation as the global leader in hip-hop illustrates the city’s affinity to producing quality beats; however, the city has a thriving live music scene catering to various types of music aficionados beyond crankin that Soulja Boy or gettin’ back to Ludacris. A particular gem is Jazz Night in Oakhurst, a neighborhood in Decatur.  Free and open to the public, Jazz Night draws hundreds of curious music lovers during the warm month of April.  Situated at the Historic Scottish Rite courtyard on West Hill Street, concertgoers bring blankets and picnic to lounge and dine in the courtyard among friends and neighbors to enjoy the show.

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Imagine sitting with your buddies, drinking a cold brew while listening to melodic saxophone complement a improvisational piano riff as the warm breeze hits your back.  For the most up-close and personal concert experience, consider reserving a front-row table complete with fresh linens, flowers, and candles for $25. Last year, attendees were treated to some of the best Jazz artists in the Southeast.  Though Jazz artists may not have much name recognition, all of the performers are supremely talented and extremely exciting to watch perform.

Check out this short video to hear some of the tunes from last year’s festival:

Check this video out of one of the slotted performers for this year, Audry Shakir:

Deep vibes and soothing tunes create a warm environment, a welcome change from Atlanta’s intense rap scene.  Adventurists seeking new experiences should definitely head to Oakhurst to experience Jazz Night.  All concerts begin at 7 p.m. and end at 9 p.m., leaving you enough time to pursue the wide selection of restaurants Decatur has to offer.

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Lineup:

Thursday April 3: Emrah Kotan

Thursday April 10: Jason Passmore

Thursday April 17: Audry Shakir

Thursday April 24: Dan Baraszu & David Ellington

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Main Website URL: http://www.oakhurstjazznights.com/index.html

Email Contact for Questions: concerts [at] oakhurstjazznights [dot] com

Phone Contact: (404) 370-0888

Address: 321 West Hill St, Decatur, GA 30030