{ January 27th, 2012 }

Nick Arapoglou, Avenue Q

Nick Arapoglou is one of the stars of Avenue Q, the Horizon Theatre’s production of the big-time Broadway Musical.  If seeing a rip-roaringly hilarious musical at one of Atlanta’s most beloved theaters isn’t enough for you, then you should consider buying a ticket just to see Nick.  Any fellow New Yorker who has made the conscious choice to dump the Knicks for the Hawks is ok by me!

Q. Favorite neighborhoods? 

A. I’m not sure I have an absolute favorite. The wonderful thing about being an actor in this town is that your constantly changing the location where you work. If you’re at Theatrical Outfit, you get to hang downtown on Luckie Street. If you’re at the Alliance, you can enjoy Midtown. Right now, I’m loving my time at Horizon in Little Five. There’s always something interesting going on there. Although, I get jealous whenever I see who is playing at the Variety Playhouse, since I know I can’t go to the show because I’m doing my own!

Q. Hidden Atlanta gems?

A. This might seem out of left field because I’m an actor, but I’m going to say the Atlanta Hawks and watching them at Phillips Arena! I’m originally from New York but I’ve adopted the Hawks as my NBA team, and I’m always so sad to go to those games and see the stadium half empty. They’re a really fun team and need some Atlanta love!

Q.  You meet someone who tells you that they’re “just not that into live theater”.  How do you sell them on what they’re missing?

A. There is NOTHING like live theatre. There’s a reason why the art form has been around since the beginning of language! What’s special about attending a play or a musical, is the knowledge that you could see a show on Friday and go again on Saturday and it would be completely different. You can’t cut and print live theatre as you can in film. It’s human and it’s ever-changing. Seeing the actors just a few feet away from  you and not on a flat screen is always a more exciting and rewarding experience. 

Q. What is Avenue Q, and why is it a must-attend?

A. Avenue Q is a Tony Award Winning musical that crosses Sesame Street with South Park or Team America Humor. Oh, and it’s all done with puppets. And Gary Coleman is a character in the show. It uses hilarious lyrics to tackle issues such as racism, struggles with sexuality, not fitting in, and even the internet’s porn epidemic. It’s far and away the funniest show I’ve ever done, but the wonderful thing about the show is the heart at the center of the play. It’s about finding your purpose in life, accepting things you can’t avoid, and appreciating what you have, no matter how bad things get. You WILL have fun!

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Labels: Arts and Culture : Current Events : Five Questions With... : Inman Park : Midtown

{ January 24th, 2012 }

Private Remarks Hall of Fame

If you’ve ever browsed real estate online, you’re probably very familiar with “Public Remarks”. It’s the area where you typically learn about the “Chef’s Kitchen”, “Spa-like” master bathroom, and spacious recreation/play room. It’s the meat ‘n potatoes of the listing.

What you may not be familiar with is what’s called “Private Remarks”. This is where real estate agents communicate showing instructions, pet warnings and additional information that they think might be pertinent for other agents to communicate to their clients. As you might expect, private remarks are typically pretty boring. Today, however, I ran across some private remarks that I just couldn’t help but share:

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT OWNERS HAD CATS AND THERE IS A STRONG CAT URINE SMELL SINCE THE HOUSE HAS BEEN SITTING VACANT WITH LITTLE AIR CIRCULATION

These remarks were attached to a home that has already been sold, so clearly they didn’t scare the eventual buyer too much. On some level, they’re quite appropriate- imagine walking into that home without the cat urine warning? Definitely something I’d like to know before showing a home.

Of course, on the other hand, it’s definitely information that might lead me to skip the house entirely.  I can’t speak for my buyer clients, but the stench of cat urine is usually an unspoken deal killer.

Never a dull moment, folks. Never a dull moment…

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Labels: Distressed Sales : Due Diligence : Home Buying : Home Selling

{ January 23rd, 2012 }

Battle Of The Network Yard Signs

As noted in a previous post, there really is no issue that’ll rally a neighborhood quite as much as school redistricting. Superintendent Erroll Davis recently released a new letter of “guiding principles”, which will surely heighten anticipation throughout the City for what will come next. Since we may still be a few months away from a final decision, get used to more of the ubiquitous yard sign. You’ll be hard pressed to drive through certain intown neighborhoods without seeing one in front of every home…

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Labels: Current Events : Education

{ January 18th, 2012 }

The Perfect Roswell Home

Rather than tell you everything that I like about my new listing in Roswell (I’ll save that for a subsquent post), I figured I’d share a video of this 6 bedroom, 5.5 bathroom masterpiece.  Sure, the voiceover might be a little funky, but the moving pictures tell the story:  tons of living space (over 5,800 square feet, according to the appraisal), more than an acre of land, and high end finishes throughout.

I really like this house.  I know you will too.   If you know anyone who might be thinking about a move to Roswell, let me know.  This one should be their first and last stop.

Learn more about this absolute stunner at: http://thebesthouseinroswell.com/

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Labels: Home Selling : Roswell

{ January 15th, 2012 }

Atlanta’s Outlook For 2012: Less New Condominiums, More Garbage Cans

The best part of hitting the midway point of January is that we can finally stop making gigantic resolutions, and opt instead for small, yet concrete victories. Last week, I read of two such small wins:

1) – There are less newly constructed condominium units on the market. According to the AJC there are a bunch of Atlanta developments on the verge of finally selling out. The market hasn’t been terribly forgiving for the overbuilding binge, so any news about increasing sales – even at dramatic discounts – is a positive sign.

2) – Our city is receiving more strategically placed garbage cans. The additional garbage cans are part of City Councilman Kwanza Hall’s seven point plan to help resusitate the stretch of Boulevard that runs from Freedom Parkway to Ponce de Leon Avenue. Known around many homes simply as “that stretch of Boulevard where you never want to run out of gas,” this area is in dire need of… something. Only time will tell if Hall’s plan is a solution or just a temporary salve, but I give him credit for stepping up to the plate.

Atlanta, I have a feeling that it’s going to be a great year!

Edit Credit: Atlanta Journal Constitution, East Atlanta Patch

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Labels: Condominiums : Old Fourth Ward