Ansley Park
{ Tuesday, November 1st, 2011 }
Gene Kansas, Sidewalk Radio
If you live in Atlanta and you’re interested in art, architecture, design, development, city planning or preservation, then you should be making an appointment to listen to Sidewalk Radio every month. Each episode is guided by host Gene Kansas‘ passion for culture and community, covering a wide range of topics like the impact of the beverage community on Atlanta to the architecture of MARTA stations. But before you decide to catch up on Sidewalk Radio on am1690, take a minute to meet the host with the most…
Q. Favorite Atlanta neighborhood?
A. Ansley Park is a perennial favorite, I fell in love with it the moment I moved here 16 years ago. I love that it is in the “middle of it all”, bordered by the arts district on one side and Piedmont Park on the other, but intentionally designed to feel like you’re “away from it all”. I also love its rich history and because it makes me feel like I’m in New Orleans with the gorgeous oak-lined streets.
Q. The most underrated thing about Atlanta is…
A. Well, as we all know, Atlanta is a very self-promoting town. Finding something underrated and unknown here can be a challenge. I’d have to say that despite being a transient type of city, we’re actually really high up there when it comes to appreciating community.
Q. A fairy godmother puts you in charge of Underground Atlanta and gives you carte blanche to do whatever you’d like with it. Thoughts?
A. Hmmmmm…good question. If I had control of Underground Atlanta I’d promote the Zero Mile Post (the literal spot that marks where the city started) to a much higher degree. It’s an important part of our reason for being. Otherwise, I really try to stay away from there. Is that wrong?!
Q. You’re asked to create the essential Sidewalk Radio Atlanta weekend. What’s on the agenda?
A. Sidewalk Radio explores art, architecture, design, development, city planning and preservation so it would have to be a long weekend, but I think I’d try to spend the whole time on Peachtree. To quote urban planner and Sidewalk Radio guest David Green, “Peachtree Street is the cultural heart of Atlanta”, so an anthropological adventure along that famed corridor seems right on time. The agenda would include a show at the Fox Theatre, a drink at the Georgian Terrace, a burger at The Vortex, a visit to the High Museum, a pop-in at Perkins+Will to thank them for being our sponsor (shameless plug!), a Southern Cola hand crafted by Greg Best at Holeman & Finch, chips and salsa at Jalisco, a visit with Elton John to see his private art collection, and of course an all expense paid shopping spree at Lenox and Phipps.
Q. What is Sidewalk Radio, and why should everyone tune in?
A. Sidewalk Radio is a monthly radio show on AM 1690 “The Voice of the Arts” that features local experts and their insights about Atlanta’s creative and cultural community. The show is very conversational and informative with nods to our developmental history, to dynamic places and movements in a state of flux, and to our hopefully illustrious future. If you like cool, creative, interesting things and you love Atlanta, then I hope and think you’ll really dig Sidewalk Radio. Did I mention you can listen anytime on iTunes?! November’s upcoming show explores the Atlanta restaurant world. Check it out and enjoy!
{ Monday, September 12th, 2011 }
Intown Atlanta Population Surge?
While I spent much of last week on the Decatur bandwagon, I should point out that Decatur’s schools aren’t the only ones that are busting at the seems. Midtown Patch points out that Grady High School is also at the breaking point:
A drawback at Grady: The school that borders Piedmont Park currently has 1,524 students, compared to 1,432 one year ago — and one year ago was already seriously overcrowded. (The Grady campus was expanded several years ago to accommodate about 1,200 students. In 2005, there were 996 enrolled, compared to 1,146 in 2006 and 1,264 by 2009).
For those of you scoring at home, that’s a 25% increase in the last five years. I’m not a demographer (nor do I play one on television), nor am I trend forecaster, but I’d imagine there are a few threads at play here:
- The neighborhoods served by the school, including Ansley Park, Candler Park, East Lake, Inman Park, Kirkwood, Lake Claire, Old Fourth Ward, Midtown, Morningside, Poncey Highland and Virginia Highland continue to experience infill development, albeit at a much slower clip now that we’re post-boom.
- A slumping economy and rising private school tuition have forced some parents to enroll their children in public schools rather then private ones.
- Negative home equity has, in effect, “trapped” many homeowners in their existing homes. It’s a pretty common theme throughout the country to see homeowners “sticking around” in a home that they hadn’t planned on living in for such a long duration. Put simply, our migration patterns are all gummed up.
The net-net is further evidence that Atlanta’s notorious sprawl has turned inward. This isn’t breaking news by any stretch, but it’s certainly worth keeping an eye on as the region attempts to curb sprawl and promote density. Exciting and terrifying at the same time depending on the vision and political will of Atlanta’s civic and business elite.
Photo Credit: Architecture Tourist (an outstanding piece on Grady High School’s architecture, I might add).
{ Friday, April 29th, 2011 }
Elizabeth Schneider, Wine For Normal People
Elizabeth Schneider is all about bringing wine to the people. A Certified Sommelier and Specialist of Wine, she’s the guru/normal person behind Wine For Normal People, an Atlanta based wine blog/podcast/edutainment company that’s making big waves in the wine world. If you like wine, you should listen up…
Q. Best Atlanta spots for good, affordable wine?
A. I’ve got three places that I shop…one which always seems to surprise people.
1. Tower on Piedmont. If you like European wines, especially, they have a great selection and terrific prices. If you pay with cash or a debit card they knock off a bunch of money. Huge thumbs up from me.
2. Savi Urban Market in Inman Park. Not just because I do monthly classes here (shameless plug) but also because they have a huge selection of eclectic stuff at good prices. If you haven’t been here, it’s kind of like Atlanta’s version of New York’s Balducci’s. A great gourmet market with awesome wine.
3. And here’s the big surprise…Kroger Ansley (yes, this location only). Talk about a little known Atlanta secret! The guys that run this place basically operate an autonomous wine shop in the back of this in-need-of-an-upgrade florescent jungle. Head straight to the back of the store and you’ll have unbelievable choice at great prices (especially if you have a Kroger card — get one just for the wine if not). Their closeout section (near the sodas to the right of the main wine area) has deals that would make any wine lover go crazy. I got a very high end (second growth) Bordeaux for $49 a few months ago. It will be worth $300 in about 2 years! I love Joe and Woody!
Q. John Schneider, who played Bo Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard, is coming to Atlanta for a day, needs a tour guide, and is insistent that a fellow Schneider shows him around. What’s on the agenda?
A. To be clear, I’m not related to John, nor to the heirs of the Schneider trucking dynasty (although I wish I were). Also, although I’d be happy to show him around, I’m not wearing Daisy Dukes…but I digress.
I’m hoping that John’s palate is a little more developed now (I assume he drank Beast and Nattie Light in his DoH days) so we can have a good day of it and drink some great stuff.
I’d start with brunch at Murphy’s…with a requisite Mimosa (they use fresh squeezed OJ — yum) and maybe a glass or two of dry French Rosé, since it’s perfect for spring! A walk around Piedmont Park to get keep our Schneider physiques svelte and then we’d stop at the Botanical Gardens for some tranquility and natural beauty in the midst of midtown high rises. That should take us into the late afternoon, just in time to head to Ecco in Midtown for the best wine list and small bites in all of Atlanta. Since one of the best things about Atlanta is the people, I’d invite my favorite friends to come down and join us on the patio to try the unbelievable selections from the list in this Atlanta wine gem (more people = more chances to try their varied selection of wines).
After all that drinking, we’d have to have Luke Duke pick John/Bo up in the General Lee (I’d like to see him squeeze in the GL after all that great wine and food!).
Q. What’s your favorite wine these days?
A. The weather is getting warmer so I’m on a white kick right now. Verdejo from Rueda, Spain is at the top of my list for balmy days. It’s kind of “green” with lime and green herb flavors but it’s got a creamy texture and slight bitterness, which I totally love. It’s so awesome with cheese and with Marcona almonds. Yum.
Q. Favorite neighborhoods?
A. Ok, I’ll admit that I’m a Yankee. That means that the more walkable a neighborhood is, the more I like it. That puts Midtown and Virginia Highland at the top of my list. That said, I love my former neighborhood, Grant Park, for the incredible historic homes and amazing neighbors, and my new neighborhood, Morningside, for it’s total bucolic tranquility (I feel like I’m on vacation when I get home from the day!).
Q. What is Wine For Normal People, and why is it awesome?
A. Wine For Normal People is a many splendored thing. It’s an internationally followed blog and a podcast, and soon to be a book. It’s a wine edutainment company that teaches people about wine in an unbiased, down-to-earth way through private events and classes. Regardless of how people come to know it, the message is the same — it’s for people who like wine but not the snobbery that goes with it. What makes it awesome is that even though I’m a Certified Sommelier, Certified Specialist of Wine, an MBA, and have years of experience in the California wine industry, I am really just a normal person who is passionate about wine and wants to share my knowledge and make people comfortable with the subject. I try to make people comfortable with wine and help them figure out what they like or don’t like without judgment. If you take the condescension out of wine and just look at it as an academic and sensory joy…or just fermented grapes, it’s a cool subject and one that you can never know everything about. A dork’s utopia!
{ Thursday, September 30th, 2010 }
A Perfect Weekend For Neel Reid and Oakland Cemetery
The opportunity to tour eight Neel Reid designed homes in one day doesn't come along that often...
Now that Atlanta’s finally emerged from its oppressive heat wave, we can finally indulge in activities that do not require air conditioning. Fall has never looked so good.
Two excellent real estate events this weekend are for architecture and history aficionados. The Ansley Park Tour of Homes is featuring 8 homes designed by Neel Reid, arguably the most influential architect in the history of the city (with all due respect to John Portman, who has certainly had a pretty signficant impact himself). The tour is the perfect opportunity to amble about Ansley Park, one of Atlanta’s most beautiful neighborhoods, while also sneaking a peak at some architectural gems.
Of course, you could always head a little bit further southeast to Lake Claire, where they’re having a tour of homes and gardens of their own. You’re bound to see a pretty eclectic mix of homes- probably not quite as traditional as the Reed-designed masterpieces in Ansley, but worthy show houses nonetheless.
If houses aren’t your bag, you should head down to Oakland Cemetery for the annual Sunday In The Park. This year marks the 31st anniversary of the “Victorian Street Fair”, an event that features mausouleum tours, costume contests, live entertainment, living history demonstrations, story tellers, food and more. If you’ve never been, it’s a ton of fun and it benefits the preservation of one of Atlanta’s most notable landmarks – the Cemetery itself.
The Relevant Linkage
Browse Homes For Sale In Ansley Park
Browse Homes For Sale in Lake Claire
Browse Homes For Sale near Oakland Cemetery
{ Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009 }
Five Questions With… Darrah Brustein
Darrah Brustein, is a broker at The MJT Group, a merchant services brokerage that helps business owners negotiate down their credit card processing fees. She’s the Robin Hood of the retail and restaurant world, canvassing the greater Atlanta area on a daily basis in an effort to save the little guy a couple of shekels. Sounds vaguely likely a real estate agent- let’s see how she does with Five Questions…
A. Don’t get caught in the Emory-bubble! It’s all too easy to stay on campus (and the surrounding areas) for four years, but do yourself a favor and experience the different neighborhoods that this city has to offer. I think more Emory grads would stay in Atlanta if they knew what they were missing.
Also- get involved in groups that you wouldn’t necessarily think are in your comfort zone. I did just about everything on campus (and still volunteer there with the alumni association). Of all my memories, some of my favorites were things like the gospel choir, the orientation leaders program,and Greek life, none of which were necessarily on my to-do list upon arriving.
Q. A genie pops out of a MARTA car and grants you three magical, unlimited, “free” credit card swipes in the establishments of your choice, anywhere in Atlanta. Where are you going?
A. Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. Jac Boutique. SunTrust to pay off my mortgage (if they accepted credit cards).
Editor’s Note: Be wary of any genies that you see popping out of a MARTA train. Wishes not likely to come to fruition.
Q. Favorite neighborhood(s)?
A. East Atlanta Village. Inman/Candler Park. Virgina Highlands. Ansley Park. Downtown Decatur.
Q. Six hours biking the BeltLine, twelve hours walking Peachtree or eighteen hours riding MARTA?
A. Twelve hours walking Peachtree. A. I love to walk and be outside, and B. Peachtree is such a great stretch of the city! I’d imagine it’s even more enjoyable when you’re not stuck in traffic.
Q. It’s your last meal in Atlanta. Where are you going, and what are you ordering?
A. Re’past. Some of the best food I’ve had in the city. They even (or used to) have half-priced wine night once a week. I’d surely get the flourless chocolate cake (as it’s amazing), and since their menu frequently changes, I’d make the app and entree selections then.
(If it was casual, I’d have to say Fellini’s.)
BONUS QUESTION: What is The MJT Group, and why is it awesome?
A. Great question! The MJT Group is a merchant services brokerage that was born out of the desire to be transparent with businesses about how the industry works and why you pay what you do on your transactions. In plain English- we negotiate credit card processing rates down for business owners by about 10-25%, on average. It costs nothing to work with us, and we’re happy to do an apples-for-apples comparison against your current agreement to show hard numbers in savings. Transitions are quick and seamless, so if you’re looking to save some money or to see if you’re current rates are good, I’d be happy to help!
The Relevant Linkage
An potentially excellent alternative to walking Peachtree, here.
A possible winner from Jac, here.
A definite diamond down the street from Emory, here.
