Kids
{ Monday, April 23rd, 2012 }
Year Of Boulevard, Summer Of Opportunity
Subsequent to my recent post about the new townhome development in the Old Fourth Ward, I’ve had a number of people ask me about the Year of Boulevard, a project that I referenced in the post. For those not in the know already, Rebecca Burns’ piece on the Year of Boulevard, featured in the most recent Atlanta Magazine is absolutely phenomenal. File it under “must read”. For those in the know, or those just more inclined to watch a short video rather than a read a more in depth expository piece, I recommend that you check out the video below.
Year Of Boulevard from Some Good Co. on Vimeo.
Consider what you can do to be a part of the solution. Atlanta City Councilmember Kwanza Hall and TEDxAtlanta have partnered to bring a Summer of Possibility to the kids of the Boulevard corridor. Find out how you can be a part of the movement through summer-camp scholarships, internships and entrepreneurial mentoring.
{ Monday, August 15th, 2011 }
Amy Handler, The Kids Are Alright
The Kids Are Alright is one of my favorite programs on my favorite radio station in Atlanta, 1690 The Voice of The Arts. Host Amy Handler’s weekly show is a cornucopia of all things fun, nostalgic, brainy, artsy and good. I was listening to it pre-baby, and still set my clock by it every Saturday morning at 9 (replays on Sunday at noon). I’ve always wondered where the inspiration came from, so I was thrilled that Amy shared a peak behind the curtain…
Q. Where do you find inspiration to put together such an original, wonderful radio program?
A. Aw, shucks- an thanks! I have always worked in the field of children’s entertainment – television, theatre, radio, dance, and education. When I teach I do the same thing that I do with my show – integrate every single facet into a shiny neat little package of info and fun for the kids. Because I like everything to relate and interconnect, I use what’s around me for show ideas. Examples: For Mother’s Day I played all mummy songs. When our best pals had their sweet baby Adelaide, all baby songs. And for April Fool’s day, all banana songs because don’t you know how hilariously funny bananas are? (the next week we did all monkey songs becuase the monkeys supposedly heard last week’s show and took over the radio station to get all those bananas they heard about). So, yeah, I come by it all very honestly – it’s how I live, what I do, what I love, and, suddenly most importantly, what I want my actual kids to be exposed to. Once I asked one of my student’s parents how they kept their kids from liking Barney and Brittany. They told me “we all listen to the same music together”. That really stuck with me. And that’s what I do with my family. You gotta expose your kids and lead by example. If not, they will turn into mindless zombies swaying and singing along to Justin Bieber. If I can inspire some kids to reach past that, I have done my job.
Q. You’re in charge of creating the ultimate ‘The Kids Are Alright Weekend” in Atlanta. What’s on the agenda?
A. First of all, you would wake up and listen to my show that has an appropriate theme for the weekend – places to go. Then we would get on our tandem bike tour (I am imagining a huge long Dr. Seussish bike that spans the whole block) and have coffee and breakfast at Parkgrounds in Reynoldstown. It has a dog park so we can watch the dogs play while we play battleship. Then off to the new BeltLine park with the spraying water and 3 people swings and a trampoline enveloped by ropes. Now we are tired and hot so we head to Lotta Frutta for fruit cups and smoothies. We grab some extra bags of chulpe (ecuadorian corn. a total obsession of mine) to fuel us for our hike at the Fernbank Forest. Did you know you can go to the forest in the middle of the city? Its behind the science center, not museum, and you feel like you’ve driven far, far away. Last we stop by Antico Pizza (all other pizza is dead to me) and pick up a pie and some cannoli to take to the Starlight Drive-In.
Next morning the Grant Park Farmer’s Market, where we will and always do have the King of Pops for breakfast. Then off to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, Star Provisions for lunch (fluffernutter sandwiches- they’re are all you’ve dreamed of and more), then to the Oakhurst Community Garden to play with their chickens, hang out in their cob house, catch frogs in their pond, and wade in their stream. And then for dinner, how about a drive out to Marietta for amazing chinese food – Tasty China. Driveling messes falling asleep in car on way home if you are lucky but at least you squeezed it all in. Well, not all, but it’s enough for now.
{ Wednesday, June 29th, 2011 }
Decatur’s Most Popular Playground
Decatur is a happy place. It doesn’t take much time strolling down West Ponce de Leon Avenue to figure that out. What many prospective home buyers and renters want to know, is why. What is it that makes the quality of life so high, and why is it that some Atlantans choose to lengthen their commute (let’s face it, if you’re working anywhere from Buckhead to the North, Decatur can be a schlep) just to live there? A visit to the Decatur First Christian Church and Community Park and Playground begins to answer the question:
What makes the park so unique is that community members bring their used toys and playsets to the park making it a fantastic option for those that are considering relegating the forgotten toys of yesteryear to the basement or attic. If you’ve got a little person in your life, they will absolutely love it:
Foreground: Plastic John Deere Tractor. Background: Modern and Ergonomically Pleasing Playground
A happy "retirement home" for the forgotten playset in your life...
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