Midtown
{ Friday, 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!
{ Tuesday, September 27th, 2011 }
House For Sale, Beer For Free
Anyone who buys this home for a lifetime supply of giant Coors Lite cans probably negotiated a lousy deal.
There are a number of reasons why Canada never experienced a housing bust like we’ve witnessed in the U.S., but evidently an appreciation for free beer is not one of them.
According to the Calgary Herald:
…the sellers of two listed Calgary homes are offering a sudsy incentive to prospective buyers: $1,000 in beer.
Robyn Moser, the MaxWell South Star Realty realtor behind the Hidden Valley and Coventry Hills listings, said the homeowners have agreed to leave the beer behind as part of the deal.
{ 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, September 2nd, 2011 }
Atlanta’s Signature Weekend
If you’re in Atlanta this weekend, you won’t be able to complain that there’s nothing to do. Somewhat strange bedfellows, but that’s what makes the weekend so unique. Labor Day weekend has evolved into Atlanta’s Signature Weekend- a sampling of the happenings, below:
AJC Decatur Book Festival- Book lovers rejoice!
Atlanta Black Gay Pride Weekend- The world’s largest black pride celebration
Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game- College football’s kickoff event is also a great chance to see die-hard fans mingle with the Dragon*Con (see below) crowd.
Dragon*Con- the country’s largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film.
NASCAR- A whole weekend of racin’ at the Atlanta Motor Speedway (not to mention a live show by Skynyrd).
The World Famous Drive Invasion- Drive-In Movies, Rock ‘n Roll and a Classic Car Show
{ Wednesday, July 20th, 2011 }
Where Is Atlanta’s Safest Neighborhood?
Do not rely on a dog in a trench coat to decide if a neighborhood is safe or not.
Which is Atlanta’s safest neighborhood?
They’re all safe, and at the same time, none of them are.
Confused? You’re not the only one.
Think about it this way: the 35-year-old me probably wouldn’t live where the 25 me lived. Who knows what the 45 me will think about where I live now, and all bets are off when it comes to the uber-judgy 55 year-old me.
The reason why I even bring this question up is because as a Realtor, I’m often asked if a neighborhood is safe. Given the subjective nature of the question, it’s hard to answer with a simple yes or no answer: what one person thinks is safe, another might consider dangerous. Take the recent news of car break-ins in Buckhead and Inman Park, or the tragic shooting in Midtown. Does that make these neighborhoods unsafe? I think you get my point.
That said, it’s incumbant upon all of us to do our own due diligence when it comes to personal safety. There are tons of resources out there- from the AJC’s Crime Database to the GBI’s Sex Offender Registry, but there’s also a more practical approach: visit a neighborhood at various times of the day. See what it’s like in the middle of the day, take a drive through after dark. If you’re seriously considering buying or renting in a neighborhood, spending a few minutes there is a much investment in your future than relying on one guy’s opinion!
