Morningside
{ 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!
{ Tuesday, March 30th, 2010 }
Good Bones
Often times, you hear folks referring to “the bones” of a house. While people love to swoon over granite, steam showers and surround sound, it’s the actual framing of each structure that gives each home its own soul. Once you’ve pulled a house apart- and only framing studs remain- its as if you’re looking at a naked home. It’s actually a little embarrassing.
I was just catching up on one of my favorite Atlanta blogs, Architecture Tourist, when I came across this pic:
The post is all about a complete renovation, and the blog’s author- Terry Kearns- has some great shots of this Morningside makeover.
If you like houses, architecture, neighborhoods or photography, you should spend some time on Architecture Tourist. It’s a great site.
