May 2022
Features
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The New Mayor: Andre Dickens comes to the job calculating and confident
Andre Dickens is still acquainting himself with his job as mayor of Atlanta. But his mission is clear: Fight crime, produce affordable housing—which, experts say, would help prevent crime—and create good-paying jobs (another noted crime deterrent). Simply put, he must make Atlanta safer and more equitable.
As Atlanta continues to grow, unhoused people are finding a new voice—and new allies
Facing ongoing encampment sweeps, an affordability crisis, and the punishing effects of the pandemic, members of Atlanta’s unhoused community are amping up their activism and finding support in mutual aid organizations like Sol Underground
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The Connector
Sierra Jenkins deserved more
At 25, Sierra’s life and journalism career were just beginning. She was shot and killed this past weekend in her hometown of Norfolk, Virginia. Here, we remember our friend and colleague.
Valerie Boyd and Alice Walker: On the kinship and legacy of a literary union
Gathering Blossoms, Boyd’s second book, consists of half a century of Walker’s journal entries from more than 65 notebooks. Sifting through thousands of pages must have been a daunting task for Boyd and Walker. But the Georgia natives were kindred spirits whose partnership seemed fated—they both share a love for another Black woman author, Zora Neale Hurston.
Alliance Theatre’s world-premiere musical adaption of Trading Places puts women in charge
The Alliance Theatre gives its adaptation of the 1983 comedy some twists, including bringing back Tony Award–winning director Kenny Leon to helm the production. Here are four things you need to know about the new musical.
The plum lady of West End
The plum tree is a small tree, about 15 feet tall. I’ve never really done anything to or for it. I didn’t know much about gardening or how to prune or fertilize a tree. My modus operandi was just to stick it in the ground, and that was it. But this little tree just grew and grew, and it has been the most incredibly bountiful tree, very quickly, bearing more fruit than anyone could ever possibly eat. Baskets and baskets of plums.
In 1867, a naturalist walked 1,000 miles to the Gulf. 150 years later, a former AJC reporter retraced the path by car. How their journeys intersect.
In 1867, naturalist John Muir embarked on a 1,000-mile “botanical journey” across the South, walking from Kentucky to Florida. Five years ago, former Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Dan Chapman decided to retrace his route, albeit in a car: In the century and a half since Muir’s trek, his path has been chopped up by interstates and highways—“not a lot of fun hiking terrain,” Chapman says.
The Bite
The metro Atlanta spots that inspired Eric Kim’s cookbook, Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home
Eric Kim’s debut cookbook, Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home, expands upon his family’s history, which is intertwined with the growth of metro Atlanta’s Korean population, the largest in the South.
The verdict on 6 new Atlanta restaurants: Birrieria Landeros, MikChan’s, The Usual, Pala, Bastone, and El Valle
Birria to bleat about! Plus: Sichuan hot dogs in EAV, Roman-style pizza in Buckhead, a mozzarella bar on the Westside, and more.
What’s taking so long? Why some Atlanta restaurants openings get extremely delayed.
Its opening imminent, D Boca N Boca was named one of Atlanta magazine’s most anticipated restaurants of the year—specifically, the year 2020. Inspired by owner Helio Bernal’s family ties to Veracruz and the Yucatan peninsula, D Boca was set to start serving Mexican cuisine in Summerhill in May 2020. That turned out to be an inauspicious time. But even in nonpandemic eras, restaurant openings are often beset by delays that can stretch into months, even years.
Review: Daily Chew is a daily oasis
The cafe is an extension of Stop Think Chew, the benevolent food empire Julia Kesler Imerman has been building over the past several years. For me, it’s become a refuge, a calming space addressing my needs for physical and mental nourishment.
Our (frequently updating) guide to Atlanta’s very best pop-ups, food trucks, and more
Some of the most exciting food in Atlanta today is served out of borrowed kitchens, at farmers markets, and from food trucks. Here’s some of our recent faves, and where to find them.
The Goods
What to know about pickleball in Atlanta
Pickleball is a quirky mashup of badminton, tennis, and ping-pong. With Atlanta’s year-round temperate weather and booming tennis scene—the Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association (ALTA) boasts over 80,000 members—it’s easy to see why pickleball is catching on here.
Crafty chaos is the name of the game at the Splatter Studio
The Splatter Studio is the perfect place for skeptics who have looked at a Jackson Pollock drip painting and scoffed, I could do that.
Room Envy: A “showstopping” blue backsplash brings a bold accent to this kitchen
Lynn and Jimmy Lowe wanted a modern treehouse vibe for their home, which sits on a creek in the woodsy Emory area. The pros at Terracotta Design Build knocked down a wall between the family room and kitchen, then vaulted the ceiling and added new windows and doors as step one.
My Style: Dixon Rye founder Bradley Odom
After working for national retail brands like J. Crew and West Elm for more than 20 years, Bradley Odom knows shoppers are looking for an experience, not just products. The grandson of an upholsterer, he also inherited a passion for fine furnishings. Both influences shaped his vision for the interior design and home store Dixon Rye, which he opened at Westside Ironworks in 2015.
