October 2018
Features
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Your guide to 16 great Georgia state parks
When you feel the pull of the outdoors, don’t overlook the obvious choice: Georgia’s 63 state parks and historic sites cover incredibly diverse terrain, from North America’s largest blackwater swamp to one of the world’s great mountain ranges. Here are a few of our favorite places to explore, especially when the leaves start to turn.
Atlanta Hawks at 50: The team’s history through the lens of Scott Cunningham
This month, the Hawks begin their 50th season in Atlanta. Yes, we’re still waiting on an NBA championship, but the franchise’s record over that half-century is nothing to scoff at: 33 playoff seasons; four NBA Coaches of the Year; and a cadre of Hall of Fame legends. We celebrate with a photo essay featuring the work of Scott Cunningham, the team’s official photographer of 41 years.
The bittersweet stories of Atlanta’s DACA recipients
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy allows renewable two-year respite from deportation for undocumented immigrants who entered the United States before they turned 16. Roughly 21,000 of them are in Georgia. Here, six metro Atlanta DACA recipients discuss their dreams, setbacks, achievements, survival, and what it’s been like to skirt federal and state laws in pursuit of better lives in America.
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The Connector
Don’t Miss List: Our top 5 event picks for October
Piedmont Park is becoming the grounds for the largest pride festival in the Southeast with Atlanta Pride Festival, Taste of Atlanta is back with more than 90 restaurants, and get ready for Halloween with Atlanta Horror Film Festival.
Georgia is moving in Democrats’ direction. For Stacey Abrams, will it be fast enough?
Someday a Democrat will win a statewide office in Georgia. It’s a statistical inevitability as the state continues to diversify. That time could be as soon as November 6, as Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams seems to be riding a national blue wave that could lift her above Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp.
Flashback: Karl Wallenda’s high-wire walk across Tallulah Gorge, 1970
Tallulah Falls city leaders wanted to increase the town’s profile, so they did the obvious: They invited Karl Wallenda—a German-born daredevil who had captivated audiences around the world with nail-biting, high-wire walks—to cross Tallulah Gorge in what some considered his riskiest stunt yet.
Author Tayari Jones on moving home to Atlanta and getting a phone call from Oprah
Tayari Jones, a Spelman College graduate, is the author of four novels—her latest, An American Marriage, was handpicked for Oprah’s Book Club earlier this year. Amid months of book tour stops and after years immersed in New York’s publishing world, the prolific author is moving back to her hometown. Our Q&A with her.
For decades, this haunted East Atlanta porch has kept trick-or-treaters coming back for more
What started 22 years ago as a few friends coming over to hand out candy has turned into one of Atlanta’s must-stop trick-or-treat attractions. Barry Wisebram, who owns a bungalow on Flat Shoals Avenue, aims to scare, so the spectacle is not for the faint of heart. Here’s how he creates his spooky spot.
The Bite
Home for Dinner: Jasmine Stewart, MasterChef Junior winner, cooks like a seasoned pro
Jasmine Stewart, who at 12 years old won Fox’s MasterChef Junior, somehow finds time to make dinner at home on occasion—when she’s not cooking at a charity event, filming her Jasmine’s Delightful Desserts video series, or juggling school, cheerleading, and Model U.N.
The case for eating Georgia “jellyballs”
Cannonball jellyfish—a smaller cousin of the feared shore demon but harmless to humans—is Georgia’s third largest fishery by volume. They’re popular in Asia; less so here in Atlanta. This fall, a collaboration launches between Golden Island International, the University of Georgia Marine Extension Service, and southern chefs with the intent to increase domestic sales of jellyfish beyond Asian markets and sushi restaurants.
The Christiane Chronicles: Stop cooking my vegetables to death
The best carrot I ever ate wasn’t charred, blistered, sous-vided, dusted with ashes, or suffering any of the indignities chefs now routinely submit our vegetables to. The best carrot I ever ate came right out of the ground.
The Goods
Where to shop in Atlanta now: Wearable art, essential oils, and Ponce City Market’s new DIY clothing boutique
Topstitch Studio and Lounge, Atlanta’s DIY dreammaker, has opened a new, 1,600-square-foot store inside Ponce City Market. Also check out the wearable-art trend at StudiOH, Shoppe!, a handprinted leather accessories line created by Atlanta abstract artist Courtney Burden.
Test Drive: How simply sitting in Grant Park’s Intown Salt Room can help you unwind
Salt therapy has become something of the rage recently. And But Carrie Wright, a longtime corporate marketing professional who recently opened Intown Salt Room in Grant Park, knows how to use it for stress relief.
3 quick workouts to fit in before, during, or after work in Atlanta
Get in a quick Atlanta workout with 9Round, which mixes kickboxing with strength and core stations, Plate Sculpt, which uses a Power Plate to activate the body’s natural reflexes, and F45 Training’s combination of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and traditional circuits.
Room Envy: A green splash flipped this kitchen from plain to bold and funky
Light and understated was never the personality of this loft—or its owner—says interior designer Gina Sims, who amped up this plain kitchen with layers of bold features. Homeowner Cati Teague specified “awesome and green,” which sent Sims on a hunt for the perfect backsplash tile.
My Style: Jaycina Almond, model and poet
Becoming a mother fueled Jaycina Almond’s career. The 23-year-old became a full-time model only after her daughter, Syx, was born in 2017. Somehow, she found the time to publish a book of poetry, In No Particular Order, and launch a subscription box for expectant mothers called Tender.
The most stylish color for this winter? Red.
No matter where you look this winter, you’ll be seeing red, from two-toned pinks to vermilion. Whether it’s manicures or mules, designers are using scarlet styles to set the trend.
Miscellaneous
Editor’s Note: Appalachian Autumn
Georgia’s state parks are among the best places to explore our mountains. One of the first I visited was Vogel, which is among the oldest in the state’s system. It’s simply impossible to believe this historic, verdant haven is just over 20 miles away from rollicking Helen. And I’ll put the views in Cloudland Canyon, Tallulah Gorge, Fort Mountain, and Black Rock Mountain state parks—especially when the leaves turn—up against anything in New England.
