What’s up, Wednesday?
May 29 — Blake’s on the Park, the popular LGBTQ bar in the heart of Midtown, is expected to reopen this week after a fire forced its closure over Memorial Day weekend.
🌞 Sunny and 84° today.
⚖️ Three former Dunwoody Police officers gave graphic testimony in a sexual harassment lawsuit against another former officer in a DeKalb courtroom yesterday. The case continues today.
🚧 More traffic pattern changes are coming to North Druid Hills Road on June 1 as Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta opens the new entrance to its campus.
🚙 Sandy Springs will need to spend $7 million annually to maintain its system of city roadways, according to a new analysis.
🚰 DeKalb County announced that it will cost $4.4 billion to replace 3,000 miles of water pipes by 2050.
🍔 Chef Todd Ginsberg will open Ginsberg’s Refresher on Thursday at Wild Heaven Beer in Avondale Estates featuring his popular burgers.
🥪 Chef Shaun Doty has closed The Best Sandwich Shop just over a year after it opened in Poncey-Highland.
ELSEWHERE
⚖️ Jurors heard closing arguments yesterday in former President Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial. The 12-person jury begins deliberations today.
✝️ Pope Francis apologized Tuesday after he was quoted using a vulgar and derogatory term to reaffirm the Catholic Church’s ban on gay priests.
🇿🇦 South Africa’s ruling African National Congress party faces its biggest threat in 30 years of governing in today’s elections.
PICTURE THIS: Thousands flocked to Piedmont Park on Monday night to hear André 3000 perform free-form jazz inspired by his debut album of flute music, “New Blue Sun,” at the Atlanta Jazz Festival. It also happened to be the OutKast co-founder’s 49th birthday. See more photos from the evening on our Instagram (photo by John Stephens).
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Mid-Year Real Estate Report
• Camille Russell Love to retire
• Horticulture therapy
AND
• Concert Picks
Have a good day,
Collin & Sammie
🏫 The Galloway School announced Galloway Forward, a project to revitalize its campus with a new Upper Learning building, safer campus, renovated existing buildings, and preserved legacy, enhancing the learning environment and ensuring the school’s future excellence. Learn more.
SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Mid-Year Report: Intown home sales and values stay strong, but condos falter
💸 The Intown real estate market has remained active, despite higher interest rates.
Local real estate professionals report that businesses, investors, and new residents continue to be drawn to Intown, resulting in high prices and low inventory, especially for single-family homes.
Some professionals said that they are seeing things heat up for the Intown market, while others said they thought the overall market has remained static.
🏡 Check out more on the market here.
India’s Manish Arora is on view at SCAD FASH
SPONSORED BY SCAD
💃🏼 ‘Manish Arora: Life is Beautiful’ is now on view at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film.
Renowned for dazzling designs in a rainbow of colors, Manish Arora has brought the talent and craftsmanship of India’s rich sartorial history to the global forefront, earning international acclaim on runways across three continents.
Designing in India since the 1990s, Arora’s glittering garments celebrate extravagant expressions of self through varied materials, techniques, and silhouettes in a triumphant union of Western and Eastern aesthetics adapted to today’s multicultural society — all with a touch of humor.
🧶 Find out more at scadfash.org.
2. Atlanta’s longtime cultural affairs director Camille Russell Love to retire
🎭 City of Atlanta Director of Cultural Affairs Camille Russell Love, a fixture at city hall and in the city’s art scene for more than 25 years, has announced she will retire before the end of the year.
The city announced in a press release that a national search will be conducted to find Love’s replacement. Upon the appointment of her successor, Love will assume an emeritus role within the city as the Cultural Affairs Senior Advisor to the Mayor.
“I enjoy serving my city and its residents and look forward to continuing my service,” Love said in a statement. “Although I will miss daily contact and work with the cultural community and emerging artists in this city, I look forward to continuing to work with Mayor [Andre] Dickens in Moving Atlanta Forward.”
🖌️ Read more here.
3. Horticulture therapy part of mental health treatment for youths
🎋 In May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month, Hillside hosted a Craft Crawl to share its mental health treatment modalities, like horticulture therapy.
Each year, Hillside serves 900+ children aged 6-18 who struggle with emotional and behavioral issues through a continuum of care: residential treatment, day treatment, and intensive in-home and virtual group therapy. Its Morningside campus includes seven residential cottages that house 87 clients, an Atlanta Public Schools accredited school building, dining hall, gymnasium, pool, learning gardens, and more.
Youths stay in the residential program for six to eight weeks and participate in a range of treatment modalities, like horticultural therapy, which uses plants and gardening to promote well-being, healing, and health.
🌿 Learn more about horticultural therapy here.
💡 Interested in having your child or teen take their Spanish to the next level over the summer? Register for a free, trial Spanish class with Atlanta Spanish Immersion. Sign up for a package before May 31, and receive two complimentary hours. Aprende más.
SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Concert Picks
VIA HOW DO YOU ATLANTA? SPONSORED BY SCAD
📧 What’s an upcoming show you’re excited about? Hit reply to this email and let us know!
Wed., May 29
🎛️ Lady A @ The Eastern
🎸 Buck Meek @ The Earl
🏝️ Private Island + Pink Skies @ Vinyl
🤝 Tomorrow x Together @ State Farm Arena
😂Celeste Barber @ Tabernacle
Thurs., May 30
🎞️ DannyLux @ Center Stage
Fri., May 31
💅 Megan Thee Stallion and GloRilla @ State Farm Arena (also Sat.)
🎤 Paul Cauthen (pictured) @ Variety Playhouse
🤠 Parker McCollum @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Sat., June 1
🇮🇪 Niall Horan @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
🇰🇷 P1Harmony @ Fox Theatre
🎶 How Sweet The Sound @ Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
🧲 The Magnetic Fields @ Variety Playhouse (also Sun.)
🇿🇦 Orville Peck @ Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park
🎷 Trap Jazz @ Vinyl
Sun., June 2
🎹 Tye Tribbett and Friends @ Coca-Cola Roxy
📽️ Maya Hawke @ Buckhead Theatre
Tues., June 4
🎭 Les Miserables @ Fox Theatre (through June 9)
🐁 Pixies and Modest Mouse @ Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park
Wed., June 5
💭 Dreamer Boy @ Vinyl
💄 Lip Critic @ Aisle 5
TUNE IN
🎙️ Don’t miss Sammie with the AJC’s Mike Jordan every Thursday at 9:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. as they preview the top events in town on WABE.
🎧 The segment is also a podcast. Listen to the full conversation by subscribing to the How Do You Atlanta? podcast at wabe.org or wherever you get your podcasts.
Tooting our own horn
🚀 Three Rough Draft newsletters have been shortlisted in the Media Voices 2024 Publisher Newsletter Awards! The hard work and creativity of the team have been recognized in the following categories:
🏆 Best Entertainment & Culture Newsletter: Sketchbook
🍽️ Best Food & Drink Newsletter: Side Dish
🌍 Best Local & Community Newsletter: Rough Draft Atlanta
We couldn’t do it without the amazing support and engagement from our readers and sponsors! Thank you for helping us build something special.
– Keith Pepper, Publisher
📧 Today’s newsletter was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.