Thursday tricks & treats

Oct. 31 — If you’re looking for some thrills and chills this Halloween, be sure to check out the Netherworld haunted house, the Halloween Bar Crawl, or find some spooky fun at our How Do You Atlanta? event calendar.

🌤️ Mostly sunny and 79° today.

🔎 The GBI will investigate the SWAT sniper shooting of a senior citizen who opened fire from a balcony at the Four Seasons on Tuesday. The suspect remained hospitalized at Grady on Wednesday.

⚖️ Two more of Young Thug’s co-defendants took plea deals Wednesday, leaving the rapper with only two others facing trial in the lengthy YSL racketeering case.

🚗 The Tucker City Council heard encouraging words about the progress made in the city’s paving program and is looking at different funding scenarios for future work.

🚌 Dunwoody High School students had to relocate to Chamblee High on Wednesday after a water main break. 

🛴 Lime is offering riders two free 30-minute scooter or bike rides to help them get to and from voting locations through Nov. 5. 

💵 Giving Kitchen has activated an emergency financial disaster relief program for restaurant workers affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

🗣️ Sammie was at yesterday’s Atlanta Women’s Foundation luncheon which featured SNL alum Molly Shannon as the keynote. 

ELSEWHERE

⚾ The Dodgers won their eighth World Series title, beating the Yankees 7-6 in Game 5. Former Brave Freddie Freeman, who hit a walk-off grand slam in Game 1, was named MVP.

✈️ New refund rules now require airlines to reimburse passengers for delays and baggage issues automatically.

☕ Starbucks will stop charging extra for dairy alternatives.

🗳️ The U.S. Supreme Court said Virginia can resume its purge of voter registrations.

🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:

• Lenox Boardwalk
• ATL StyleWriters Jam
• GA Tech fights Android malware
AND
• Quick Bites

Happy Diwali to all who celebrate,
Collin & Sammie

📧 Do you have a friend who would like Rough Draft? Send them today’s newsletter and encourage them to subscribe! 


🧶 The Cashmere Sale has popped up in Sandy Springs through Dec. 12! Wrap yourself in luxury with 100% cashmere sweaters and accessories at 50% off MSRP. Perfect for holiday gifts and cozy winter days. Shop in person or online with code Atlanta2024. SPONSOR MESSAGE


Rendering courtesy of Buckhead CID

1. Work underway on Lenox Boardwalk project

🚲 Construction is finally underway on the Lenox Boardwalk, a multi-use trail along Lenox Road between East Paces Ferry Road near the Lenox MARTA Station and Peachtree Road.

The Lenox Boardwalk was conceived in a 2017 community planning effort to create a master plan for Buckhead’s commercial core. The boardwalk is the first phase of remaking Lenox Road into one of Atlanta’s most “distinctive and identifiable corridors,” according to the Buckhead Community Improvement District.

Expect to see work over the next three months on phase one of the project, including the removal of unhealthy trees.

➡ Find out more about the project here.


The weather is changing, but your bill doesn’t have to.
SPONSORED BY GAS SOUTH

🍂 Relax and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’ll always pay the same amount every month with Gas South’s simple OnePrice Plan®.

➡ Sign up today and get $100 in bill credits.


Photo by Erin Sintos

2. New restaurant round-up: Pizza Jeans, The Sparrow, Ashland’s Kitchen, Avize, and more

2. ATL StyleWriters Jam coming to Beltline this weekend
VIA SKETCHBOOK A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER| SUBSCRIBE HERE

✍️ The ATL StyleWriters Jam is coming to various locations on the Atlanta BeltLine Nov. 1-3.

Presented in conjunction with the Atlanta Style Writing Association, the three-day celebration of style writing and graffiti art will enlist more than 30 artists who will showcase their talents on walls along the Beltline.

What is style writing? Beginning from fundamental “tags” which mostly consist of the artists’ street names, the lettering and word choice has evolved to become an art form of its very own.

➡ Learn more about the 2025 ATL StyleWriters Jam here.


Photo via Ansley Park Civic Association

3. GA Tech team works to prevent Android malware
 📲 Accessibility tools like voice-to-text, screen readers, alternative input devices, and speech recognition software are important parts of making our digital world more accessible to all people. But it turns out, they also make mobile devices more accessible to hackers.

That’s been a key area of research for Professor Brendan Saltaformaggio and his team at the Cyber Forensics Innovation Laboratory at Georgia Tech.

⚠️ Nefarious malware authors have found ways to use these accessibility tools to gain access to Android devices and “act” like the user, Saltaformaggio said.

➡ Read the whole story from Hypepotamus here.

🧶 The Cashmere Sale has popped up in Sandy Springs through Dec. 12! Wrap yourself in luxury with 100% cashmere sweaters and accessories at 50% off MSRP. Perfect for holiday gifts and cozy winter days. Shop in person or online with code Atlanta2024. SPONSOR MESSAGE


Photo courtesy of Snooze an A.M. Eatery

4. Quick Bites
VIA SIDE DISH, A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER| SUBSCRIBE HERE

🕷️ 👻 Still deciding on Halloween plans for tonight? Nappy Roots, owners of Atlantucky Brewing, are teaming up with Gallery 85 for an audio-visual art show starting at 8 p.m. at 170 Northside Dr. SW. Don your favorite costume and celebrate the artistry of DJs and artwork; the best getup will win a prize of $150. There will also be a QR code to donate to Caring For OthersYou can register here.

🐠 According to a recent Instagram post, the Atlanta Fishmonger location at Pullman Yards will be closed for restructuring. They will still host private and ongoing events for Pullman Yards. No date for reopening has been announced. Additional locations of Fishmonger will remain open.

🌸 💀 Looking to celebrate Día de los Muertos? Look no further than Ponce City Market. Starting at noon tomorrow, there will be traditional Pan de Muerto, coffee from Recuerdos Cafe, flower crown-making stations, and more. The event will take place on the second floor between Elk Head Clothing and Glad & Young.

🍖 Tomorrow is also Oxford Bites & Southern Nights: A Tailgate Affair. Starting at 7 p.m. at the historic Hotel Clermont, Visit Oxford – in partnership with The Local Palate – will bring Oxford’s culture and cuisine to The RooftopWonderbird Spirits, Mississippi’s first grain-to-glass distillery, will craft signature cocktails, and multiple food stations will feature Oxford tailgate classics, like chicken on a stick. Tickets can be purchased here.

 Coffee and country music collaborations? That would be the case for Grammy-winning artist Jason Isbell and Jittery Joe’s Coffee. The latest addition to their Music Line – which also features Widespread Panic, Drive-By Truckers, Futurebirds, and others – is a Guatemalan blend celebrating the 10th anniversary of Southeastern Records and Isbell’s timeless songwriting. Visit jitteryjoes.com to order, or sample a cup at Jittery Joe’s cafés.

🍸 Atrium is getting in on the martini action with Tini Martini Hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting at 4 p.m. Think of variants like lychee, red apple, or the Green Goose – a mix of Grey Goose, green chile vodka, cucumber, and lime. And ICYMI, be sure to check out Beth McKibben’s love letter to the Martini here.

🗳️ Election day deals and specials:

  • On Tues., Nov. 5, visit Your 3rd Spot with proof of voting and earn a half-priced entry and the chance to cast another ballot—this time for your favorite Y3S dish—with a mini-American flag to take home. 
  • Off Leash also joins the celebration with 20% off food all day for patrons showing their “I’m a Georgia Voter” sticker. 

🌮 Sat., Nov. 9 is Margarita & Taco Fiesta at Live! At the Battery, starting at 4 p.m. Expect booths with local treats and shopping, Mariachi bands, and a lineup of Atlanta food trucks. You can purchase your tickets here.

🍂 Midtown’s Serena Pastificio is debuting a new fall menu including seafood risotto, lamb shank, and spinach and mushroom cannelloni. For cocktails, consider the Giorno D’Autunno – a blend of Hanson of Sonoma ginger vodka, Apologue persimmon liqueur, carrot, orange, and sweet potato syrup; or the NA Chai One On, which is a mix of chai, lemon, Honeycrisp apple, and allspice syrup. For more updates, follow their Instagram here.

🥞 Craving breakfast for dinner? You’re in luck! Snooze An A.M. Eatery (pictured) is launching a Snooze After Dark Series, with 100% of proceeds going to Giving Kitchen, a local nonprofit that provides essential financial assistance to restaurant workers in crisis. The series kicks off at Snooze Perimeter on Thurs., Nov. 15. Find out more and purchase your tickets here.

🧒 Chichería Mexican Kitchen at The Works ATL is hosting Kids Eat Free Mondays for ages 10 and under. The kids menu includes entrées like Baja fish sticks, pollo loco chicken tenders, or cheese and black bean quesadillas. The offer is for dine-in only and exclusive to Chichería Loyalty Members. For more details and updates follow their Instagram here.

🥂 Going spirit-free? Be sure to check out the mocktail menu at rooftop restaurant Azotea Cantina in Atlantic Station. Think Hibiscus Spritz – a mix of hibiscus, pineapple, and soda water, or a Watermelon Mojito – a blend of lime, mint, watermelon, and Red Bull. For more updates follow their Instagram here.

🍺 Wild Heaven Beer has announced the opening of its third brewery and taproom, in conjunction with Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q, at the Toco Hills Shopping Center. Read more about the partnership here

🧑‍🍳 Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails has named AJ Jones as its new executive chef. In celebration, the Crabapple restaurant has launched a new lunch service and an updated dinner menu. Highlights include chicken liver mousse with strawberry jam, pink peppercorn mustard, and baguette; and pan-seared scallops with fava and corn succotash, Brussels sprouts, candied pecan, and white mole. Stay tuned here for more updates.



📧 Today’s newsletter was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.


Support local media

$
$
$

Your contribution is appreciated.

This report was compiled and written by Rough Draft Atlanta's staff.