It’s not a party until Winslow shows up
Jan. 9 — It’s Cathy and Stephanie from Rough Draft with our weekly newsletter on Tucker. During the break, Stephanie spent some time in Nashville (a great city), and also caught some of the decked-out homes on our RD holiday map.
Cathy spent the break overeating, trying to make up for it with yoga classes, and watching videos of Winslow, the Nigerian dwarf goat, dancing to “The Cupid Shuffle,” which was time well-spent. You won’t regret clicking on that link.
Before we get to the news, here are a few items of interest.
💚 You’re probably wondering if the Tucker Grinch made it home. The answer is yes. It looks like he got a lot of love this year.
🎸 Tucker will kick off a four-part winter concert series starting tonight with Atlanta-based cover band Emerald Empire Band.
🏠 Put this on your paper calendar: The DeKalb Housing Roundtable will meet on Wednesday, Jan. 14, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the Tucker City Hall Annex, 4228 First Ave., Suite 3, to discuss “safe housing choices for every resident at every stage of life.”
🚙 Anne Lerner will be sworn in as the city’s new mayor at a specially called 6 p.m. council meeting on Jan. 12. The panel will then meet at 7 p.m. and discuss a variety of issues, including a Special Land Use Permit for a new auto repair shop. Because Tucker doesn’t have enough of those.
🧨 ICYMI, a Tucker resident is calling for an end to Tucker’s July 3 fireworks, instead advocating for a drone and music show.
Let’s get on with the news,
Cathy and Stephanie
🎼 Be immersed in old-world elegance with Prague Philharmonia, led by Emmanuel Villaume, Sat., Jan. 23 at Sandy Springs PAC. Hear an early Mozart violin concerto, Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1, Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture and Dvořák’s bright, lyrical Symphony No. 8. Get tickets. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Bragging rights for Tucker
🏆 Tucker ultimately beat out Grant Park with 70 percent of the 8,000 votes tallied by the end of this year’s annual Urbanize (Sub)urban smackdown.
Urbanize noted that Tucker’s immense growth over the last several years was a metric of its success. The bracket consisted of 32 of the “most populous and internet-searched places in suburban Atlanta” and an additional 32 in-town communities considered Atlanta’s most historic, popular, and interesting neighborhoods.
From that, the voting began, with the top vote-getters in each pairing moving on to the next round. Grant Park, Avondale Estates, Hapeville, and Tucker made it to the final four.
🥇 Read about the big win here.
Stop renting and start owning!
SPONSORED BY DEKALB COUNTY OFFICE OF THE CEO
🏠 DeKalb County, in partnership with Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA), invites residents to take the first step toward homeownership with a FREE 4-Day Event. Participants can get NACA-qualified in as little as one day and learn how to access the nation’s most affordable mortgage.
NACA’s Mortgage Offers:
- No down payment
- Low fixed interest rates
- No closing costs
- No credit score requirement
Don’t miss this opportunity! Join us Thursday, Jan. 22 though Sunday, Jan. 25, from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. at the Gallery at South DeKalb (formerly JCPenney).
➞ Register today. Walk-ins welcome.
Mama Debbie’s aims to offer inclusivity, art
With art inked on her face and forearms, Angelica Bakhsh embodies self-expression and artistic freedom wherever she goes.
When the door to her labor of love, Mama Debbie’s Art Emporium, opens later this month in the former Treasures on the Railroad space, she hopes that each customer and artist can feel the freedom and inclusivity she intends to bring with her new art hub, which is named after her late mother.
“My mom was an activist, and a victim’s advocate, and she was the mom that all my friends would go to – all the weird kids, and all the queer kids, and all the kids whose families didn’t accept (them),” Bakhsh said in an interview with Rough Draft Atlanta. “I grew up in South Georgia, in Albany, and all of those people could always find refuge at my house with my mom, so that’s where we landed. We want to offer that refuge to the ‘othered.’”
👨🏻🎤 Stephanie has more about Mama Debbie’s here.
🎼 Be immersed in old-world elegance with Prague Philharmonia, led by Emmanuel Villaume, Sat., Jan. 23 at Sandy Springs PAC. Hear an early Mozart violin concerto, Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1, Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture and Dvořák’s bright, lyrical Symphony No. 8. Get tickets. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Closing the chapter at Northlake Macy’s
🚪 The other shoe has dropped – Northlake Macy’s will be closing before the end of the year.
The “Bold New Chapter” concept, announced by Macy’s in early 2024, detailed a new approach to strengthening sales, including focusing more on digital sales, closing 150 underproducing stores, and expanding its small-format stores. At the time Macy’s made the announcement, the Northlake location was on the chopping block, but it got a reprieve for reasons unknown.
Every time I went into the store, it was blanketed with sadness – with few customers, limited inventory, and more and more cordoned-off areas throughout.
🙁 Read more about the closure here.
Real estate forecast: limited inventory, strong demand
🌤️ Stable and healthy are what homebuyers can expect for Atlanta’s housing climate for 2026. Real estate professionals selling in areas such as Dunwoody, Buckhead, Brookhaven, Sandy Springs, and Tucker anticipate potentially limited inventory but strong demand.
In our housing outlook for 2026, four professionals share their perspectives on what’s ahead for the new year.
🏡 Read Shandra’s story about what buyers and sellers can expect.
Share your love of Rough Draft with a friend
Use the personal referral link below and get cool stuff.
Get 10 referrals and we’ll send you some stickers.
Get 20 and you’ll get a t-shirt!