June 2008 - Posts

Sara Cheshire

• Best of Big A List

  The Best of the Big A 2007 is now out.  Access Atlanta, the entertainment sidekick of the AJC, does the Best Of every year, as well as rates top picks on an ongoing basis on their website.  It is a great resource if you are new to the city or are looking for something to do.  My personal favorite is the Weekend Elert, a weekly email with the A-list events for the weekend if you need some inspiration.
  

  So is this year's list really the Best?  I have lived here 6.5 years, survived 7 summers.  By some standards that makes me almost a certified local.  It sure isn't California and there are plenty of issues that make this city flat-out weird and troubled, but let's take a look at some of winners from the best places category:
  

  • Best Place For a First Kiss:  Botanical Gardens
    Oddly enough, I was just at the gardens last weekend trampling around with the opposite sex.  I might have to agree with this vote...I found myself feeling young and carefree and energized by being outside, and there are plenty of benches for talking...or, I suppose...kissing.
    
    
  • Best Place to Take Out of Town Visitors: Georgia Aquarium
    Sadly, Atlanta doesn't have a lot of stellar tourist attractions or stunning landscapes that places like Denver or San Francisco have to offer.  But, the Georgia Aquarium is probably the best traditional attraction we have to offer. I think part of the issue with tourism is due to the fact that Atlanta is more a place to live, less a place to visit.   In my opinion, one of the most unique features of the city is all the intown neighborhoods.  Taking a day or two exploring the parks and commercial districts of places like Grant Park, Virginia Highlands, Inman Park and Decatur would be my choice for visitors.  Have brunch in Cabbagetown, window shop the Highlands, coffee in Candler Park, dinner in Decatur...endless combinations of old charm and history.
    
    
  • Best Place to Pamper Your Pooch: Piedmont Park
    Yep.  Big dog park. And it is free. It is almost worth going to even you don't have a dog.
    
    
  • Best Weekend Getaway: Savannah
    Charming and historic, Savannah offers a waterfront that we are sorely lacking and architecture not burned down.  Another good best pick. 
    
    
  • Best Wifi Spot: Starbucks?
    Woah.  You have to pay to use Starbucks wifi the last time I checked.  It certainly wouldn't be my first choice.  Inman Perk Coffee, Octane and Java Vino offer unique independently owned coffee shops with outside seating, and in some cases, wine.  Highland Bakery also has killer brunch with wifi.  There is rumor  that you might be able to pick up some stray signals in Piedmont Park as well by the townhomes near Piedmont.  More and more restaurants now offer wireless, so check out this list of free wifi spots in Atlanta, though I think this particular list is slightly outdated.
    
    
  • Best City View: Sundial Restaurant
    I have yet to visit the top of the Westin (though a little scary now post-tornado), though it is on my list.  Forgot about just visitors, I'm excited to go see the view when Sun Dial Restaurant has live jazz performances.  Unless you want an expensive evening out, stick to the cocktails and jazz, and not so much dinner.  FYI, they offer Fourth of July packages if you would rather chill in the AC with panoramic sky views of several of the city's firework shows.
    
    However, I must say for an outdoor place with a view, the westside Six Feet Under is hands down an amazing place to see the city.  I recommend going at night...and if you time it right you can also see fireworks from the Braves Game.  Doesn't get much better than that. 
  Posted Jun 04 2008, 01:03 PM by saracheshire with 1 comment(s)

  Filed under: outdoor, piedmont park, music, events, jazz, attractions, wifi, restaurants

• Public Art Opening: A (new) Genre Landscape

  There is much more art in the city than the High.  Plenty of local studios and artists call Atlanta home, but perhaps they don't always get the recognition they deserve with the city more like a sports town than a cultural one.
  

  But, it is never to late to appreciate and support Atlanta artists. Saturday, June 7, the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs Public Art Program is hosting a reception for its new exhibit: A (new) Genre Landscape.  Held at the Cyclorama from 5:30-7:30pm, the reception will feature nine artists and three artist teams that have been working in local parks and communities to experiment with contemporary artwork. 
  
  The exhibits will last all summer long...providing the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors while interacting directly with the artists, as each will be providing artist talks in the parks throughout the month. 
  Click on the above link to see the schedule.
  

  The featured artists,  Danielle Roney, Shiela Pree Bright, Avantika Bawa, Joe Peregine , Pam Longbardi, Craig Dongoski, Michael Reese, Last Stand Collaborative, Tristan Al-Haddad, Matt Haffner, Ruth Stanford, Angus Galloway, Nat Slaughter cover a variety of art forms and span the range of emerging artist to internationally recognized.

  A van tour of all the parks and art on exhibit is scheduled for July 19.  Or bring on the heat with the "safari bike tour" of the art on the same day.  I have no idea what the safari part is about, other than it being hot, but it definitely has me curious to learn more.
  

  For more information, contact Stuart Keeler: 773 771 9362 or  newgenrelandscape@gmail.com.
  

  Posted Jun 04 2008, 10:32 AM by saracheshire with no comments

  Filed under: outdoor, lecture, events, art