Monthly Archives: September 2018

T.I. to Open Pop-Up Trap Museum, Escape Room

Atlanta Loop 09/29/2018

Atlanta-based rapper, T.I. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

By Christopher Riley, contributor

Bankhead native Clifford Harris Jr.—better known as the rapper T.I.—is opening a pop-up museum dedicated to the Atlanta-bred rap subgenre trap at an as-yet-undisclosed location in West Atlanta starting this Sunday, Sept. 30.

The trap genre takes its name both from the colloquial term for a house known as a drug-dealing hotspot as well as from T.I.’s own 2003 album Trap Muzik—the record that contained the hit single and club anthem “Rubber Band Man.” The Trap Muzik Museum’s debut coincides with and celebrates the 15th anniversary of that album’s release, according to the museum’s official Instagram page (@trapmusicmuseum).

Along with T.I., fellow Atlanta-based acts such Gucci Mane, Future, Young Jeezy and Migos have helped to define and popularize the genre, and each of them make appearances on the museum’s aforementioned Instagram feed. Details regarding the exhibit have been kept largely secret in advance of the Sunday opening.

The pop-up will also feature an escape room with an “Escape the Trap” theme where teams of participants must investigate their surroundings to obtain clues that will enable them to return to the outside. The museum’s website suggests that guests use an on-site email form in order to RSVP for entry.

The press contact for the Trap Muzik Museum & Escape Room did not immediately return Atlanta Loop’s request for additional information on the location of the museum or specifics of the exhibit’s contents.

Visit the museum’s official website to RSVP. The cost of entry for the escape room is $30 per person. The website does not make any reference to any admission charge for entry to the museum area itself.

Beltline/ Decaturish/ Entertainment

Edgewood’s Getting Free and Rowdy

Derek Prall 09/28/2018

The Stacey Abrams Mural on Church. Image by Grant Henry.

Edgewood is going to get Free and Rowdy this Saturday night.

Multiple business owners on the well-known nightlife destination are throwing a “political party” to get potential voters registered. The event, called Free and Rowdy (named after one of Atlanta’s historic political groups) aims to get young people more involved in their government.

“Edgewood Avenue, from BQE in the west to Sound Table in the east is holding a street wide voter registration drive and free nighttime rally for Stacey Abrams on Sept. 29, starting at 10 p.m.” The Facebook event reads. “We’re not fancy, so this event won’t be fancy. It will be bare bones and to the point, and the point we are all making is register to vote.”

Most bars and businesses will be hosting seperate events to participate, and tables will be set up along the street to register people to vote in the general election. Yung Joc, local rapper and radio host, will be introducing Abrams, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, who will speak briefly and then walk along the street, conversing with patrons.

“My campaign is about meeting people where they are and engaging with them on the issues they care about most,” Abrams said in a statement to Atlanta Loop. “I look forward to visiting small business owners and young patrons on Edgewood to share my plans to support debt-free college, lift up small businesses and continue the progress we have made on criminal justice reform.”

The event was conceived as a way to combat political apathy. “The people who come down to Edgewood tend to be people who don’t vote very often” Brandon Ley, co-owner of the Georgia Beer Garden and Joystick and one of the organizers of the event told Atlanta Loop. “Being true believers in democracy, we wanted to make sure it’s easy as possible for these people to register to vote, to get information, and get out there and make things happen.”

Johnny Martinez, the other half of Joystick and the Beer Garden, said the name of the event – Free and Rowdy – has deep roots in Atlanta’s history. “The first three mayors of Atlanta were Free and Rowdy,” he said. “The party was established by tavern owners, distillers and people who worked in gambling dens. This is where Atlanta started, and we’re continuing that tradition.”

Martinez shared that to understand the Free and Rowdy party, it’s important to know who they were running against. The Moral Party were individuals who stood in opposition to Atlanta’s nightlife, going so far as to burn down the Free and Rowdy strongholds of Castleberry Hills and South Downtown. “We identify much more with the Free and Rowdy – and we think Edgewood is a little Free and Rowdy,” Ley said.

Both Martinez and Ley both agree that it can be dangerous for business owners to take strong political stances in today’s polarized climate; however, they think standing up for what they believe in is more important than trying to please everyone.

“We’re not afraid to start conversations,” Ley said. “We don’t want to surrender what our values are for the sake of money. That is the antithesis of our values, to be silent when we see something that could potentially hurt a large part of our community. We understand there could be blow-back, but we’re not afraid of it.”

Martinez agrees. “We believe in dialogue,” He said. “We need to get back to a place where we can have a conversation about our differences. The people we disagree with are the ones we need to speak with the most.”

The last day to register to vote is Oct. 9. Click here to check on your voter status or to register for the first time.

Beltline/ Business

Atlanta Business Chronicle calls Christine Blasey Ford hearing ‘win’ for Coca-Cola

Dan Whisenhunt 09/27/2018

As much of the nation sat riveted by testimony from Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused supreme court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her, the Atlanta Business Chronicle looked for an angle.

The publication found one, sitting next to Ford while she testified.

In a story titled, “Coca-Cola in spotlight at Supreme Court hearing with Christine Blasey Ford,” the Business Chronicle called the hearing a, “a huge product-placement win for Coca-Cola.”

“One estimate places the marketing value to Coca-Cola at over $3 million,” the article says.

The people who saw the article posted on Twitter were not amused.

“This is the most insensitive and unimportant headline you could’ve possibly written,” one user responded. “A caffeine bottle label is minuscule compared to the gravity of sexual assault and the bravery to come forward about it. Do better, ABC. Do better.”

Another said, “What the hell is wrong with you? I cannot fathom the insensitivity and inappropriateness of this.”

The Business Chronicle has not publicly addressed the criticisms. To see the article, click here.

Decaturish/ Entertainment/ Food

Breathing New Life into Georgia’s Oldest Craft Brewery

Atlanta Loop 09/26/2018

Photo courtesy of Atlanta Brewing Co.

By Matthew Pharr, contributor

From quarreling with Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) over a road expansion that threatened their facility to shakeups in management, Atlanta Brewing Co. — formerly Red Brick Brewing — is no stranger to adversity. Their journey has been tumultuous, but the brewery is hoping to find a new identity by returning to its roots.

Georgia’s oldest craft brewing company will be celebrating their 25th anniversary at their brewery, located at 2323 Defoor Hills Road, on Sept. 29. Planned activities include live music, food, sports and a pet adoption booth. However, this isn’t simply an anniversary party, it’s a celebration of a rich history and a reconnection with the company’s foundations.

Atlanta Brewing Co. was founded in 1993 by Greg Kelly, a former Guinness executive, according to company materials. Using a large red malt mill that was found abandoned in an English meadow, along with vats and cold tanks purchased in England, the company set up shop at 1219 Williams Street.

In 2004, a proposed GDOT road expansion threatened to uproot the company from their headquarters. Bob Budd, a management consultant and future company president, negotiated a settlement with the GDOT, and in 2006 the company resettled at their current Defoor Hills location, company materials indicate.

When asked about the rebranding, marketing director, Cameron Davis told Atlanta Loop, “We started off as Atlanta Brewing Company in 1993. Around 2010 they decided to rebrand to Red Brick because that was the most popular beer at the time, and felt that the consumer base had lost faith in Atlanta Brewing Company because there were some quality issues.”

However, the brand never really rang true. “We felt like the Red Brick name… it doesn’t really mean anything to the city, it doesn’t really mean anything to us. Everyone in the company now was not there then. We have a whole new management staff,” Davis said. “We’ve done a lot of changes over the past year working on the beer quality and making a better taproom experience. It kind of felt weird to us celebrating twenty-five years of Red Brick, when Red Brick was started in 2010.”

The rebranding isn’t just a name change. There are 40 Atlanta Brewing Co. events in September alone to establish the new name and solidify the brand in the minds (and on the tongues) of residents.

To coincide with Atlanta Brewing’s new image, they are releasing a new beer called Hartsfield IPA that will join their core beer lineup alongside Hoplanta IPA, Soul of the City Pale Ale and Homestand Pilsner, Davis says. They are also releasing a twenty-fifth anniversary Double IPA that will be available at their celebration on Sept. 29. In addition, Atlanta Brewing Company has collaborated with many other breweries on specialty beers throughout the Southeast region. Davis estimates that they are currently releasing two to three beers a week.

When asked why the company would go back to their original name as opposed to coming up with a new name, Davis said, “We weren’t trying to reinvent a new brewery. We are proud of our history. We’re the oldest craft brewery in Georgia. We’re one of the oldest in the Southeast. We never even considered going to another name.”

Business/ Decaturish/ Metro ATL/ Politics

UPDATED: Mayor Bottoms Encourages Public to Learn About Gulch Deal, Voice Concerns and Ask Questions

Derek Prall 09/25/2018

A flier for the meeting.

In response to the Atlanta City Council pumping the brakes on the Gulch development deal, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is inviting the public to come discuss the plan. The meeting will be livestreamed on the City of Atlanta’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 26 at Atlanta City Hall according to city officials. Bottoms will be explain her vision for the Gulch, hear the public’s concerns and answer questions. Also in attendance will be: Roosevelt Council, Atlanta’s chief financial officer, Attorney Peter Andrews, Greenberg Traurig, LLP; Attorney Alvin Kendall, The Kendall Law Firm; Attorney Doug Selby, a partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP; Ralph Dickerson, of the Department of Finance for Atlanta; and John Gaffney, deputy chief financial officer for Atlanta.

Earlier this month, Atlanta Loop reported the city entered into a conditional agreement with developer CIM to build out the economically depressed area of downtown known as the Gulch. Bottoms called it a “once in a lifetime opportunity” and urged the council to approve the agreement on Sept. 17.

It became clear Bottoms did not have council support, and she scuttled the vote in the 11th hour. “We recognize and respect that members of council, and the public, need more time to understand the largest development deal in our city’s history,” Bottoms said in a statement.

The entire Gulch deal can be downloaded here.

Decaturish/ Metro ATL/ WABE

As Buckhead Studies Affordable Housing, Options Disappear

Atlanta Loop 09/25/2018

A plan created by several community groups outlined the “inadequate” state of affordable housing in Buckhead. It found that for every 18 service industry employees in the area, there is only one affordable apartment available.

Credit Al Such / WABE

BY GRACE WALKER, WABE

Outside the Darlington apartments on Peachtree Road, Romunda Bostic and other residents gathered to pray this week. Bostic, who was leading the prayer, has lived in her apartment for about five years. But now, she has to go.

Tenants, many of which have fixed or low incomes, were recently given 60 days to vacate their homes. The owners of the complex, Hammond Residential, plan to make multi million dollar renovations to the apartments, which were built in the 1950s.

That leaves Bostic and hundreds of other residents of the Darlington looking for new, affordable housing — which will be a feat in one of the the wealthiest neighborhoods in Atlanta.

Bostic said, she feels like this marks the end of an era.

“People fail to realize, the old Buckhead was not a place where you had Tom Ford and all the shops up the street,” Bostic said. “It was a place where people would conjugate. They had clubs, parties. It was the working class people who lived here.”

And she may have a point.

Dr. Dan Immergluck, a professor of urban studies at Georgia State University, said the Darlington is one example of a pattern of disappearing affordable housing in Buckhead and around the city.

Community groups have taken notice. Last year’s “master plan” for the city, created by Buckhead CID, Livable Buckhead and other groups, prioritized “diversifying housing.”

The plan also outlined the “inadequate” state of affordable housing in the area for service sector employees and other workers with monthly rent affordability below $1,000/month. For every 18 service industry employees, there is only one affordable apartment available.

The first step the plan recommended is a study, looking into affordability in the area. Denise Starling, the director of Livable Buckhead, said what worried her group most is that 98 percent of people who work in Buckhead don’t live there.

“We’ve got all this retail, all of these hotels and service industry and jobs,” Starling said. “Those are not as high up level paying jobs. And then our residential opportunities here are so high end. That there’s a complete mismatch.”

This “mismatch” leads to traffic, the other problem Starling’s study is focusing on. She hopes they can find ways to cut build their way out of the city’s traffic problems.

It’s also an attempt to make affordable housing an issue for everyone.

“It’s easy if you’re talking about affordable housing for a lot of people to ignore the issue and say ‘that’s not my problem,’” Starling said. “But when you’re talking about traffic…that’s everybody’s problem.”

The study should take six months to complete.

In the meantime, these future affordable housing plans will come too late for the residents of the Darlington.

Community organizations such as Buckhead Christian Ministries, and others, have said they will step in to help residents find homes. As of Wednesday, only about one hundred residents remained.

Many of those left behind said the only thing they feel like they can do, is pray about it.

Beltline/ Metro ATL

Emory University receives million-dollar grants for healthcare

Mary Margaret Stewart 09/25/2018

Main Quad on Emory University’s primary Druid Hills Campus, including the Michael C. Carlos Museum on the right. Photo obtained via Wikimedia Commons

Recently, two of Emory University’s healthcare services were granted big sums of money to continue their efforts.

The Wounded Warrior Project recently awarded Emory with a $29.2 million grant over five years for post-9/11 Veteran patients with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, depression, and anxiety.

The grant money is going to the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program, which is in collaboration with the Wounded Warrior Project’s Warrior Care Network. Funds will go to support current treatment as well as space expansion and an increase in treatment capacity.

“Veterans and service members from across the country who qualify for the program are treated at no cost,” stated a recent press release, “giving them access to a wide range of services including daily individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy, wellness services, finance and career classes, and various recreational activities.”

To find out more about the Emory Healthcare Veterans program, check out: emoryhealthcare.org/veterans or call: 1-888-514-5345.

In addition to the Wounded Warrior Project’s grant, Hemophilia of Georgia recently donated $10 million to the university, founding the Hemophilia of Georgia Center for Bleeding & Clotting Disorders of Emory, which features a “state-of-the-art clinic” in Midtown.

The center has 7,500 square feet of clinic, a space where patients can receive care as well as a space for the physicians and staff. This includes eight exam rooms, video conferencing in conference rooms, a fully stocked physical therapy gym and more, according to a recent press release.

To go with a renovated space, the grant money will also go to help train physicians, further research, and develop services provided by the clinic.

“Hemophilia of Georgia has long supported and partnered with Emory and its bleeding disorders services, research, education and care teams,” MD, professor and chair of the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, Sagar Lonial said in a recent press release. “We are honored to receive this gift, which will provide expanded clinic space uniquely configured to support the multidisciplinary care team, along with support for ongoing education, training and translational/clinical research.”

Crime and Public Safety/ Decaturish

Vehicle Falls from Westside Parking Garage

Derek Prall 09/24/2018

Image via Atlanta Fire Rescue’s Twitter.

Police are saying a driver lost control of his vehicle and drove off the edge of a parking deck on the west side this afternoon.

Officers responded to 1050 Marietta Street in response to the accident, according to a police spokesperson. 11 Alive reports the Hyundai went through the fence of the parking deck and fell onto the roof of a business before it tumbled to the ground below.

There are no major injuries reported the APD spokesperson told Atlanta Loop. The driver was able to exit the vehicle with the help of bystanders, according to Atlanta Fire Rescue’s official Twitter. They were then transported to a medical facility for further evaluation.

Beltline/ Business

Local Merchandising Agency Selected to Design Super Bowl Volunteers’ Uniforms

Derek Prall 09/24/2018

Image courtesy of The Icebox.

The Icebox, a Beltline-based branded apparel and merchandise agency was selected by the Atlanta Super Bowl LIII Host Committee to design and produce the apparel and accessories for all 10,000 volunteers who will be working the game and associated events.

“Participating in the design from concept to completion of the Host Committee’s volunteer uniforms is a true honor,” Jordy Gamson, The Icebox’s CEO and co-founder, said in a statement. “We take our role seriously in the representation of our city. Not only are these exclusive uniforms designed with a high attention to detail and craftsmanship, but with the understanding that they need to stand out as a recognizable symbol of Atlanta.”

The host committee is working closely with The Icebox’s creative staff to create a uniform that celebrates and elevates Atlanta communities, according to program materials. In support of the committee’s sustainability efforts, one piece of the uniform collection will be made from recycled plastic water bottles, collected from Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport that was repurposed into fabric.

Designed by The Icebox in-house team, the volunteer’s apparel was crafted to be as functional, comfortable and as high-performing as possible, according to press materials. The uniform is made up of six components, including core items as well as accessories to make volunteers comfortable and easily identifiable.

In December, over 75,000 items will be provided to Team ATL volunteers, who will wear them during key Super Bowl LIII events, including Super Bowl LIVE, the free, multi-day concert in Centennial Olympic Park.