Atlanta Magazine

Slater Nalley was a typical student at The Lovett School until Hollywood came calling earlier this year. He’s now one of the top 14 contestants for the hit show American Idol.

Overall, Piedmont Park will add more than six miles of new pedestrian paths, upgraded infrastructure, sidewalks and trails for walkers and joggers, dedicated lanes for bikers and scooters, enhanced entrances, seating, restrooms and water fountains and improved maintenance practices.

Like Atlanta’s unlikely journey to host the 1996 Centennial Olympics, for The Games in Black and White filmmakers George Hirthler and Bob Judson, the path to make the new documentary—premiering at the 49th annual Atlanta Film Festival Saturday, April 26 at the Rialto Theatre for the Arts—was equally long and complicated.

As much as I love swimming in the ocean, combing for sand dollars, watching pelicans drift along the coast, and eating ice cream by the lighthouse, I was glad for the rain. It slowed us down enough to explore parts of St. Helena’s history.  

The Busy Bee Cafe is broadening its reach after 78 years. Its current location in Vine City will continue to focus on takeout and catering, while a new, larger restaurant offers dine-in with a full bar, patio, and new menu items. Located in Atlantic Station in the former Fanatics space just off the central green, the new Busy Bee Cafe is slated to open in June 2026.

Michelin launched its Atlanta Guide in 2023, awarding one star to Atlas, Bacchanalia, Hayakawa, Lazy Betty, and Mujo. Last year, O by Brush, Omakase Table, Staplehouse, and Spring received the same recognition. But in 2025, the focus will shift from Atlanta to the Southern region with the announcement of the Michelin Guide American South edition. This will replace the Atlanta Guide for the foreseeable future and cover Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Atlanta. The rest of Georgia is excluded.

The Atlanta Film Festival has always highlighted the best of the peach state, but local films are at the core of the 49th year of the festival. From April 24 to May 4, the festival screens 132 films—from documentaries to animated shorts to features—including 40 films with Georgia connections. Atlanta magazine spoke to the directors of two of these films to learn more about each feature and its local ties.

In a culture obsessed with competition, it comes as no surprise that even our trees have been put to the test. In honor of Earth Month, celebrated every April, this series documents a handful of Atlanta’s champion trees—just some of the towering neighbors with whom we share our city. Their size makes them notable, but they are perhaps most remarkable simply because they have stayed alive.

I can say with particular pride that I was the first person to play tennis inside State Farm Arena. Elton John staged a tennis benefit for his AIDS Foundation at the newly opened building, then Philips Arena, in 2000, with Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Billie Jean King, and other legendary players on hand. I was a tennis newbie and arranged to hit with doubles star Luke Jensen before the event for a story I was writing.

Handmade Dumplings & Noodles in Marietta's open kitchen turns out Chinese street food favorites (Sichuan fried rice, hearty noodle dishes, and dry-fried green beans and eggplant) and some 1,000 dumplings a day. As good as the food was that first night, it was even better as leftovers. Over-ordering is strongly encouraged.