Tag: Kwanza Hall

Atlanta's crowded mayoral race has been quietly humming along since last year, but yesterday, in a Buckhead restaurant filled with CEOs and elected officials, the race to decide who will lead the city over the next four years officially kicked off over a spread of Brunswick stew and tabletop buckets of Bud Light.

Goodbye flea markets, hello fish tacos.

Tiny homes have helped cities across the nation address shortages of affordable housing and homelessness. Yet the trend hasn’t caught on in Atlanta.

Johnson’s address in the sanctuary of Big Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church capped a march of about 200 activists, who had made their way from the state capitol steps to the church in Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn district in memory of the nine people killed in Wednesday’s shooting at Emanuel AME church.

Back in 2012, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn district to its list of the country’s “most endangered” historic places. Much bemoaning of Atlanta’s fondness for the wrecking ball followed—just as it had in 1992, the first time that the Trust sounded the alarm on the precarious status of one of the most influential locations in African American history.

From hundreds to thousands to tens of thousands, Freaknik grew, but during its first decade, almost all white Atlantans—and many black Atlantans over the age of 40—were oblivious. Then came Freaknik 1993.

The two new projects—both, by the way, on the Atlanta Streetcar line—represent the kind of everyday amenities that are needed by the people who live in the area year-round, not just tourists.

After city councilman Kwanza Hall presented Dina Marto with a council proclamation lauding her past contributions to the city's music industry, the crowd of eager onlookers parted for the arrival of hip-hop impresario Rick Ross. Imposing in a massive fur-collared peacoat, Ross announced that his label, Maybach Music Group, would be setting up operations in Atlanta at Twelve Studios.

More than 60,000 people attended the three concerts held in Centennial Olympic Park, according to Pat O’Brien of the promotions group Bowery Presents South. The economic impact to the city has not been tallied, but attendees took over surrounding downtown hotels, restaurants, and bars, paid handsomely for parking, bought T-shirts, and took plenty of $13.50 rides on the Ferris wheel.

In what is the first step to a major legal victory for Atlanta food trucks, Atlanta City Council passed an amendment Monday allowing vendors to operate on certain public streets around the city. That means that as soon as Mayor Kasim Reed signs the bill (or seven days from now when the bill becomes law immediately), you could be in line to buy tacos from a truck parked in a metered space. Previously, trucks could only obtain permits to vend on private property.