Octane Coffee Bar is one of Atlanta's mostly highly celebrated coffee institutions. Starting on the West Side in 2003, they have steadily expanded their business to several locations around town. In 2011, they opened their Grant Park location across the street from Oakland Cemetery and a stone’s throw from the BeltLine. They've joined up with The Little Tart, an outstanding local bakery. I decided to go around 11am on a Wednesday and it was pleasantly bustling. Their tall ceilings and large … [Read more...]
My BeltLine Sojourn of ’94
In his remarks at the BeltLine Eastside Trail dedication, Mayor Kasim Reed expressed mock surprise at not uncovering dead bodies while clearing the former rail corridor. For too many years it was that sort of urban wilderness, a scary place where only outlaws and the homeless would go. This I know from a sojourn down those tracks in the spring of 1994, No, I did not imagine that morning rails-to-trails redevelopment, a distinction belonging to Ryan Gravel. My selfish purpose had more to do with … [Read more...]
BeltLine’s Best Restaurants: TWO Urban Licks
TWO Urban Licks is one of America's best outdoor restaurants according toTravel + Leisure. The accolade is earned from a patio that opens up to the BeltLine Eastside Trail, bocce ball courts, an herb & vegetable garden, and killer skyline views of downtown Atlanta. Inside is quite dramatic, too. The dining room's central feature is a high energy kitchen with a floor-to-ceiling rotisserie and open wood-fire pit where the meats and fishes are grilled to perfection. A few of the more … [Read more...]
Saturday Morning on the Eastside Trail
That's Sugar pictured above. She loves to walk...and meet people….and eat. So do I! That’s why we spend our Saturday mornings on the BeltLine Eastside Trail.. We start our morning routine on Auburn Avenue in the King Historic District in The Old Fourth Ward which is just a couple of blocks west of the BeltLine. We stroll past Lotta Frutta offering a nod and a “Good morning” to the folks sitting outside enjoying their Latin American fruit cups, smoothies, and breakfast fare. Then we cross over … [Read more...]