Cityscape

It may catch a lot of flack for its campy boardwalk and dated motels, but TYBEE ISLAND is a nostalgic alternative to the more highbrow St. Simons and Jekyll islands a little ways south. The three-mile-long barrier island sits 18 miles east of Savannah and 270 miles southeast of Atlanta and boasts Georgia’s oldest and tallest lighthouse — as well as a fair dose of old-fashioned fun, including an annual water gun fight and beach bum parade. The tin-roofed, open-air, sandy-floored Crab Shack (motto: “Where the elite eat in their bare feet”) is not to be missed.
www.tybeeisland.com.

When United Parcel Service went public in 1999, its generous employee stock option made millionaires out of longtime employees, from managers to delivery truck drivers. And UPS keeps on giving. Even part-time employees get full benefits, including forgivable student loans of $2,000 per year for four years. The company was ranked eighth in the U.S. for employee benefits by MONEY magazine. And Fortune ranked UPS No. 23 out of 1,000 companies for minority employment.
55 Glenlake Parkway. 800-742-5877. www.ups.com.

Named for its sheer, dark-hued cliffs, BLACK ROCK MOUNTAIN STATE PARK sits in the far northeast corner of the state, where Georgia meets the Carolinas. With an altitude topping out at 3,640 feet, it also boasts the highest point in a Georgia state park, offering 80-mile views of the southern Appalachians. The 1,740-acre park also is home to fields of wildflowers; 11 miles of trails; a 17-acre lake for catching bass, bream, catfish, perch and trout; and 64 campsites, ranging from $3-$21 per night.
800-864-7275. gastateparks.org/info/blackrock.

It takes a tenacious neighborhood group to get Wal-Mart to listen. But UNDERWOOD HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION did just that, making sure the store’s developers heard residents’ concerns about the Wal-Mart superstore that will anchor a mixed-use project off Howell Mill Road near I-75 (formerly the site of the Tudor-style Castlegate Hotel). The association played an active role in the decision to build the store — and most of its parking — underground, reducing the big box eyesore. And although the association did run off a Home Depot, its treaty with Wal-Mart represents a compromise other neighborhood groups have been unwilling to make.
www.underwoodhills.org.

This year, Atlanta lost several trade shows, some of whose organizers blamed an economic slump for diminished interest in the events. Despite the losses, the BRONNER BROS. INTERNATIONAL HAIR SHOW, hosted by the Marietta-based hair product company and drawing 50,000 people to the Georgia World Congress Center every August, is holding up Atlanta’s reputation as a convention town with the tenaciousness of a tub of African Royale Mink Oil Gel. From intense barber battles to outlandish hairstyles bobbing down the fashion runway, the convention is so iconic that Ludacris gives it props in his track “Pimpin’ All Over the World”: “But I drop you off and pay you no attention/If I make it to Atlanta’s Bronner Brothers convention.”
www.bronnerbros.com.

As small-town main streets go, one of the most charming in these parts belongs to the city of BUFORD, nestled in the northern tip of Gwinnett County. Founded in 1872, the city was put on the map by industrialist Bona Allen, who ran the tannery and leather factory — now fully renovated as an antique mall — that served as the town’s economic engine. In 1912, Allen built a 17-room Italianate mansion, and the home and tannery bookend Main Street, which is now lined by boutiques, antique shops, restaurants and galleries that double as working studios.
www.cityofbuford.com.

Held the last weekend in April, the INMAN PARK FESTIVAL has all the offerings you’d expect from a such an event: a goofy parade, a street market, live music, and a tour of the neighborhood’s Victorian homes. But what sets the three-day festival apart is the people. Everyone, from everywhere in town, goes. The festival marks one of the rare occasions when stroller-pushing Virginia-Highlanders and well-heeled Ansley Parkers brush shoulders with Little Five Points bohos and south-of-Ponce hipsters. One bit of advice: Parking can be an exercise in futility. Take MARTA.
www.inmanpark.org/festival.php.

Emory University’s 185-acre LULLWATER PARK, nestled between Clifton Road and Emory’s Clairmont Campus, is home to a scenic lake, mature trees, and well-developed paths. Venture on the dirt trail that circles the lake, or take advantage of the paved path that meanders through the entire park. Lullwater, which is popular with students and non-students, joggers, fishermen, and those seeking a quiet place to read, is also home to Emory University President James Wagner’s sprawling English Tudor-style home.
Entrance on Clifton Road, across from the medical school. www.emory.edu.

After the textile boom hit Atlanta in the 1870s, villages started cropping up around the city’s cotton mills. When the mills closed, many of the mill towns disappeared. But not WHITTIER MILL VILLAGE. Located in the northwest corner of the city, about three miles off I-75, Whittier Mill is a 110-home neighborhood boasting homes built in the 19th century. An adjacent park is home to the mill’s original brick tower, where neighbors gather for picnics. And many of the houses — which sell for around $225,000 — include original heart-pine floors, bead-board walls, and an overall feeling of having traveled back in time.
www.atlantaga.gov/government/urbandesign_whittiermill.aspx.

You’re not going to hear the hits of the ’60s and ’70s on WREK’s classic rock show STONEHENGE, thank God, but you will learn about the less played-out side of rock’s psychedelic age. Like the ancient site of the same name, Stonehenge stands for timelessness — of bands like Love, Humble Pie, the Flying Burrito Brothers, and Roxy Music. And Stonehenge DJ Dr. Rock’s encyclopedic knowledge about such things as a band’s bitter breakup or song’s obscure genesis rivals that of the coolest dad. If you’re too busy to tune in on Fridays, you can hear the most recent episode on the website of the Georgia Tech-run station.
Fridays, 8 p.m.-midnight, WREK-FM (91.1). 404-894-2468. www.wrek.org.

There were, at press time, about 14.9 jillion gazillion blogs on the Internet, most of them indulgences in mental masturbation. One that is not is www.extremecraft.com, the creation of local artist and graphic designer Garth Johnson. Begun as a way to highlight cool examples of craft, both low-brow and high, the blog has become a forum for Johnson’s irreverent and literate approach to art and art criticism. In March, he highlighted a taxidermist who will turn the fur of your departed pet into a pillow. Remarked Johnson: “I wonder what she could do for my goldfish.” But it’s his occasional lapses into the profane that keep the blog fresh. To wit: “Ceramics Monthly magazine can suck my nuts.”
www.extremecraft.com.

He’s known for his police-escort posse, designer-label suits and a jet-setting lifestyle that included a secret junket to the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. It’s alleged that he once threatened a woman with a firearm and has been involved in other unpleasant run-ins with female elected officials. He’s been accused of rape, but his lawyer dismisses the incident as a threesome that ended with hurt feelings. No, we’re not talking about a rock star or professional athlete, but DeKalb County’s head honcho, VERNON JONES. In addressing the rape accusation, Jones’ attorney described the CEO as a “political celebrity.” Who are we to argue?
www.co.dekalb.ga.us.

Senior proms are awkward, expensive, pretentious affairs. Isn’t there anything better to do with your time and money? That’s what RIVERWOOD HIGH SCHOOL students asked before deciding to forgo the prom and donate prom funds to nonprofit group CARE’s tsunami relief efforts. The local community responded to the school’s gesture with a flood of donations. Nearly $10,000 ultimately was donated to CARE. The school received some donations as well — enough to go ahead with the prom after all.
5900 Heards Drive. 404-847-1980. www.riverwoodhs.org.

DEBORAH LIPSTADT, a professor of modern Jewish and Holocaust studies, is one of the most popular faculty members at Emory. But what really sets her apart is a book written a dozen years ago in which she lambastes one of the world’s most infamous Holocaust deniers, David Irving. Irving turned around and sued Lipstadt for libel in British court, but the judge found in favor of Lipstadt, calling Irving a racist and anti-Semite. Sweet. Lipstadt was back in the news last spring when she refused to allow C-Span to tape a lecture she was giving. Why? The network wanted to air it back-to-back with one by Irving. Seems the battle against Holocaust deniers isn’t over yet.
www.lipstadt.blogspot.com. www.hdot.org.

You don’t have to be Jewish to appreciate ATLANTA JEWISH LIFE. The magazine, which first published in the spring of 2001, comes out every other month and features short, sharply written articles on topics ranging from a Jewish girl’s journey to learn more about her infamous mobster uncle to a profile on Jewish comedian (and former Atlantan) David Cross. Editor Benyamin Cohen hasn’t missed a beat as he’s vested the publication with a young, hip sensibility. The July-August issue’s cover, “Jewish Radio Mafia: A Photo Essay,” is a brilliant, “Sopranos”-esque photo lineup of 12 of Atlanta’s Jewish radio personalities, including 99X’s Jimmy Baron and NPR’s Lois Reitzes.
www.atlantajewish.com.

Of the growing number of local podcasts — an MP3 file that can be downloaded into an iPod — we’re particularly fond of SKEPTICALITY, the brainchild of Roswell roommates Derek Colanduno and Robynn McCarthy. The duo offers commentary on urban legends and pseudoscience, such as the phenomena of attributing human traits to lifeless objects (McCarthy humanizes her black Jetta) and of spreading the myth that Earth was flat (Colanduno says scientists put the theory in textbooks to make religious leaders look “scientifically stupid”). The podcast, which has 75,000 subscribers, is regularly one of the top 10 downloads on iTunes, right up there with “The Al Franken Show” and ESPN.
www.skepticality.com.

Few politicians have stood up for the little guy better than Public Service Commissioner BOBBY BAKER. The Public Service Commission sets rates for utility companies that operate in Georgia, making decisions worth hundreds of millions of dollars in savings for residents and small businesses — or in profits for big utilities. Over the years, Baker, a conservative Republican, has earned a reputation for opposing unnecessary rate hikes. He also has encouraged the commission to conduct its business in full view of the public. In short, he’s looked out for the average Georgian — and has refused to play party politics.
www.psc.state.ga.us/pscinfo/baker.htm.

The man who defies a traditional spelling of his first name finally is having the kind of year that shows off his natural talents. ANDRUW JONES’ near-perfect fielding percentage and highlight-reel catches have been the norm in center field since he was promoted to the big leagues a decade ago. But Jones’ hitting — 50 homers as of mid-September, more than any player this season — elevates him to godlike status. And get this: The 28-year-old four-time all-star is now paced to top 600 dingers before he reaches the ripe old age of 40.
www.atlantabraves.com.

With so many lofts and loft-style developments going up these days, it’s possible to get picky. For those who are holding out for a reclaimed industrial space in a cool old building right where the action is, there are the recently renovated TROY-PEERLESS LOFTS. Part of the larger Glen Iris Lofts complex across a side street from City Hall East (soon to be lofts itself), Troy-Peerless is a stand-alone, 1929, art-deco, former commercial laundry. Units have exposed brick, open floor plans and mezzanine bedrooms. And it’s only a short walk to a bookstore, grocery stores, restaurants, nightclubs — and the Atlanta police records room.
650 Glen Iris Drive. 404-685-9276. www.atlantaloftco.com.

The 41-story glass tower rising on the corner of Peachtree and 14th streets marks the tallest construction in Atlanta in more than a dozen years. But 1180 PEACHTREE, designed by the prestigious Connecticut firm Pickard Chilton, has more than height going for it. The building’s swooping lines evoke the contours of a gigantic, shimmering cell phone. Or is it a neo-gothic cathedral? Either way, it’s also the largest structure in Atlanta to attain “green” status; developer Hines Interests is constructing the tower using at least 10 percent recycled materials, and it will be outfitted with water-saver toilets and faucets. The high-rise, informally known as Symphony Tower, is scheduled to open next year, when mega-firm King & Spalding sets up shop on 17 floors.
www.1180peachtree.com.

People laughed when Infinity Broadcasting dumped its tired classic rock formula on Z-93 and created something called “DAVE FM” at 92.9, promising “rock without rules.” But the format works. A typically unpredictable set can include the Kinks, Better than Ezra and Jane’s Addiction, with a refreshing emphasis on B-sides and lesser-known tracks. And for its morning show, the station brought back former 99X jock Steve Barnes, who in turn enlisted ubiquitous CNN personality Holly Firfer to create a morning team offering a welcome alternative to the usual noise.
404-741-9393. www.929davefm.com.

Make sure you show up hungry to the GEORGIA APPLE FESTIVAL just outside Ellijay, the state’s apple capital. The annual event, now in its 34th year, spans two weekends at the height of October’s harvest season. In addition to the obligatory regional dishes — apple pie, apple butter, apple dumplings, and fried dill pickles — there are more than 300 vendors offering such mountain handicrafts as log furniture, birdhouses, blown glass and quilts your memaw would kill for. You’ll typically find local musicians a-pickin’ and a-grinnin’, and you might even find a peach, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Oct. 8-9, 15-16. Ellijay Lions Club Fairgrounds. 706-636-4500. www.georgiaapplefestival.org.

Sitting on the border of Cobb and Cherokee counties, many of MOUNTAIN PARK’s 250 cottages were built in the early 20th century as summer retreats for Atlanta’s elite, who gave the homes names such as “Park-Ur-Carcass” and “Shack-Toe-In.” Designated as both a wildlife refuge and a waterfowl nesting area, Mountain Park sits 23 miles from downtown Atlanta and is framed by rolling hills and two lakes. Residents now are doing their best to maintain the neighborhood’s charm despite infringing subdivisions, and Mountain Park’s recycling program and anti-pollution projects set an eco-friendly example for its neighbors.
www.mountainparklife.com.

SPRINGVALE PARK is small, and therein lies its charm. The peaceful atmosphere is unlikely to be disturbed by a pickup game of any sort, because there aren’t any sports-sized fields at the 116-year-old park, located just two blocks off busy DeKalb Avenue. Instead of the usual shrieks and whoops, the park’s fountains gurgle soothingly. Landscaped by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1903, the park also boasts an original, 1889 stone wall and a Victorian-era vibe — all of which forms the perfect backdrop for a quiet lunch for two.
Bounded by Euclid Avenue, Waverly Way and Elizabeth Street. www.inmanpark.org.

Ooh, look at TY PENNINGTON take off his shirt and swing a hammer for the cameras on “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” Isn’t he dreamy? Well, maybe cheesy is more like it. And it’s a little sanctimonious when he yells into that bullhorn, “Come on, team — let’s make this family’s dream come true!” But so what? Pennington, who was raised in Atlanta, broke into showbiz as the token hot-guy carpenter on “Trading Spaces.” Now he actually helps families in need. Among other things, he and his crew have enlarged the home of a couple expecting triplets, and remodeled a house so a wheelchair-bound teenager could get around more easily. Watch out, Oprah.
www.tythehandyguy.com.

Baby-faced super-Christian RALPH REED is running for lieutenant governor, and while the campaign is Reed’s first bid for public office, he’s said to have his eyes on the White House. Scary. Reed is a cutthroat behind-the-scenes political street fighter who’s claimed he put enemies in “body bags” and led the Christian Coalition to national prominence. The former plagiarist — he was banned from UGA’s student newspaper for copying lines from an attack on Gandhi — returned to the state as a political consultant following claims that a company with close ties to him over-billed the coalition. Now Reed is up to his neck in allegations that he fought the development of Indian casinos with money provided by their competitors. How presidential.
www.ralphreed.com.

A few years back it was the poor man’s Stone Mountain, but thanks to DeKalb’s much-touted greenspace program, ARABIA MOUNTAIN TRAIL has come into its own. The county is completing an ambitious trail network through the 2,000-acre nature preserve that includes elevated boardwalks through forest wetlands, well-marked paths across huge expanses of open granite, and a picturesque covered bridge. The concrete trails, open to hikers and bikers, extend north to Stonecrest Mall and downtown Lithonia and, eventually, south to Panola Mountain. Once in the park, mountain bikers can go off-road to find some challenging rock-hopping.
‘’www.arabiaalliance.org. www.pathfoundation.org/trails/arabia.cfm.

Standing on the grounds of IGNATIUS HOUSE, one can’t help but evoke the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.” With 20 acres to explore, including a natural waterfall and an outdoor chapel, it’s hard not to quiet yourself at the Sandy Springs prayer and meditation center run by Jesuit priests. If you’re really stressed out, try partaking in a silent weekend retreat. No talking is allowed for two days, so bring all those unresolved issues.
6700 Riverside Drive. 404-255-0503. www.ignatiushouse.org.

Located just north of where Park Drive crosses from Monroe Drive into Piedmont Park, the PIEDMONT PARK DOG PARK is where the city’s pooches, from Great Danes to Pekinese, run wild. The 2.5-acre doggie playground also has a separate fenced-in plot for small dogs and puppies. The place is paradise for dog-watchers - and perfect for Atlantans who don’t have a Fido of their own to scratch that dog-owning itch.
www.piedmontpark.org.

We have to hand it to CHOICEPOINT. The company spent years buying information on virtually every American while assuring privacy advocates that the information was safe. Yet all it took was a Nigerian crook posing as a legit business to compromise information on 145,000 Americans. Did ChoicePoint offer a full accounting of the scandal? Yeah, right! The company waited months before ’fessing up to a security breach. Then, when CEO Derek Smith finally talked, he said, “We didn’t expect organized criminals would attack us with this sophistication.” Derek, they used a fax machine! ChoicePoint shares tumbled, but before the scandal went public, Smith managed to sell thousands of shares, netting $13 million.
www.choicepoint.com.

His friends call him Mike; his driver calls him Mr. Vick; and his doctor calls him RON MEXICO. At least that’s the name that Falcons quarterback Michael Vick allegedly used while getting treatment for a case of genital herpes, according to court documents filed in a Gwinnett County lawsuit. In April, a 26-year-old alleged former girlfriend sued Vick for negligence and battery, claiming he gave her the STD after he once refused to wear a condom during sex. Vick denies the allegations, and the suit has yet to go to court. But here at CL, we’ve already reached our verdict: “Ron Mexico” is one kick-ass nickname!
www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0405051vick1.html.

For all your crunk desires, you can’t beat Hot 107.9. Riding in your old-school Olds, listening to everything from the Ying Yang Twins to T.I., Ludacris to Trap Boiz, the hotness factor is not so much boom-bip as it is beats to bump. WHTA-FM is probably the best place to hear tracks fresh off the latest mix tapes, which makes sense since the station employs at least four for-real DJs. Although the somewhat contrived diversity in the station’s billboards for its “A” Team morning show may throw you for a loop, you’d be loopy not to have your radio pre-set to the all-the-way-to-the-right station.
404-741-1079. www.hot1079atl.com.

It might be well into its 30s, but ALBUM 88 hasn’t lost a shred of edge. In what can be a somewhat despairing sea of radio bile, the student-run station broadcast out of Georgia State University is one of the most powerful (100,000 watts) and widely heard (with an estimated 150,000 listeners) college radio stations in the country. That’s not by accident. Album 88 has more than 40 specialty shows, running the gamut from math rock to space rock, post-punk to Japanese, instrumental hip-hop to drum and bass, as well as live, in-studio performances by bands whose tours pass through Atlanta.
404-651-4488. www2.gsu.edu/~www885.

During the past 15 years, nearly 1,400 Atlantans have learned the rudiments of stand-up comedy in Jeff Justice’s Comedy Workshop. Justice teaches students how to write and perform jokes and then sends the fledglings on stage in front of a packed house at the Punchline comedy club. The key to comedy is being yourself, Justice insists, which sets some students on a mini-metaphysical quest. Graduates include Ron Lester, who starred in Varsity Blues, and our own columnist extraordinaire Hollis Gillespie.
404-262-7406. www.jeffjustice.com.

Although it doesn’t open until Nov. 23, we’re pretty sure the GEORGIA AQUARIUM deserves this honor — not least of all because the facility will move roughly 8 million gallons of water into downtown Atlanta. Bernie Marcus’ intown improvement project has the Home Depot’s name written all over it. No surprise there: The facility wouldn’t have been possible without Marcus’ ridiculously generous $200 million donation. In its first year, the giant fish tank is expected to attract more than 2 million visitors to see more than 100,000 animals representing 500 species.
www.georgiaaquarium.org.

Screw the face-painting and arts and crafts booths. Each summer, the Earl’s CORNDOGORAMA mixes hot bands and white trash for the perfect indie-rocker brouhaha. During Corndogorama, which celebrated its 11th anniversary this year, the club’s sidewalk and parking lot are literally flooded from the afternoon to the wee hours of the morning with gawkers and participants partaking in such distinguished events as corndog-eating contests. Inside, nearly 40 bands, most of them local, perform over four days. Yuppies, be warned: Festival-goers have been known to strip to their skivvies and ride a stationary four-wheeler like a mechanical bull.
488 Flat Shoals Road. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com.

In January, an e-mail began popping up in inboxes claiming A LOCAL RESTAURANT WAS SERVING RATS, MICE, KITTENS, PUPPIES AND A LARGE FROZEN HAWK. While the restaurant wasn’t named, an early version of the e-mail included a map showing it to be a certain Chinese restaurant near Perimeter Mall. Accompanying the e-mail were four pictures of skinned and shrink-wrapped rats and mice. Soon, though, the Fulton County Health and Wellness Department found that the e-mail was a hoax. (Incidentally, the restaurant in question had excellent health records.) The photos turned out to be pictures of prepackaged food for snakes.
www.snopes.com/food/tainted/rats.asp.

In the 1880s, CABBAGETOWN was built to accommodate Fulton Bag & Cotton Mill workers. In the ensuing century, the neighborhood developed into an enclave of brightly colored bungalows and shotgun-style shanties — many with lopsided porches and junkyard art. Located east of Oakland Cemetery and north of Memorial Drive, Cabbagetown was home to folk artist Panorama Ray, who photographed the neighborhood’s barefoot and potbellied children, and avant-rocker Benjamin of the band Smoke, who dressed in drag and developed a beatnik mix of blues punk. Despite the recent razing of a historic building that housed the gallery and music venue Art Farm, Cabbagetown’s charm has survived infringing gentrification — and is still home to approximately 75 descendants of the original mill workers.
www.cabbagetown.org.