Cityscape

Atlanta has always been about making the best of a crappy situation. So some Yankees burned the city to the ground — at least the site-clearing work is done for the rebuilding. Am I right? So, how have we fashioned sows' ears into silk purses over the last year? After an Auburn Avenue church razed some run-down apartments, a local farmer turned the unsightly vacant lot into a model organic urban garden. Or how about the cavernous and abandoned City Hall East that, despite the lousy economy, is slated to be redeveloped into a regional retail and restaurant showplace?

The school cheating scandal has hit the city hard, but the AJC's aggressive coverage proves that the daily newspaper can still have plenty of bite. And when some guy decides he has nothing to live for and gets on top of a roof, a rap star takes time out of his busy day to talk the jumper down. That's the sort of crazy, unpredictable, exciting town we live in. Frustrations and setbacks abound, but someone's usually trying to make things a little better. Consider this Best Of issue a measure of encouragement.

— Scott Henry

Best Bike Lane BOA Award Winner

Year » 2011
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2011 » Cityscape » Critics Pick

Decatur's new bike lanes

Best Bizarro Local News Story BOA Award Winner

Year » 2011
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2011 » Cityscape » Critics Pick

T.I. talked the jumper off the building

Late one afternoon last October, radio and TV news reported that a man was threatening to jump 22 stories from the top of Colony Square in Midtown. Photos of the desperate 24-year-old peering over the ledge, taken by people in neighboring skyscrapers, appeared on Twitter. Police closed nearby streetsmore...

Late one afternoon last October, radio and TV news reported that a man was threatening to jump 22 stories from the top of Colony Square in Midtown. Photos of the desperate 24-year-old peering over the ledge, taken by people in neighboring skyscrapers, appeared on Twitter. Police closed nearby streets as a hostage negotiator tried to coax the man off the roof. And then the day was saved as T.I. talked the jumper off the building! Yes, T.I., the rapper and actor, heard the news on V-103 (WVEE-FM) while en route to a video shoot and decided to swing by the scene. Once there, he videotaped a message telling the jumper, "No matter what's going on in life, it gets better," which was quickly taken to the roof. The man came down, spoke with the rapper for a few minutes and was then taken to Grady Memorial Hospital for psychiatric evaluation. T.I. told reporters that the random act of disaster avoidance was in no way linked to his appearance days later before a federal judge for probation violations. It seems he was right: He got 11 months. less...

Best Local Sports Team BOA Award Winner

Year » 2011
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2011 » Cityscape » Critics Pick

Atlanta Beat

It's an expansion team in a league many people don't even know exists, but the Atlanta Beat pro soccer club fielded three members of the U.S. squad that made it to the finals of the Women's World Cup in July and helped bring home the gold at the 2008 Olympics. Defender Heather Mitts, with two gold medals,more...

It's an expansion team in a league many people don't even know exists, but the Atlanta Beat pro soccer club fielded three members of the U.S. squad that made it to the finals of the Women's World Cup in July and helped bring home the gold at the 2008 Olympics. Defender Heather Mitts, with two gold medals, is best known for her appearances in Maxim, Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue and other lad mags, and for being named "Hottest Female Athlete" by ESPN.com. It's never too late to become a fan, guys. womensprosoccer.com/atlanta. less...