Consumer Culture

Shallow though it may seem, in this westernized world we inhabit, where personal style is intrinsic to individuality, we’re destined to shop till the casket drops.

The clothes we wear, the cravings to which we succumb, how we cultivate our minds and bodies, they’re all telling details. Funny how the things we publicly consume tend to reveal more about us than the secrets we privately conceal. But there’s no shame in that. In fact, it’s all worthy of honor.

It’s in that spirit that we spent time indulging ourselves in preparation for this year’s Best of Atlanta. What we found were peculiar pockets of culture that go a long way in defining this city in the here and hitherto.

We stumbled upon some cool contradictions along the way, be it an out-of-print copy of a 20th-century classic from Atlanta Vintage Books in the midst of a thriving digital age or an innovative line of extreme sex toys at the tasteful and sophisticated Liberator sex shop. We honed in on the fashionable extremes, too, from modern prep chic on the Westside to the urban swag in Atlanta’s up-to-the-minute streetwear boutiques. And to round it all out, we inducted four timeless selections into our inaugural Trophy Case of classic Atlanta picks.

So find yourself a spa - we suggested a few of those, too - kick back and take it all in. Maybe we’ll see you there.

— Rodney Carmichael

Best Adult Toy Store BOA Award Winner

Year » 2013
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2013 » Consumer Culture » Critics Pick

Liberator Flagship Store (Permanently Closed)

While tempting in theory, most adult stores tend to traffic in pure tackiness. If discount bins of dildos and used porno flicks don’t turn you on, you might want to try Liberator. Located in an industrial park just outside I-285, the five-year-old store is actually the showroom attached to Liberator’smore...

While tempting in theory, most adult stores tend to traffic in pure tackiness. If discount bins of dildos and used porno flicks don’t turn you on, you might want to try Liberator. Located in an industrial park just outside I-285, the five-year-old store is actually the showroom attached to Liberator’s 140,000 square feet of space from which the decade-old company manufactures and ships bedroom adventure gear to online customers and 1,000 adult retailers across the nation. Its high-end exhibition of erotic arts includes top-of-the-line LELO brand vibrators, hand-blown glass dildos, and butt plugs with detachable faux fox-fur tails. Furniture-grade foam wedges, like the Hipster, offer lumbar support for her and deeper penetration for him. With bright lighting, beds for fully clothed demonstrations, and a personal shopper on hand, it’s easy to see why they call Liberator the Apple of sex stores. It’s the kind of place where couples can come together - hint, hint - and increase their sexual wellness without feeling pressured to perform like a porn star. less...

Best Book Store BOA Award Winner

Year » 2013
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2013 » Consumer Culture » Critics Pick

Atlanta Vintage Books (Featured)

The printed word might seem like a dead art in the 21st century, but that’s what makes Atlanta Vintage Books’ niche so sweet. Husband-and-wife team Bob Roarty and Jan Bolgla purchased the bookstore seven years ago as a passion project to take them well into retirement. Featuring approximately 70,000more...

The printed word might seem like a dead art in the 21st century, but that’s what makes Atlanta Vintage Books’ niche so sweet. Husband-and-wife team Bob Roarty and Jan Bolgla purchased the bookstore seven years ago as a passion project to take them well into retirement. Featuring approximately 70,000 books in 7,000 square feet of space, the store has broadened its customer base by specializing in hard-to-find and out-of-print editions of nonfiction and more than 3,000 books on horror, sci-fi, and fantasy. Other treasured finds include a first-edition copy of Gone With the Wind for $7,000, LIFE and National Geographic magazines dating back to 1936 and 1926, respectively, and an old tome printed on rag paper from the year 1632 on “The Historie of Great Britain.” In the kind of lived-in space meant to while away a weekend afternoon - complete with five house cats - the store hosts literary salons on the third Saturday of every month for local author discussions and writer workshops. Local television productions such as “The Vampire Diaries” and “Devious Maids” have rented books here to complete their on-screen sets. The books, however, are the real stars. less...

Best Bootcamp BOA Award Winner

Year » 2013
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2013 » Consumer Culture » Critics Pick

FitWit of Kirkwood/Decatur (Permanently Closed)

A cold beer with friends after a long day of work is a fine thing, and certainly a more tempting way to unwind than a three-mile run and a few sets of jump lunges. Unless you’re a member of FitWit, that is. Launched in Atlanta in 2006 by a pair of former teachers/coaches as an after-school fitnessmore...

A cold beer with friends after a long day of work is a fine thing, and certainly a more tempting way to unwind than a three-mile run and a few sets of jump lunges. Unless you’re a member of FitWit, that is. Launched in Atlanta in 2006 by a pair of former teachers/coaches as an after-school fitness and tutoring program for local youth (get it - FitWit), the boot camp quickly caught on with adults because it turned out to be so damn fun. Ask any FitWitter why she keeps saying no to a frosty pint and yes to a harrowing kettlebell workout and the answer will undoubtedly be “the people.” FitWit combines group exercise with individualized workouts by professional trainers so that campers can work toward personal goals with a support system, but without the pressure of unreasonable competition. Camps in Decatur, Grant Park, North Druid Hills, and Midtown make finding the time to exercise easy with multiple morning and evening sessions. A portion of each month’s profits benefit the FitWit Foundation, a nonprofit sister organization that continues the program’s original mission of youth health education. After all the calories burned with FitWit, we can drink to that, can’t we? www.fitwit.com. less...