Cityscape
Cities are more than a mere collection of people and buildings. Sprawling in all directions from a modest downtown, Atlanta is a city of distinct neighborhoods, each with its own history and continually developing character. Atlanta is also a city of public and private institutions; of landmarks; of gathering places; of media of all stripes; and of events both popular and underground — all of which helps determine who we are.
As Atlantans, we are drawn together by our common stories, from the scandalous (state House leaders stepping aside due to sexcapades) to the absurd (African wildlife running loose on the Downtown Connector) to the inspirational (a local kid who slugs a three-run homer the first time he steps up to bat in Turner Field).
With Cityscape, we celebrate those stories, those political shifts, those public spaces — the shared experiences that define the place we call home.
— Scott Henry
Best annual release of aggression BOA Award Winner
Pillow Fight DayBest bizarro news story BOA Award Winner
Ban on human microchipping In saner states, legislative hearings to address the problem of involuntary implantation of microchips would easily score as the year's weirdest news story. But in Georgia, where the General Assembly also passed a bill allowing motorists to keep and eat their roadkill, the proposed BAN ON HUMAN MICROCHIPPINGmore...
In saner states, legislative hearings to address the problem of involuntary implantation of microchips would easily score as the year's weirdest news story. But in Georgia, where the General Assembly also passed a bill allowing motorists to keep and eat their roadkill, the proposed BAN ON HUMAN MICROCHIPPING needed a little something extra. As luck would have it, that came in the form of a DeKalb County woman invited to testify to a Senate committee about how "researchers with the federal government" implanted a microchip in her "vaginal-rectum area." The microchip, she said, is activated by phone, like a beeper, with the number displayed "on billboards throughout the city." Naturally, the committee OK'd the bill.
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Best display of the power of the MSM BOA Award Winner
Susan Richardson TV Interview This year's turnover in state House leadership wasn't brought about by voters, prosecutors or an act of God. Instead, it was due to the SUSAN RICHARDSON TV INTERVIEW with Fox 5 reporter Dale Russell. The six-minute piece, in which the Speaker's ex described his frolicking with lobbyists, is proof thatmore...
This year's turnover in state House leadership wasn't brought about by voters, prosecutors or an act of God. Instead, it was due to the SUSAN RICHARDSON TV INTERVIEW with Fox 5 reporter Dale Russell. The six-minute piece, in which the Speaker's ex described his frolicking with lobbyists, is proof that the old-school news media can still affect big changes.
less...
Best evidence of social progress BOA Award Winner
Gay elected officials They still can't marry in Georgia, but it's clear that GAY ELECTED OFFICIALS are finding more public acceptance than ever before. Voters have sent two openly gay candidates to the state House, three to the Atlanta City Council and, this summer, for the first time ever, one to the Fulton County Commission.more...
They still can't marry in Georgia, but it's clear that GAY ELECTED OFFICIALS are finding more public acceptance than ever before. Voters have sent two openly gay candidates to the state House, three to the Atlanta City Council and, this summer, for the first time ever, one to the Fulton County Commission. And we're not even counting politicians who are in the closet! In fact, the Fulton race came down to a runoff between two lesbian candidates who handily out-polled a couple of breeders with nary a mention of sexual preference along the way.
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Best intown hipster hootenanny BOA Award Winner
Cabbagetown Park Cold draft beer, live bluegrass and all the chili you can eat (until it runs out). What's not to love about Cabbagetown's annual CHOMP AND STOMP festival? Held the first Saturday in November, the day kicks off with a 5K run, but most folks come to get samples from the chili cook-off, have a few beersmore...
Cold draft beer, live bluegrass and all the chili you can eat (until it runs out). What's not to love about Cabbagetown's annual CHOMP AND STOMP festival? Held the first Saturday in November, the day kicks off with a 5K run, but most folks come to get samples from the chili cook-off, have a few beers and rub shoulders with pretty much every cool kid residing south of Ponce de Leon Avenue. There are also a few booths selling crafts, as well as a variety of food from local restaurants and vendors, including an entire slow-roasted hog. But possibly the most welcoming feature of the C&S is its laid-back Cabbagetown vibe; it's like one giant, day-long block party. Cabbagetown Park, Tye Street and Kirkwood Avenue. www.chompandstomp.com.
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Best neighborhood for after-hours BOA Award Winner
Buford Highway Atlanta's "last call" doesn't have to mean "good night." Just outside the city limits, late-night carousers and party animals flock to BUFORD HIGHWAY to seek the boompf boompf of Club Miami, the Latin rhythms of La Rumba and the drunken revelry of Karaoke Medley. (Don't forget the slender strippers ofmore...
Atlanta's "last call" doesn't have to mean "good night." Just outside the city limits, late-night carousers and party animals flock to BUFORD HIGHWAY to seek the boompf boompf of Club Miami, the Latin rhythms of La Rumba and the drunken revelry of Karaoke Medley. (Don't forget the slender strippers of Pink Pony.) Top it off with 4:30 a.m. carne asada at any of the late-night authentic taquerias and you can see why Buford Highway beckons.
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Best organic farm BOA Award Winner
Love is Love Farm
Best intro to Atlanta history BOA Award Winner
Unseen Underground Walking TourBest local athlete you've never heard of BOA Award Winner
Evander KaneBest person you love to hate BOA Award Winner
Erick Erickson Back in the olden days (2007 or so), we genuinely liked Maconite Republican blogger ERICK ERICKSON, even though the only political issue we've ever agreed upon is the correct spelling of "America." Nonetheless, we admired his smarts, willingness to break ranks with the GOP and early mastery of a newmore...
Back in the olden days (2007 or so), we genuinely liked Maconite Republican blogger ERICK ERICKSON, even though the only political issue we've ever agreed upon is the correct spelling of "America." Nonetheless, we admired his smarts, willingness to break ranks with the GOP and early mastery of a new medium. But sometime in 2008, Erickson began earning notoriety for lobbing partisan bombs. He declared jihad against any Republicans who criticized risible ignoramus Sarah Palin. He called Michelle Obama a "Marxist harpy," compared a White House spokesperson to a Nazi, called a sitting Supreme Court Justice a "goat-fucking child molester" and joked about greeting census workers at the door with a gun. Despite turning his name into a blogospheric synonym for gratuitous personal attacks, Erickson's star continues to rise. And since no publicity is bad publicity for right wing pundits, CNN even gave Erickson a regular gig. www.peachpundit.com
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Best rooftop view of lower Midtown BOA Award Winner
The Georgian Terrace You can get higher than the 19 floors occupied by the newer wing of the GEORGIAN TERRACE HOTEL, but you'll likely be looking out a plate-glass window. The top of the near-century-old, Beaux Arts hotel at the corner of Peachtree Street and Ponce de Leon Avenue, however, is the only place from which youmore...
You can get higher than the 19 floors occupied by the newer wing of the GEORGIAN TERRACE HOTEL, but you'll likely be looking out a plate-glass window. The top of the near-century-old, Beaux Arts hotel at the corner of Peachtree Street and Ponce de Leon Avenue, however, is the only place from which you can admire Midtown from above while enjoying the breeze in your hair, sipping a cocktail and dipping your toes in a rooftop pool. And when you dry off, you can head downstairs for drinks in the lobby bar or dinner in the brasserie-style Livingston restaurant. 659 Peachtree St. 800-651-2316. www.thegeorgianterrace.com.
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Best way to see the city in a new way BOA Award Winner
Beltline's Hiking and Bike Trails
Best hope for Atlanta gridlock BOA Award Winner
Regional transportation tax
Best kids' radio show for non-kids BOA Award Winner
The Kids Are Alright Airing Saturdays on 1690 (WMLB-AM), THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT touts itself as "kids' music for everyone." But that tag undersells the product. Each DIY-ish broadcast is a joyous riff on a single theme (summer, bugs, ice cream, etc.) lovingly curated from a vast library that ranges from the Pogues to Emmyloumore...
Airing Saturdays on 1690 (WMLB-AM), THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT touts itself as "kids' music for everyone." But that tag undersells the product. Each DIY-ish broadcast is a joyous riff on a single theme (summer, bugs, ice cream, etc.) lovingly curated from a vast library that ranges from the Pogues to Emmylou Harris to Bo Diddley. You don't need kids to appreciate its wit, indelible melodies and irresistible sing-alongs. www.1690wmlb.com/the-kids-are-alright
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Best local blogger BOA Award Winner
Pecanne Log Nowhere will you find more cleverly written posts on such Atlanta-centric topics as beer-swillin' 1930s circus elephants, the city's first parking deck or downtown's hidden beauty than at PECANNE LOG. At a time when others have retreated to Twitter or Facebook (or given up blogging entirely), its editor,more...
Nowhere will you find more cleverly written posts on such Atlanta-centric topics as beer-swillin' 1930s circus elephants, the city's first parking deck or downtown's hidden beauty than at PECANNE LOG. At a time when others have retreated to Twitter or Facebook (or given up blogging entirely), its editor, "Christa," remains one of Atlanta's best observers of the city's quirks, characters and history. www.pecannelog.com
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Best hometown Internet sensation BOA Award Winner
Scoutmob
Best local celebrity BOA Award Winner
Kevin Gillespie's beard What's red and bushy, has fancy W Hotel parties thrown in its honor, can be spotted at local joints including Morelli's Ice Cream and the "Ghetto" Kroger and boasts nearly 8,000 Facebook fans? That would be KEVIN GILLESPIE'S BEARD. Kevin Gillespie might be a "Top Chef" finalist and James Beard semifinalistmore...
What's red and bushy, has fancy W Hotel parties thrown in its honor, can be spotted at local joints including Morelli's Ice Cream and the "Ghetto" Kroger and boasts nearly 8,000 Facebook fans? That would be KEVIN GILLESPIE'S BEARD. Kevin Gillespie might be a "Top Chef" finalist and James Beard semifinalist who can create a transcendent meal as easily with pork belly and veal chop as with a bundle of farm-fresh veggies, but it's his Yukon Cornelius-inspired facial hair that's earned him the national fame he deserves. Oh, and if you're angling for a KGB sighting, your best bet is the dining room at Woodfire Grill. The best tables offer an unobstructed view of the open kitchen - and the chef's lustrous beard.
Editor's note: This blurb has been modified to correctly reflect Gillespie's recognition from the James Beard Foundation.
Best local sports romance BOA Award Winner
Jason Heyward
Best overlooked tourist spot BOA Award Winner
Westview Cemetery Inc. Off the beaten path and underpublicized, WESTVIEW CEMETERY is one of the most picturesque spots in Atlanta. At nearly 600 acres, it's the largest cemetery in the Southeast, boasting many of the features beloved of graveyard enthusiasts: ornate monuments and tombs, rolling hills and gardens, and, of course,more...
Off the beaten path and underpublicized, WESTVIEW CEMETERY is one of the most picturesque spots in Atlanta. At nearly 600 acres, it's the largest cemetery in the Southeast, boasting many of the features beloved of graveyard enthusiasts: ornate monuments and tombs, rolling hills and gardens, and, of course, famous dead people, such as author Joel Chandler Harris, Coke founder Asa Candler and assorted mayors. Westview also stands apart for a magnificent stone abbey, its high walls and original gates and its iconic water tower resembling a castle turret. 1680 Westview Drive. 404-755-6611. &emdash;www.westviewcemetery.com.
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Best recession-proof neighborhood BOA Award Winner
WestsideBest sign that gay media is still alive BOA Award Winner
Project Q Even before this year's shuttering of Southern Voice, the popularity of PROJECT Q stood as evidence that the new media (i.e., a website) can keep the community informed and entertained with breaking news, cheeky columns and pop-culture updates. You gotta love an outfit that titles its daily event listingsmore...
Even before this year's shuttering of Southern Voice, the popularity of PROJECT Q stood as evidence that the new media (i.e., a website) can keep the community informed and entertained with breaking news, cheeky columns and pop-culture updates. You gotta love an outfit that titles its daily event listings "The Gay Agenda." www.projectqatlanta.com
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Best validation of the big-city daily BOA Award Winner
Alan Judd and Heather Vogell The ongoing coverage of the standardized test cheating scandal involving Atlanta schools by ALAN JUDD AND HEATHER VOGELL shows why a large daily newspaper is so vital to the welfare of a major city. The AJC, which first questioned suspicious test results and, more recently, graduation rates is the onlymore...
The ongoing coverage of the standardized test cheating scandal involving Atlanta schools by ALAN JUDD AND HEATHER VOGELL shows why a large daily newspaper is so vital to the welfare of a major city. The AJC, which first questioned suspicious test results and, more recently, graduation rates is the only local media entity with the resources to act as watchdog on such a complex issue. www.ajc.com
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Best barely ITP park BOA Award Winner
Whittier Mill Park
Best underestimated suburb BOA Award Winner
Marietta
Best way to deal with historic properties BOA Award Winner
Reuse them
Best affordable day care BOA Award Winner
Sunshine HouseAnd other metro Atlanta locations.
Runner-up: Primrose School
1197 Peachtree St., Suite 554, 404-745-9797, and other metro Atlanta locations.
Best annual event BOA Award Winner
Dogwood FestivalBest bizarro local news story BOA Award Winner
Zebra loose on interstate
Runner-up: Woman crashes into Green's liquor store for second time
Best landmark BOA Award Winner
Stone Mountain Park (Featured)Runner-up: Fox Theatre
660 Peachtree St., 404-881-2100, www.foxtheatre.org
Best local blogger BOA Award Winner
Lindsay Roberts and Lauren Kraselsky
Best local sports team BOA Award Winner
Turner Field (Permanently Closed)Runner-up: Atlanta Falcons
Best local TV anchor BOA Award Winner
Monica Pearson
Best local TV, magazine, or newspaper reporter BOA Award Winner
Doug Richards
Best neighborhood for nightlife BOA Award Winner
East Atlanta
Best neighborhood for yard sales BOA Award Winner
Virginia-HighlandBest person you love to hate BOA Award Winner
Sonny PerdueBest picnic spot BOA Award Winner
Piedmont Park (Featured)Runner-up: Stone Mountain Park
1000 Robert E. Lee Drive, 770-498-5690, www.stonemountainpark.com
Best public tennis court BOA Award Winner
Piedmont Park (Featured)Runner-up: Candler Park
585 Candler Park Drive, www.candlerpark.org
Best radio DJ BOA Award Winner
Bert WeissBest volunteer program BOA Award Winner
Hands On Atlanta (Featured)Runner-up: Habitat for Humanity
519 Memorial Drive S.E., 404-223-5180, and other metro Atlanta locations. www.habitat.org.
Best charity BOA Award Winner
Atlanta Community Food Bank (Permanently Closed)Runner-up: Habitat for Humanity
519 Memorial Drive, 404-223-5180, and other metro Atlanta locations. www.habitat.org.
Best free thing to do in Atlanta BOA Award Winner
Piedmont Park (Featured)Runner-up: Centennial Olympic Park
265 Park Ave. W., 404-222-7275, www.centennialpark.com
Best Georgia beach retreat BOA Award Winner
Tybee IslandTybee Island, GA Savannah/GA Coast
Snobbish Atlantans turn up their noses at the mention of our metropolis’s closest beach, TYBEE ISLAND. They think it’s cheesy, trashy or dull. They’re missing out. Sure, some of the development on the way to the water leaves something to be desired, but the beach and water at Tybee are quite nice. And the little boardwalk is a gem, a quaint, smaller version of the old famed boardwalks in beach towns between Virginia and New York. Best of all, Tybee is right next to Savannah. If the beach’s nonoceanic accommodations aren’t to your liking, you can do your eating, drinking and passing out closer to River Street.
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Best hiking spot BOA Award Winner
Stone Mountain Park (Featured)Runner-up: Kennesaw Mountain
900 Kennesaw Mountain Drive, Kennesaw, 770-427-4686, www.kennesawmountain.areaparks.com
Best local blog/blogger BOA Award Winner
The Quick + Dirty Dirty
Best radio show BOA Award Winner
"The Bert Show"Best underrated thing about Atlanta BOA Award Winner
Restaurant scene
Runner-up: Music scene and venues
Best local personality to follow on Twitter BOA Award Winner
Neal Boortz
Best local political figure BOA Award Winner
Kasim Reed
Best neighborhood to get a house for a steal BOA Award Winner
East Atlanta
Best OTP park BOA Award Winner
Stone Mountain Park (Featured)Runner-up: Kennesaw Mountain Park
900 Kennesaw Mountain Drive, Kennesaw, 770-427-4686, www.kennesaw.com
Best playground BOA Award Winner
Piedmont Park (Featured)Runner-up: John Howell Park
801 Virginia Ave., 404-222-8244, www.atlanta-midtown.com
Best dog park BOA Award Winner
Piedmont Dog Park (Featured)Runner-up: ParkGrounds
142 Flat Shoals Ave. S.E., 678-528-9901, www.parkgrounds.com
Best intown park BOA Award Winner
Piedmont Park (Featured)Runner-up: Grant Park
840 Cherokee Ave., 404-624-0697, www.gpconservancy.org
Best jogging path BOA Award Winner
Freedom Park (Featured)Runner-up: Silver Comet Trail
Cooper Lake Road at Mayell Road, 404-875-7284, www.pathfoundation.org
Best local place to commune with nature BOA Award Winner
Atlanta Botanical Garden (Featured)Runner-up: Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
Best local YouTube video BOA Award Winner
"FU BP" on Krog Street Tunnel
Runner-up: Pants on the ground
Best morning drive-time radio show BOA Award Winner
"The Bert Show"
Best overall neighborhood BOA Award Winner
DecaturBest party school BOA Award Winner
University of Georgia
Best public pool BOA Award Winner
Piedmont Park Aquatic Center (Featured)Runner-up: Grant Park
840 Cherokee Ave., 404-521-0938, www.gpconservancy.org
Best affordable day care BOA Award Winner
Sunshine HouseAnd other metro Atlanta locations.
Runner-up: Primrose School
1197 Peachtree St., Suite 554, 404-745-9797, and other metro Atlanta locations.
Best annual event BOA Award Winner
Dogwood Festival
Best annual release of aggression BOA Award Winner
Pillow Fight DayBest bizarro local news story BOA Award Winner
Zebra loose on interstate
Runner-up: Woman crashes into Green's liquor store for second time
Best bizarro news story BOA Award Winner
Ban on human microchipping In saner states, legislative hearings to address the problem of involuntary implantation of microchips would easily score as the year's weirdest news story. But in Georgia, where the General Assembly also passed a bill allowing motorists to keep and eat their roadkill, the proposed BAN ON HUMAN MICROCHIPPINGmore...
In saner states, legislative hearings to address the problem of involuntary implantation of microchips would easily score as the year's weirdest news story. But in Georgia, where the General Assembly also passed a bill allowing motorists to keep and eat their roadkill, the proposed BAN ON HUMAN MICROCHIPPING needed a little something extra. As luck would have it, that came in the form of a DeKalb County woman invited to testify to a Senate committee about how "researchers with the federal government" implanted a microchip in her "vaginal-rectum area." The microchip, she said, is activated by phone, like a beeper, with the number displayed "on billboards throughout the city." Naturally, the committee OK'd the bill.
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Best display of the power of the MSM BOA Award Winner
Susan Richardson TV Interview This year's turnover in state House leadership wasn't brought about by voters, prosecutors or an act of God. Instead, it was due to the SUSAN RICHARDSON TV INTERVIEW with Fox 5 reporter Dale Russell. The six-minute piece, in which the Speaker's ex described his frolicking with lobbyists, is proof thatmore...
This year's turnover in state House leadership wasn't brought about by voters, prosecutors or an act of God. Instead, it was due to the SUSAN RICHARDSON TV INTERVIEW with Fox 5 reporter Dale Russell. The six-minute piece, in which the Speaker's ex described his frolicking with lobbyists, is proof that the old-school news media can still affect big changes.
less...
Best evidence of social progress BOA Award Winner
Gay elected officials They still can't marry in Georgia, but it's clear that GAY ELECTED OFFICIALS are finding more public acceptance than ever before. Voters have sent two openly gay candidates to the state House, three to the Atlanta City Council and, this summer, for the first time ever, one to the Fulton County Commission.more...
They still can't marry in Georgia, but it's clear that GAY ELECTED OFFICIALS are finding more public acceptance than ever before. Voters have sent two openly gay candidates to the state House, three to the Atlanta City Council and, this summer, for the first time ever, one to the Fulton County Commission. And we're not even counting politicians who are in the closet! In fact, the Fulton race came down to a runoff between two lesbian candidates who handily out-polled a couple of breeders with nary a mention of sexual preference along the way.
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Best intown hipster hootenanny BOA Award Winner
Cabbagetown Park Cold draft beer, live bluegrass and all the chili you can eat (until it runs out). What's not to love about Cabbagetown's annual CHOMP AND STOMP festival? Held the first Saturday in November, the day kicks off with a 5K run, but most folks come to get samples from the chili cook-off, have a few beersmore...
Cold draft beer, live bluegrass and all the chili you can eat (until it runs out). What's not to love about Cabbagetown's annual CHOMP AND STOMP festival? Held the first Saturday in November, the day kicks off with a 5K run, but most folks come to get samples from the chili cook-off, have a few beers and rub shoulders with pretty much every cool kid residing south of Ponce de Leon Avenue. There are also a few booths selling crafts, as well as a variety of food from local restaurants and vendors, including an entire slow-roasted hog. But possibly the most welcoming feature of the C&S is its laid-back Cabbagetown vibe; it's like one giant, day-long block party. Cabbagetown Park, Tye Street and Kirkwood Avenue. www.chompandstomp.com.
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Best landmark BOA Award Winner
Stone Mountain Park (Featured)Runner-up: Fox Theatre
660 Peachtree St., 404-881-2100, www.foxtheatre.org
Best local blogger BOA Award Winner
Lindsay Roberts and Lauren Kraselsky
Best local sports team BOA Award Winner
Turner Field (Permanently Closed)Runner-up: Atlanta Falcons
Best local TV anchor BOA Award Winner
Monica Pearson
Best local TV, magazine, or newspaper reporter BOA Award Winner
Doug Richards
Best neighborhood for after-hours BOA Award Winner
Buford Highway Atlanta's "last call" doesn't have to mean "good night." Just outside the city limits, late-night carousers and party animals flock to BUFORD HIGHWAY to seek the boompf boompf of Club Miami, the Latin rhythms of La Rumba and the drunken revelry of Karaoke Medley. (Don't forget the slender strippers ofmore...
Atlanta's "last call" doesn't have to mean "good night." Just outside the city limits, late-night carousers and party animals flock to BUFORD HIGHWAY to seek the boompf boompf of Club Miami, the Latin rhythms of La Rumba and the drunken revelry of Karaoke Medley. (Don't forget the slender strippers of Pink Pony.) Top it off with 4:30 a.m. carne asada at any of the late-night authentic taquerias and you can see why Buford Highway beckons.
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Best neighborhood for nightlife BOA Award Winner
East Atlanta
Best neighborhood for yard sales BOA Award Winner
Virginia-Highland
Best organic farm BOA Award Winner
Love is Love Farm
Best person you love to hate BOA Award Winner
Sonny PerdueBest picnic spot BOA Award Winner
Piedmont Park (Featured)Runner-up: Stone Mountain Park
1000 Robert E. Lee Drive, 770-498-5690, www.stonemountainpark.com
Best public tennis court BOA Award Winner
Piedmont Park (Featured)Runner-up: Candler Park
585 Candler Park Drive, www.candlerpark.org
Best radio DJ BOA Award Winner
Bert WeissBest volunteer program BOA Award Winner
Hands On Atlanta (Featured)Runner-up: Habitat for Humanity
519 Memorial Drive S.E., 404-223-5180, and other metro Atlanta locations. www.habitat.org.
Best charity BOA Award Winner
Atlanta Community Food Bank (Permanently Closed)Runner-up: Habitat for Humanity
519 Memorial Drive, 404-223-5180, and other metro Atlanta locations. www.habitat.org.
Best free thing to do in Atlanta BOA Award Winner
Piedmont Park (Featured)Runner-up: Centennial Olympic Park
265 Park Ave. W., 404-222-7275, www.centennialpark.com
Best Georgia beach retreat BOA Award Winner
Tybee IslandTybee Island, GA Savannah/GA Coast
Snobbish Atlantans turn up their noses at the mention of our metropolis’s closest beach, TYBEE ISLAND. They think it’s cheesy, trashy or dull. They’re missing out. Sure, some of the development on the way to the water leaves something to be desired, but the beach and water at Tybee are quite nice. And the little boardwalk is a gem, a quaint, smaller version of the old famed boardwalks in beach towns between Virginia and New York. Best of all, Tybee is right next to Savannah. If the beach’s nonoceanic accommodations aren’t to your liking, you can do your eating, drinking and passing out closer to River Street.
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Best hiking spot BOA Award Winner
Stone Mountain Park (Featured)Runner-up: Kennesaw Mountain
900 Kennesaw Mountain Drive, Kennesaw, 770-427-4686, www.kennesawmountain.areaparks.com
Best intro to Atlanta history BOA Award Winner
Unseen Underground Walking TourBest local athlete you've never heard of BOA Award Winner
Evander KaneBest local blog/blogger BOA Award Winner
The Quick + Dirty Dirty
Best person you love to hate BOA Award Winner
Erick Erickson Back in the olden days (2007 or so), we genuinely liked Maconite Republican blogger ERICK ERICKSON, even though the only political issue we've ever agreed upon is the correct spelling of "America." Nonetheless, we admired his smarts, willingness to break ranks with the GOP and early mastery of a newmore...
Back in the olden days (2007 or so), we genuinely liked Maconite Republican blogger ERICK ERICKSON, even though the only political issue we've ever agreed upon is the correct spelling of "America." Nonetheless, we admired his smarts, willingness to break ranks with the GOP and early mastery of a new medium. But sometime in 2008, Erickson began earning notoriety for lobbing partisan bombs. He declared jihad against any Republicans who criticized risible ignoramus Sarah Palin. He called Michelle Obama a "Marxist harpy," compared a White House spokesperson to a Nazi, called a sitting Supreme Court Justice a "goat-fucking child molester" and joked about greeting census workers at the door with a gun. Despite turning his name into a blogospheric synonym for gratuitous personal attacks, Erickson's star continues to rise. And since no publicity is bad publicity for right wing pundits, CNN even gave Erickson a regular gig. www.peachpundit.com
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Best radio show BOA Award Winner
"The Bert Show"
Best rooftop view of lower Midtown BOA Award Winner
The Georgian Terrace You can get higher than the 19 floors occupied by the newer wing of the GEORGIAN TERRACE HOTEL, but you'll likely be looking out a plate-glass window. The top of the near-century-old, Beaux Arts hotel at the corner of Peachtree Street and Ponce de Leon Avenue, however, is the only place from which youmore...
You can get higher than the 19 floors occupied by the newer wing of the GEORGIAN TERRACE HOTEL, but you'll likely be looking out a plate-glass window. The top of the near-century-old, Beaux Arts hotel at the corner of Peachtree Street and Ponce de Leon Avenue, however, is the only place from which you can admire Midtown from above while enjoying the breeze in your hair, sipping a cocktail and dipping your toes in a rooftop pool. And when you dry off, you can head downstairs for drinks in the lobby bar or dinner in the brasserie-style Livingston restaurant. 659 Peachtree St. 800-651-2316. www.thegeorgianterrace.com.
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Best underrated thing about Atlanta BOA Award Winner
Restaurant scene
Runner-up: Music scene and venues
Best way to see the city in a new way BOA Award Winner
Beltline's Hiking and Bike Trails
Best hope for Atlanta gridlock BOA Award Winner
Regional transportation tax
Best kids' radio show for non-kids BOA Award Winner
The Kids Are Alright Airing Saturdays on 1690 (WMLB-AM), THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT touts itself as "kids' music for everyone." But that tag undersells the product. Each DIY-ish broadcast is a joyous riff on a single theme (summer, bugs, ice cream, etc.) lovingly curated from a vast library that ranges from the Pogues to Emmyloumore...
Airing Saturdays on 1690 (WMLB-AM), THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT touts itself as "kids' music for everyone." But that tag undersells the product. Each DIY-ish broadcast is a joyous riff on a single theme (summer, bugs, ice cream, etc.) lovingly curated from a vast library that ranges from the Pogues to Emmylou Harris to Bo Diddley. You don't need kids to appreciate its wit, indelible melodies and irresistible sing-alongs. www.1690wmlb.com/the-kids-are-alright
less...
Best local blogger BOA Award Winner
Pecanne Log Nowhere will you find more cleverly written posts on such Atlanta-centric topics as beer-swillin' 1930s circus elephants, the city's first parking deck or downtown's hidden beauty than at PECANNE LOG. At a time when others have retreated to Twitter or Facebook (or given up blogging entirely), its editor,more...
Nowhere will you find more cleverly written posts on such Atlanta-centric topics as beer-swillin' 1930s circus elephants, the city's first parking deck or downtown's hidden beauty than at PECANNE LOG. At a time when others have retreated to Twitter or Facebook (or given up blogging entirely), its editor, "Christa," remains one of Atlanta's best observers of the city's quirks, characters and history. www.pecannelog.com
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Best local personality to follow on Twitter BOA Award Winner
Neal Boortz
Best local political figure BOA Award Winner
Kasim Reed
Best neighborhood to get a house for a steal BOA Award Winner
East Atlanta
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