2011 Index of Winners
Best local DJ BOA Award Winner
DJ Ployd
Best indie rock underdogs BOA Award Winner
Red Sea
Reveling in the mesmerizing aesthetics of drone pop and Krautrock, Red Sea's songs creep along at a hypnotic pace. But a slow and jangling indie rock sensibility propels these four fresh-faced 18- to 21-year-olds from Suwanee over deep, dark valleys of reverb and resonance. Less than 24 hours after self-releasingmore...
Reveling in the mesmerizing aesthetics of drone pop and Krautrock, Red Sea's songs creep along at a hypnotic pace. But a slow and jangling indie rock sensibility propels these four fresh-faced 18- to 21-year-olds from Suwanee over deep, dark valleys of reverb and resonance. Less than 24 hours after self-releasing the Weird Problem EP via Bandcamp, Red Sea was deemed a buzzworthy band by the local blogosphere, and its subsequent live shows only highlighted the band's potential to achieve local clout at an age when most acts are still kicking around in the garage. redsea.bandcamp.com.
Listen: Red Sea "Cruel Future"
Best MC to molest a mic BOA Award Winner
4-IZEBest new gay thing to happen outside of Midtown BOA Award Winner
The Cockpit Atlanta has a rich tradition of gay bars with delightfully suggestive names: BJ Roosters; Swinging Richards; and the recently shuttered Three Legged Cowboy. But Atlanta's latest gay bar, The Cockpit, takes the cake. Imagine diving headfirst into a pit of ... well, you get the idea. With Atlanta's gaymore...
Atlanta has a rich tradition of gay bars with delightfully suggestive names: BJ Roosters; Swinging Richards; and the recently shuttered Three Legged Cowboy. But Atlanta's latest gay bar, The Cockpit, takes the cake. Imagine diving headfirst into a pit of ... well, you get the idea. With Atlanta's gay scene still largely sequestered in Midtown, the Cockpit is a welcome and necessary addition to those who crave a bar off the beaten path. It's the only gay watering hole in Grant Park, not far from Mary's in East Atlanta, and an encouraging sign of the city's sprawling gay population. The cozy interior with exposed brick and a central bar houses a pool table, and the space includes a small outdoor patio. Also a rarity among gay bars, the Cockpit is smoke-free. But what's most appreciated is the location's down-to-earth attitude. Still, those Boulevard bears know to keep the Gaga blasting. 465 Boulevard. 404-343-2450. thecockpit-atlanta.blogspot.com.
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Best off-the-radar place to see a local show BOA Award Winner
tunnel shows Forget a Facebook invite; you couldn't stumble upon this place with a pocket compass. That's because the location of the tunnel shows that take place along the southwestern stretch of the Beltline remain shrouded in secrecy. Imagine the Southern gothic atmosphere of a William Faulkner novel, channeledmore...
Forget a Facebook invite; you couldn't stumble upon this place with a pocket compass. That's because the location of the tunnel shows that take place along the southwestern stretch of the Beltline remain shrouded in secrecy. Imagine the Southern gothic atmosphere of a William Faulkner novel, channeled into a strange but beautiful outsider folk scene. Ramshackle and hobo-esque acts with names such as Pony Bones, Melissa Lonely, the Subliminator, and Shitty Bedford howl at the moon while carving out a sound that's anything but urbane.
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Best bizarro local news story BOA Award Winner
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.
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Best chance to watch gold medal Olympians BOA Award Winner
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.
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Best community garden for bringing a community together BOA Award Winner
English Avenue Community GardenBest local blogger rivalry BOA Award Winner
What Now, Atlanta? and Tomorrow's News Today Online flame wars typically fizzle out after a day. Twitter debates are limited to 140 characters. And arguing in public sucks because you actually have to look at your opponent. But the rivalry between What Now, Atlanta? and Tomorrow's News Today has provided months of catty fun for onlookers. A fewmore...
Online flame wars typically fizzle out after a day. Twitter debates are limited to 140 characters. And arguing in public sucks because you actually have to look at your opponent. But the rivalry between What Now, Atlanta? and Tomorrow's News Today has provided months of catty fun for onlookers. A few years back, WNA's Caleb Spivak and ToNeTo's Eli Zandman, who both provide updates on the city's retail, restaurant and development scene, were partners. Hell, they even camped out together to be first in line when H&M opened. But since splitting acrimoniously in late 2009, there have been battles for scoops, occasional jabs via social media and blog comments by fans needling the rivals' posts. Spivak and Zandman's new-media feud proves that Atlanta's sleepy blogosphere has a pulse. tonetoatl.com. whatnowatlanta.com.
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Best local political figure BOA Award Winner
Mayor Kasim ReedBest neighborhood listserv (for outsiders) BOA Award Winner
Inman Park LISTSERV Itching to learn more about your fellow Atlantans but can't get away from your desk? Heard of a nifty invention called the Internet? It comes with message boards, and there are none more entertaining and oddly addictive than the Inman Park LISTSERV. In addition to the expected missives about unfamiliarmore...
Itching to learn more about your fellow Atlantans but can't get away from your desk? Heard of a nifty invention called the Internet? It comes with message boards, and there are none more entertaining and oddly addictive than the Inman Park LISTSERV. In addition to the expected missives about unfamiliar cars and prowlers, the message board's nearly 800 members have devoted vast amounts of bandwidth to discussing the activities of a narcissistic goose and debating the artistic merits of a neighborhood mural. When Congressman David Scott bellyached about a proposed community garden near his Inman Park home, its members chose sides in what became a contentious battle. Throw in the occasional posts by a brew-loving real estate agent, hacked email accounts and passionate calls to action for local causes, and you've got a great real-time portrait of one of the city's most dynamic neighborhoods. inmanpark.org.
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Best opportunity for national retail and food hall glory BOA Award Winner
Ponce City Market (Featured)
After more than a year of touch-and-go negotiations, City Hall East was finally sold to a developer this summer and its new owner wasted no time in renaming the 2-million-square-foot building Ponce City Market. In the middle of a ruptured economy, Cobb County-based Jamestown Properties plans to spendmore...
After more than a year of touch-and-go negotiations, City Hall East was finally sold to a developer this summer and its new owner wasted no time in renaming the 2-million-square-foot building Ponce City Market. In the middle of a ruptured economy, Cobb County-based Jamestown Properties plans to spend $180 million over the next three years in hopes of creating a world-class food hall, a regional shopping destination, and sought-after office and loft space. Why are we so optimistic? Because it's done it before, with Chelsea Market, a 99-year-old former Nabisco factory in Manhattan's Meatpacking District that now houses dozens of restaurants, boutiques and top-tier food shops, as well as the Food Network studios where "Iron Chef" is filmed. The company has since floated a few similarly ambitious ideas for PCM, including an organic garden on the roof, an indoor farmers market and even amusement park rides that would enable riders to look 200 feet down onto Ponce de Leon Avenue at night. Sounds good to us. 675 Ponce de Leon Ave. poncecitymarket.com.
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Best reuse of a demolished housing project BOA Award Winner
Wheat Street Gardens
Best sign of political common sense BOA Award Winner
Sunday alcohol sales
It wasn't the most important legislation to pass this year, and we wouldn't attempt to argue that future generations of Georgians will enjoy more fruitful and satisfying lives as a result, but in the annals of no-brainers, legalizing Sunday alcohol sales tops the list. After decades of kowtowing to themore...
It wasn't the most important legislation to pass this year, and we wouldn't attempt to argue that future generations of Georgians will enjoy more fruitful and satisfying lives as a result, but in the annals of no-brainers, legalizing Sunday alcohol sales tops the list. After decades of kowtowing to the Christian right, state lawmakers finally managed to nut up and pass a law allowing grown adult people to vote on whether they should be able to buy a cold one on the Sabbath.
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Local blogger BOA Award Winner
Lindsay Roberts and Lauren Kraselsky of the Quick and Dirty Dirty
Best asian food market BOA Award Winner
Super H Mart (Permanently Closed)Super H Mart (permanently closed) Business
CL: Doraville's Super H Mart is part of a nationwide chain that originated in Korea and specializes in Asian foods. Of the four Georgia stores, the Doraville location is open 365 days a year, but the best time to visit is on the weekend for free food demos. There are entire aisles dedicated to soy sauce (more than 70 brands and varieties), sake (60 chilled, 26 non-chilled), Japanese and Korean snacks, teas, and seaweed. The rice section is practically a United Nations assembly, with dozens of different types originating from India, Japan, Thailand, Korea, and Jamaica. Even pressurized rice cookers run the gamut, from $29 to $500. Raw marinated Korean barbecue (otherwise known as bulgogi) is available to cook at home, along with sashimi for sushi and many types of the popular Korean condiment kimchi. In addition to Asian foods, Super H Mart also has fruits and vegetables from around the world. And don't forget to hit the food court on your way out to enjoy some great Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, or Chinese food, and sweets from the Korean bakery. It's cultural immersion without the expensive plane ticket.
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Best doggy day care BOA Award Winner
Kirkwood Bark & LoungeBest gym deal BOA Award Winner
Retro Fitness There are some people in this world (lots of them, actually) who really like to exercise. The rest of us need incentive to get our fat asses off the couch beyond the possibility that we'll no longer have such fat asses. Retro Fitness, a chain that's heavily represented in the Northeast, but only hasmore...
There are some people in this world (lots of them, actually) who really like to exercise. The rest of us need incentive to get our fat asses off the couch beyond the possibility that we'll no longer have such fat asses. Retro Fitness, a chain that's heavily represented in the Northeast, but only has a few locations in the South, opened its 15,000-square-foot Buckhead location less than a year ago, and it's awesome. All of the equipment is brand-spankin' new, there's a cardio room/theater where you can watch a movie on the big screen while you sweat, and the rest of the cardio equipment has individual TVs to take your mind off the agony. Probably the best thing about Retro Fitness: It's cheap. There's no sign-up fee, monthly membership dues are only $19.99, and for $5 extra you can either get unlimited tanning or massages in its nifty, computerized massage bed. 3050 Peachtree Road. 404-549-7126. buckheadga.retrofitness.net.
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Best hot tchotchkes BOA Award Winner
Highland Row Antiques (Featured) Highland Row Antiques isn't your mildewed neighborhood yard sale. The Poncey-Highland shop specializes in mid-century modern pieces like retro ashtrays and deco artwork, as well as other kitschy vintage pieces. The small, curated storefront gives way to a giant Basement Market with bric-a-brac from moremore...
Highland Row Antiques isn't your mildewed neighborhood yard sale. The Poncey-Highland shop specializes in mid-century modern pieces like retro ashtrays and deco artwork, as well as other kitschy vintage pieces. The small, curated storefront gives way to a giant Basement Market with bric-a-brac from more than 20 dealers, ranging from $5 Americana saltshakers to a $500 Danish couch. 628 N. Highland Ave. 404-815-8830. highlandrowantiques.com.
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Best luxury mani-pedi BOA Award Winner
Nouvelle Nail Spa
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