Best New Thing About Atlanta

Whether you’re a city denizen or a suburbanite, you can’t deny the influence Bird scooters have had on our day-to-day lives. Since arriving earlier this year, they’ve swarmed everywhere from the BeltLine to surrounding suburbs. They’ve been called the biggest revolution in transportation today, and have sparked the most polarizing debate about transport in recent years. With no word on what the future may hold for Birds, we may just have to get used to sharing the sidewalks with them. (Courtesy of Bird Rides Inc.) less...

Naysayers who wrote off Ryan Gravel’s Georgia Tech graduate student thesis as a pipe dream and a loop to nowhere could not have predicted the excitement the project would create. Or the effects it’s had on neighborhoods where trails and parks have already been built. The nationally recognized 22-mile loop of parks, trails, and transit has a long way to go but is constantly evolving - boosters say even once it’s completely built, it will never really be “finished” - and is changing the city for the better. less...

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. less...

Nearly 10 years ago, community activists suggested that the city get creative when replacing its antiquated sewers. Rather than simply digging tunnels and burying pipes, city officials partnered with the Atlanta Beltine to create the Historic Fourth Ward Park and Skate Park between City Hall East and Freedom Parkway. Totaling more than 17 acres, the greenspace opened in February and combines ponds, paths, waterfalls, a rock-filled streambed, a mini-amphitheatre and snazzy playgrounds, giving an up-and-coming neighborhood another reason to be proud. A block south, visitors will find a multi-use field and the city’s first-ever public skate park. The 15,000-square-foot facility, equipped with deep bowls, sharp curbs and smooth ramps, has been jam-packed with skateboarders of all ages since its opening in mid-June. 680 Dallas St. 404-590-7275. h4wpc.com. less...

Not a strip of sod or a splotch of asphalt has been laid for the BELTLINE. But only months after local governments gave it the go-ahead, Atlanta’s most ambitious public-improvement project ever is transforming our landscape. In June, Atlanta purchased the 300–acre Bellwood Quarry to turn it into the city’s largest park. And private developers already are announcing plans for projects that (mostly) complement the tighter, more transit-oriented development the Beltline is designed to encourage. More than that, the Beltline is giving city and civic leaders a powerful tool to reimagine how we’ll live in the future. The project — which envisions a 22-mile transit corridor, along with parks and new development around the urban core — is sure to test our ability over the next couple of decades to make the right choices. Already, bitter disagreements are breaking out: Buses or light rail? Skyscrapers or midrises? But that’s much better for the city than being mired in great dreams that never become reality. If we do the Beltline well, it could be the best thing to happen to Atlanta since the Civil Rights Movement. less...