Editor’s Note - The Best, really
We found it
I’m sure you can understand why Creative Loafing’s staff has a love-hate relationship with our Best Of Atlanta issue. It’s a blast to research and write an overview each year on what’s best about Atlanta.
On the other hand, it’s a lot of work — and not just for the editorial staff. It’s by far the biggest issue of the year for everyone, from sales reps to designers to production folks to the people who have to distribute bundles of a paper that’s double its usual size. There are thousands of ballots to count, hundreds of people, places and things to research. Facts to check. Photos to shoot.
One of the harder tasks comes early when the editorial staff debates the issue’s theme. We usually settle on a concept that allows us to dress up all the blurbs with entertaining features, such as gumshoe detective essays or over-the-top tabloid articles. This year, we settled on a sort of anti-theme. Best Of Atlanta 2006 is straight-up: We concentrated all our efforts on uncovering, examining and documenting the “Real Atlanta,” the best of what authentically defines this town.
In an ever-changing city, it seemed an appropriate approach. After all, a generation ago, Atlanta was just another city with Southern accents, big ambitions and a busy airport. But, over the last few decades, we’ve morphed into something else; we’re just not quite sure what.
As I read nearly 30,000 words spread in the Best Of issue, I was struck by the thorough research and deep community know-how that our writers brought to the task. Staff writers and freelancers examined hip-hop studios and country bars, hipster scenes and family pastimes, raunchy nightclubs and fancy spas — all in search of the real Atlanta. I think you’ll see that they found it.
A mea culpa: The Best Of Atlanta staff box is already at the printer as I write, but I neglected to include some crucial people: Senior Art Director John Yardley, with the support of Creative Director Markus Schneider and Senior Art Director Jason Hatcher, was responsible for the issue’s design.