Because a former president crashes in one of our coolest neighborhoods

Next time you swallow a shot at Manuel’s Tavern, marvel that a former president is sleeping on a Murphy bed — seriously — or eating Savage Pizza just a few blocks away. When former President Jimmy Carter leaves his hometown of Plains, Ga., to stay in Atlanta one week out of every month, he crashes at the eponymous library in Poncey-Highland on a hilltop overlooking the downtown skyline (which he located there, legend has it, for its proximity to the Democratic watering hole where he held his first outside-Plains political event). His family — including grandson Jason, a first-term state senator who’s considered one of the Democrats’ great hopes — lives in Candler Park and Decatur. The peanut farmer turned Georgia governor turned president enjoys family dinner nights at Twain’s and Holy Taco in East Atlanta. Even the most hardheaded conservatives have to applaud Carter for his work with Habitat for Humanity, eradicating diseases, and peacekeeping efforts. Outspoken, plainspoken, humble, and selfless, Carter has kept Georgia close throughout his life. We’re proud he calls Atlanta a second home.