May we have the envelope, please.
Wait, don’t throw it at us! We’re as bored as you by the endless rinse-and-repeat cycle of Hollywood awards shows leading up to the Academy Awards on Feb. 22. At least last Sunday’s Grammys relieved the monotony a bit. (How ‘bout that Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance race!)
So naturally, we’ve joined in. Our inaugural Phoenix Awards let us publicly acknowledge things in metro Atlanta that are new and now “It.”
Like Atlanta itself, which rebounded post-Civil War to host an Olympics and its very own “Real Housewives” franchise, the winners show the power of imagination and reinvention. And of getting guys who can shoot threes (see “Best Original Score” below).
Unlike the Oscars, which you have to watch on TV, our winners all offer “go and do” opportunities. (But we did steal Hollywood’s categories. Hey, why reinvent the rinse cycle …)
BEST ADAPTATION
And the winner is: Around the mile 10.25 marker on the Atlanta Beltline's Eastside Trail.
Why: It would be easy just to honor the whole Beltline, a historic 22-mile railroad corridor redevelopment project that's pretty much the definition of a phoenix. But this welcome portion of path over hectic North/Ponce de Leon avenues gets singled out for what's on either side of it: The hulking old circa-1926 Sears, Roebuck catalog distribution center (known as City Hall East more recently) has nearly completed its transformation into bustling live/work/play palace Ponce City Market. And the Kroger with the onetime unflattering nickname ("Murder Kroger") is the dream neighbor now thanks to a colorful mural along its Beltline-facing side and the trail access point it recently built from its parking lot.
Get in the picture: Much of Ponce City Market's 350,000 square feet of retail and restaurants will start rolling out toward the second half of this year. But the Dancing Goats Coffee Bar, with its fab covered deck, is already open. So is Binders art supplies store, where a full list of upcoming classes and events includes a March lecture on women artists throughout history. April 24-26, Flux Projects' and artist Nick Cave's dance/performance art event in the Food Hall offers an early look at that eagerly anticipated space. Meanwhile, the "Beltline Kroger" (as a sign inside reads) is a great place to hop on and off the trail, buy snacks and cold drinks and walk to shops and restaurants on Ponce and North.
Information: Ponce City Market, 675 Ponce de Leon Ave. N.E, Atlanta. 404-900-7900, www.poncecitymarket.com. Kroger, 725 Ponce de Leon Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-875-2701, www.kroger.com. Atlanta Beltline, www.beltline.org.
BEST SET DESIGN
And the winner is: Alpharetta for its new City Center and for Avalon.
Why: Winning set design creates a new world where it previously didn't exist — and may make us ask, "Why not?" City Center aims to create a downtown "heart" amid Alpharetta's explosive growth by grouping handsome new civic buildings (City Hall, a library, etc.) against the verdant backdrop of a new park and Town Green. Avalon is a 4-month-old Atlantic Station-style development off of heavily trafficked Old Milton Parkway that's like a self-contained small town — albeit with high-end shopping and dining, concierge service and electric car charging stations.
Get in the picture: City Hall's already open and the library will be in a few months. The public park has paths, a stream and benches, and it's all steps from bustling Main Street. About 3 miles away, Avalon has a Regal Cinema with recliners and full-service kitchen and bar, several first-to-Georgia shops (Lou & Grey) and OTP locations for hot intown eateries (Antico Pizza) and chefs (Ford Fry). There are regular "happenings" on the outdoor "Living Room," which has a fire pit and nearby bocce court. The two-story Whole Foods hosts Wine Down Wednesdays in its wine bar; speaking of which, you can get a to-go cup at your restaurant and walk around Avalon finishing your drink.
Information: City Center, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta. www.alpharetta.ga.us, www.citycenteralpharetta.com. Avalon, 2200 Avalon Blvd., Alpharetta. 770-765-2000, www.experienceavalon.com.
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
And the winner is: Your Atlanta Hawks!
Why: Seriously, you even have to ask? OK, fine. About a bazillion-to-35: Going into this NBA season, that would've been the score between people who'd basically given up all hope on the Hawks and those who hadn't (the 17 players on the roster, their moms and head coach Mike Budenholzer). But then came the world's most improbable scoring run, on the court — a 19-game win streak at one point and best overall record in the NBA at the end of January. And off court, where clever marketing and promotions (Tinder Night, a robed-and-rockin'-it gospel choir that introduced the starting lineup on MLK Day) have even non-sports fans and the whole country taking notice.
Get in the picture: Spend the weekend of Feb. 13-15 watching "Coach Bud" and five Hawks players in the NBA All-Star Game and related events on TNT. The Hawks return to Philips Arena against the Toronto Raptors on Feb. 20 with two more home games the following week. On March 6, LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers are here. Can't get tickets? Watch and listen on Fox Sports South and 92.9 The Game.
Information: www.hawks.com
BEST EDITING
And the winner is: Buckhead Atlanta.
Why: Uh, remember how long it was just a big, ugly hole in the ground?! Yes, some of this swank six-block, mixed-use development's retail tenants — Hermes, Christian Louboutin, Helmut Lang — are more often associated with excess. But after the Great Recession halted work on what started out in 2007 as the even more elaborate "Streets of Buckhead," new developer OliverMcMillan scaled things back somewhat and the $1 billion project finally opened last fall.
Get in the picture: What, you mean you haven't stood on line for a "concrete" yet? You can shop for high-end brands or just window-shop while strolling the nicely laid-out and landscaped streets. There's fine dining, but also more casual places like Fado, Shake Shack (try the signature frozen custard, aka a "concrete") and, soon, Georgetown Cupcakes. Plus, you can simultaneously improve your mind and wardrobe: The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library's Buckhead branch is still there, just now on the same street as Hermes and Helmut Lang.
Information: Buckhead Atlanta, 3035 Peachtree Road N.E., Atlanta. 678-704-0900, www.buckhead-atl.com.
MISS GOLDEN GLOBE
And the winner is: The Atlanta Streetcar.
Why: The "Misses" who help hand out Golden Globes are stars' offspring and aspiring stars themselves. What better describes the new streetcar — successor to the hugely successful streetcar system that ran here until 1949? Supporters say it will boost business and tourism along the 2.7-mile route and eventually expand, but some critics disagree. As with most Miss Golden Globes, it's wait-and-see.
Get in the picture: Streetcars run every 10 to 15 minutes daily. Rides are free the first three months (it opened on Dec. 30), and you can hop on and off at any of a dozen stops, including Sweet Auburn Curb Market for a nosh or Centennial Olympic Park to ride the Ferris wheel or walk over to the new College Football Hall of Fame.
Information: 404-546-0311, streetcar.atlantaga.gov, www.facebook.com/AtlantaStreetcar
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