Tourist in my own town

I decided to strike out, a tourist in my own town, bent on rediscovery.

First, let’s eat. You already know to take visitors to trendy spots like The Optimist or King + Duke. Pals looking for local flavor on a a tight budget no doubt want to check out The Varsity.

Well, I say take em to O.K. Cafe, the kitschy palace of Southern comfort food situated in between a Publix and Interstate 75, close to tourist-friendly haunts like the Governor’s Mansion and the Atlanta History Center. You walk in and, oh, hey, Harper Lee. Hey. The place is named for a restaurant in “To Kill A Mockingbird” and a framed greeting from the South’s beloved and reclusive author hangs in the entryway. Brooklyn wishes it had that kind of lit cred.

To say nothing of the fried cheese grits on the menu. Fried. Cheese. Grits. Southern + Southern + Southern. I recommend eating these but not often, or all by yourself. I love Jesus but I'm not trying to meet him tonight, if you get me.

Speaking of Jesus, you can find his mama’nem on Edgewood Avenue at Boulevard. Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room and Ping Pong Emporium, a quirky house of secular worship, attracts locals in the know and the occasional celebrity. ’90s singer/songwriter Lisa Loeb showed up for a set one night. Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller stopped in for ping pong when in town making movies. Lady Gaga, in town for a tour stop, tried buying the Virgin Mary statue. No dice. The Blessed Mother is still behind the bar.

“As long as Church is open, Jesus and his mom will be greeting the parishioners as they imbibe,” owner Grant Henry declared.

Right. Moving on.

Three great spots to run by with or without guests tagging along can be viewed from a moving car, which is fitting as that’s most Atlantans’ natural habitat. The Krog Tunnel: so artsy! The 1996 Olympic Games rings: so sporty! The historic, chopped-in-half red brick building on Spring Street near 14th Street: so … huh?

This odd structure is a Georgia Power substation, begun in 1925 and completed in 1926. It was the first entirely automated substation in Atlanta – indeed, the entire South – and was originally built to service streetcars. Today it serves 3,000 customers.

Architect Isaac Moscovitz designed the substation to fit what was then an elegant residential neighborhood. The grounds were landscaped and the building is far more lovely than necessary to house a bunch of equipment.

The substation was due to meet the wrecking ball in 1987, a demolition-happy era in Atlanta (only a little over a decade before had the Fox Theatre, another destination for tourists and locals alike, been spared). But the building made its way onto the Urban Design Commission’s Inventory of Historic Properties, and demo plans were reined in. In a nifty bit of engineering Georgia Power had the substation partially taken down, then bricked up in back.

Amusingly, it is now just about the only structure in that area that still looks like a residence. It’s unique and sort of bizarre, like a batty aunt. It’ll give your visitors something to talk about on their way home.

Before they leave, though, run them by the Sweet Auburn Curb Market for a Grindhouse burger, a YumDiggity hot dog or a cookie from Sweet Auburn Bakery. And right by the door, stop for some pralines, popcorn or peanut brittle from Miss D’s New Orleans Style Candy. Proprietress Dionne Gant was a visitor to Atlanta herself not so long ago. She relocated from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

“Atlanta has become my new home,” she said. “I love the hospitality, I love the blend of people.”

Tourist duty nearly over, I bought some popcorn and a Coke for the road. Miss D was not finished, though, and shoved some pralines into the bag. Reporters are not supposed to take free stuff and I certainly didn’t want to cut into this nice lady’s profit margin, but she dispensed with my protests like she was swatting a gnat.

“Can I do this,” she said. A statement, not a question.

“Let me pay you, Miss D,” I pleaded.

“Come here and give me a hug,” she directed, and pulled me in for an embrace as sweet as her candy. “There.”

I no longer felt like a tourist in my own town. I felt newly at home.