Find the really good stuff
Location: Westside Provisions
Date taken: August 6, 2013
The directional signs sprinkled throughout the Westside Provisions District read, “Really good stuff ,” and the statement is true. From the dessert case at Star Provisions to the guacamole at Taqueria del Sol to the gorgeous furniture at Room & Board to the stylish clothing of Sid Mashburn, Westside Provisions has become a dining and shopping destination. The Howell Mill block of brick buildings has come along way since its days as Atlanta’s first modern meatpacking facility (hence the pig logo).
Race around the block
Location: East Atlanta Village Criterium
Date taken: August 17, 2013
The streets around East Atlanta Village close down, and the bikes take over for one Saturday afternoon every August. Criterium implies a short course, usually less than a mile, and the EAV Criterium lives up to its name. Find a spot along the course, and you’ll see cyclists zoom by about every minute or so — they race on a small rectangle of a course around the main stretch of the neighborhood. Locals, family and friends and cycling enthusiasts cheer on the racers, starting with youth early in the day and ending with the veterans who compete for a cash prize. If you can’t make the EAV race, check out other criteriums nearby — Grant Park, Athens.
Hit the pallino
Date taken: July 25, 2013
Location: Bocce ball courts at Midway Pub
Bocce ball — an Italian game that you can play with a beer in one hand and a ball in the other. Through the Atlanta Bocce League dozens of teams are competing at Atlanta bars and parks on any given weeknight (and Sunday). The game’s objective is much like horseshoes or corn hole — get your ball as close as you can to the one, smaller white ball (also known as a pallino, jack or snitch by Harry Potter fans). A little hand-eye coordination may be necessary to post a win, but athleticism is not required. What is required is a cheesy team name that includes a bocce pun: Chewbocce, Invasion of the Bocce Snatchers, Love is a Boccefield, The Big LaBocce, The Lawn Rangers, FreeBallin … you get the idea.
Sing your heart out
Date taken: July 26, 2013
Location: Melody 2
For those of us born without an ounce of musical talent, a night of karaoke can sounds quite terrifying. But when your solo is limited to a group of your closest friends, karaoke becomes a little less intimidating. Among the international flavors of Atlanta’s Buford Highway sit several private room karaoke clubs. Rent a room. Bring your friends. Order drinks. Select a song, and sing your heart out. There are books and books of songs. Make your selection, enter it into the room’s iPad and soon you’ll be singing your favorite rock song, love song, country classic, ballad or cheesy 80s hit. And, if you’re lucky, your song will not only feature lyrics but an entertaining video as well (don’t be alarmed if you start seeing the same actors over and over).
See what the future holds
Date taken: July 14, 2013
Location: Big Psychic Fair
Enter the big, blue barn at Harmony Place, and you’ll find rows of small tables set with pairs of chairs. At each one sits a psychic ready to offer insight into the past, present or future. At the Big Psychic Fair in Roswell, two readings can be purchased for $25 and attendees can choose from a long list of psychics. Tarot cards, dream interpretation, crystals, aromatherapy, massage — there’s a little bit of everything at this monthly event.
Fill your bucket with berries
Date taken: July 13, 2013
Location: Dacula Briar Patch
Growing up in Atlanta, my family would often head a few miles north on Georgia 400, park on the side of the highway and pick the blackberries that were growing wild. Yes, things were different then. 400 was vastly different then. Now, picking your own fruits and vegetables has been so popular that there are websites devoted to helping people find farms. In the Atlanta area, there are plenty of places to choose from. I love picking blueberries — there are no thorns or brambles and in one strategic grasp you can grab a handful of the summer berries. Of course, one of the perks of picking your own fruit is eating as you go. And, nothing tastes better than a blueberry cobbler made with the berries you worked so hard to pick.
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