Wednesday!
July 21—Well, well, well. Welcome to your midweek Rough Draft. Chad at the controls.
😷 The Delta variant is a real concern. Georgia Health News reports that "Delta is more transmissible than any other variant identified so far." GHN quotes Emory's Dr. Carlos del Rio as saying Delta is "incredibly infectious" and "the spread is much faster."
🌧 82° is the high today, and it's looking like another rainy one, with a 40% chance of showers. But the precipitation should taper off as we head into the weekend.
🌭 Rain or shine, today is National Hot Dog Day.
🚀 Yes, that may be space dust on your Amazon delivery today, as not to be outdone by that other billionaire who flew to the edge of space earlier this month, Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark, 82-year-old female aviation pioneer Wally Funk, and 18-year-old Oliver Daemen rocketed to the heavens aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard launch vehicle yesterday, July 20.
The flight was an out-of-this-world-PR operation for Blue Origin, which already has two more flights scheduled for later this year.
Upon safely landing back on planet earth, Bezos announced he was committing $100M each to CNN contributor Van Jones and chef José Andres, calling it a "Courage and Civility Award," according to CNN.
Those gifts did manage to deflect a bit of the spotlight off of the ham-handed comments the world's richest man made about Amazon employees.
📚 Closer to home today, the Ponce de Leon Library is hosting a ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. to celebrate reopening the branch after a long closure, and to show off some serious renovations.
🚻 Midtown Atlanta’s Nan Thai Fine Dining was named as one of ten finalists in the Cintas “America’s Best Restroom" contest. The winner receives $2,500 in facility services or restroom cleaning.
Public voting is open through Aug. 20. Show Nan some love.
🗣️🔊Kanye West debuts his latest album, Donda, with a listening party at Mercedes-Benz Stadium tomorrow, Thurs., July 22.
Although West is often associated with Chicago, he was born in Atlanta. The new album is named after his mother, Donda West, who passed away in 2007. Few details about the album are available, but members of the eccentric rapper’s posse have raved about its sharp lyricism and production quality.
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☝️ As we wade through a blizzard of images each week, mining the internet for knowledge, there are some things we just can't shake. Today, we give a nod to Calvin Florian for this haunting Instagram shot that captures the iconic Pitch & Putt on Johnson Rd.
🕖 Today's Draft is five stories, beginning with a Gulch update. We also sit down for a conversation with former Gov. Nathan Deal. and have some weekend music picks. Plus, since it's Wednesday, we spotlight a new coffee shop that mixes greens and beans.
Read on and have a great day!
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1. Centennial Yards adjustments
In April, infrastructure work began on Centennial Yards, the $5 billion development rising in the area formerly known as The Gulch across from Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena.
This week, an updated master plan for the site was released. U.K.-based Foster + Partner recently joined the project’s design team, and studied the city grid to create a more walkable environment.
The developers listened to feedback on their former master plan, and tweaked the design to connect with surrounding city blocks and neighborhoods. Centennial Yards is now being designed to blend with adjacent communities in style and scale.
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2. Hold me closer, tiny houses
On July 17, Atlanta-based nonprofit MicroLife Institute held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Cottages on Vaughan development.
The new pocket neighborhood in Clarkston includes eight tiny homes (each under 500 square feet), a common green space for gathering, and climate-conscious development features such as solar panels and edible, regenerative landscaping.
“The goal of this project was to get innovative with our development ordinances to allow for a greater diversity of housing options,” said DeKalb Commissioner Ted Terry.
“We recognize that the past 50 years of urban sprawl has segregated community, contributed to climate change, and exacerbated housing inequality, and we can only start to address these challenges if we push the boundaries of what’s possible and start to rethink how we’re using space.”
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3. "People don't want to compromise on anything"
Since leaving office in 2019, the Republican former Georgia Governor Nathan Deal has launched a political consulting firm with former chief of staff Chris Riley. He also teaches a class in political science at the University of North Georgia, and works hard on staying healthy—no time to retreat to the rocking chair on the front porch.
Atlanta Senior Life writer Mark Woolsey recently caught up with Deal and his wife Sandra at their home in Demorest, north of Gainesville. The two reflected on Deal’s eight-year run in the Gold Dome, how he’s spent his time since leaving, and his thoughts on Gov. Brian Kemp and the fractured state of the Republican party.
Read Woolsey's interview with Deal.
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4. Chad's weekend music picks
If you still have some juice left after Yeezy's blow out at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, there's plenty more music coming up this weekend.
🍑 On Fri., July 23, Tribute celebrates the music and legacy of Southern rock icons the Allman Brothers at City Green (Sandy Springs).
🏄 Over in East Atlanta Village, West Palm Beach outfit Surfer Blood headlines an evening of indie rock with Worn-Tin and Small Reactions. Fri., July 23 at The EARL.
🎤 Rapper, comedian, and freestyle legend 4-IZE is at the top of a bill with Legendary Baller, DJ Phoenix Starr, DJ Yogi, and the almighty Senor Kaos. Fri., July 23 at 529.
☄️Duet for Theremin and Lap Steel and Anagrams bring an evening of cosmic drone music and electronic funk-jazz and acoustic abstractions to the indoor stage. Fri., July 23 at Waller's Coffee Shop.
🎸 Fronted author, director, and indie rock songwriter Michelle Zauner's (pictured above) Japanese Breakfast plays in Heaven at The Masquerade on Sat., July 24.
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5. Coffee Spotlight: The Victorian
☕ There’s one place in Atlanta where you can feed both your coffee addiction and your house plant collection: The Victorian.
The Victorian Atlanta, a creative plant shop, first opened in Ponce City Market in 2017. Last month, a second location opened in East Atlanta Village. This new location includes a full-service coffee bar in partnership with local roastery Bellwood Coffee.
Bellwood cycles through seasonal blends from around the world. The Reservoir or “The Rez,” served year-round, is named after Atlanta’s Bellwood Quarry, and is imported from Cajamarca, Peru.
The shop fills an old bungalow on Glenwood Ave. that has been completely reworked by local designer Alison Michaels-Fandel. The front yard (now patio) includes umbrella-ed tables and a spacious front deck.
The interior provides a stunning combination of old-school industrial beams and bright, retro charm. And, of course, the shop is stocked full of rare plants. Combined with its wooden and wicker furniture, the space is reminiscent of a massive indoor garden.
Still in its soft opening stage, The Victorian is open limited hours, from Wed. through Sun. from 11a.m.-6 p.m.
Stop in when you can for a one-of-a-kind coffee and horticultural experience.
For more on the metro area's coffee scene, visit our guide to local coffee.
What’s your favorite coffee shop? Drop us a line on Instagram and let us know!
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