Fresh Loaf

Number of DUI arrests made by the Georgia State Patrol statewide during the 2009 New Year’s holiday: 279

Number of those drivin’ imbibers who were arrested in the five-county metro Atlanta area: 17

Number of crashes reported throughout the state during the 2009 holiday: 2,998

Number of people who died in alcohol-related crashes in Georgia during the 2009 holiday: 6

Approximate value, in dollars, of a “free funeral” a Rome, Ga., funeral home offered to people who promised to drink and drive on New Year’s Eve: 15,000

Number of people who’ve made the promise, which owners say is aimed at raising awareness about drunk driving risks: 0

Approximate total cost, in dollars, of a DUI charge, including insurance, court and probation fees, and license reinstatement: 10,000

Approximate cost, in dollars, for a one-way cab ride for two people from Buckhead to Underground Atlanta to watch the Peach Drop: 20

Cost, in dollars, for one person to ride MARTA from Buckhead to Underground Atlanta and back: 4

Sources: Georgia Department of Human Services, Georgia State Patrol, Rome News-Tribune, Atlanta Checker Cab Co, MARTA

Bookmark It

Music, food, dancing and cultural pride was the order of the day at the annual FREE Festival Peachtree Latino, which took over Underground Atlanta and surrounding streets on Sunday, August 23, 2009.

Check out our Festival Peachtree Latino photo gallery for more pics.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Bookmark It

1) Treasures from India Film Festival continues at the High Museum of Art.

2) Festival Latino invades Underground Atlanta.

3) Big & Rich play Verizon Wireless Amphitheater.

4) IFapalooza at the Five Spot raises money for If Coffeehouse in L5P.

5) Go A Little Bit Country, A Little Bit Rock ’n’Roll at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center.

See more Atlanta events.

(Photo courtesy the High Museum of Art)

Bookmark It

1) Manny Mania showcases local skate talent at Underground Atlanta.

2) Comedian Doug Stanhope performs at Relapse Theatre.

3) The Reigning Sound plays the Earl.

4) Alec Soth: Black Lines of Wood opens at the High Museum of Art.

5) Lenny’s Bar hosts Totally Titties 3, a fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

See more Atlanta events.

(Photo by Shad Lambert)

Bookmark It

First come the slots. Then come the men cavorting with white tigers and the true artistes! But until then…baby steps.

And today, the Atlanta City Council voiced its support  for a plan that could drastically change Underground Atlanta and bring gambling — well, video lottery terminals — to the long suffering downtown attraction. Council voted 11-0 to approve a resolution supporting the proposal and form a committee to study the project.

Underground Atlanta leaseholders Dan O’Leary and John Aderhold say a remake of the area could bring jobs and much-needed revenue to the city. The two recently proposed a $500 million redevelopment plan that would convert Underground Atlanta’s 12 acres into a complex featuring a 29-story hotel, restaurants, shops and lottery terminals.

(more…)

Bookmark It

Antonio, Detroit: I would have spent my money. Any improvement would help. Maybe the people of Atlanta aren’t ready for it. Maybe they’re scared. But once they get it, they’ll like it. There’s always rumors. People say it’s going to take from the community or that [casinos] are not going to put back into the community, but they do in Detroit. We have three. They’ve helped out in the schools. Atlanta needs to catch up. Lot of youth down here, but no older people. It be a lot more fun with casinos.

Felicia, Seattle: No. I’m happy that it’s not here. I don’t like the implications of it. It’s taking food from people who can’t afford to do it, and there are plenty of places to go for people who can afford to do it. I like coming down here and seeing real people, not people trying to take someone else’s bucks. There are plenty of places outside Seattle to gamble, but none in the city. It would take away from the family atmosphere around here. It’s so nice. Just regular people all over here with families.

Anna Goiânia, Brazil: Oh hell yes! Yeah, yeah. Definitely. Way better. That would have been a lot of fun and brought in a lot more people here. I gamble in Brazil. What’s great about gambling in Brazil is that they don’t ask for ID. So if you’re twelve years old, you get in. I like to gamble. It’s fun. [Underground] is nice. It’s different, and I always like something that is different. Have met a lot of people, gone shopping for gifts and definitely would have gambled.

Bookmark It

Underground Atlanta executives announced last week that a gaming company has offered to spend $450 million to turn the downtown retail complex into a casino with video slot machines and a 29-story hotel.

“Casino gambling in neighboring states would take away from Georgia’s convention and tourism business. Let’s roll the dice. Georgia can’t afford not to.”

— Fulton Commissioner Robb Pitts, from a 1994 presentation titled “Gambling: On Georgia’s Mind”

“Statistics show that thousands of people from the Atlanta area travel weekly to venues that feature casinos and other games of chance.”

— Councilman Jim Maddox, from a 2003 resolution urging state lawmakers to allow gambling

“Let’s be courageous and allow the citizens of Georgia to vote the issue of legalizing casino gambling up or down!”

— Robb Pitts, from a Dec. 4 open letter to state lawmakers

“There’s a general sense that we’ll see gaming within the city limits and I concur.”

— Mayor Shirley Franklin, speaking to state lawmakers in November

Bookmark It

Folks have long talked about the possibility of gambling at Underground Atlanta, often from the standpoint that legalized gaming may be the only way to make the city-subsidized white-elephant finally solvent and to revive lower downtown. Fulton Commissioner Robb Pitts has kept the issue in the public with frequent pro-gambling statements. And, as recently as mid-November, Mayor Shirley Franklin told state lawmakers she would be willing to explore gambling licenses as a way to generate revenue for the city.

Well, it looks as if some developer has finally taken the bait. The AJC reports that Underground operator Dan O’Leary has announced that a company is interested in filling the near-dormant mall with 5,000 video slot machines and building a new high-rise hotel onsite.

The project would cost about $450 million and would be expected to generate $600 million in gross annual revenue, half of which might go to the Georgia Lottery Board. Is it a coincidence that the lottery board would have a large role in deciding whether the proposal goes forward?

Actually, the legal hurdles to installing a casino in Underground are not that high. The site is already designated by state law as Georgia’s only “special entertainment district,” which means that many legal restrictions that apply everywhere else — Sunday alcohol sales, for instance — don’t apply there. The city doesn’t have the authority to license a casino without state approval, but surprisingly few laws would need to be changed to make it happen.

If there’s the will, there’s definitely a way.

Bookmark It

If you’re behind the wheel this evening, be sure to avoid the area around Underground Atlanta. City police will block off some vehicular traffic so lots of people can look at a foam-and-fiberglass peach, listen to unknown country music stars, and get soused in a part of town where few people visit the other 364 days of the year.

From the city:

Streets that will be closed for the Peach Drop are:
• Alabama Street from Forsyth to Peachtree streets
• Wall Street from Central Avenue to Peachtree Street
• Marietta Street/Decatur Street from Spring Street to Central Avenue
• Walton Street from Forsyth to Peachtree streets
• Luckie Street/Auburn Avenue from Forsyth to Peachtree Center Avenue
• Williams Street from Forsyth to Peachtree streets
• Forsyth Street from M. L. King Jr. Drive to Walton Street
• Broad Street from Marietta to Peachtree streets
• Peachtree Street from M. L. King Jr. Drive to Ellis Street
• Park Place from J.W. Dobbs Avenue to Decatur Street
• Equitable Place from Auburn to Edgewood avenues
• Pryor Street from Decatur Street to M. L. King
• J.W. Dobbs Avenue from Peachtree Street to Peachtree Center Avenue
• Edgewood Avenue from Peachtree Street to Central Avenue

And:

Vehicular traffic will be allowed to flow on, but not enter the perimeter formed by:
• Central Avenue and Peachtree Center Avenue on the east;
• Spring Street, Walton Street and Forsyth Street on the west;
• M. L. King on the south; and Ellis Street and Carnegie Way on the north.

Bookmark It

That’s what the AJC claims in a story posted today, quoting officials in the “hospitality industry.”

The article cites the shuttering of Buckhead Village and the death of downtown clubs as the reason why Atlanta lost its party-town status — as if the Buckhead bar scene was something to be proud of.

According to the story:

Moves to curtail hours and efforts to revitalize Buckhead with high-end development have effectively killed its party reputation. … [D]owntown, where most of the conventions take place, is missing the after-hours component.

But is Atlanta nightlife really that big of a downer? It seems to me that the Midtown clubs have picked up Buckhead’s slack, and that East Atlanta and the Highlands are alive and well. And when did people ever go downtown to party anyway? Clubs such as Karma and the Royal were always something of an exception. The canned Underground Atlanta scene has historically ebbed and flowed. And after Castleberry Hill became a decent, if not rowdy, party district, look what happened in that downtown ‘hood.

The story’s implication is that touristy nightlife is dead. My questions to you, tried-and-true Atlanta partiers, is this: Who cares if that sector of nightlife shrivels up and dies? If it does, perhaps our more authentic nightlife scene will have a better chance of survival.

Bookmark It

An Alpharetta man was named national Rubik’s Cube champion Sunday at Underground Atlanta, and the tournament may have set the world record for “Most People Solving Rubik’s Cube.”

Andrew Kang beat more than 100 other competitors in the 2008 U.S National Rubik’s Cube Tournament, with an average cube solving time of 12.97 seconds, according to a press release.

“It was an honor to compete against so many extraordinary cubers,” said Kang, who’ll move on to the World Rubik’s Cube Championship next year.

During the first day of the event, excitement ensued as 75 cubers participated in an attempt to set a new Guinness World Record for “The Most People Solving the Rubik’s Cube” in one place in under one hour. Each participant successfully solved their cube within the allotted time to collectively meet the record requirements, which Guinness is currently reviewing before the record is officially announced.

Damn. I could have been watching that instead of The Dark Knight.

Bookmark It

If you haven’t been to Underground Atlanta lately, you may be shocked to hear that Kenny’s Alley, the urban mall’s nightlife district, is very much alive and well.

After a false start in 2005, when six new nightclubs debuted on New Year’s Eve and then saw their business gradually fizzle, the Alley has finally found success as a destination for a largely African American crowd. Such clubs as Sugar Hill, which features live neo-soul and R&B; Motion, with its large dance floor; and hip-hop lounge The House have managed to boost weekend attendance to more than 5,000 – a healthy number for a space that has floundered in recent decades. And recently, the popular Buckhead nightclub Frequency relocated to Underground.

But now the venue’s management plans has announced plans to begin charging a $2 cover to enter Kenny’s Alley, a move club owners fear will upset their delicate formula for success.

Two bucks may not sound like much – especially when most of the clubs inside are charging $20 admission – but longtime promoter Richard Dunn, a partner in Sugar Hill and Motion, says it’s not so much the amount but the impression it gives. Folks will pay handsomely to enter a VIP room and they’ll certainly shell out for top-shelf liquor, but being asked to pay $2 for the privilege of standing in line to get into a club is somewhat insulting, he says. And hot women – the prime commodity at any club – are not accustomed to paying for anything.

“It’s just not cool,” says Dunn. “It’s not going to have a positive outcome.”

Underground managing partner Dan O’Leary says the charge is needed to offset the cost of additional security to handle the larger crowds.

But Dunn says club owners offered to absorb the extra cost or pass it on to customers via higher drink prices – anything to avoid a door charge – and were turned down. The reason, he suspects, is that Underground’s management simply wants a new revenue stream.

O’Leary dismisses the concerns as overblown: “Maybe it will discourage some people, but it won’t kill business.”

Dunn, however, says that just when the Alley has finally built a solid clientele is a bad time to throw a $2 curveball.

“It’s a big risk, but it’s the clubs that stand to lose,” he says. “If this doesn’t come out, I’m screwed till next summer.”

Bookmark It

. . . rich homeowners will be able to have swimming pools because they can afford the well water or out of state water to fill up their pools. Middle income and lower income families will not be able to do so.

— Erick at Peach Pundit expresses empathy for a hitherto underrepresented group of Georgians — poor people with backyard swimming pools.

—–

Hey Doom…

You are driving away your fanbase through the abuse of your mask!

— David at Ohmpark on the local blogtroversy surrounding MF Doom’s December 2007 performance at Masquerade. Ohmpark reprints photographic evidence allegedly showing that the performer on stage that evening was actually a masked imposter. There’s a reason they call it Masquerade, I suppose.

—–

The killer blow to Underground was when the World of Coca Cola museum adjacent to it closed to reopen in a new facility near the aquarium. With no major tourist attraction to draw people to Underground, it became just another run down collection of knick-knack shops and empty storefronts. Business dropped off so dramatically that the artists I had working there could no longer make enough to justify the time they spent. No artists, no operation. On December 31st we drew our last caricature at Underground.

The end of an era. It was a good run.

— Tom Richmond on the recent closure of Underground Atlanta’s caricature stand. Richmond operated the business for 18 years. Even if you have no interest in caricature art, his description of Underground over the years is worth a read.

Bookmark It

It appears that Underground Atlanta, which has been a nightclub graveyard in recent years, may finally have found its groove. At least three new clubs and restaurants are planning to open in Kenny’s Alley in coming weeks and it’s no surprise that most of them are following the successful strategy of going after an upscale African-American clientele.

As CL first observed nearly a year ago, once clubs quit trying to appeal to everyone and focused on the buppie crowd, business picked up. In the past year, the hip-hop dance floor at the House and the live R&B shows at Sugarhill have attracted strong word-of-mouth and a dedicated following.

One of the newcomers will be familiar to many locals. Frequency, a high-energy dance club that once occupied a now-demolished building in the Buckhead Village, is expected to reopen in the space under the House in time for Underground’s New Year’s Eve bash.

Also hoping to be ready for NYE is Gold Bar & Restaurant, which will fill the space last occupied by the Alley Cat rock ‘n’ roll bar.

Coming sometime after Jan. 1 is Red Cat Jazz Café, a spinoff of a popular Houston restaurant that features Cajun cuisine and live jazz.

Finally, the popular Sugarhill is expanding into the old Charlie Brown’s Cabaret space with Sugarhill Lounge, where patrons can chill out and get something to eat.

Of course, all the clubs will stay open until 4 a.m., which is their main reason for coming to Underground in the first place.

Bookmark It