Bloglanta

I got a report in that comments may not be working. After testing it out, it appears this may be the case. When I’ve got a spare moment (ha ha) I’ll be moving the blog to a new host. You likely won’t notice a difference, except maybe in speed in reliability (hopefully for the better). In the meantime, Bloglanta may be slow and unreliable for a few days.

– Joe

Update: We’ve moved to the new host and things should be back to normal now.

So… you want to take a local power broker our for drinks or meal and you want them to be at ease.  Where should you go?

If you’re courting a Democrat, member of metro Atlanta’s finest, a theater person, or beat writer, there is no other place than Manuel’s Tavern.  Manuel’s was named for Manuel Maloof, whose family still runs the bar.  Democrats have been meeting here for years and many a political deal has been cut in this establishment.  Members of Atlanta’s finest, theater folks, and reporters also all mix here depending on what time of day you get there.  Just look on the walls.  You can’t be a Democrat and win the general election without coming to Manuels.  Anyone can get in and anyone can walk around.  It helps however, to know which group your trying to reach as they all sit in different parts of the tavern.  Particularly progressive Democrats have also been known to congregate at Thinking Man’s Tavern.

Republicans have more money and have not really established a single watering whole as their own.  However, the Capital Grille seems to meet the needs of Republicans and their well heeled lobbyist clientele quite nicely.  Apologist Neal Boortz has been throwing his “power lunches” there for some time and the staff makes sure that deals can be made with the utmost discretion.  Some Republicans have also taken to hanging out at the River Room.  First, it’s right next to Matt Towery’s offices, and second, it’s in a Post Community where it looks like a town, but there is no civic authority to create regulation.  Instead, it’s entirely corporate controlled.

In Atlanta, African Americans are a substantial power structure on their own without regard to party (though there are more Democrats than Republicans).  Still, all must pass through Paschal’s at some point.  Many folks don’t even realize that the venerable restaurant is still in business, but it has a lovely location just west of Castleberry Hill.   A visit there on any given Sunday will still show you class of Atlanta’s African American Elite.  As the “Unofficial Headquarters of the Civil Rights Movement”, and as the  place where Morehouse and Spellmen graduates celebrate big events, Paschals remains a vibrant part of the scene.  The tea is sweet, the steaks are good, the cobbler is hot.  Anyone who has not been should go.  Anyone who has been knows that if you want to meet the elite, Paschals is the place to which you should beat your retreat!

Libertarians?  Apparently, you’re free to meet where ever you’d like… but they seem to tend toward the Piccadilly Cafeteria in Cobb County.  That’s scary.  C’mon guys, couldn’t you find a bar in which to drink about Ayn Rand?  Or does the cafeteria form create the best culinary representation of informed consumer choice?

While Atlanta is not a big Marine town, it’s time for people who are going to use the docks here to start to learn the rules.  If they don’t, someone could literally get hurt.  Here then, is some basic etiquette for using dock space.

1. The people who work on and maintain the docks have first right to them.  That means at location such as Azalea Park, Crew Sculls get first dibs.
2. Next come non-powered boaters: canoes, kayaks, and rafts.  While slower, they’re being controlled by people, not engines and come next.
3. Powered marine vehicles that are picking up or dropping off folks come next.  If there are no cleats at your dock, you perhaps should not plan to be there long.
4. If you have nothing to do with any marine vehicle, you’re lowest on the totem poll and when anyone else needs dock space, your job is to get out of the way.

Further, some more basic rules for those “just visiting” and with no real business on the dock

1. Watch your kids.  Really.  Even with something as simple as a kayak, if your child’s fingers get caught between the shell and the dock, they could break.  Imagine what happens when it’s an outboard motor.  If there is a boat nearby, your kids should be no more than arms length from you.
2. Picnics are great… at picnic tables!  Nearly every park by the water has these.  You don’t need to sit on the dock and eat.  If a number of boats come quickly your food will get wet, your beer will spill and it will be your fault.
3. Fishing from Docks has a long tradition, but you also need to be ready to get out of the way.  If your hook catches a boat, you could lose your equipment, or if your stubborn, you could be pulled in to the water.  Again, this is on you and not the boater.  If you have kids, remind them that casting at people is both rude and dangerous
4. Don’t feed the wildlife on the docks.  Yes, the geese, the ducks, snakes, bats, fish, and otters love the food (yes, there really are otters).  Feeding them on the docks puts boaters at risk and leaves the dock a mess.  You’re not going to clean it up, so don’t leave it for others.  Feed the animals from the shore, not the dock.
5. Don’t try to help unless you’ve been asked.  Most boaters know their boats and how to launch them.  If someone needs help they’ll ask for it.
6. Don’t run toward the arriving boat unless you’re a passenger.  Give passengers a wide berth to get from the deck to the dock.
7. You’re a guest.  Be smart.  How would you want strangers to treat your driveway?

For more on Georgia Boating Laws and Regs, click here!

With the closing of Walden Books (deep discounts while they last) in Lenox Square, neither of the city’s two premiere shopping plazas will have a book store in them. Lenox barely has a music store (FYE) and Phipps has none. That’s fascinating. Lenox once had two bookstores and had an HMV. They even had the Met Shop. Now, virtually nothing.

Perhaps this says something about our culture. Yes, one of the larger Borders is near by, but one would think that Atlanta’s wealthier shoppers would want more than home furnishings and clothes. One would think they’d want something to read to go with one of the coffee stands around the mall.

Perhaps there is a division between the culture of literature and serious music and the pop scene in our town. Atlanta has not had a serious literary hangout since Oxford Books closed all but the comics store. Tower was one meeting place for serious musicians, but now that it’s gone, now it really does revolve around clubs such as Churchill Grounds and Apache Cafe. Unlike other cities, Atlanta likely could not support a Gibson shop in Lenox.

It is surprising however, that there is not a serious hip hop industry shop in Lenox. On any given Saturday, the ultra-bling set can be seen shopping there and the lack of a store that sells cutting edge electronics, beat samplers, tracks, and recorders is surprising. Perhaps Simon is trying to discourage it.

Ah well, at least Atlanix is there, but with the loss of the music stores, book stores, and museum stores, a serious commitment from the Management at Simon would be a friendly gesture.

Atlanta is still not a 24 hour city.  Compared to other cities, there are some amenities we need and some changes that should occur.

Atlanta is still a place where Dunkin Donuts closes.  The Brookhaven Dunkin’ Donuts is a mile from Oglethorpe University, yet by 10:30, it’s closed.  Don’t they know if they throw a wifi router in the place and advertise they have access, the place will be packed 24/7?  Worse than that, we don’t have Tims!

The same goes for Starbucks.  Some are closed by 7.  Others by 10.  What’s with that?  There is not a single 24 hour Starbucks in Fulton or Dekalb County.

More Trader Joes are great, but as the NFT Atlanta points out, we like chain stores a little too much.  Other cities have gourmet stores that largely stock local product.  The closest we have is Alon’s.

We lack late night gourmet food.  Only Atkins Park is still serving ‘better than bar food’ on a Tuesday at 1 AM.  Yes, there are more diners, and some pubs still serving, but when you need a 1 AM business dinner, you’re left with Atkins Park or Chinese.

There are too few independent book stores in town, and none of them have a full service restaurant or bar in them.  Someone is missing the opportunity to make some serious cash.

We have too many governments and that is going to quash our regional effectiveness.  While other cities are in uni-gov mode, we’re splintering even more.

At least 3 of our major sports venues are inaccessible directly by subway.  Further, none of them have won a Championship this century!

MacDonald’s here do not serve Newman’s Own Organic Coffees.

One of the better midrange chocolate companies does its manufacturing here and most Atlantans don’t know because local stores don’t carry Flyer Bars!

The Museums around here have no free day, and rather than showing off the great art they own and acquiring more, they rent art from other museums!

Okay… enough snarking, but after visiting other cities, it’s clear we’re slipping.  Still, there is hope.  Housing is surely plentiful.  The city of Atlanta was truly strengthened by the Olympics.  People here are ambitious and want to get things done.  We have Atlantix.

One wonders, however, how long Metro Atlanta can survive until the lack of affordable starter homes, public transportation, and bickering between the various counties cripples the place.