"The GOAT Black City" The Official: ATL Discussion Thread
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- Start date
AVXL
Laughing at you n*ggaz like “ha ha ha”
Aye brehs who BBQn this weekend? 
Let a breh know sumthin
Let a breh know sumthin
There is a guy on here that had a spot in Downtown Decatur.
I sent the shop name to someone by email. Let me look through my account
That's the dude I cc'd in my post, I went by there last year after they opened. It's closed now
DamnThat's the dude I cc'd in my post, I went by there last year after they opened. It's closed now
AVXL
Laughing at you n*ggaz like “ha ha ha”
Aye brehs who BBQn this weekend?
Let a breh know sumthin
So don't none of y'all know of ANY BBQ's this weekend?
So don't none of y'all know of ANY BBQ's this weekend?
PewPew
I came from nothing
That's the dude I cc'd in my post, I went by there last year after they opened. It's closed now
Hey there! Even though my shop closed I still have some connections so I could probably get it fixed for you for the low. Send me the details via PM por favor
Bruhhhhhhh
Why am I in Stiletto right now (next to Thumbs up) friend of mine invited me out because they are performing for industry night.
Anyway.
Why does someone have a fukking baby in here in a baby carriage
Im dumbfounded. I'm done. I can't take this shyt.
Why am I in Stiletto right now (next to Thumbs up) friend of mine invited me out because they are performing for industry night.
Anyway.
Why does someone have a fukking baby in here in a baby carriage
Im dumbfounded. I'm done. I can't take this shyt.
Damn I was contemplating for a while of buying a cheap spot on the west side of the new dome because I knew she was bound to pick up. I might be too late now smh
Valued voices share insights about Atlanta and beyond
ATL BUSINESS CHRONICLE
Arthur Blank and his team roll up their sleeves to help Atlanta’s Westside
May 22, 2016, 10:19 pm/0 Comments
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By Maria Saporta
As published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on May 20, 2016
The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has committed about $7 million of the $15 million it has pledged to invest in improvements in the communities on Atlanta’s Westside near the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
But Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank said the commitment to improve the Westside is just getting started.
On May 13, hundreds of associates from Blank’s multiple business and philanthropic entities descended on the Westside to work on seven different projects — including refreshing six existing Habitat for Humanity-Atlanta homes. The effort — called Brush with Kindness — mainly involved repainting people’s homes.
Arthur Blank talks to associate Brett Jewkes before doing a television interview about the westside (Photo by Maria Saporta)
“We have more than 300 of our associates involved in seven different projects,” Blank said while touring the different sites. “It is an opportunity for our associates to roll up their sleeves. We are committed to the Westside. Today we are working on these houses. But this is not a one-day project for us. This is 365 days a year.”
Blank said it’s vital to preserve as much of the history as possible because the “Westside is where the civil rights movement flourished.”
One of the big challenges for Blank, the City of Atlanta and other Westside partners has been acquiring, demolishing or repairing the number of blighted homes in the English Avenue and Vine City neighborhoods.
“It’s important that the people who live here — the people who have a sense of history and tradition — get to stay here,” Blank said. “We want these communities to flourish… We think the resources are there. We want to be part of the fabric.”
After talking to one of the homeowners, Blank said she told him she already had seen “tremendous improvement” in some of the blighted properties. One of the next tasks will be to have Atlanta police officers moving into 20 to 25 different homes in the community, providing another layer of public safety and security.
Penny McPhee, president of the Blank Foundation, said many partners are involved in the efforts to improve the Westside.
Blank Foundation’s Frank Fernandez working on the Westside (Photo by Maria Saporta)
“All the work happening on the Westside is complicated, it’s long-term, and it’s slow-going,” McPhee said. “It’s going to take at least 10 years. And it involves a lot of partners. We don’t want it to be just Arthur and the associates.”
The impetus to make improvements on the Westside is the building of the new $1.5 billion stadium across Northside Drive.
“The community has been so marginalized with disinvestment,” McPhee said. “A big part of our goal is to reconnect the Westside with downtown. It is our biggest undertaking. It will be transformational.”
But it’s not simple.
Frank Fernandez, vice president of community development for the Blank Foundation, has been focused on the Westside since he moved to Atlanta more than two years ago.
The Blank Foundation chose to partner with Habitat because “it’s really grounded in the community,” and it has long-time homeowners who have a stake in the area.
“We and Habitat are focused on helping people who are here be able to stay in their homes,” Fernandez said. “A big part of this is to help them stay here.”
The Blank Foundation is working with Invest Atlanta, the Westside Future Fund and others to address all aspects of the issues contributing to blight in the neighborhoods.
“We haven’t really seen gentrification so far,” Fernandez said. “There’s only a 15 percent home-ownership rate. But 70 percent of renters have been here five years or more. We are trying to figure out how we can convert them to homeowners.”
Fernandez said there are two big initiatives. The first is to provide housing and legal services on the blighted properties. Many of them have “cloudy titles” with some question of who owns the houses.
They also have grants to help people improve their homes — ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 — that can go towards energy efficiency, repairs and beautification.
Frank Fernandez talks with neighborhood resident Ms. Bertha (Photo by Maria Saporta)
The Blank Foundation also is working with the city to acquire property in the community.
“The key is the land assemblage,” McPhee said, noting that it involves code enforcement and absentee owners. “We have acquired some properties mostly with Invest Atlanta [the city’s economic development agency]. There’s also the Westside Future Fund that will be acquiring properties to go to the land bank authority or held by the Westside Future Fund.”
At the same time, the Blank Foundation is also working on job training programs, green space improvements, community leadership development and physical connections between the stadium and the Westside.
“We want to transform the campus of the stadium for people to come in not just on Falcons’ game days,” McPhee said. “We see this as a residential community that’s part of downtown. We want you to feel comfortable on both sides of Northside Drive.”
Photo Pick: Chihuly Green by Lisa PaneroMay 19, 2016 - 7:54 am
AVXL
Laughing at you n*ggaz like “ha ha ha”
"UNCODE; a digital documentary series highlighting the presence, global influence, and varied interests of the African Diaspora.
My boy (he from the A,
to Southside) and his wife put this together, it's a great concept and most importantly great content. Check it out brehs & brehettes 
AVXL
Laughing at you n*ggaz like “ha ha ha”
ATL Coli Meet Up on Saturday June 18th at Grant Park
http://www.thecoli.com/threads/atlanta-meet-up-thread-june-18th-grant-park.407034/
Post up if you're coming and PLEASE bring something!
http://www.thecoli.com/threads/atlanta-meet-up-thread-june-18th-grant-park.407034/
Post up if you're coming and PLEASE bring something!