Best Of Atlanta 2006 Cityscape Large


Cityscape


Best place for Celebrity Sighting BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Dallas Austin
DALLAS AUSTIN, dude, what were you thinking? We’ll wait to see whether Austin’s bust earlier this year in Dubai will damage the good-guy reputation the music producer has built in Atlanta, or if the escapade turns out to be his own little Teflon hit. But it certainly was handy to bemore...
DALLAS AUSTIN, dude, what were you thinking? We’ll wait to see whether Austin’s bust earlier this year in Dubai will damage the good-guy reputation the music producer has built in Atlanta, or if the escapade turns out to be his own little Teflon hit. But it certainly was handy to be able to call for help from high-powered Atlanta entertainment attorney Joel Katz, who in turn fetched assistance from ultra-conservative Sen. (and Mormon Church crooner) Orrin Hatch. Austin ended up with a pardon and quickly got a ticket out of the Persian Gulf emirate. Sometimes — especially when you do something really, really dumb — it pays to have friends in high places. less...

Best Coffee House/Coffeeshop BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Teahouse 11:11
With everyone seemingly owning a laptop and Wi-Fi coffee shops popping up all over town, more and more people are escaping the office or classroom to get away, to work away from work. In our Westside neighborhood, the place to surf while you sip your java is Octane. But the most unique coffeehouse experiencemore...
With everyone seemingly owning a laptop and Wi-Fi coffee shops popping up all over town, more and more people are escaping the office or classroom to get away, to work away from work. In our Westside neighborhood, the place to surf while you sip your java is Octane. But the most unique coffeehouse experience citywide may well be 11:11 TEAHOUSE. There’s a medicinal herb garden, and its luscious wafts of peppermint, ginger and rosemary make it as serene of a setting as you could ever hope for. Plus, there are 30 exotic tea combinations concocted from 150 herbs, and the prerequisite free Wi-Fi access. The chain coffee shops have their place, but to get unique you have to go local. less...
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Best Local TV News BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Monica Kaufman
WSB/Channel 2 Weeknights, 5, 6 and 11 p.m. www.wsbtv.com

Best TV Sports Anchor BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Fred Kalil
WXIA/Channel 11 Weeknights, 6 and 11 p.m. www.11alive.com

Best TV Meteorologist BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Glenn Burns
WSB/Channel 2 Weeknights, 5,6 and 11 p.m. www.wsbtv.com

Best Urban/ Contemporary Station BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
103.3 (WVEE-FM)

Best Coffee House/Coffeeshop BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Starbucks
Ubiquitous. www.starbucks.com

BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Shirley Franklin, mayor
“Shirley Franklin is in her fifth year as mayor of Atlanta. We asked what would be so essential to Atlanta that the city wouldn’t be the same without it:” “The Peachtree Road Race embodies some of the same elements that made the Atlanta Olympics so successful. It’s the product of hardmore...
“Shirley Franklin is in her fifth year as mayor of Atlanta. We asked what would be so essential to Atlanta that the city wouldn’t be the same without it:” “The Peachtree Road Race embodies some of the same elements that made the Atlanta Olympics so successful. It’s the product of hard work and preparation. It’s a family event and it has universal appeal. It’s not so huge that it’s unmanageable, but not so small it’s insignificant. And, over its 36-year history, it’s been a model of the kind of sustained energy that Atlanta represents. “I was a race-watcher for many years, but I had almost turned 60 before I realized that I, too, could participate. As with many aspects of Atlanta, you can engage at different stages of your life; if you’re not a runner, you can be a volunteer. Also, notably, we didn’t choose an easy day for the race. It’s always on July 4, during the peak of summer, so it gives you a genuine experience of being in the city. To me, the Peachtree Road Race reinforces the sense of accomplishment that we all feel being part of Atlanta.” less...
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Best New Addition to the Cityscape BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Terminus 100
TERMINUS 100 may not be quite finished yet, but when it’s completed in the spring, the 26-story glass-and-steel high-rise will bring a Fifth Avenue vibe to the intersection of Peachtree and Piedmont roads. The Buckhead tower, designed by Duda/Paine Architects of Durham, N.C., is the first ofmore...

TERMINUS 100 may not be quite finished yet, but when it’s completed in the spring, the 26-story glass-and-steel high-rise will bring a Fifth Avenue vibe to the intersection of Peachtree and Piedmont roads. The Buckhead tower, designed by Duda/Paine Architects of Durham, N.C., is the first of five planned by Cousins Properties on the 10-acre site. It will be anchored by two floors of retail space set up against the sidewalk, with a glitzy, Vegas-style restaurant plaza around the side. A stunning example of Atlanta’s mixed-use building renaissance, Terminus 100 is certain to bring a new jolt of energy to a rapidly changing part of town. The high-profile address and highfalutin architecture already has roped in a high-profile tenant: Cousins itself plans to move from the suburbs into the Buckhead building. That’s certainly making a statement.
www.terminus-atlanta.com


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Best New Addition to the Cityscape BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Georgia Aquarium

Best Loft Project BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Twelve Midtown, Autograph Collection

Best New Thing About Atlanta BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Beltline
Not a strip of sod or a splotch of asphalt has been laid for the BELTLINE. But only months after local governments gave it the go-ahead, Atlanta’s most ambitious public-improvement project ever is transforming our landscape. In June, Atlanta purchased the 300–acre Bellwood Quarry tomore...
Not a strip of sod or a splotch of asphalt has been laid for the BELTLINE. But only months after local governments gave it the go-ahead, Atlanta’s most ambitious public-improvement project ever is transforming our landscape. In June, Atlanta purchased the 300–acre Bellwood Quarry to turn it into the city’s largest park. And private developers already are announcing plans for projects that (mostly) complement the tighter, more transit-oriented development the Beltline is designed to encourage. More than that, the Beltline is giving city and civic leaders a powerful tool to reimagine how we’ll live in the future. The project — which envisions a 22-mile transit corridor, along with parks and new development around the urban core — is sure to test our ability over the next couple of decades to make the right choices. Already, bitter disagreements are breaking out: Buses or light rail? Skyscrapers or midrises? But that’s much better for the city than being mired in great dreams that never become reality. If we do the Beltline well, it could be the best thing to happen to Atlanta since the Civil Rights Movement. less...

Best New Thing About Atlanta BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Georgia Aquarium

Best Non-Commercial Radio Station BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
WRAS 88.5

Best Non-Commercial Radio Station BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
WRFG Radio
Back when RADIO FREE GEORGIA, WRFG-FM (89.3), went on the air in 1973, people who listened were like a secret society. The signal didn’t go far outside the perimeter — of Little Five Points, that is — and the uninitiated usually discovered the station by channel-surfing ormore...

Back when RADIO FREE GEORGIA, WRFG-FM (89.3), went on the air in 1973, people who listened were like a secret society. The signal didn’t go far outside the perimeter — of Little Five Points, that is — and the uninitiated usually discovered the station by channel-surfing or from a friend in the know: “Hey, have you checked out Radio Free Georgia?” Even the station’s name suggests its counterculture leanings. WRFG has the most eclectic playlist in Atlanta: blues, Zydeco, Americana, bluegrass, music from India, doo-wop, jazz, Latin and hip-hop. Today, Radio Free Georgia broadcasts at 100,000 watts, but it’s remained true to its roots of playing the kind of music you’ll never hear on commercial radio.
,a href=”http://www.wrfg.org”>www.wrfg.org.

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Best UnderRated Thing About Atlanta BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Oakland Cemetery
It’s tough to find much of anything in Atlanta older than OAKLAND CEMETERY, and arguably no place in this city wears its age more gracefully. Founded as a six-acre graveyard in 1850, Oakland exploded in size and, um, popularity as a result of the Civil War. Today, it serves as the final restingmore...
It’s tough to find much of anything in Atlanta older than OAKLAND CEMETERY, and arguably no place in this city wears its age more gracefully. Founded as a six-acre graveyard in 1850, Oakland exploded in size and, um, popularity as a result of the Civil War. Today, it serves as the final resting place for Bobby Jones, Margaret Mitchell, Maynard Jackson and 70,000 of the famous and obscure, including legions of unknown Confederate soldiers. But you needn’t be a history buff or a goth geek to appreciate the cemetery’s collection of ornate mausoleums and endless cobblestone paths. In fact, Oakland is quite living-friendly; it’s open every day of the year to provide a cheerfully morbid spot for a picnic or a stroll. less...

Best UnderRated Thing About Atlanta BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Fox Theatre

Best OTP Park BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
The name Kennesaw comes from the Cherokee word “gah-nee-sah,” which means burial ground. Fitting, since the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain ended the lives of an estimated 4,000 men in the summer of 1864, with 62,000 others either captured or injured. Nowadays, the site of some of the heaviestmore...
The name Kennesaw comes from the Cherokee word “gah-nee-sah,” which means burial ground. Fitting, since the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain ended the lives of an estimated 4,000 men in the summer of 1864, with 62,000 others either captured or injured. Nowadays, the site of some of the heaviest fighting of the Civil War’s Atlanta Campaign has become the 2,888-acre KENNESAW MOUNTAIN NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD PARK. Trek to this well-preserved site for a first-hand history lesson more interesting than anything they told you in class. There are more than 17 miles of trails for walking, and a 1.4-mile hike to the summit. Just don’t try to make off with any historical mementos of your own. Doing so could cost you $100,000 or even land you in jail. Plus, it’s just plain disrespectful. less...

Best OTP Park BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Stone Mountain Park

Best Radio Station BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
WRAS 88.5
Year after year, as other radio stations fall in and out of favor and change formats and call letters, ALBUM 88 never seems to change. Year after year, it just plays great, cutting-edge, alternative music. The only drawback is that the Georgia State stalwart, WRAS-FM (88.5), doesn’t broadcastmore...

Year after year, as other radio stations fall in and out of favor and change formats and call letters, ALBUM 88 never seems to change. Year after year, it just plays great, cutting-edge, alternative music. The only drawback is that the Georgia State stalwart, WRAS-FM (88.5), doesn’t broadcast on the Web — it’s been trying since 2003, but refuses to comply with federal regulations that would threaten the station’s fierce independence to play exactly what it wants to play. Thankfully, the station has a booming 100,000-watt signal. You first heard R.E.M. and U2 and the Police on WRAS. Today, it is where you’ll first hear tomorrow’s stars: Jennifer O’Conner, Sufjan Stevens and Silversun Pickups. We don’t know what the institutional formula is for Album 88’s success, but we hope the station’s managers never lose it.


www.wras.org

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Best Radio Station BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
WBZY-FM (105.3) The Buzz

Best Person You Hate to Love BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Clark Howard
He’s corny and occasionally hokey. His sincerity seems too good to be true. He’s too nerdy to be cool. But WSB-AM (750)’s CLARK HOWARD has earned his reputation as the most trusted public figure in Atlanta. He genuinely does care about the people who call his show with theirmore...
He’s corny and occasionally hokey. His sincerity seems too good to be true. He’s too nerdy to be cool. But WSB-AM (750)’s CLARK HOWARD has earned his reputation as the most trusted public figure in Atlanta. He genuinely does care about the people who call his show with their consumer problems (or at least their spending habits), and he offers them sound advice. He’s already filthy rich and doesn’t need the gig; he does it because he loves it. As a college student, Howard worked for Ralph Nader, an experience that has informed him ever since. He’s not afraid to take on the powers-that-be (his contract specifies there will be no sacred cows on his show). Although it pains us to admire a guy who eats bargain meals at Burger King and scrounges for bargains, Howard’s a rare treasure: If he says it, you can take it to the bank. less...

Best Person You Hate to Love BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Neal Boortz on WSB-AM (750)

Best Person You Love to Hate BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Neal Boortz
Well, if it isn’t our own John Sugg, then it has to be Atlanta’s contribution to big-league talk radio, NEAL BOORTZ. Whether Boortz is trumpeting his Flat Earth Society views on global warming (yeah, sure, Neal, it isn’t happening), frothing up generalized hatred against Muslims,more...
Well, if it isn’t our own John Sugg, then it has to be Atlanta’s contribution to big-league talk radio, NEAL BOORTZ. Whether Boortz is trumpeting his Flat Earth Society views on global warming (yeah, sure, Neal, it isn’t happening), frothing up generalized hatred against Muslims, or demagogue-ing the idea of a national sales tax to rip off middle-class Americans, he’s still an essential listen ... if only to know what the other side is thinking. We’ll at least give Boortz points for his willingness to tackle sacred cows and to bandy about big ideas — no matter how wrongheaded he is about them. Unlike most talk-radio blowhards, he’s had an impact on at least one policy debate by doggedly advocating the sales tax (which he incongruously calls “Fair Tax”). Besides, if we couldn’t hear this particular Cox Enterprises employee bloviating each morning on AM radio, our blood pressure might drop to an unhealthy level. less...

Best Person You Love to Hate BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Cynthia McKinney

Best place to ride your bike BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Silver Comet Trail - Mavell Road / Nickajack Elementary Trailhead
Named after a passenger train that ran along the same route from 1947 to 1968, the SILVER COMET TRAIL is a gorgeous stretch of pavement with a pastoral feel that’ll make you wonder whether you pedaled through a time warp into bygone, rural Georgia. The path runs 60 miles west across three counties.more...
Named after a passenger train that ran along the same route from 1947 to 1968, the SILVER COMET TRAIL is a gorgeous stretch of pavement with a pastoral feel that’ll make you wonder whether you pedaled through a time warp into bygone, rural Georgia. The path runs 60 miles west across three counties. That’s right, 60 freakin’ miles. Bikers, runners and walkers are free to do their thing without dodging traffic, and the scenery is breathtaking. The rails-to-trails project is an ambitious undertaking: When it’s completed, Silver Comet will connect with Alabama’s Chief Ladiga Trail to form a continuous, 93-mile path from Smyrna to Anniston, Ala. If you try to ride the whole thing, just remember: You’ll either need someone to pick you up at the other end, or your trip length will have gotten 93 miles longer. less...

Best Bike Ride / Rural BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Yellow River Mountain Bike Trail
The beautiful part of the YELLOW RIVER MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAIL is its accessibility. No, we’re not talking about how close it is to town (although that’s another big plus). Whether you’re an expert rider hungry for a challenge or an eager newbie who’s just shed his trainingmore...
The beautiful part of the YELLOW RIVER MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAIL is its accessibility. No, we’re not talking about how close it is to town (although that’s another big plus). Whether you’re an expert rider hungry for a challenge or an eager newbie who’s just shed his training wheels, this place has what you’re looking for. The Creek Loop, which was designed by a mountain biker, consists of about five miles of tough climbs and exhilarating drop-offs. The River Loop, on the other hand, offers novices a far mellower ride. Some bikers say a recent trail makeover robbed the Creek Loop of some of its danger, but it’s still a hell of a ride. less...

Best Bike Ride / Urban BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Stone Mountain Park

Best place to ride your bike BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Silver Comet Trail - Mavell Road / Nickajack Elementary Trailhead

Best Day Trip BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Mazzy’s Sports Bar & Grill (Marietta)

Best Day Trip BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Ocoee River
For continuous whitewater fun within a couple of hours of a major city, it’s hard to match the OCOEE RIVER. Just north of the Tennessee line, the Ocoee’s most famous as the site of the 1996 Olympics whitewater course. But it’s also an incredibly accessible stream for half-daymore...

For continuous whitewater fun within a couple of hours of a major city, it’s hard to match the OCOEE RIVER. Just north of the Tennessee line, the Ocoee’s most famous as the site of the 1996 Olympics whitewater course. But it’s also an incredibly accessible stream for half-day and full-day guided rafting trips. The Class III-IV rapids aren’t super dangerous, but you definitely don’t want to try them without an expert. An added convenience: The Ocoee’s dam-released flows ensure a good ride even in the driest days of summer.
Nantahala Outdoor Center, 888-905-7238, www.noc.com; Wildwater Limited, 800-451-9972, ,a href=”http://www.wildwaterrafting.com”>www.wildwaterrafting.com.

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Best place for Celebrity Sighting BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Lenox Square

Best place for Celebrity Sighting BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Best Playground BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
John C Howell Park
Across from Inman Park Middle School, JOHN HOWELL PARK features two playgrounds: one for tots and one for school-age kids. Though neither playground is particularly large, both age groups can find plenty to amuse themselves. Older kids can run across a wobbly bridge and crawl through tubes under much-covetedmore...
Across from Inman Park Middle School, JOHN HOWELL PARK features two playgrounds: one for tots and one for school-age kids. Though neither playground is particularly large, both age groups can find plenty to amuse themselves. Older kids can run across a wobbly bridge and crawl through tubes under much-coveted shade. The toddler set can run amok in a sandbox, experience bouncy rocking-horse-like rides, and find a fire engine suitable for climbing on, under and through. Best of all, high-tech rubberized flooring covers the entire playground, so if your kids fall you won’t feel as guilty. less...

Best Playground BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Piedmont Park

Best UnderRated Thing About Atlanta BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Most Adults Who Live in Atlanta ain’t From Around Here
Hang out in Atlanta long enough and you’ll discover that MOST ADULTS WHO LIVE IN ATLANTA AIN’T FROM AROUND HERE. Just ask around. Atlanta sucks up folks from parts of the Southeast that suck. But it’s not just Southerners moving in; plenty of newfangled carpetbaggers came downmore...
Hang out in Atlanta long enough and you’ll discover that MOST ADULTS WHO LIVE IN ATLANTA AIN’T FROM AROUND HERE. Just ask around. Atlanta sucks up folks from parts of the Southeast that suck. But it’s not just Southerners moving in; plenty of newfangled carpetbaggers came down during the dot-com era and that crazy international event called the Olympics. More are now flooding in from scores of other nations. In 1990, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Atlanta’s metro population at 2.9 million. By 2005, it had swelled to 5.1 million. And well more than half the people who live in DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties weren’t even born in Georgia. Should you run into a native, avoid asking about Atlanta back in the day. You’ll only get stories that begin with, “I remember when ... .” less...

Best UnderRated Thing About Atlanta BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Traffic

Best Radio DJ/Personality BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Marvin Evangelista
He stumbles over words. He screws up his PSAs. He’s a total spaz. And he undoubtedly grates on some listeners’ nerves. But those people are just jealous they don’t have the charm, energy and personality of WRAS-FM (88.5)’s MARVIN EVANGELISTA. Evangelista hosts severalmore...

He stumbles over words. He screws up his PSAs. He’s a total spaz. And he undoubtedly grates on some listeners’ nerves. But those people are just jealous they don’t have the charm, energy and personality of WRAS-FM (88.5)’s MARVIN EVANGELISTA. Evangelista hosts several Album 88 programs, including “Soul Kitchen.” In endearingly awkward fits and bursts, he offers hilarious commentary and witty criticisms of his own shortcomings as a DJ. And in an impressive attempt to prove he can walk the walk as well as talk the talk, Evangelista wiped the floor clean in AccessAtlanta’s 2005 air guitar contest. His re-enactment of AC/DC’s “Problem Child” would make even Bob Pollard proud.
404-651-4488. <a href=”http://www.wras.org” target=”_blank”www.wras.org.

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Best Radio DJ/Personality BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Aaron Hickman
WBZY-FM (105.3) The Buzz Weekdays 7 p.m. - 12 a.m. www.buzzatlanta.com

Best Local TV News BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Dale Cardwell
You’ve heard the jokes about TV newspeople. The “blow-dries.” The “news babes.” The “rip-and-read” anchors. The “if it bleeds, it leads” sensationalists. They’re all true, but there are good journalists lurkingmore...
You’ve heard the jokes about TV newspeople. The “blow-dries.” The “news babes.” The “rip-and-read” anchors. The “if it bleeds, it leads” sensationalists. They’re all true, but there are good journalists lurking on the edges of the tube. They may not be easy to find, but they’re there. Our guy is WSB-TV/Channel 2’s DALE CARDWELL. He broke, or helped break, the criminal investigation of former Mayor Bill Campbell, the stories that led to the grounding of Gov. Sonny Perdue’s use of state aircraft for personal flights, the accounts of corruption associated with former DeKalb County Sheriff Sid Dorsey, the stories of the financial scandal that forced Fulton Sheriff Jackie Barrett from office, as well as the “mansion fund” stories that led to former Gov. Zell Miller returning more than $150,000 to the taxpayers of Georgia. Cardwell’s been a thorn to the mighty, including DeKalb CEO Vernon Jones, and he’s even exposed the threat of terrorism at DeKalb Peachtree Airport. less...

Best Local Hero BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Shirley Franklin
SHIRLEY FRANKLIN was elected mayor in 2001. The city was in shambles. She faced a budget crisis and — even more — City Hall faced a crisis of confidence. Her predecessor, Bill Campbell, had mired the government in a series of scandals. Campbell (see “Best Morality Tale”)more...
SHIRLEY FRANKLIN was elected mayor in 2001. The city was in shambles. She faced a budget crisis and — even more — City Hall faced a crisis of confidence. Her predecessor, Bill Campbell, had mired the government in a series of scandals. Campbell (see “Best Morality Tale”) also pandered to racial division. A second bad mayor in a row would have been disastrous. “Shirley,” as nearly everyone calls her, has healed the wounds. She stabilized city finances, trimmed (some) overstaffing, hired a competent police chief, and led the way to fix the city’s ancient sewer system. In her second term, as Campbell prepared for his trial on influence peddling and tax evasion charges, Shirley managed something nobody could have imagined during the Campbell years: With the help of many others, she united the city behind one of the most dramatic civic improvement projects any American city has attempted in decades. Just ask yourself, would the Beltline ever have gotten as far as it has without Shirley? less...

Best Fighters for Atlanta’s Soul BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
The King Papers Sale
The way politicians and the media congratulated each other when the city stepped in to pay $32 million for the papers of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., you’d have thunk someone had just won a Nobel Peace Prize. As details of the sale leaked out, however, the question arose whether Atlantamore...
The way politicians and the media congratulated each other when the city stepped in to pay $32 million for the papers of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., you’d have thunk someone had just won a Nobel Peace Prize. As details of the sale leaked out, however, the question arose whether Atlanta was snookered. The King family, for example, retained a lot of control over how the papers can be used and who’ll get access to them. And the deal requires that the papers be stored at Morehouse College, which currently lacks facilities to preserve the papers. Historians are aghast. King’s two leading biographers wrote columns for the AJC raising questions about the agreement. We’re not qualified to judge whether it was a good deal, but surely the city could have been more prudent in hammering out the details. less...

Best Fighters for Atlanta’s Soul BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Overpass Jumpers

Best Rock Station BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
92.9 Dave FM
“Rock is dead, they say,” was the Who’s infamous proclamation in the ’70s, and they may have been more prescient than they realized. It’s no coincidence that most rock stations in Atlanta now have classic rock formats. All old, all the time. They may be dinosaurmore...

“Rock is dead, they say,” was the Who’s infamous proclamation in the ’70s, and they may have been more prescient than they realized. It’s no coincidence that most rock stations in Atlanta now have classic rock formats. All old, all the time. They may be dinosaur bands but a lot of them still put out new material, which never gets played on the radio. Without the Internet, would anyone have even heard of one of the most important albums of the year, Neil Young’s Living With War? That’s why we like the freewheeling format of DAVE-FM (92.9). There’s an interesting blend of old and new, and Mara Davis has the spiciest tongue on the local radio scene. Long live rock!


www.929davefm.com/.

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Best Rock Station BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
WBZY-FM (105.3) The Buzz

Best UnderRated Thing About Atlanta BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Or are we...?
Maybe we should start with the things that are similar. Smog. Check. Traffic. Double-check. Self-absorbed stars. Check. L.A. is surrounded by ocean and desert, but political junkies describe Atlanta as a blue island surrounded by an ocean of red. So a check for that one, too — kind of. Rodeomore...
Maybe we should start with the things that are similar. Smog. Check. Traffic. Double-check. Self-absorbed stars. Check. L.A. is surrounded by ocean and desert, but political junkies describe Atlanta as a blue island surrounded by an ocean of red. So a check for that one, too — kind of. Rodeo Drive, Lenox Square. Check. Endless sprawl. Check. Hispanic laborers. Check (the one difference is that L.A. Latinos already have plenty of political power, while Atlanta Latinos are about to get power). Hollywood studios, hip-hop studios. Check. Malibu, Duluth. Check. Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson. Check. Mel Gibson, Dallas Austin. Check. Courtney, Whitney. Check. Kobe Bryant, Michael Vick. Check. OK. Enough already. Yes, come to think of it, we have become L.A. ... with more rain. less...

Best UnderRated Thing About Atlanta BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Trees

Best UnderRated Thing About Atlanta BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Pride Week
In a state where there was going to be a special session of the friggin’ Legislature to reinstitute a ban on gay marriage — a practice that was already illegal to start with — PRIDE WEEK symbolizes why Atlanta often feels like an oasis surrounded by a moat (the Perimeter).more...
In a state where there was going to be a special session of the friggin’ Legislature to reinstitute a ban on gay marriage — a practice that was already illegal to start with — PRIDE WEEK symbolizes why Atlanta often feels like an oasis surrounded by a moat (the Perimeter). Venturing outside the moat can give you a case of cultural whiplash. Whoa! What was that? A Confederate flag? Pride week — one of the most colorful, outrageous and unifying events of the year — couldn’t take place anywhere in the Southeast but Atlanta. As a city, Atlanta is a gumbo of cultures and ethnicities and, yes, sexual preferences. People who live here expect diversity and embrace it. less...

Best Fighters for Atlanta’s Soul BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Liberals, gays and traffic

Best Fighters for Atlanta’s Soul BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
April 10 Rally
Last spring, as the state Legislature crafted one of the nation’s most Draconian immigration bills, a new and surprising political force was born. Metro Latinos and other immigrants (presumably of both the legal and illegal variety) relied on Spanish-language radio to beat the drums for a seriesmore...
Last spring, as the state Legislature crafted one of the nation’s most Draconian immigration bills, a new and surprising political force was born. Metro Latinos and other immigrants (presumably of both the legal and illegal variety) relied on Spanish-language radio to beat the drums for a series of protests. The culmination was the APRIL 10 RALLY. Some 50,000 protesters — yeah, that’s right, 50,000! — marched down Dresden Road to the parking lot of Plaza Fiesta and voiced their dissent. It was one of Georgia’s largest political rallies ever. Though Gov. Sonny Perdue signed the legislation into law weeks later, protesters made it clear that the politicians of Georgia’s future might be wise to learn how to appreciate diversity — instead of bashing it. And the immigrants proved that in at least one way they’re quintessentially American: When was the last time 50,000 citizens exercised their right to free assembly for anything? less...

Best TV Sports Anchor BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Fred Kalil
A few years ago, when WXIA-TV/Channel 11’s FRED KALIL made his return to the Braves clubhouse at Turner Field following his recovery from surgery to remove a brain tumor, he found himself surrounded by players and coaches. Their concern about his welfare was obvious and quite genuine, even formore...
A few years ago, when WXIA-TV/Channel 11’s FRED KALIL made his return to the Braves clubhouse at Turner Field following his recovery from surgery to remove a brain tumor, he found himself surrounded by players and coaches. Their concern about his welfare was obvious and quite genuine, even for a member of the media. Kalil’s sincerity comes across in person and on camera. He’s the pick of both the readers and our editorial staff for a simple reason: In an age where sports anchors are increasingly shrill and believe that smart-ass repartee is more important than offering solid information, Kalil remains a refreshing change of pace. He gives us substance over style. less...

Best Street Character BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Baton Bob

Best Street Character BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Baton Bob

Best suburb BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Clarkston
There’s no suburb in Atlanta where you’ll hear Vietnamese, Somali, Urdu and Serbo-Croatian as commonly spoken as it is in CLARKSTON. The town popped up in the 1830s, when railroad workers laid tracks to connect Atlanta to Augusta. Because the railroad made it easy to commute to Atlantamore...

There’s no suburb in Atlanta where you’ll hear Vietnamese, Somali, Urdu and Serbo-Croatian as commonly spoken as it is in CLARKSTON. The town popped up in the 1830s, when railroad workers laid tracks to connect Atlanta to Augusta. Because the railroad made it easy to commute to Atlanta for work, Clarkston became one of the first suburbs in the South. It fell on hard times in the 1970s and ’80s, but retained its quiet, modest charm. Then, refugees who flocked to Clarkston for public transportation and affordable housing transformed it into a vibrant, eclectic hamlet, and now a new generation of commuters is fixing up old homes and building new ones. How many other quaint neighborhoods have 4-bedroom, 2-bath houses with a backyard for $145,000?
www.cityofclarkston.com


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Best suburb BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Decatur

Best Person You Love to Hate BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Cathy Cox
When she kicked off her quest to become governor last year, Georgia Secretary of State CATHY COX had everything going for her. She’d raised more money than Mark Taylor, her Democratic primary opponent, and had a 10-point lead in the polls as late as October. Then, her campaign manager was caughtmore...
When she kicked off her quest to become governor last year, Georgia Secretary of State CATHY COX had everything going for her. She’d raised more money than Mark Taylor, her Democratic primary opponent, and had a 10-point lead in the polls as late as October. Then, her campaign manager was caught doctoring Taylor’s bio on the online encyclopedia Wikipedia — and Cox allowed herself to be bullied by Taylor’s people into firing him. Headed downhill, she pressed the accelerator by ticking off liberals and conservatives alike when she waffled repeatedly over the gay marriage issue. Through it all, Cox failed to capture voters with any innovative or inspirational ideas. She came off as if she had no stomach for what it took to play with heavyweights. We still think the woman from Bainbridge is a promising leader, but only if she’s picked up the right lessons from her unimaginative and unsure run for governor. less...

Best Tourist Trap BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Underground Atlanta

Best Local TV News BOA Award Winner

Year » 2006
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2006 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Monica Kaufman
WSB/Channel 2 Weeknights, 5, 6 and 11 p.m. www.wsbtv.com


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