Best Of Atlanta 2009 Header Large


2009 Index of Winners

Best Country Music Station BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Kicks 101.5 (WKHX-FM)

Runner-up
94.9 The Bull (WUBL-FM)
1819 Peachtree Road, Suite 700, 404-875-8080, www.bullatlanta.com

Best College BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Georgia State University

Runner-up
Paideia
1509 Ponce de Leon Ave., 404-377-3491, www.paideiaschool.org

Best Neighborhood to Have It All BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Little Five Points
Intown Atlanta’s renaissance was a welcome change, but it posed a conundrum for some neighborhoods: As newcomers settled in, the urban villages began the slow brewing process of finding their identity. Thank God that LITTLE FIVE POINTS doesn’t care if it has a cohesive one. Though best known as themore...
Intown Atlanta’s renaissance was a welcome change, but it posed a conundrum for some neighborhoods: As newcomers settled in, the urban villages began the slow brewing process of finding their identity. Thank God that LITTLE FIVE POINTS doesn’t care if it has a cohesive one. Though best known as the go-to ’hood for music, brews and tattoos, it’s also one of the most homegrown hamlets in Atlanta: Next to Virginia-Highland, no other intown neighborhood offers more independent businesses (community-owned credit union, anyone?). Through white flight and gentrification, L5P has been a welcome reprieve from the plastic Buckhead and the quick-built Atlantic Station. You can nurse (or pound) a beer at Corner Tavern or the Euclid Avenue Yacht Club, or you can stop by for an impromptu concert at Criminal Records. Undeniably, home prices have gone up, but the well-inked and laissez-faire vibe remains the same. Euclid and Moreland avenues. www.l5p.com. less...

Best Neighborhood to Have It All BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Decatur

www.decaturga.com


Runner-up
Little Five Points

Best Free Thing to Do in Atlanta BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Piedmont Park

Runner-up
Screen on the Green
1071 Piedmont Ave. N.E., 404-875-7275, www.tcm.com

Best Fighters for Atlanta’s Soul BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Atlantans Together Against Crime (ATAC)

Best Intown Park BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Piedmont Park

Runner-up
Grant Park
451 Cherokee Ave. S.E., 404-523-8900, grantpark.org

Best Jazz Station BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Jazz 91.9 WCLK

Runner-up
107.5 (WJZZ-FM)
101 Marietta St., 404-765-9750, www.smoothjazzwjzz.com

Best Jogging Path BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Freedom Parkway Trail

Runner-up
Silver Comet Trail
Lake Road and Mavell Road, 404-875-7284, www.pathfoundation.org

Best Local Athlete BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons

Runner-up
Chipper Jones

Best Local Blog/Zine BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Decatur Metro
Frustrated that metro Atlanta’s most walkable burg didn’t have its own daily news source, the quasi-anonymous resident behind DECATUR METRO decided to take matters into his own hands. Little did he know that his first post in September 2007 would give birth to the city’s most prolific news source.more...
Frustrated that metro Atlanta’s most walkable burg didn’t have its own daily news source, the quasi-anonymous resident behind DECATUR METRO decided to take matters into his own hands. Little did he know that his first post in September 2007 would give birth to the city’s most prolific news source. Half community newsletter, half sounding board for city issues, Decatur Metro is hyperlocal to the core. Daily posts — which are really closer to conversations — have probed the enigmatic aroma that wafts through Your DeKalb Farmers Market, protested the strange garbage juice leaking from a downtown Dumpster, and even veered into coverage about the city’s school system and annexation proposals. The site has become such a destination that even city officials chime in on discussions and answer questions. For his nose for news, clever writing, and creating a needed community, we raise a glass of the Brick Store’s finest. www.decaturmetro.com. less...

Best Local Blog/Zine BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Tessa Horehled, DriveAFasterCar.com

driveafastercar.com


Runner-up
Jennifer Zyman, BlissfulGlutton.com

Best Local Blogger BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Jennifer Zyman

BlissfulGlutton.com


Runner-up
Tessa Horehled, DriveAFasterCar.com

Best Local Celebrity BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Jane Fonda

Runner-up
Elton John

Best Local Hero BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Clark Howard

clarkhoward.com


Runner-up
Brandon Bond

Best Local Twitter Feed BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Whynatte

twitter.com/whynatte


Runner-up
Neal Boortz
twitter.com/Talkmaster

Best Spot to Commune with Nature/Best Park BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Chattahoochee Nature Center

Runner-up
Stone Mountain
1000 Robert E. Lee Drive, Stone Mountain, 770-498-5690, www.stonemountainpark.com

Best Local Political Figure BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Kwanza Hall
Local elected officials — especially in Georgia — usually have to push a resolution proclaiming President Obama the Antichrist if they want to get their constituents’ attention. So give credit to ATLANTA CITY COUNCILMAN KWANZA HALL for reaching out, many times via his Blackberry.more...
Local elected officials — especially in Georgia — usually have to push a resolution proclaiming President Obama the Antichrist if they want to get their constituents’ attention. So give credit to ATLANTA CITY COUNCILMAN KWANZA HALL for reaching out, many times via his Blackberry. Thanks to an ability seemingly to be several places at once — due partly to his 140-character missives to the Twitterverse — the business development director has managed to achieve the unachievable: actually get residents in his district to care and become more engaged. The first-term councilman’s been a tireless advocate for his historic and gentrifying district, which includes Poncey-Highland, Auburn Avenue and the eastern edge of Cabbagetown. And as a member of City Council’s finance and executive committee, he’s on the team that’s set to unravel Atlanta’s messy budget situation. It’s no wonder that Hall, whom city political observers say is destined for higher office, is running unopposed for a second term. apps.atlantaga.gov/citycouncil/bios/2.htm. less...

Best Local Political Figure BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Mayor Shirley Franklin

Runners-up
U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., and Atlanta City Councilman Kwanza Hall

Best Local Rabble-Rouser/Activist BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Neal Boortz

boortz.com


Runner-up
Cynthia McKinney

Best local sports radio show BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Steak Shapiro, “Mayhem in the A.M.,” WQXI-AM (790)

Runner-up
Buck Belue

Best Local Sports Team BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Atlanta Braves

braves.mlb.com


Runner-up
Atlanta Falcons
www.atlantafalcons.com

Best Local TV News BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Monica Pearson, Channel 2/WSB-TV

www.wsbtv.com


Runner-up
Brenda Wood, Channel 11/WXIA
www.11alive.com

Best Columnist/Journalist BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
David O’ Brien, ajc.com

Runner-up
Richard Elliot, Channel 2/WSB-TV
www.wsbtv.com

Best YouTube BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
“Bitch, you ride the MARTA bus”

Runner-up
Soulja Girl

Best Bands in ATL BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Seed and Feed Marching Abominable

Runner-up
Grady High School
929 Charles Allen Drive, 404-802-3001, www.gradyhighschool.org

Best Morning Drive-Time Radio Show BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Q100 - All The Hits

Runner-up
“Morning Edition” (90.1 WABE-FM)
www.pba.org/

Best Georgia Mountain Retreat BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Blue Ridge Mountains

Runner-up
Asheville, N.C.

Best Columnist/Journalist BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Jim Walls
The prediction is that online “citizen journalists” will one day replace daily newspapers. There could be something to that if there were more free-range Internet scribes like JIM WALLS, the admitted “ink-stained wretch” behind Atlanta Unfiltered. Having overseen themore...
The prediction is that online “citizen journalists” will one day replace daily newspapers. There could be something to that if there were more free-range Internet scribes like JIM WALLS, the admitted “ink-stained wretch” behind Atlanta Unfiltered. Having overseen the AJC’s investigative reporting unit for 12 years until taking a buyout in 2008, Walls is the master of the public records search. Since launching his site in late March, he’s beaten his old employer on several news stories, including the messy firing of DeKalb Police Chief Terrell Bolton; an illegal attempt by the state Public Service Commission to switch chairmen; and a costly legal malpractice decision against a DeKalb state lawmaker. We’re not sure how Walls makes a living, but having a guy like him on the beat is a benefit to us all. www.atlantaunfiltered.com. less...

Best Neighborhood Festival BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Inman Park Festival

www.inmanparkfestival.org


Runner-up
Virginia-Highland Summerfest
www.vahi.org

Best Neighborhood for Nightlife BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
East Atlanta

eaca.net


Runner-up
Virginia-Highland
www.virginiahighland.com

Best Thrift Store BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Virginia-Highland

Runner-up
Candler Park

Best Place to Buy a Starter Home BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
East Atlanta

Runner-up
Kirkwood

Best Overall Neighborhood BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Decatur

Runner-up
Virginia-Highland
www.virginiahighland.com

Best Walkable Neighborhood BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Midtown

midtownatlanta.org


Runner-up
Virginia-Highland
www.virginiahighland.com

Best New Thing About Atlanta BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Georgia Aquarium

Runner-up
Beltline
www.beltline.org

Best Non-Commercial Radio Station BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
WABE-FM (90.1)

Runner-up
88.5 (WRAS-FM)
66 Courtland St., University Center Room 280, 404-413-9727, www.wras.org

Best Tourist Trap BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Your DeKalb Farmers Market
Since 1977, YOUR DEKALB FARMERS MARKET has been offering everything from heirloom tomatoes to durians, barracuda to buffalo in its bustling ailes and well-stocked display cases. The noticeably quirky outpost — Check your bags! No right turns! — is a go-to spot for drop-ins hankeringmore...
Since 1977, YOUR DEKALB FARMERS MARKET has been offering everything from heirloom tomatoes to durians, barracuda to buffalo in its bustling ailes and well-stocked display cases. The noticeably quirky outpost — Check your bags! No right turns! — is a go-to spot for drop-ins hankering for a quick lunch fix or gourmands searching for quality ingredients. If your out-of-towner is fascinated by the inner workings of a farmer’s market, you can schedule a tour. If they’re enamored by helping the environment, the onsite recycling center — with compost how-tos at its entrance — will make their green heart flutter. 3000 E. Ponce de Leon Ave. 404-377-6400. www.dekalbfarmersmarket.com. less...

Best Tourist Trap BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Oakland Cemetery

Runner-up
Little Five Points
www.l5p.com

Best OTP Park BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Stone Mountain Park

Runner-up
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Center
1978 Island Ford Parkway, 678-538-1200, www.nps.gov/chat

Best Overall Neighborhood BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Decatur
Ah, DECATUR. The apple of an urban planner’s eye. The most family-friendly of locales that doesn’t involve sitting in traffic on I-75. Homeowners there weren’t as hard hit by the recent economic tsunami, the schools are considered top-notch, and a well-staffed police force keeps tabs onmore...
Ah, DECATUR. The apple of an urban planner’s eye. The most family-friendly of locales that doesn’t involve sitting in traffic on I-75. Homeowners there weren’t as hard hit by the recent economic tsunami, the schools are considered top-notch, and a well-staffed police force keeps tabs on goings on in its neighborhoods. City officials’ plans to make a pedestrian-friendly square and downtown area have noticeably paid off, allowing residents and visitors to follow fare at such standout restaurants as Watershed and Cakes and & Ale, with choice drinks nearby at Brick Store Pub and the Grange. Can’t drive home? Take MARTA, which has a stop below the square. Summer brings a seemingly endless array of public events to entertain the city’s estimated 29,000 residents, including the nationally known book festival that’s attracted such talents as Rick Bragg and Salman Rushdie. And while the urban ’burb might catch flak from hardened intowners for its sometimes stroller mentality, it’s still the kind of place you’d secretly like to call home. Decatur, you marvelous son of a bitch, you win again. www.decaturga.com. less...

Best Overall Neighborhood BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Virginia-Highland

Best Radio Station BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
WRAS 88.5
All the hallmarks of college radio are there: Songs you’ve never heard but want to hear again, monotone DJs, and ubiquitous public-service announcements. And thankfully, WRAS-FM (88.5), “the Student Voice of Georgia State University,” is bringing it free of charge to Atlantans. Such specialtymore...
All the hallmarks of college radio are there: Songs you’ve never heard but want to hear again, monotone DJs, and ubiquitous public-service announcements. And thankfully, WRAS-FM (88.5), “the Student Voice of Georgia State University,” is bringing it free of charge to Atlantans. Such specialty shows as “Dot Dash,” “Houseworks,” “Martinis Con Queso,” “Mighty Aphrodite,” “The Blue Note” and “Soul Kitchen” play all of the post-punk, house, lounge, new wave, jazz and everything else you won’t hear on big-money mainstream stations. And if the trusty Shazam on ye olde iPhone doesn’t recognize the eclectic array of musical selections emanating from your speakers, the spry, young DJs have been known to rehash their setlists via e-mail or phone. 66 Courtland St., University Center, Room 280. 404-413-9727. www.gsu.edu/~www885. less...

Best Radio Station BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
WRAS 88.5

www.gsu.edu/~www885


Runner-up
90.1 (WABE-FM)
740 Bismark Road N.E., 678-686-0321, www.pba.org

Best OverRated Thing About Atlanta BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Georgia Aquarium

Runner-up
Atlantic Station
1380 Atlantic Drive N.W. # 14250, www.atlanticstation.com

Best Person You Hate to Love BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
“The Real Housewives of Atlanta”

Runner-up
Neal Boortz

Best Person You Hate to Love BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
Shirley Franklin
Sure, she’s become prickly, thin-skinned and defensive in the last year or so, but you gotta say this about our mayor: SHIRLEY FRANKLIN keeps it real. Even when she’s gettin’ all Philly with the press, or community activists (or her online detractors, etc.), the little ladymore...
Sure, she’s become prickly, thin-skinned and defensive in the last year or so, but you gotta say this about our mayor: SHIRLEY FRANKLIN keeps it real. Even when she’s gettin’ all Philly with the press, or community activists (or her online detractors, etc.), the little lady with the big flower on her lapel always calls it like she sees it, unlike countless other politicians we could name. There’s something of an unvarnished air about her, a genuineness that keeps her down-to-earth and relatable — even when you don’t agree with what she’s saying. www.atlantaga.gov/Mayor. less...

Best Person You Love to Hate BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Critics Pick
John Oxendine
We all knew he had goofy hair and was a terrible driver. But until JOHN OXENDINE began running for governor, we didn’t realize just what kind of Christian conservative whack-job our state insurance commissioner seems to be. Since he launched his campaign, Oxendine has publicly opposed Sundaymore...
We all knew he had goofy hair and was a terrible driver. But until JOHN OXENDINE began running for governor, we didn’t realize just what kind of Christian conservative whack-job our state insurance commissioner seems to be. Since he launched his campaign, Oxendine has publicly opposed Sunday alcohol sales; proposed that MARTA be privatized; made a video in which he promises to run Planned Parenthood out of business; advocated Georgia’s secession from the United States; and plumbed new depths of banality through Twitter. Favorite Ox tweet: “We finished the nursery for baby Jake. The room is Confederate Gray. Reminds me of why I am running.” Were they out of Antebellum Apricot at Pottery Barn Kids? Anyway, with each fresh lunacy, the Ox has become the most entertaining Georgia political figure since former DeKalb CEO Vernon Jones, and is certain to keep us smiling — until we actually have to go to the polls. www.johnoxendine.com. less...

Best Person You Love to Hate BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Mayor Shirley Franklin

Runner-up
Cynthia McKinney

Best Place to People Watch BOA Award Winner

Year » 2009
Section » Print Features » Special Issue » Best of Atlanta » 2009 » Cityscape » Readers Pick
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Runner-up
Little Five Points
www.l5p.com

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