YLG Volunteer Day

by John Simmons

On Saturday morning of October 6, members of ULI Atlanta’s Young Leaders Group awoke extra early to crisp Fall temperatures and an excitement in the air.  The day was ULI YLG Volunteer Day, a great excuse to bring people together to spruce up Piedmont Park along with volunteers from other organizations in the city. The park sure needed it, especially after an intense Music Midtown just 2 weeks before and months of heavy use from all of the other events and sports leagues.  Leaders from the Piedmont Park Conservancy tasked ULI members with mulching around the trees in the park.  This meant wheelbarrow rides and pitchfork fights.  Kidding about the second part!  Now our organization’s mark has been made on the city; there are beautiful full rings of mulch around the trees in the park.  Volunteering culminated with Tater Tots and Bloody Mary’s for lunch at the Nook across the street.  A good time was had by all who made it.

Volunteers:

Christina Byrnes, tvsdesign; Quincy Lewis, Commercial Financing Consultants, LLC;Jennifer Losurdo, Columbia Engineering; Matt Mason, Legacy Property Group, LLC John Simmons, Jamestown

Historic Fourth Ward

In mid-June two significant parks along the Atlanta Beltline officially opened, the Historic Fourth Ward Park and Historic Fourth Ward Skate Park . The 17.6 acre park is not just a park, but part of a larger stormwater management solution also serving as a detention pond.

For many the skate park has been a long time in coming, and was finally made possible through a range of funding sources.  (One noteworthy grant coming from Tony Hawk’s foundation.) The skateboarding legend even made an appearance at the opening.

As temps cool down this fall spend some time in one of these two NEW parks!

 

Photo Credit: Creative Loafing

EDGEWOOD CORRIDOR

Over the last five years the Edgewood corridor has quietly become one of the hippest places to hang out in Atlanta. Ellen Mendelsohn, Vice President of Economic Development for CAP, says “The Edgewood Corridor is entrepreneurship at its best.  The small business owners have opened inventive restaurants and nightspots in historic structures along an easily walkable street, attracting the most diverse clientele from across theregion.”

It is a favorite area for many YLG members, and for those of you who haven’t checked it out you should. The corridor links Downtown, Inman Park, Old Fourth Ward (and the nearby MLK Historic District) through a series of small businesses, convenience retail, bars + restaurants. April Ashby + Stephanie Espy recently enjoyed their birthday dinner with girlfriends at Café Circa. They choose the corridor because “Cafe Circa has great food and a wonderful ambience. It is in one of the few locations in Atlanta where you can walk around and visit other late night establishments such as Soundtable, as a young professional.”

For more information on Edgewood Corridor (including its history + development), check out this link to an article in Creative Loafing. http://clatl.com/atlanta/atlanta-nightlife-gold/Content?oid=1430445

Or, even better, experience it for yourself… there is a hidden treasure on every block.