Sourced from Busybody ATL's free "Week in Review" email newsletter that's a summary of its 11 neighborhood editions. Can't post the link per mod rules but Busybody ATL is findable by Googling. Hope you enjoy!

Big Stories

Virginia-Highland Porchfest taking hiatus in 2027, plans 2028 return
Organizers said Porchfest has grown since it started in 2021 and now needs more structure and support to run smoothly and safely. They made the decision after talking with event partners, neighbors, attendees, and participants.

Atlanta City Council votes 8-7 to sell the city detention center to Fulton County for $68 million
The vote came Oct. 19 after an hours-long debate and a procedural dispute over a motion to delay. The target closing date is Dec. 2, and if talks run past that date the city pays $150 per detainee daily.

MARTA's Five Points renovation is delayed and costlier than planned
General Manager and CEO Jonathan Hunt gave council members an "off the top of my head" estimate of a $100 million budget increase. He told the MARTA board that committing to a specific date or price would be premature.

Chamblee office tower comes down in a controlled implosion
The 18-story tower at 1800 Century Boulevard fell at 7:45 a.m. Saturday. It emptied in 2025 when the Georgia Department of Revenue moved its headquarters, and a plan to convert it to apartments was later dropped.

Brookhaven moves ahead with a fire station at Blackburn Park
Council voted 3 to 1 to proceed on a 1.35-acre site. DeKalb County will pay for, build and operate the station under a 50-year, $1-a-year lease, with groundbreaking expected in late 2027.

Georgia Tech and Emory announce a $1.1 billion AI investment
Georgia Tech is contributing $575 million and Emory $600 million. Georgia Tech's Nexus supercomputer in Tech Square will open 90 percent of its capacity to researchers nationwide.

DeKalb voters will decide on the E-SPLOST renewal in November
Approval would create E-SPLOST VII, following E-SPLOST VI, which passed with 81 percent in 2021. The one-cent tax supports DeKalb County School District, Atlanta Public Schools and City Schools of Decatur.

Northlake voters decide on Tucker annexation Nov. 3
The vote on Senate Bill 622 covers the area between Northlake Parkway and LaVista Road, including Avana City North and Providence of Northlake. Early voting ends Oct. 30.

Morehouse and Spelman student housing breaks ground at $147 million
The Den at Eight50 West at 850 West End Ave. will have 305 units and 793 beds, opening for fall 2028. Develop Fulton approved up to $144.5 million in bond funding.

Decatur holds an Oct. 27 meeting on 25 mph speed limits
The meeting runs 6 to 7 p.m. at the Public Works Community Room, 2635 Talley St. The city approved a $150,000 contract with Toole Design Group in April for the study.

Virginia-Highland's So. Fox earns a Michelin star
The restaurant, from the owners of Kinship Butcher & Sundry, was honored in the 2026 Guide to the American South.

Business openings, closings, and "watch this space" items

Moondog Pub & Grub closes after Oct. 30
Owners Tommy and Felicia Burda cited financial challenges. The pub is at 5077 Peachtree Road.

CHOPT closes at Brookhaven Station
The salad chain's restaurant at 4058 Peachtree Road closed Oct. 25 after opening in February 2024. No official reason was given, and six metro locations remain.

Brasiliana Pizza heads to The Beacon in Grant Park
Construction began this month on a 2,500-square-foot restaurant at 1039 Grant St SE #100. The owners hope to open in February 2027.

JuNi opens for omakase at The Juniper
Circle Sushi founder Yukihiko "Yuki" Tanaka's restaurant is at 12th and Juniper streets, with a downstairs donburi menu due at the end of October. Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza signed a 2,043-square-foot lease at the same building for spring 2027.

Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall opens at Star Metals
The second location at 690 11th Street opened Oct. 21 with 8,000 square feet of outdoor space, free validated parking and a Westside-only menu.

Milk & Maple Coffeehouse opens Nov. 1
The coffeehouse at 730 Ponce de Leon Place NE, inside Chabad Intown, opens at 7 a.m. with a menu certified kosher by the Atlanta Kashruth Commission. It is billed as the BeltLine's first certified kosher cafe.

Little Tart Bakeshop and Midi near debut in Candler Park
Buildouts are nearing completion in the 1600 block of McLendon Avenue for the fourth Little Tart location and its Paris-inspired sister concept, Midi. No date is set, but owner Sarah O'Brien predicts a fall opening.

Krog District owners buy 116 Krog St.
26th Street Partners closed on the nearly 5,400-square-foot building, which fronts the Eastside Trail. The price wasn't disclosed, and no plans have been announced.

Hawks fans get new concourse food and a Centennial Yards store
Bocado Pizza (Section 109) and Irie Mon Caribbean Cafe (Section 219) join State Farm Arena. A year-round Hawks and Fanatics store is planned at Centennial Yards for 2027.

Goodwill opens a GoodBIZ Market in Doraville
The 43,000-square-foot store at 5600 Buford Highway NE opened Oct. 16 as Goodwill of North Georgia's 72nd. The market lets micro-entrepreneurs sell as rotating consigned vendors.

Mariah Carey's Holiday Bar pop-up lands at Pullman Yards
The 21-and-over pop-up launches Nov. 19 at 225 Rogers Street as the Atlanta stop of an eight-city rollout.

Alston & Bird renews at One Atlantic Center
The lease renewal comes as the tower's owner secured new long-term financing.

Other permit-watch items: A coffee shop is under review at 572 Edgewood Ave NE. Interior demolition is issued for a future restaurant at 1010 Spring St NW, and a former Checkers food court space at 231 Peachtree St NE has a cosmetic renovation permit. A 121-unit apartment building is in review at 1280 Chattahoochee Ave NW. EdgeConneX filed to add Data Hall 4 at 1101 Donnelly Ave SW. Three Atlanta Botanical Garden expansion permits at 1425 Piedmont Ave NE await materials.

Upcoming events

Buena Vista Social Club (Oct. 27–Nov. 1)
The run is at the Fox Theatre.

Downtown Day 2026
It's Wednesday, Oct. 28, run by Downtown Atlanta Inc.

Invesco QQQ Atlanta Gridiron Classic: Georgia vs. Florida
Kickoff is Saturday, Oct. 31, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Midtown Halloween Block Party (Oct. 30–31)
It's at Politan Row at Colony Square. The Midtown Halloween Bash follows Saturday.

Glow Chastain
It starts Friday, Oct. 30, at Chastain Park. Phipps Plaza's inaugural Boo Bash is Wednesday, Oct. 28.

Fright Night at Fernbank Museum
It's Friday, Oct. 30.

Fifty Ways to Die at Oakland Cemetery
The tour is Saturday, Oct. 31. Día de Muertos follows Sunday, Nov. 1.

Howl-O-Ween Pup Parade & Beltline Crawl
It's Saturday, Oct. 31, on the Eastside Trail.

Doctor Faustus (Oct. 29–Nov. 1)
Performances are at Pythagoras Masonic Temple in Decatur.

Halloween in the Highlands
It's Saturday, Oct. 31, in Virginia-Highland. The Candy Crawl runs Wednesday, Oct. 28.

Haunted Heist 2026 (Oct. 30–Nov. 1)
It's at The Escape Game at The Interlock.

Miles For Bethany 5K
The race is Saturday, Oct. 31, at Assembly Studios in Chamblee.

Other notable events: Atlanta Hawks vs. Miami Heat is Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 7 p.m. at State Farm Arena, and the Hawks host the Cleveland Cavaliers there Thursday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. Steve Lacy plays Friday, Oct. 30. Iron and Wine plays The Eastern Wednesday, Oct. 28. Sammy Rae and The Friends play The Eastern Friday, Oct. 30. Scream On The Square is Friday, Oct. 30. Disney's Hocus Pocus in Concert is Friday, Oct. 30. Atlanta United FC vs. Toronto FC is Sunday, Nov. 1. Murder Mystery @ Petit Violette (Oct. 30–31) runs two nights. Halloween Trap and Paint Party (Oct. 31–Nov. 1) runs through Sunday. We Are ILL’s Wellness Week(end) (Oct. 30–Nov. 1) is at the JW Marriott Atlanta Buckhead. Midnight release party for ACOTAR 6 (Oct. 26–27) is at Eagle Eye Book Shop. Trick-or-Treat at Ponce City Market is Saturday, Oct. 31. GWAR plays Wednesday, Oct. 28. Southwest Study Group: Murphy Infill Station Kick-Off is Thursday, Oct. 29.

Government

Atlanta City Council committees meet Oct. 26 to 28
Topics include a self-storage moratorium extension, BeltLine rezonings, a commercial septic tank ban and a Habersham and Valley roads roundabout. The Finance/Executive Committee takes up the Glynn Drive annexation hearing on Oct. 28.

Atlanta City Council's Oct. 19 agenda
Beyond the jail sale, it listed a $2 million federal grant for Centennial Yards street design, a data center closed-loop cooling requirement, and protections for sudden water bill spikes. Minutes aren't posted, so outcomes beyond the jail vote aren't confirmed.

Fulton commissioners vote 6-0 to join the North Point Mall TAD
They cut language that would have allowed the money to buy real estate. They also approved a three-month, $1.06 million bridge contract with Common Courtesy for senior rides through March 31, 2027, in place of a $9.59 million Transdev extension.

DeKalb Committee of the Whole moves more than $110 million in contracts
Two multiyear deals worth about $55 million each went to standing committees. Commissioners pulled a $153,800 election-equipment moving contract.

DeKalb Board of Commissioners meets Oct. 27
The 9 a.m. agenda includes acquiring the Snapfinger Road YMCA, rezonings on Gresham and Old Briarcliff roads, and street drifting and public camping rules.

DeKalb non-discrimination ordinance amendment deferred to Nov. 5
The amendment would extend the 2023 ordinance to non-county employment and housing. Committee discussion is set for 9 a.m.

Atlanta Public Schools reviews a draft AI policy
The Policy Review Committee discussed the AI policy and draft 2027 legislative priorities on Oct. 21 without voting. Both must go to the full board.

Chamblee council takes up rezonings and massage ordinance changes
The Oct. 20 agenda covered rezonings along North Shallowford Road and East Johnson Circle and at 5800 Peachtree Rd. It also included a first reading of massage ordinance amendments, though minutes aren't published.

Brookhaven council meets Oct. 27
The 6:30 p.m. agenda includes a Dresden Drive culvert replacement and trail study and Duke Road emergency streambank stabilization.

Permits, construction, and road work

Brookhaven / Chamblee: A $1.68M amenity renovation at 1105 Town Blvd has closed out. SR 13 resurfacing from the Fulton line to Chamblee Tucker Road is under construction, and signal upgrades on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard from Peachtree to New Peachtree are underway.

Buckhead: Five alteration permits are in review at 3193 Howell Mill Rd NW for a five-phase medical office expansion. A 12th-floor build-out is in review at 3560 Lenox Rd NE. SR 400 tunnel rehab is under construction, and a new signal and pedestrian crossings on Piedmont Road at Lindbergh are going in. Crews are also repaving Peachtree Road from SR 3 to north of Paces Ferry Road and lengthening Mt. Paran Road's westbound left-turn lane. The Moores Mill Road bridge over Peachtree Creek closed October 20th after a heavy vehicle strike.

Downtown and Midtown: Permits include a hotel refresh at 210 Peachtree St NW and rooftop solar with battery storage at 229 Auburn Ave NE. Several office build-outs are pending along Peachtree. LED tunnel lighting work is under construction on I-75, and LED lighting on I-85 from I-75 to north of Lenox Road is underway too. Crews are also repaving the Downtown Connector north to the Brookwood Interchange and Ponce de Leon Avenue between Northside Drive and Moreland Avenue.

Decatur, Druid Hills and North Decatur: A tree removal permit at 308 Clairmont Ave requires a red oak replacement. Fire sprinkler permits are issued near Emory at 1365 Clifton Rd NE and 1784 N Decatur Rd NE. SR 236/LaVista Road resurfacing is under construction, and the eastbound through/right-turn lane on North Druid Hills Road at US 78 is being extended about 245 feet.

Memorial Drive, Moreland and Ponce corridors: New mid-block crosswalks and restricted turns are going in along Memorial Drive, and Skyhaven Road is being realigned to meet United Avenue at Moreland Avenue. A new duplex on Crew St SW awaits materials.

VaHi and Morningside: Demolition at 1907 Piedmont Rd NE and a land development permit at 1917 Piedmont Rd NE for a six-story mixed-use building are in review. An electrical permit is issued for the Haunted Fest at Piedmont Park on Oct. 30 and 31.

Southwest Beltline and West Midtown: The SR 14 bridge over the Beltline is being refurbished, and SR 14 is being repaved from Norman Berry Drive to the CSX crossing. The Northside Drive intersections at 14th Street and Hemphill Avenue are being simplified for more flexible signal timing. Two electrical permits are issued for a new duplex on Byewood Ln SW.

Just curious if this is mostly a regional thing and it’s super common for women here to be super Christian, if there’s just more deeply Christian women that are single because its harder for them to find a similarly religious man, dudes aren’t checking for super religious women, or what. I’m newer to the city and haven’t seen this as much in other places I’ve lived (west coast and New England).

It's the most dense and active area of the city. There's gonna be stuff going on basically around the clock.

I know the Cavs are coming to town but just swap the home game or make it up and let Atlanta show out. It was a great atmosphere for games 3 & 4. We went to both games and it was electric!

Atlanta Skyline August 2025 from my phone.

I couldn't get a picture since I was driving. But yeah. I am pretty sure that it originally said until October 30th, as the "NOV" was all caps.

Can anyone in the area confirm? Looks like ratfucking.

I'm just an amateur, don't roast me too hard, plz. This is a mixed media piece featuring a view from Piedmont Park under an Andre moon.

Looking for an urgent deep fryer repair person this afternoon after hours. I have food service starting very early tomorrow and my food truck gets to the Atlanta area (actually Dunwoody) at around 5pm. Praying for some of that southern hospitality right now!!!

It looked so close, even when it's 25 miles away! (Best picture is the 3rd one)

Hey everyone!!
I’m (F23 OTP) trying to venture out into my edgier/alternative side, and I have a really cool Halloween costume idea this year! (And future cosplays) I’m planning on doing a creepy, broken porcelain doll look, and I would LOVE to take some eerie, unsettling photos to go along with it.
The problem is, I have absolutely no experience with photography or scouting locations, so I have no idea where to start.

I’m looking for places around Atlanta or the surrounding areas that have that creepy, gothic, abandoned, or just generally unsettling atmosphere. Think old architecture, overgrown areas, eerie staircases, dark hallways, or anything that looks like it belongs in a horror movie.

Obviously, I don’t want to take pictures in actual cemeteries or anywhere that would be disrespectful. I’m also not trying to trespass or put myself in danger.

I’m really just trying something new and stepping outside my comfort zone!
If anyone knows some cool spots or has any beginner photography tips for this kind of aesthetic, I’d seriously appreciate it!!

What's on your mind, Atlanta?

Links of Interest:

• Metro Atlanta Discord
• r/atlevents to see local events/meetups around town
• How To Meet People

Make sure to read our subreddit rules before posting or commenting. A further reminder that the buying or selling of any goods or services is prohibited in r/Atlanta. Please report any offending comments so that the moderators can remove them. Thanks and have a great day!

Hi everyone, my girlfriend's 25th birthday is coming up and I want to get her 25 small gifts (24 small ones and 1 big one). I was hoping you can help me find good stores or shops run by locals or international people, who sell stuff like reasonable jewelry (<$10), accessories, memorabilia, etc.? Anywhere in a 2-3 mile radius of Midtown Atlanta?

I'm on a tight budget this year, hence the cap on the small items. I'm also going to make a few things myself, like cards, edits, etc. Thank you for any help

Doctor doesn’t need to be female but hygienist does. They need to be accommodating, know how to deal with allergies and reactions, hand washing and sanitation has to be top notch. Can be Buckhead, Vinings, Smyrna, sandy springs, midtown, Marietta.

https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/10/georgia-democratic-counties-monitor-elections/

I said this the other day and I'll say it again:

I truly despise all the scums of Georgia who think Rick Jackson should be the next governor.

His sole qualification is "successful (rich Caucasian) businessman" who amassed his wealth via sketchy means.

Edit: Using federal prosecutors as election monitors is a new development:

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/doj-has-monitored-elections-for-decades-heres-why-some-state-officials-are-concerned-this-year

https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/monitoring-monitors-us-states-prepare-surge-justice-dept-election-watchers-2026-10-21/

The goons come to look for "potential criminals" whether it's election-related or else.

EDIT - thanks for the info guys, didn't realize I can't park overnight there! I'll just Uber

Going on a weekend trip and planning to Marta to the airport but I've never left my car overnight at this station before. Obviously won't have any valuables in there but how common are break-ins there? Should I just Uber to the station?

literally been in my car for 40 minutes and haven’t moved but 2-3 car lengths

Update: They opened the gates and it started moving!

Hey, does anyone know a good spot to play ping pong? I played mostly at my local BGCMA when I was young and have a urge to get back into it.

does anybody know who the marching band was playing in Krog Street tunnel last night around midnight? We were coming from The Eastern, stopped at 97 Estoria for a beer on the way home and then came upon a band all decked out in killer costumes performing in the tunnel. It was such a fun surprise and we thoroughly enjoyed the show! anyone know who they were?

I haven’t posted in a while, forgive me if this isn’t allowed. I haven’t seen this talked about much but I think it’s important for Atlanta voters to know going into the midterms.

Thanks to this thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/Atlanta/s/p6ZxtefLhp

Demolition at 1800 century blvd happened around 7:45 this morning. According to news sources, the property is to be used for up to 300 new housing units.