The question is never whether Decatur will make CL’s extensive, annual “Best of Atlanta” list, but where the city’s institutions will show up.

This year our city itself rated as Atlanta’s best suburb! In your face big, squared-off chicken! (Did anyone else see the Atlanta mag article pitting Michael Stipe against the Big Chicken? It was odd even without the comic rendering that went along with it)

No stranger to rave reviews, The Brick Store usually shows up in one form or another. This year the Decatur staple was highlighted for having the best beer selection, while its neighbor, Zocalo, rose above the competition to be rated as the top Mexican restaurant. The Decatur Book Festival and Books Again also made the list, highlighting our successful new festival and a favorite used book shop. Decatur also received art-related mentions for East Decatur Station’s Foundation One Gallery and local photographer Suellen Parker. Our blogging friends over at Decatur CD even picked up a nod for the best locale to buy used CDs.

Congrats again to all Decaturites who made or helped make this rather fickle and arbitrary, yet highly-addictive list!

For the third straight year, Decatur High School’s Carpe Diem Newsmagazine has won the prestigious George H. Gallup award for journalism. The school’s press release quotes a Quill and Scroll judge saying “You chose great topics to cover, you write extremely well, and you really seem to have a great grasp of contemporary magazine design. . . . I think your publication ‘flows’ remarkably well considering the wide variety of topics and approaches you take to your stories.”

Atlanta’s Grady High School was the only other Georgia high school to make the cut.

Though fellow high school students receive the publication for free, members of the community can also receive a subscription for $10 (electronic) or $15 (hard copy). These subscription fees help offset production costs. Call 404/370-4420 ext. 161 or email carpediem@csdecatur.edu to subscribe.