Christina Muir is moving her Jewel Couture Boutique from Clairemont Rd (near the music store) up to the square and taking on a new name: Vivid Boutique.

Since Cold Stone Creamery up and deserted its spot at 133 East Court House Square a few months ago (following in the steps of the Emory location), the space next to Starbucks has been under renovation. Pale blue walls graced with bags, soaps and jewelry have replaced the marble slabs and ridiculously long waits of Cold Stone.

Make sure to visit Christina when her new location opens in the coming weeks. She did an amazing job designing my wife’s wedding jewelry last year and should get a lot more foot traffic at the new location.

In regards to ice cream, the superior Jake’s is now the only option on the square. The Dairy Queen on Trinity will soon be redeveloped as part of the “Trinity Triangle”.

On Thursday, October 25th, Decatur became the first city in Georgia to activate a wireless network under the Governor’s Wireless Communities Georgia (WCG) Program.

Currently, Decatur’s Wi-Fi extends in a one mile radius from the town square and includes the Agnus Scott campus. All 4.2 miles of the city should be covered by July 2008.

GoDeKalb

So, how do we access this new wi-fi service? I know I’m within 0.8 stumbling miles of the Brick Store, which I would consider the square, but I don’t see anything new amongst my wireless options. And surprisingly there’s nothing on the city’s website.

I’ll see what I can find out.

For other Decatur hotspots click here.

UPDATE: Map and Instructions can be found in this post

In its cover story for the week, CL uses the the Sembler project at Briarcliff/N. Druid Hills Rd to argue how DeKalb County has come to a crossroads in terms of future development. With more people looking to avoid the long commutes downtown, will DeKalb have to accommodate a larger population with more condos and fewer single family homes?  It’s already happening.  Older shopping centers with huge expanses of asphalt are ripe for development.

The article uses Decatur as an example of successful mixed use development.

“Compelling evidence (of mixed use development) lies just a few miles south of Briarcliff, in Decatur. With 19,000 residents packed into four square miles, the longtime county seat is the most densely developed city in Georgia. Surrounded by busy roads, it’s several minutes’ drive from a major highway, yet plans for new blocks of condominiums are welcomed and property values continue to soar.”

Though I certainly wouldn’t argue that Decatur is a successful example of mixed use, its not an apt comparison to the Sembler development, which would be created by a single company. Look to Atlantic Station or Sembler’s Edgewood development for what the future might hold for the Briarcliff intersection.

An excellent read.  Pick one up or click here.

Hattip: Decatur-DeKalb

In stark contrast to the previous posting, the Freakonomics blog looks at statistical evidence that shows how much more likely you are to be killed as a commuting cyclist, than a motorist.

Bottom Line: Biking may be healthier and less harmful to the environment, but comparatively it still is pretty dangerous.

Make sure you watch the odd 1963 Bike Safety film linked in the posting, which features a scary looking group of bike-riding monkeys.

Amy Lovell and her 10-year-old son Allen arrive with his French horn on bicycles at Glennwood Academy (Washington Post)

Where do AP reporters go when they need a good example of kids walking and biking to school for a story about the Federal “Safe Routes to School” program? Decatur of course!

Washington Post

International Tribune

San Francisco Examiner

I think this “evergreen” AP story has been around for a couple weeks, since I recall seeing it in the local papers a few weeks ago. But now it seems its making the rounds amongst the big boys.