Free-For-All Friday 2/4/11
Decatur Metro | February 4, 2011Feel free to use this post to ask questions to make comments about local topics not already discussed here over the past week.
Comments close Monday.
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Today’s FFAF is sponsored by Socially…
Socially is different; it is not just another Social Network. If you think social networks are only for young people with time on their hands, you don’t know Socially.
Socially is useful. It is designed to facilitate neighborhood and community relations, communications, and awareness.
Socially is designed to be quick for busy people. With Socially, you can quickly set up your profile by choosing your places of interest. Then your buzz is delivered to your page.
Socially is a socially serious tool. It is not about who has the most followers. It is about helping make your neighborhood and community a better place to live.
Socially is local. Socially tags every place and person with a location. Interactions are then restricted by distance. This reduces noise while making it easy to find what is nearby.
Socially is community. You don’t follow or friend people on Socially but create and join meaningful neighborhoods, communities, associations, and organizations.
Socially is safe. Socially figures where you are (within a mile or so) and then discards your address. Other than your email, Socially requires no other meaningful information about you.
Socially is easy-to-use. If you can type in a short URL to your home page, then that is all you need to do to use Socially after set up.
Socially is fun even though it wasn’t created to be entertaining.
Finally, Socially is free.
When I first came up with the idea for Socially, I believed the best kind of social network should be built from the ground up. That makes it more useful, cuts down on the noise, and keeps users safer. But that is also the hardest kind to build. With a grass-roots social network like Socially, every community has to start from scratch, with friends and neighbors encouraging others to join and make Socially work for the entire community. Since I have lived in the Decatur area for the last 15 years, I am launching Socially here in Decatur and Decatur is the first community.
Check it out at http://s.ocial.ly/decatur
Please help make it stick by joining (its free!) and encouraging others to do so. A better connected community is a better community. It will also show other nearby communities just how cool it is to live in Decatur. Feel free to contact me, Pete Wingard at s@ocial.ly or call (404) 797-1646.
Latest from Decaturish
Ethiopian Art Exhibition in Decatur this Saturday
The Hanatzeb Ethiopian traveling art exhibition will be on display at Oakhurst Presbyterian Church on Saturday, Feb. 5th, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. The exhibit is free and open to the public. Works featured are by Eskinder Seyoum, Tesfaye Negusse, Yosef Berta, Muluken Asfaw, Teklemariam Zewde, Seyoum Ayalew, Aklilu Tadesse and Ayele Assefa. For more information, contact Oakhurst Presbyterian Church at 404-378-6284.
Oakhurst Presbyterian Church
118 Second Avenue (corner of Second & East Lake)
http://www.oakhurst presbyterian. org
I purchased an HDMI cable from a Decatur computer store in November – I spent $181 there that day. The cable worked nicely. But last week when I unplugged it from my computer, it fell apart. I took it back to the store and the owner was obnoxious. He would not even consider replacing it with a new one. As I turned to leave, I told him he could keep it. He said, “I don’t want it!” and slammed it in a garbage can.
Was I out of line?
You probably got ripped off on the price of the cable too. You can get good high quality HDMI cables off of Amazon.com. I paid $12.00 for a gold plated 6ft HDMI cable to replace the same one I paid about $80.00 for at Best Buy and it is just as good.
My $8 HDMI cable from Frye’s is working fine after a year-and-a-half.
We have ordered our cables from Monoprice and been very happy with them – http://www.monoprice.com.
And your actions were not out of line at all. Sounds like you just asked him to replace what you bought from him that broke and he refused. Sounds like he was over the top obnoxious though.
I too have shopped at monoprice and have cables that work just fine.
$181.00 for a single HDMI cable? And the owner was obnoxious? Unreal. Please name the store so that I will never make the mistake of shopping there.
He said he spent $181 that day, not just on the cable. At least that’s the way I read it.
As an aside, no need to get the gold plating on HDMI cables. The gold plating and xenon gas, etc. used to make a *slight* difference in the quality of analog signals, but is not the case for digital signals. With digital signals your cable either works with 100% perfect clarity or not at all, there is no middle ground. So any cable, no matter how cheap, if it works at all works just as well as the most expensive models like this one: http://www.hifigear.co.uk/audioquest-diamond-hdmi-interconnect.html
Best Buy and places like that make very little money on the sale of TVs, but make a fortune on the sale of the cables that people buy with the TVs. It’s a total racket.
If it went down as you said, then, no, you were not out of line. The store owner was, and if I were you I would need one heck of a good reason to ever return. It’s one thing to have a bad apple salesperson, but to be treated like that by an owner would mean the store is off my list forever.
Regarding the transition at College Heights ECLC – anyone else having trouble getting the YMCA to stop the automatic charge to the credit card? Do they not understand they no longer run the 0 – 3 program? Management at the Y is a disaster.
Uh oh. Thanks for the heads-up to check on this.
Our experience has been that this year has been a complete disaster in the 0-3 program at College Heights (from both the CSD & Y sides).
I was considering using college heights for Pre-K next year. What is happening with it next year? Any input would be appreciated. We love the school he’s in for mothers morning out but the expense and the drive are a little much to do it again next year.
Pre-K program is awesome! It is the 0-3 classes that are having difficulty.
Seconded. We’ve had one go through already, and another starting in 2011. Great experience so far.
This is unrelated to College Heights, but my experience lately has been that management at the Y generally has been a complete disaster. Every time we sign up for a kids’ class there is major confusion, both at the beginning and throughout the term. It’s frustrating because the classes themselves are great.
Husband called the Y more than 5 times trying to find about about facility rental, was never called back, went in person more than once before finally getting some information. TERRIBLE management- a resource like that should clean house, they are not maximizing dollars or good will. Anyone on this on the Y Board? What is the story with management oversight?
Does anyone know, or can provide a link to, the route for Tour deCatur? I want to practice on it before the event.
this was last year’s map and i believe the route is the same (fingers crossed the link works)….
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3411548
Your finger crossing did the trick. Link worked for me.
Great, thanks!
Gail at the Decatur Education Foundation confirms that the this year’s Tour deCatur route will be the same as last year’s. Also, online registration will start next week. One new addition: The Tour will also field teams of six or more, with prizes.
Just back from the new and improved Publix. It smelled of acetone but looked nice. The aisles seemed wider. Have not yet committed the new layout to memory but am sure it will happen soon and I will stop walking out with random things – like iced cookies and $10 raspberry chipotle marinade.
Hmmm, who took our bags of leaves? I’m perplexed!
Husband and I raked last Saturday and had 4 bags full of leaves sitting near our curb during the week, ready for Friday pick-up. On Wednesday evening, I returned home to find 3 bags missing and 1 bag still remaining. Who would have taken our leaves? And WHY??? Strange, no?
Leaves are excellent mulch. Someone probably took them to use as mulch.
My husband is a leaf thief.
He wanders around the neighborhood looking for bags, loads them in his truck, brings them home where they sometimes are used to entertain jumping children and then whisks them into our very healthy compost pile. Your leaves have likely gone to leaf heaven in a neighbors backyard.
Wow, good to know. Thanks!
Another leaf rescuer here. Leaves ARE excellent mulch and do wonders for compost piles.
Leaf thief here too (not in your ‘hood, tho). But I must say a real pro leaf thief will return the paper bags to the raker
[ok, ok, in particular when it's people down the street. It puts you in the "kooky but not really dangerous" category]
Any of you folks who need some more leaves for mulch, I’ve got a ton in my yard. Free to a good home.
Are y’all are looking for something to wear the kids out tomorrow? Take them up to Stone Summit Rock Climbing Gym (near Spaghetti Junction). This is the biggest climbing gym in the Americas. It’s MASSIVE!!! The Urban Core Climbing Team is having a Belayathon from 9-1. Your kid (and you!!) can climb as many times as s/he wants for just $2 per climb.
To get directions … just Google “Stone Summit.” It’s the first hit.
Right on. This is the best climbing gym I’ve ever seen, and my son LOVES it. We go at least once a month. The prices are reasonable, the employees are friendly and there’s a great kids’ climbing area upstairs.
A BIG thank you to David Junger and the Grounds Section of Decatur Public Works for removing the sand in the bike lanes/on-street parking sections of Ponce last Friday!
Seems like the street sweepers are not cleaning up the sand from the ice storm. It all winds up in the drains/creeks which is not good. Does anyone know why they have not come yet? (I can imagine that people on bikes are having a hard time with this, as you mentioned.)
I have noticed just the opposite. Since last Friday the Atlanta and Decatur streets I cycle on every day have been clear of debris. Now, there is a ribbon of sand going down the center of Ponce, which only concerns me because it masks the double yellow line.
Contact the City if you have a specific concern. It worked for me!
We have a 4-year-old that will be enrolling in Pre-K in the Fall – we will be entering the lottery for College Heights, but does anyone have any other *free* Pre-K recommendations in case we need to find a backup? We are finding the information on school options a little confusing and frustrating. Thanks!
Unless your child already attends a preschool that provides lottery funded pre-k it is unlikely that you will find a spot. College Heights does not usually have to turn kids away though.
Phoenix School and Sunshine House both have PreK lottery spots when I last checked. The Bright from the Start site is going to give you the best info – http://decal.ga.gov/. For what it is worth, CH should have spots, though you might be on wait list through the summer.
I love the 0-3 program at CH but wow the billing through the YMCA was awful. Our last billing with them was a mess. Glad to know that I should keep a watchful eye on my checkbox. So glad to not deal with them.
Uh…”checkbook” not “checkbox”. D’oh.
Advice please:
We’re looking into getting a CSA share (Am I even using the right terminology?) Not sure where to begin, what to look for and what to avoid.
Tips, guidance and/or recommendations? Many thanks!
The best CSA around IMHO is Love Is Love Farms. They just moved over near Glenwood so they are very local. The session is starting soon and they will even break the payment into two which is rare for many CSAs. You would be very impressed with the list restaurants that use them. For example, Restaurant Eugene (James Beard nominee, named in every publication as one of best in ATL and ranking very high on best in country) uses a lot of their veggies. One day I was picking up my share and stood right next to Chef Eugene and his wife as they were picking up their personal share. If that isn’t a good endorsement then I don’t know what is. Joe & Judith are the propieters and if you speak with them for just 5 minutes you will know how much they love what they do. The variety in the share is excellent and often supplemented with fresh local eggs & goat cheese. I have never had an issue with quality.
Last year Mealor Family Farms had a CSA. They are a small growing farm located in Decatur and come to the market on Saturdays. It is family owned & operated. Mr. Mealor lives just off the square and his son brings the CSA share over to Mr. Mealor’s house for pick up. I am not sure if they are doing the CSA again this year but it is still a bit early. Their tomoatoes are out of this world! Many heirloom varieties. And Stephanie makes great jam!
Last year I did a full share from Love Is Love and a half share from Mealor. I plan to do the same again this year.
Also, if you are looking for a meat CSA, try Riverview Farms. I attempted to use their veggie CSA but the quality was very spotty. About half the box would have crushed items or items with moldy spots. I don’t expect my organic veggies to look or be perfect but I was throwing away about half the box. OK, back to meat. Riverview offers an excellent & affordable meat CSA with a pickup at Pine St Market. Love is Love has a small meat CSA supplement that you can add to the veggie supplement but it is just a small amount per week such as a chicken or pound of ground beef. The Riverview Farm CSA has my freezer overflowing!
Good luck with whichever one you pick.
Here is the website for Love is Love: http://www.loveislovefarm.com/
RIverview http://www.grassfedcow.com/
and Mealor http://www.localharvest.org/mealor-family-farms-M38419
Riverview Farms has a CSA share pickup at the Oakhurst Community Garden. It is their off season now, but they are probably taking reservations soon. http://www.grassfedcow.com/
We have been happy with it.
I’d love to hear about this too.
Emory is starting a new one (see announcement below, don’t know if it’s open to non-Emory folks but you can contact them and check). Pickup would be on Clifton Rd. The big plus is you can order as you go each week. The minus is there’s a membership fee and if the program folds (they’ve tried this at Emory before and the demand wasn’t there) I don’t know if you get your $ back.
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Attention Emory faculty, staff, and students:
Do you want a box of local produce, meat, or cheese delivered to you at the Rollins School of Public Health? REHAC has made it happen!
What: CSA boxes from Moore Farms now available for order
Where: Pick up boxes Thursdays from 2-5pm in the Office of Student Services (Grace Crum Rollins, Suite 164) How do you order? See the attached flier for more information
Questions: Contact or
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The flyer is available here: http://generationresponse.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/csa.pdf
Moore’s Farm also has pick-ups at Cooks Warehouse and Sawicki’s. Very convenient to order on-line. A wide variety, including meats. Google Moore’s Farm and Friends.
Speaking of local meat: Pine St Market in Avondale. They make their own sausagees, etc. from local pork and they also have local cheeses. Very good stuff.
We also really enjoyed Moore Family Farms and would recommend them.
Thanks Aimee for your very detailed advice and everyone else too!
Where is the best place to buy men’s jeans around here? Still missing Whit’s End!
Ace Hardware has Carhardts. I am a Wrangler guy but find that I like the loose fit of the Carhardts.
believe it or not i’ve scored some good deals on nice jeans for handsome husband (no relation to pretty wife) at the macy’s at n. dekalb mall.
I only wear Levi’s jeans, and you can usually find good deals on those at the Macy’s at North DeKalb Mall or the Kohl’s at Northlake Mall.
Also Sears
Not exactly local, but the Wrangler website has an amazing selection. All sorts of styles, sizes and colors you’ll never find in a store, and the prices are good. If you stock up and spend >$100 the shipping is free. http://www.wrangler.com/home
My husband found some great-fitting slim (not skinny!) 511 Levis at Urban Outfitters in the Highlands. $55. They look far more expensive- actually “premium”.
Wait. There are jeans that “look” more expensive than $55? Jeans? $55? Wow.
There are people in this world (perhaps even this town) who will spend $200 for a pair of jeans. Insane, yes?
Not insane–psychotic. They probably complain about taxes too.
At least they know what they’re getting with their jean purchase.
Yeah, Probably the same people who drive, oh, BMW station wagons and the like.
I usually get jeans from Express Men when they have a good sale, quality wise, they have lasted longer than nearly every brand I’ve tried.
lately i’ve been trying “American Rag Co” from Macys at north dekalb, cheap and have lasted great over the past year. Levis are iffy, finding the right size and not in some crazy emo kid / skinny leg style is hard sometimes, but when i can find what i’m looking for, no complaints.
my usual go to though, is Target for the Mossimo jeans. cheap, looks good, and fits great.
usually on sale for less than 25$ / pair
The Loehmann’s on Briarcliff often has good deals on designer brands.
Thanks for all the suggestions. I may have to send hubby to Urban Outfitter’s tomorrow as I’m trying to avoid the mall. Although, the last time I went to UO I felt very old b/c A. the music was seriously way too loud and B. the salesgirl pretty much laughed at me when I asked if they sold any women’s jeans that were not the skinny type. She acted like she had never heard of boot cut.
I’m not trying to be argumentative, but I can almost guarantee you that the $55 jeans at Urban Outfitters would be at least $10 less at either of the malls. And even though North DeKalb and Northlake are a little dingy, one thing they aren’t is busy, so you won’t run into any crowds. I also hate to see sales tax revenue leave DeKalb and go to Fulton.
I got a great recommendation last week for a place for alterations (Kim’s by Suburban Lanes btw), and this week wondering if anyone has a Decatur dry cleaner that they are happy with. The altered pants are dry clean only.
Oakhurst Laundry and Cleaners
Call Mike Myers at (404) 219-3465. He picks up and delivers for Pinkard & Morgan. Great service.
Kim’s Cleaners on Clairemont across from VA. It’s not as handy as closer in establishments but it’s as cheap and reliable as I’ve been able to find. If you have volume, a lot of the in-Decatur options get pretty pricey.
For a cleaners, I have to highly recommend Courtesy Cleaners on DeKalb Ave in Lake Claire. Great service and they alway remember who I am. My clothes are typically waiting by the time I can get inside.
What makes a house cleaning service, “green.” Is it just the products they use? If you provide green products yourself, what is the difference? Any recommendations for a green cleaning service (affordability and willing to deal with a dog being key). Thanks!
Can anyone recommend a plumber? I tried searching DecaturMetro and didn’t find any prior discussions.
What I have is a fairly small job I think: there’s a bath sink that’s “hotwired” to the pipes (i.e., no valves) so I’d like to have those put in. Ideally, someone reliable who doesn’t show up drunk at 10am (this was my last experience with a plumber a friend recommended, ack!). Thanks!
I’ve had good experience with M. Cary & Daughters on Church Street. Possibly not the lowest price, but professional, worked with my schedule and did it right the first time. Plus they’re local. http://www.mcaryanddaughters.com
Just used M. Cary myself and I was quite happy with the results. They gave me a free estimate and showed up on time to get the job done. FYI ALL plumbers are expensive! I had 3 things done for $725. Ouch! But it was not work I could do myself. Your situation sounds like it will probably cost more than you expect. But like I said, I was happy with the work and would definitely use them again.
This is a list I compiled from our neighborhood listerv. I can’t vouch for any of them, but they all came highly recommended:
Joel Cotton 770-595-1062
Williams Plumbing 404-918-1370
Michael at 525 Plumbing 678-665-6945
Eddie Pope 404-218-5649
Thanks for the recs, all!
Tim Chen is fantastic. I highly recommend him.
http://www.kudzu.com/m/Tc-Plumbing-Inc-686073/reviews/
Just went by Burnt Fork BBQ.Very good. I’m a Community Q fan, but this is a nice alternative. Collard greens and brunswick stew were very good. A great addition to the Decatur scene. It will be very cool to attend concerts in May and walk down to get realy BBQ to eat on the square. However, there were not too many folks there!
I was at Burnt Fork last night and the people behind the counter said that response has been fantastic and, as a result, they have run out of items almost every night. I got the chicken and it was really good. Warning: unless you have a HUGE appetite get the 1/4 check…the half is a lot of bird!
I’m looking forward to trying their BBQ tofu. (Us former meateaters enjoy the sauce too!) And the hushpuppies! Wish the collards weren’t cooked with meat… While they’re getting established, they might want to do something to catch attention out front . The storefront sign is attractive, but it might go unnoticed by folks driving by.
Um… a not cool comment about Farm Burger’s meat sourcing on this week’s Burnt Fork BBQ article. Hope it’s not the case. At any rate, it’d be good if the Farm Burger folks addressed it so folks aren’t left to wonder.
http://blogs.ajc.com/food-and-more/2011/02/02/burnt-fork-bbq-opens-in-decatur/?cxntfid=blogs_food_and_more
This is the reply the owner of Farm Burger left on the AJC site:
“As the owner of both Moonshine Meats and Farm Burger, I would like to make clear to the readers of Food and More the accurate facts regarding Farm Burger’s and Moonshine’s sourcing practices. During our first 6 months while Moonshine Meats was developing its cooperative and beef supply, Farm Burger did purchase product outside of the Moonshine farming family. We sourced from a number of Georgia’s most trusted and reputable suppliers, including Riverview Farms, White Oak Pastures, and Gum Creek Farms, all separate business entities from Moonshine. Gum Creek Farms is a trusted brand for sustainable meat in the metro area and supplies numerous high-end restaurants and markets. Their clients include other responsibly minded businesses such as Flip Burger, Muss and Turners, Woodfire Grill and many more. Further, as of December 1, 2010 Farm Burger’s beef comes entirely from Moonshine’s farms, all of which are local pasture-based operations adhering to a strict set of production protocols. We have never deterred from our grass-fed promise. The pork we supply for Burnt Fork adheres to the same high standards and is entirely pasture-raised on our local farms. We are farmers, first and foremost.
So, I personally invite you, LocalBeefFarmer, and any other readers, to email or meet with me directly to learn more about our operations and ethics. I invite you to visit our farms and our processor to vet our practices. We are entirely transparent and accessible, and would welcome your questions. Please email me at . Jason Mann”
Thank you Paula! What welcome news! Even though I don’t eat meat, as a “from Athens” gal, I do root for Farm Burger’s success! (And I loooove their collards & fries!)
Excellent ribs and cole slaw. Delicious smoky flavor in the ribs. Baked beans were not my fav. They tasted more like a stew. Nice ambiance.
I tried Burnt Fork for lunch yesterday and got the brisket sandwich and cole slaw. The food was good, but I was disappointed in the portion size for the price. It seems to me that I can usually go to Community Q or Fox Bros. and for about the same price that I paid at Burnt Fork get more food than I can eat in a sitting. I’m not saying that portion size is necessary, but if they are going to serve smaller portions, then I’d expect a smaller price.
A friend of mine has been evicted from DHA apt and needs emergency financial assistance. Is anyone aware of any charities besides St. Vincent de Paul that might be able to help her?
Just dial 211. That the United Way Help Line, and they can put her in touch with people who can provide a whole range of services. Works from any phone in the area.
Does anyone know who you can complain to about the timing of a specific traffic signal inside the city limits of Decatur? Could it be as easy as one e-mail address or phone number?
Nope. They’re all programmed and operated by the County. So…no.
The Dekalb Traffic Ops folks are actually very nice about looking into traffic light & crosswalk issues. I’ve called them 2-3 times, and they’ve always handled it promptly & followed up with a phone call afterward.
Their number: (404)297-3947
Wow. I stand corrected!
Only because the folks there really are very nice & very helpful!
One time it took several calls to get the crosswalk at Commerce & Sycamore St. fixed. It’d work, then it’d go on the blink again. (Turned out the main traffic computer board, not the signal, was fried.) Larry in Traffic Ops stayed on it, and the dispatched crew even called me to come meet them there! I was super impressed! They’ve been polite & prompt on the other repairs too– it’s just a matter of letting them know what needs fixing.
Agree with Deanne. Several FFAF’s ago, someone asked what was up with the light at N. McDonough and College (only letting 3 cars through…).
Someone, most likely the ever knowledgeable Steve, posted the number. When I called, they were very pleasant and said they would send someone out that day. I never got a call back, but that light does seem to be balanced.
Does anyone know a good place to buy a car/truck? I’ve been checking craigslist but it’s full of scam artists or overpriced junk. I’d prefer a pickup truck(ranger,mazda b, nissan etc) or subaru legacy/forester, volvo wagon. Thanks!
just sold my truck on craigslist yesterday! its actually where i found my past 2 cars, about to put my stationwagon on there tomorrow. just gotta wade thru the crap so to speak
I have always had good luck with autotrader.com. I have bought and sold on the site with great success. Since you have to pay to put your ad on autotrader, people are more serious about selling. It is not like craigslist where anyone can put anything on there for free.
I work at Six Star Service so if you have any questions about looking for that Subaru, call me. We do not sell Subarus but I can tell you what to look for and what to steer clear of. 404-377-7874 is the shop number.
I just helped my college-student son through the same purchase process. It came down to a used F-150 vs. Forrester, and the F-150 won. Autotrader.com, edmunds.com, cars.com and kellybluebook.com are all great resources for researching models and finding listings. You’ll be able to get a good idea of the true market value. You’ll find that most of the listings are from dealers rather than individuals. There are pros and cons to each, but in the end he got a decent deal from a franchised dealer. Not a horrible experience, which is pretty good for car-buying.
Thanks everyone for the tips. I’ll check out those.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSQQK2Vuf9Q
I wish GA would actually even consider a debate about this issue but I can’t see it happening in the next 4 years, but my god this kid is a good speaker.
He sure is. That video was chilling. In a good way.
The house in the Decatur House Fair banner above looks more like Coral Gables than Decatur.
Or a highly stylized version of Sarasota.
The logo celebrates the inclusion of ranch houses into the fold of 50+ year old historic house styles. Ranch Houses will be the “theme” for this year’s Decatur Old House Fair (March 19th, 9am-5pm), but there will still be plenty of information for owners of arts & crafts bungalows, Victorians, and all manner of older homes.
Cape cods, representin’
And one of the pics in the Little Shop of Stories ad on the right is uh…attention-getting. The one with the two women laughing. It’s almost an upskirt shot.
It’s a bit down the road from Decatur but we’ve been very happy at St. Timothy School on Memorial Drive (the one with the pumpkins in the fall and butterflies at Easter.) Coudn’t get into College Heights or Phoenix School for love or money but St. Tim’s has been a wonderful experience–small, friendly, very diverse and since they go to grade 5 we’re not going to be getting used to a new school now for several years.
Stopped at Trader Joe’s in midtown today. The checkout woman asked for my zip code, and said they were doing a survey of their customers. When I gave her 30030, she said, “Oh, Decatur. Y’all need one out there.”
I mentioned that I’m even part of the facebook group trying that’s begging for one, and she said:
1. She’s gets 30030 a lot.
2. That when the customer refuses to give a zip, she punches in a DEC zip.
I told her we’ll have to arrange some kind of payoff for her, and she asked for a scholarship to one of our institutions of higher learning. I think that’s a little steep, but I’m glad to see the youth of today have lofty ambitions. In her shoes, I would have asked for a bottle of 3buck chuck.
ou are awesome!!
I gave my zip today too– wondered why but just assumed it was like you have to do when using a credit card at the gas station these days– so glad to hear they are polling this.
Can anyone suggest swim classes for little ones(19 months and up)? We have already tried Dynamo at Agnes Scott and we don’t want to have to join the YMMCA with a regular or a program membership. Thanks!!
Shout out to Goldbergs in Toco Hills. Nice friendly servers and good menu. Also mentioned to them they should come to downtown as soon as DD vacates their spot! The rumor started here…
DD?
Decatur Diner
Looking for the best Mexican in/around the Dec. Apologies if this has already been discussed. Please don’t mention Taqueria… looking for more authentic Mexican thanks
One man’s authentic is another man’s chimichanga. (Or woman’s.)
I like Mezcalito’s for really great food. Plus the mojito’s are awesome. Coyote’s is great basic Mexican. They seem to be the only low priced place that can make a good chile relleno and know what a real chalupa is. Unfortunately, Matador is not so great IMO, the last couple’ve experiences there have been very not good.
Can anyone recommend a good place to buy a pedestal sink. We don’t want to spend a fortune, but we do want it to look nice.
Did you try Lowes?
Home Depot is where we got ours a few years ago. If you can install my new sink, I will give you my pedestal sink! We finally found a sink & vanity that was small enough to go where the pedestal sink is but the quote we got was a lot. (We need shut off vavles installed)
I have a very nice one in my attic that you can have. We’re just too lazy to bring it down and put it on craigslist.
Tip of the day: Don’t miss the Art Clearance Sale at the Holiday Inn! Seriously, there is an awesome selection, nice variety and the artists are motivated to sell.
I agree, Marais. I thought that was a good event and I hope the Arts Alliance puts it into their annual rotation.
We saw a large brindle dog on Clarendon at Avondale Highschool today around noon. He didn’t have a collar and was pretty skiddish. We tried to catch him to brig him home and find his owners, but he took off behind Wal-mart and we couldn’t find him. Just wanted to post it in case anyone’s missing a member of their family.
Horrible North Dekalb movie experiences.
A couple of weeks ago saw a movie there, and throughout the movie, the film strip showed up pretty frequently on the screen.
Intended to go to Northlake yesterday but the times didn’t jive so we went to N. Dekalb. The other movie I had seen was still there, so I figured we would be in a different theater and probably no issues.
Throughout the movie, there was a loud hissing sound. As the voices on screen rose, and as the music rose, so did the hiss. Really interfered with the quality of the movie.
By the time we were out of there had spent 30 bucks, and this theater is crap.
Northlake matinee is only 6 bucks, and haven’t had similar experiences there. Same with Midtown. Avoid N. Dekalb theater if you intend to actually watch and enjoy the movie.
BTW, The Rite is a pretty decent flick.
for me, it’s the plaza, midtown art cinema, or the drive in. I never have to deal with idiots or thousands of screaming kids at those places.
On babysitter night, we stick to the Landmark Midtown, Regal Tara, or if a movie we want to see is actually playing there, the Plaza. But for kids movies, we’re stuck going to North DeKalb Mall AMC. I’m assuming that the theater is just part of the general decline of that mall.
I wonder whether there’s enough buying power in Decatur, Fernbank, Avondale, Clarkston, Druid Hills, North Druid Hills areas to support a more functional mall at the North DeKalb Mall site. It’s just been a depressed, declining, run-down mall for years. There’s a few good reasons to go there like Play it Again Sports and kids movies at the theater, but not many. I vaguely remember a spiffier, more bustling place back around 1990.
movies–have you tried hollywood on i-85 access road?
so one thing always bugs me but i try to just ignore it, but this weekend, my god,
WHY DO FAMILIES LET THEIR CHILDREN RUN AROUND A RESTAURANT?!?!?!!?!?
i get that they have kids and want enjoy a night out, hey I do too, however if i had i kids, i’d teach them manners. letting your kids run around slamming into peoples tables,chairs,yelling and screaming while you sit there and ignore them or worse yet, the ones who ignore them while they play on their phones.
SERIOUSLY PEOPLE how is this considered parenting?
Had I acted like that as a child, my parents would have left and taken me home right then, even if we hadn’t finished the meal. I just don’t understand it.
I would normally join you in that chorus, but yesterday morning around 9am I was in Java Monkey, and some kid let out an ear piercing shrill and started wailing. It was freezing outside, but the mom promptly picked him up and that’s where they went. I was pretty impressed.
Your criticism has been covered ad nauseuam in years past. Basic truth: kids don’t always act perfect and neither do their parents.
And neither do all people without children. Loud and obnoxious cell phone ringtones and conversations are a pet peeve.
This is an outrage.
Details, Joe. Where were you, and when?
which time? it happens at least 1-2 times a week, the wife and i stay in downtown decatur to eat about 90% of the time, and of those times, about 40% kids are running around or being extremely loud.
Almost certain that those parents/families were NOT from Decatur (or our surrounding neighborhoods). Most likely they were OTP’ers who let their kids run around like they are in Lord of the Flies.
Remember: All the (greater) Decatur families are quiet and well-mannered, it’s the ones from outside that are causing all the ruckus.
That parent in Java Monkey Rebecca mentiones above? Definitely a responsible Decatur parent!