From Twain’s website

Twain’s Brewpub & Billiards is happy to announce that we have acquired the former Suburban Lanes, and plan to reopen the space in the fall of 2015 after a much needed remodel in true Twain’s style. The bowling alley has been a longstanding fixture in Decatur and we look forward to carrying it into the next phase of its history as a funky bowling center that recreational bowlers and league enthusiasts will love.

Plans are to provide an entertaining and engaging atmosphere for all ages that includes a modern bowling experience and other social games for all skill levels and interests. We will offer a vibrant food and beverage program featuring craft beers, a full bar, hand tossed pizza, burgers and plates designed for sharing. As at Twain’s we will be committed to using locally sourced goods whenever it’s possible.

We are excited to be bringing the metro area a new and soon to be favorite place for hanging with friends and family, enjoying the camaraderie, with the great food and beers that you have come to expect from the folks at Twain’s. Come join us in the fall, see the changes, feel the excitement! We look forward to serving you in the fall!

Harriet writes in…

The free hot dog (for students/kids) End of School Celebration will be outside of Oakhurst Market from 2:40-3:30 on Friday.

We have done this for a couple of years now and has really been fun for everyone!

Decatur Active Living’s Cheryl Burnette sent along this announcement…

Oakhurst Elementary School was selected as the 2015 Georgia Safe Routes to School Resource Center’s Partner of the Year for the Metro Atlanta Area. Winners of this award are chosen based on the progress of their SRTS programs during the past year in getting more students to walk and bike to school and increasing the awareness of SRTS within its community. The Georgia Safe Routes to School Resource Center has recognized outstanding partners with the Partner of the Year Award since 2011. Clairemont Elementary won the award in 2013 and Renfroe Middle School won in 2014.

Under the leadership of Parent Champion Heather Tell, Oakhurst Elementary students, staff, teachers, and parents have embraced the Safe Routes to School program as part of the core culture of the school. Over 60% of students regularly walk and bike to school—the highest percentage of any City of Decatur school—and they constantly strive to improve that number. The school sponsors a monthly Walk and Roll to School Day celebration, with fun themes and prizes to encourage participation, donations from local businesses, and bicycle bells for kids. Safety tips are included in the school’s weekly newsletter, and all 450 students learn basic bike safety at the annual Fall Health and Wellness Festival. With a strong School Leadership Team and the support of the City of Decatur Active Living, the Decatur Police Department, the Georgia SRTS Outreach Coordinator, and City of Decatur schools, Oakhurst is an enthusiastic and highly successful Partner in the SRTS program.

For more information on the City of Decatur Safe Routes to School program visit www.decaturga.com/srts.

Photo courtesy of Decatur Active Living

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We’ve recently taken a close look at overall real estate trends in both Decatur and Druid Hills, how do the overall metrics in these areas compare to their neighbors?

Here’s a look at 1^st Quarter 2015 data for Decatur and several of its direct neighbors.

One interesting metric here is the number of homes sold. Obviously this number is influenced by the size of the area, but regardless, more homes were sold in Decatur than any other neighboring area.  Kirkwood leads the pack of adjoining neighborhoods with just over half the number sold in Decatur. Druid Hills comes in right behind Kirkwood. Avondale, East Lake, and Medlock Park only had a handful of sales in comparison.

Days on market were basically equal for Decatur, East Lake and Kirkwood and averaged just over a month. Druid Hills homes were on the market a bit longer, at approximately 1 ½ months.   Homes in Avondale took the longest to sell averaging 3 months.

Sales Price to List Price was strong in all neighboring areas. East Lake came in with the highest SP/LP, surpassing Decatur at 99.8%! Decatur and Kirkwood were tied for second at 98.4% SP/LP.

Not surprisingly, the highest average sales price was in Druid Hills, closely followed by Decatur. Kirkwood and East Lake came in 3^rd and 4^th, respectively and were very close in Average Sales Price. Medlock and Avondale rounded out the group hovering just above and just below $250,000, respectively.

While these numbers give us an interesting look at neighboring markets, keep in mind the small number of homes sold in some areas can lead skewed numbers if there is an outlier in the category (i.e. days on market, sales price).  We’ll take another look at the data after the 2^nd Quarter numbers are in.

Click over to our website to search for homes currently for sale.

Photo courtesy of Historic Kirkwood website

Glenlake Park, Decatur GA (photo submitted by Chris)

• Oakhurst, McKoy Parks slated for improvements [AJC]
• City of Decatur pools are open! [Be Active Decatur]
• BeltLine proposes budget increase, trail extensions, planning for Streetcar extension [Saporta Report]
• Decatur Arts Festival photos [Next Stop…Decatur]
• What’s it to Utz?  Depth and taxes [Decaturish]
• First Bite: Pea Ridge Kitchen & Bar [Atlanta Intown]
• Want To Stop Your Brain From Getting Old? Live In A Walkable Neighborhood [Fast Company]

Map courtesy of Saporta Report

As we all begin to dig into the Decatur budget for the coming year, the AJC notes that a majority of the capital improvements slated for the coming year are slated for two southside parks – Oakhurst and McKoy.

The AJC checked in with Deputy City Manager Hugh Saxon, who told them that if all goes according to plan “bathrooms, pavilions and concession stands at each park will get extensive renovations or completely rebuilt”.

Photo of baseball field at McKoy Park courtesy of Be Active Decatur