A reader pointed out this AJC article from a week ago that mentioned the Avondale Salvation Army store at 2857 E College Ave was closing “within 60 days”. A failed furnace has further complicated matters, forcing the store to remain closed on many days due to lack of heat.

The AJC article mentioned that the shopping center’s owner has found a new tenant for the space.  It also notes that The Salvation Army is in the process of looking for another space in the area to set up shop.

Photo courtesy of Google Streetview

There’s a new post on the Schumacher Real Estate Brokers website announcing that Avondale’s popular Palookaville restaurant is up for sale.  The post describes the sale as “an incredible opportunity to jump onboard on a train leaving the station to endless growth opportunities.”

It even details celebrity-owner Jim Stacy’s reasons for selling…

Celebrity Owner and reality TV Star who has appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Food Network, Cooking Channel and Discovery Network is moving onto another project but will stay on during transition period with extensive training.

The post notes that the restaurant “did $1,500,000 with owners pulling out almost $100,000 with zero effort after paying full staff and all expenses” in 2014 and gross sales in 2015 have been $90,000 a month. The sale also includes the Palookaville food truck and “Unit 2”, the takeout location currently under-construction in Little Five Points.

Importantly, the post notes that Mr. Stacy “will stay on in a consulting arrangement if needed by new owner for menu development and or to be spokesperson.”

All this can be yours for $575,000.

Photo courtesy of Schumacher 

Brought to you by 

What a difference a few months and peak selling season make in the trends! Here’s a look at 2^nd Quarter 2015 data for several of Decatur’s direct neighbors. Our analysis of Q1 2015 can be found here.

The spring market delivered improvements over Q1 in all categories – the total number of homes sold doubled or tripled, days on market decreased, average sales price increased, and sales price to list price increased for the most part across all neighboring areas. Avondale Estates saw the most dramatic change over Q1 with triple the number of homes sold, days on market cut in half, a 4% gain in SP/LP, and a 41% rise in average sales price versus Q1.

The number of homes sold increased for all neighborhoods during the spring selling season. Of the adjoining neighborhoods, Druid Hills leads the pack with just over half the number sold in Decatur. Kirkwood comes in right behind Druid Hills, swapping places from Q1. Avondale, East Lake, and Medlock Park were nearly equal, hovering around 30 sales in Q2.

East Lake, Kirkwood and Medlock Park homes boasted the shortest time on the market at 31 days and just edging out Decatur at 36 days. Avondale Estates homes were on the market a bit longer, selling in approximately 1½ months. Homes in Druid Hills took the longest to sell averaging just less than 2 months, which is not unexpected since homes at the higher price points typically take longer to sell.

Sales Price to List Price remained strong in all neighboring areas. Kirkwood came in with the highest SP/LP at 99.5% and took over the top spot from East Lake in Q1. Medlock Park tied Decatur for the #2 spot at 98.8%.

Druid Hills held onto the highest average sales price, but only saw a 7% increase over Q1. Decatur posted the 2^nd highest average sales price and increased approximately 15% over Q1. Avondale ranked 3^rd in average sales price and had the biggest jump increasing 41% over Q1. Kirkwood and East Lake were 4^th and 5^th with 12% and 14% increases over Q1 respectively. Medlock Park rounded out the group hovering just above $250,000 and was the only neighborhood to show a drop over Q1 of approximately 3%.
The 3^rd Quarter numbers are likely to be interesting, since they combine the final two months of peak selling season with back to school.

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

Photo courtesy of Avondale Estates website

 

My Parents’ Basement opens in the old James Joyce space tomorrow.

If you’re curious what a comic book store/pub mashup looks like, you may want to check out Urban Daddy’s just-posted photo tour and its list of facts about this new Avondale hangout created by “Brick Store and Leon’s vets” with ” a new bar with a huge beer list and an also-huge patio”.

But ultimately I know you all want to see the menus.  So here you go.  Here’s the food menu.  And here’s a sample draft list.  Lots of local brews.

So that’s it!  Well, except for one thing I just came across…..(whistling)….(looks around)….

OK, so if you’re still actually reading and you love good beer, here’s a little gift.  After the jump you can have a look at the actual draft menu for opening day, via Reddit.  Some real rarities on there…

Read the rest of this entry »

Nancy sends in this announcement…

Mother Nature will reveal the newest colors in her fall collection during the second annual Avondale Tree Walk on Saturday, October 25th from 10:00 am- Noon. Sponsored by the Avondale Estates Garden Club as a conservation project, this year’s walk will include beautiful specimens chosen by the Tree Walk Committee to strut on the catwalk of Avondale Estates.

Local arborists who will lead the walk include Mark Livingston, Arborguard; Gretchen Musser, Elements of Landscape Design; Neil Norton, ISA Certified Arborist; Gary Peiffer, Dekalb Co. Extension Agent; Steve Sanchez, HGOR; and Joan Scales, U.S. Forestry Commission.

Tree Walk Guides will point out the enormous benefits trees add to the urban environment, such as:

• For every ton of new wood that grows, about 1.8 tons of carbon dioxide is removed from the air and 1 .3 tons of oxygen is produced;
• One recent study reported that urban trees could be about 10 times as effective as forest trees for lowering carbon dioxide in cities;
• Trees provide climate control & moderate the “heat island” effect of the urban setting;
• Trees protect soil and water quality.

To take part in this free event, meet in the parking lot of the Avondale Community Club at 59 Lakeshore Drive at 10:00 am.   A new feature of this year’s walk will be the opportunity to ask a panel of experts about any concerns homeowners have with trees in their landscapes. The Avondale Estates Garden Club is a member club of The DeKalb County Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc., The Garden Club of Georgia, Inc., the Redbud District of GCG, and the National Garden Clubs, Inc.

Interesting! From the AJC’s Bill Banks in the Friday County-by-County round-up….

The so-called “erector set” property on College Avenue and Maple Street in Avondale Estates, long a city eyesore, was recently bought by Euramex Management.

The sale was confirmed by real estate broker Pierce Owens of Cushman & Wakefield, which previously owned the property.

A two-story unfinished building whose construction was stopped in 2008, the erector set will be replaced, according to city manager Clai Brown, by a first-level retail and upper-level residential development.

h/t: Decaturish

On the agenda tonight at a regular work session of the mayor and commissioners in Avondale Estates, providing a conditional use permit to DeMedici Entertainment to transform the long vacant Towne Cinema space downtown into a music venue.  The application describes the operation as…

…an intimate setting for acoustic shows by National Acts, Semi National and up and coming artists.

There will be a variety of acts from Jazz Pop Rock Country Blues, Stage (Broadway Style Shows), Improv, Theatre Troupes, Events for Children’s Arts (Private and Public), Community based programs for children and adults.

Private Functions such as Video Shoots, TV Shows, Movie Shoots Weddings, Recordings and rehearsals.

Hours of Operation – 11a – 2a

Refreshments; Tapas Style Refreshments. Lite Fare Depending on season.  Example: Skewers, Sliders, Empanadas, Pizza.

h/t: Decaturish

Screenshot via Google Streetview