The City of Atlanta has expanded its Relay bike share program. A bicycle station is now located at Gordon-White Park in the adjacent West End neighborhood, allowing residents to rent bike’s for hourly pay-as-you-go plans, or via monthly or annual passes. This is a great way for neighbors who don’t own bike’s to enjoy a different mode of transportation, which will be especially fun once the car-free Atlanta BeltLine Westside Trail opens up in the fall.
Additional information about Relay bike’s can be found at: www.relaybikeshare.com
Join the Atlanta BeltLine for an update on Westside Trail construction. Additional supporting meeting materials can be found at: beltline.org/engage-meetings. These materials will be posted the day of the meeting.
Ms. D. and D Café are not new to Westview, but they have moved to a new location a block over. After a few months’ hiatus due to the relocation, D Café is back! A private ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Friday, April 21, 2017, with Atlanta City Council President Caesar Mitchell and Councilmember C. T. Martin being present for the occasion. As part of the ribbon cutting ceremony the two councilmembers honored Ms. D. with a letter from Mayor Kasim Reed for her entrepreneurship and willingness to hire community youth and former offenders. (Read a recent article about Ms. D.: Soul on the Westside: D Cafe)
D Café’s official grand opening to the public will be on Saturday, April 22, 2017.
BURNAWAY’s Spring Studio Soirée will be at Westview Studios in Atlanta’s Westview neighborhood. Come join us in the studios of Cosmo Whyte, Krista Clark, Yanique Norman, Tracey Murrell, Michael Jones, Charly Palmer, Brian Christian, John Crooms, Carolyn Grady, Kim Roseberry, Karen Simmons, John Taylor, and Lisa Zunzanyika.
Studio Soirée gives the public a chance to peek into the unique places where artists make their work. You’ll get to see what these great artists are up to, while mixing and mingling with fellow art lovers.
WHERE: Westview Studios, 1450 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd SW, Atlanta 30310
WHEN: Friday, May 5, 7-10pm
HOW MUCH: Tickets are $25, and include snacks and one drink ticket.
PARKING: Free and secure off-street parking is available.
In 2014 Westview residents made a big impact when they came out in large numbers to request improvements in the neighborhood at a series of Infrastructure Bond meetings. The City of Atlanta listened and included a number of Westview projects on the list, including making Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard a “complete street” between Cascade Avenue and Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive.
What is a Complete Street?
“Complete Streets are streets for everyone. They are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities. Complete Streets make it easy to cross the street, walk to shops, and bicycle to work.” (Renew Atlanta)
Repaving
The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has undergone the design process to repave and restripe Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard. This will result in a safer Westview Village due to traffic calming measures through reduced driving lanes, added on-street parking spots, and added bicycle lanes.
Sidewalks/Streetscape
The City of Atlanta has hired the Atlanta BeltLine to facilitate the design process of creating a more pedestrian-friendly area along the road. The Atlanta BeltLine is hosting a series of meetings to allow residents to provide input to the look-and-feel of the streetscaped area. The first meeting was to create the “Vision” and was held on April 17, 2017 at KIPP STRIVE Primary School. Attendees were able to provide input on features such as benches, lighting, crosswalks, and more.
The “Concept Development” meeting will be scheduled in the summer and the “Detailed Design” meeting will be scheduled in the fall, while construction is anticipated to begin February/March 2018.
BURNAWAY’s will be hosting its “Spring Studio Soirée” at the Westview Studios on Friday, May 5th. In anticipation of the event Burnaway had a brief chat with Westview Studios artist, and local Westview neighbor, Krista Clark: http://burnaway.org/podcast/krista-clark/
Image courtesy of Burnaway
Alright, perhaps we are getting ahead of ourselves, but two Atlanta-area breweries will soon call the Lee+White development in West End their second home. Two breweries side-by-side? Beer aficionados will be able to rejoice at this news!
Back in September 2016, Monday Night Brewery had announced that it will open up a second location called “the Garage” at the Lee+White development to focus on crafting their barrel-aged and sour beers. Part of the land next to the warehouse will be used to grow fruit trees, whose wild yeast will aid in the beer fermentation. The facility will include a tasting room and a patio for patrons to enjoy. Simultaneously it was announced that Honeysuckle Gelato, Doux South Pickles, Southern Aged cheese maker, and Relay bike-share would join the brewery in the development.
Now it has been announced that Avondale Estates-based brewery Wild Heaven would join Monday Night Brewery and the others at the Lee+White development to open up a second location as well. While Monday Night Brewery aims to open up later on in 2017, Wild Heaven will not open up until 2018. The brewery space will include a 10,000 square foot patio on the Atlanta BeltLine, as well as food made on-site.
And the beauty of it all? Westview neighbors will be but a short stroll down the Atlanta BeltLine from these new food and drink destinations – cheers!
Press
Atlanta Magazine: Monday Night Brewing’s big gamble along the Atlanta BeltLine (March 2017)
AJC: Wild Heaven Beer opening second brewery and taproom on Beltline (March 22, 2017)
The 2017 Phoenix Flies: A Celebration of Atlanta’s Historic Sites
The Atlanta Preservation Center presents Westview Cemetery, the Candler Era
Meet on the cemetery grounds at the historic gate house. 1680 Westview Dr SW, Atlanta, GA 30310
