Hartsfield-Jackson Airport Retains Title as World's Busiest Airport

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July 18 — Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport retained its title as the world’s busiest airport with more than 104 million passengers in 2023, according to a recent industry report.

☔️ Possible showers and 90° today.

🗣️ A community forum on the proposed upper-perimeter expressways will be held from 4-7 p.m. in City Springs today. For more information, read Cathy Cobbs’ report from Monday’s Dunwoody meeting.

⛪️ The historic Ebenezer Baptist Church on Auburn Avenue is one of 11 Civil Rights Movement sites that could be added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list.

💵 Former Sandy Springs City Councilmember Chris Burnett has been named the city’s economic development director.

🏌️‍♂️ Interactive retailer Golf Galaxy opens this weekend in the under-renovation Buckhead Landing shopping center.

🎾 Venus Williams has withdrawn from the Sunday Showdown at the Atlanta Open final. Sloane Stephens will now face Taylor Townsend on Sunday, July 21 at Atlantic Station.

🎗️ Georgia native Bernice Johnson Reagon, civil rights activist and founder of The Freedom Singers and Sweet Honey in the Rock, died Tuesday at age 81.

SOMEWHERE ELSE

🦠 The White House announced that President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday.

🗳️ In his vice presidential acceptance speech at last night’s Republican National Convention, U.S. Senator J.D. Vance said his Ohio hometown was “a place that has been cast aside and forgotten by the American establishment in Washington.” Former President Donald Trump is tonight’s keynote speaker.

🏊‍♀️ Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a dip in the Seine on Wednesday in an attempt to demonstrate the cleanliness of the river ahead of the upcoming Olympic Games.

📺 “Shōgun” garnered the most nominations ever at the 2024 Primetime Emmy Awards yesterday, with “The Bear” setting a record in the Comedy category with 23 nominations.

🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:

• Let the music eat
• Decatur Arts Alliance Galleries
• History of Hyperpotamus
AND
• Quick bites

Have a nice day,
Collin and Sammie

🍑 Join the ultimate celebration of Southern gastronomy at Fishing Festival! Atlanta’s Peachtree Center will host over 40 of the world’s top chefs and bartenders on July 21. Reserve your tickets and indulge in a high-end culinary adventure.

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1. Music Takes Center Stage at These Atlanta Bars and Restaurants

🎹 There’s never been a better time to be a music lover in Atlanta. And for those who also enjoy dining out, the proliferation of listening rooms and weekly events like coffee shop vinyl nights combine the experiences of dining, drinking, and listening to music in one communal space.

Music-centric restaurants and bars are not a new phenomenon. Listening rooms, for example, date back to 1920s Japan with jazz kissas, which still exist today. These jazz cafes encourage listening to music played through a vinyl record or high-fidelity sound system rather than as background noise. Conversation among patrons is minimal, and they sip everything from coffee and tea to beer and cocktails.

Bars and restaurants that put music at the heart of the experience have grown in popularity across the U.S. in recent years. In Atlanta, these new third-party spaces now include The Frisky Whisker at Underground Atlanta, Stereo in Inman Park, Commune in Avondale Estates, Propaganda in Smyrna, Echo Room at Westside Motor Lounge, and The Bassment beneath Apt4B restaurant in Buckhead.

🎧 More information about this story here.

Get your discount on electric bikes at ElectroBike

SPONSORED BY ELECTROBIKE GEORGIA AND MONDAY MOTORBIKES

🚲 Atlanta residents 18 years of age or older can apply for a rebate on the purchase of an electric bike. ElectroBike Georgia is now accepting rebates at its Beltline store at 151 Sampson St.

⚡ “This is a great incentive program to get people out of their cars and onto trails and bike paths,” said Bruce Riggs, CEO of Monday Motorbikes, one of the brands Electric bike “We hope to encourage other cities and communities to offer similar initiatives for people to try out e-bikes. Several Monday Motorbike models are included in the Atlanta giveaway, so now is the perfect time for people to hop on an e-bike and see what everyone is so excited about.”

2. Decatur Arts Alliance Opens New Art Galleries and Artist Studios in Legacy Park

VIA SKETCHBOOK, A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER | SUBSCRIBE HERE

🎨 Opening this weekend, a showcase of disused public artworks #LookUpDecatur will be the first art exhibit to grace the walls of the Decatur Arts Alliance’s new galleries and studios in Legacy Park.

Occupying rooms in the Hyatt Cottage that also houses Paint Love, the addition of gallery and studio spaces is just one phase of a much larger project for Legacy Park’s plans for their Creative Village.

Our Isadora Pennington spoke with Angie Macon, Executive Director of the Decatur Arts Alliance, about the development and all the excitement she and her team are feeling as they prepare for the expansion.

🖼️ You can read the rest of this story here.

3. Meet the 10 startups selected for the 2024 cohort of Techstars Atlanta

🎓 Techstars Atlanta Powered by Cox Enterprises didn’t have to look far from home to find the startups in its 2024 cohort. More than half of the selected startups are from Atlanta or the greater Southeast region.

Those who follow the startup accelerator industry know that Techstars, one of the largest early-stage investors, recently underwent a major restructuring nationally. But Techstars’ presence in the Southeast region has continued to grow.

In Atlanta, Techstars has certainly left its mark on the city’s innovation ecosystem since its launch in 2016. Previous Techstars Atlanta startups have become some of the city’s most recognizable growth-stage companies, including Bark, PadSplit, 2ULaundry, and MaxRewards. Other startups that have seen successful acquisitions include SAWA, Punchlist, and OrderNerd.

⭐ To read more about this Hypepotamus story, click here.

🍑 Join the ultimate celebration of Southern food at Peachfest! Atlanta’s Peachtree Center will host over 40 of the best chefs and bartenders on July 21st. Reserve your tickets and treat yourself to a high-end culinary adventure.

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4. Quick bites

VIA SIDE DISH, A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER| SUBSCRIBE HERE

🍅 Today marks the start of Tomato Feast at Atlanta’s La Tavola. Through Sunday, July 28, the Tomato Feast menu will feature dishes like Nasello fish with tomato pesto, artichokes, giant beans, and pine nuts, and roasted chicken with cherry tomato panzanella, olive vinaigrette, and succo. You can reserve your spot on OpenTable here.

🎛️ On Tuesday, July 23, music legend and Atlanta native Ludacris will be at the Westside Motor Lounge to hand out lunch from the Knorr Fast Food Remix food truck. Three “Taste Combo” recipes will be available: Ludacris’ Lemon Pepper Chicken (inspired by Ludacris’ favorite Atlanta flavors), Chicken Tacos, and a Tofu, Cheddar & Broccoli Bowl. The event is part of Knorr’s partnership with Ludacris to create a music video for their “Taste Combos” campaign, “Fast Food Remix feat. Ludacris & Knorr.”

🧑‍🍳 Also on July 23, Atlanta’s Gezzo’s Coastal Cantina is hosting a hands-on cooking class for kids ages eight and up. Led by chef Cam Floyd, registered guests will make homemade corn tortillas, explore various cooking techniques, and taste the tacos they made in the class. Enrollment is limited to 15 students. For more information and to register, visit the link here.

🍸 Atlanta-based Aether Brand Group has acquired Corte Vetusto Mezcal (pictured) – the world’s most awarded mezcal. This ultra-premium beverage is handcrafted by Juan Carlos Gonzalez Diaz, a fifth-generation Zapotec master mezcalero. Stay tuned to their website for more updates.

🍷 Don’t forget to check out Castleberry Hill Wine Tasting Room and Shop this month. Throughout July, they’re celebrating four years of serving the Atlanta metro area and hosting several events, including a “Wine Tasting Basics” class on Sunday, July 28. Geared toward novice wine lovers, the event starts at 1:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here.

🎟️ And speaking of wine, don’t forget to grab your tickets to the Atlanta Wine Walk on Saturday, August 31st at Live! at The Battery.

🍽️ Executive Chef Demetrius Brown of Inman Park’s Bread & Butterfly recently launched a dinner menu that explores French cuisine through the lens of the African diaspora. Stay tuned to their website for menu updates and to make reservations.

🍗 Delilah’s Everyday Soul recently replaced chef Shaun Doty’s Federal Burger at Colony Square’s Politan Row food hall, bringing its Oprah-approved fried chicken and mac and cheese.

🚚 Yoffi food truck, the latest offering from DASH Hospitality restaurant group, is now open in Dunwoody Village serving Mediterranean-inspired dishes.

🇬🇧 And, with the Paris Olympics starting on Friday, July 26, Star Provisions Market and Café, as well as Little Sparrow and Bar Blanc restaurants, are all serving up French cuisine to celebrate the event. Be sure to pick up some pain de mie (Star Provisions), raclette (Little Sparrow), or steak frites (Bar Blanc), just in time for the first-ever Opening Ceremony on the Seine.

🌭 In yesterday’s newsletter, we asked you what your favorite hot dogs in town were. The winner, with 30% of the vote, was Skip’s in Avondale Estates! Red’s came in second, followed by Dog Days Hot Dogs & Burgers in Peachtree Corners in third.