Local Expert
Damon Sgrignoli
Damon Sgrignoli is an Atlanta native that has recently returned to the south after several years of residing in NYC. An avid traveler, his adventures have recently taken him to Bali,…
Damon Sgrignoli is an Atlanta native that has recently returned to the south after several years of residing in NYC. An avid traveler, his adventures have recently taken him to Bali, Jamaica,Australia, and Mexico.
Currently, Damon calls the tree-lined Atlanta neighbohood of Inman Park home. Known for its annual spring festival, quirky residents, and easy walkablity, he can often be found reading the Sunday paper at one of the cities vibrant parks, or dining with friends at local dives. His writing can be found on Citysearch.com, Spin, and Stone Magazine among others.
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I can't say enough good things about exploring my favorite street in Atlanta-Cheshire Bridge Road. It's split between I-85 on ramps and the bustling Piedmont Rd. It's a treasure trove of odd places, good food and culture. There's strip clubs across from fantastic soul food restaurants, there are hot dog restaurants next to Art Cinema's. There is old fashion red sauce and clams Italian/American restaurants adjacent to Ethiopian dives.
My new find is Hong Kong Harbour in a non description building just across from and adult video store. The day after Christmas, my girlfriend and read the sign and pulled in. We were greeted by a packed restaurant where patrons in the know were sampling items from dim sum carts. It seemed that we were the only ones in town who did not know just how good this restaurant really was. Monday-Friday they serve dim-sum until 3pm. They are open late, 3am on the weekends and 1am on weeknights. The menu is a wonderful hodgepodge of flavors from around Asia, Cantonese fried noodles, spicy curries with eggplant and beef, ducks roasted and then sliced thinly over a piping hot bowl of noodles.
This is a place to try-I promise you'll enjoy it.
2184 Chesire Bridge Rd.
Atlanta, GA, 30324
Atlanta is not a town where people dance on a regular basis, it may be a carry over from older religious ties to the Southern chuch or it could be a sign of the times. Whatever the case may be, the hipster come out in droves on both Friday and Monday nights for "Service Nights" DJ'd by Preston Craig at The Graveyard Tavern in East Atlanta.
The space is big and distinct when it comes to its competition in Atlanta. Hardwood floors, high ceilings, booths, high top tables, pool tables and darts make this bar a place where surely everyone can find a corner that suits them.
A few friends and I ventured to The Graveyard last Friday night. Getting there early, nearly 10pm the place was only a quarter filled. We sat a table, ordering several appetizers that were each very good. After another hour, the young hipsters began to file in one by one. The music turned louder and the lights came on as a crowd of about fifty hit the dancefloor to the eclectic mix of pop, rap and R&B that the DJ spun.
The Graveyard is open late-they serve food late and the crowd does not leave until late. It's just about a perfect Friday night (if they would just make it non-smoking)
1245 Glenwood Ave.
www.graveyard.com
If your Atlanta duringt he next few weeks and your interested in finding some fun things to do that everyone will enjoy. I think the Atlanta History Center is a great spot.
I recently spent the day at the Atlanta History Center-a museum just yards away from one of Atlanta's busiest stretch of roads (Peachtree Street) but a location that feels like it is nestled in wooded stretch of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The museum houses exhibits that focus on the capital of the south and several traveling exhibits that rotate throughout the year plus two historic home tours on the museum's property.
The best of the last weekend's exhibits was a the rubber track floored Centennial Olympic Games exhibit-highlighting Atlanta's 1996 time in the sun as the home of the summer games, Turning Point-The American Civil War-full of great pieces from both the Union and Southern armies. The traveling exhibit at the museum was absolutely fantastic-Jim Henson's Fantastic World-a look inside the mind of one of America's great creative minds. The fun loving show gives the viewer a peak at drawings, writings, costumes and yes, even a few muppet puppets of the great Jim Henson.
The Atlanta History Center can be found at: AtlantahistortyCenter.com
The Bennett Street Gallery is showing INTRODUCTIONS: TWELVE NEW ARTISTS YOU NEED TO KNOW, the show ponders how people interact with the constructs of time, nature, instinct and emotion. Both abstract and depressingly realistic, the gallery features works by Courtney Garrett, Heather Barron, Michael Cutlip and nine others. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
22-F Bennett St.
404-352-8775.
http:// www.bennettstgallery.com.
On display through January 18, 2009
I highly encourage visitors to Atlanta to make some time to visit, Jim Henson's Fantastic World, created by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). The exhibit is a very lively exhibition lof documents that examine Henson's process of "visual thinking" and celebrates the story of this famous American and the legacy of his life's work.
The exhibition features over 100 original artworks, including drawings, cartoons and storyboards that highlight Henson's fascination with how ideas are formed, Several of Henson's Muppets and creatures, including characters from "The Muppet Show," "Sesame Street," "Fraggle Rock," The Dark Crystal, and other productions, are on display.
130 West Paces Ferry Road
Atlanta, GA 30305
404.814.4000
I do not know much about Hip Hop, but I do know enough to know that this New Year's Even the show at Philips Arena with T-Pain, Keyshia Cole, Gym Class Heroes and Keri Hilson and LIL WAYNE is going to be a good time. Listening to Lil Wayne's codeine syrup-coated voice scratch and claw through a song like "Playing With Fire," and seeing local Atlanta resident T-Pain bounce around the stage with his signature top hat on should make for a memorable ringing in of the 2009!
Dec. 31, 8:30 p.m. $49.75-$89.75. Philips Arena, 1 Philips Drive. 404-249-6400. http://www.ticketmaster.com