Zesto's and Little Five Points (vacation, service, good)

[plessthanpointohfive]

It's still got the hippie, eclectic vibe. But I definitely see about DINKS moving in...

[smoothrat]

Originally Posted by rackensack

Map trivia: I've always gotten a kick out of the fact that Maiden Lane still shows up on nearly every map of Atlanta you'll ever see, despite the fact that it doesn't actually exist. Where it would be was actually the driveway from Barnett into the parking area for the apartments I lived in, but from the west edge of that property over to Bonaventure there's no road -- not even an alleyway. The most recent photos suggest that they've opened it up from the back of my old building to the back side of the new condos. Nevertheless, if you look at any map, you'll see Maiden Lane shown as connecting Barnett and Bonaventure and continuing over to Ponce de Leon Place, looking just as viable as any other side street. Looking at the satellite view, you can see that there are vestiges of it all along that route, but in my time there you most definitely couldn't drive it (there were fences across parts of it). I've seen old fire insurance maps from the first couple of decades of the 1900s suggesting that it was actually in use then.

They've actually been clearing, widening, and paving Maiden Lane recently, and it seems to be nearly done. Apparently there were a lot of vagrants camping out along the "alleyway," and this led the neighbors to start cleaning out the overgrown brush and trash. And now it looks like a real street!

Not sure if it will be a viable cut-through, but it certainly be easier to get in and out of Doc Greens, J Christophers, etc.

[LovinDecatur]

Originally Posted by smoothrat

They've actually been clearing, widening, and paving Maiden Lane recently, and it seems to be nearly done. Apparently there were a lot of vagrants camping out along the "alleyway," and this led the neighbors to start cleaning out the overgrown brush and trash. And now it looks like a real street!

Not sure if it will be a viable cut-through, but it certainly be easier to get in and out of Doc Greens, J Christophers, etc.

I believe I even saw a street sign for it the other day!

[rackensack]

Originally Posted by smoothrat

They've actually been clearing, widening, and paving Maiden Lane recently, and it seems to be nearly done. Apparently there were a lot of vagrants camping out along the "alleyway," and this led the neighbors to start cleaning out the overgrown brush and trash. And now it looks like a real street!

There definitely were lots of "underhoused" folks back there in my day. Never had a problem, except once when I left a coat in the passenger seat of my car with the door unlocked. Figured whoever got it probably needed it more than I did anyway. The Google Maps aerials definitely showed it a lot more opened up and looking like an alley than it did when I was there -- there actually was a fence across it at the edge of the apartment property, next to what was then a vacant lot fronting Ponce (where the condos are now).

[AllenKarber]

What is this "dismantling" of Buckhead that is being spoken of on here?

[rackensack]

Originally Posted by AllenKarber

What is this "dismantling" of Buckhead that is being spoken of on here?

The densest concentration of bars and clubs in the Buckhead area used to be in the blocks bounded by Peachtree Road on the west, East Paces Ferry Road on the north, Grandview Avenue on the east, and Pharr Road on the south (and including Bolling Way, Buckhead Avenue, and part of Fulton Drive), also known as Buckhead Village. As many as 3 dozen bars, restaurants, and other establishments were located there. Over the last several years, the crowds got rowdier, violent incidents became more common (including the homicide case involving Baltimore Ravens star Ray Lewis). Sensing that the area was getting out of hand and smelling an opportunity as well, Atlanta developer Ben Carter began acquiring all of the parcels of land in the area, announcing plans for a massive redevelopment of the area into a high-end mixed-use retail and residential district, citing Rodeo Drive in LA or Madison Avenue in NYC as the type of shopping destination he planned to create. Once all of the parcels were acquired, the bars closed down and the entire area was razed. Work is underway to build out the new development.

More info on the current state of the project:
Carter says Streets of Buckhead strong - Atlanta Business Chronicle:
Carter laying groundwork for 'Atlanta's Madison Ave.' - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

[DisgustaTruth]

The best thing by far to get at Zestos is The Nutty Brown Cow.. get your hamburger at Vortex.. the best in the city in my opinion.. go to Zesto for Soft Serve ice cream nirvana

[AllenKarber]

Was Buckhead intact in July of '06? That was the only time we were there.

Maybe we can hit both Zesto's and the Vortex! Thanks for the help y'all.

[AllenKarber]

Zesto's was great! I can't believe it's been almost two weeks since we were there though. Vacations fly by!

The Vortex looked awesome,but I couldn't talk myself into going in! I didn't want to look out of place in there. If it had been during the day, I would've given it a shot.

[plessthanpointohfive]

Next time go in. No matter what you look like you'll fit in there, which is what's great about that place. If you're treated rudely its' not you, it's them. They have a disgruntled reputation and sometimes they play up to it.