Landmark Property
Piedmont Park
When was it built?
The park was originally a forest that was turned into farmland by the Walker family in the mid-1800s. Several exhibitions and fairs took place at the park during the late 1800s. The most significant was the Piedmont Exposition of 1887 and the Cotton and international Exposition of 1895. These fairs resulted in the creation of many of the features still in the park today, including the ball fields, the 11.5-acre Clara Meer lake, and the stone balustrades scattered around the park. The City of Atlanta officially purchased the park in 1904
Where is it located?
In Midtown at 1320 Monroe Dr. NE, Atlanta, GA 30306
Who built it?
The park was built in pieces over the course of several decades by different parties. First the Walker family, then the exposition organizers, then the City of Atlanta in the 1900s. The Piedmont Park Conservatory was formed in 1989 to create a public-private partnership to rehab and maintain the park and has raised over $66 million to complete the Olmsted inspired master plan for the park.
How Big is it?
189 acres
What’s Unique about this Place?
The Olmstead Brothers, the sons of Frederick Law Olmsted, the designer of Central Park and Prospect Park in New York, had a major influence on the park’s development. The current master plan for the park was adopted in 1995 and honors the brothers’ original vision

Why Should I Care?
Piedmont Park’s many meadows, trails, and unique settings provide a natural escape from the busy city to have a picnic, visit friends, go for a run, or enjoy a leisurely stroll. The park is also a great place to get out and enjoy its many festivals and events such as The Dogwood Festival, The Arts Festival of Atlanta, and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra  

Landmark Property
Colony Square
When was it built?
The first office tower was completed in 1969, subsequent office and apartments towers were completed in the 1970s, the mall piece was completed in 1973
Where is it located?
In Midtown at 1197 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA
Who built it?
The complex was originally built by entrepreneur Jim Cushman, who had previously built a successful dairy business in South Carolina
How Big is it?
The complex sits on 12 acres and consists of three 14-story residential buildings, two office towers, a 27-story hotel, and an indoor mall. Today the indoor mall has been redeveloped and two new office buildings will be built
What’s Unique about this Place?
Colony Square was one of the first major retail projects in Midtown, Atlanta, and was therefore key to its transformation from an area that was full of crime to the thriving district it is today
Why Should I Care?
Colony Square has been undergoing a massive renovation by the same group that built the Avalon project in Alpharetta and redeveloped Atlantic Station, transforming a traditional indoor mall into an outdoor retail experience with a food hall. Jones Day law firm and Whole Foods are moving their Atlanta HQs there. It recently debuted in 2020. 

Landmark Property
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
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When was it established?
May 18, 1914

Where is it located?
In Midtown at 1000 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA

Who built it?
The current headquarters building was built in 2001. The design was created by Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart & Associates Inc. of Atlanta in association with Robert A.M. Stern Architects of New York and built by Beers Construction Co. with Torcon Inc. and C.D. Moody Construction of Atlanta, and the Integral Group of Atlanta

How Big is it?
It is 746,000 SF and 10 stories tall

What’s Unique about this Place?
The building was built with Cherokee marble from the same quarry in Tate, GA, that supplied the marble for the Atlanta Fed’s 1964 building and other public buildings in Atlanta and Washington, DC. Also, it houses the office for the Fed, an operations center, and an education/training center
 
Why Should I Care?
The Federal Reserve’s Atlanta Branch plays a key role in maintaining and ensuring the economy is strong by conducting monetary policy. You can check their website for news and research about the health of the economy in the Southeast 

Instead of a Landmark property, here is a landmark drawing of Atlanta done by a very talented local artist depicting the major landmarks and a map of the city. 

Cool Coffee Shop of the Week
East Pole Coffee Co.

When Did it Open?
The physical location opened in September of 2017. The business was first started in 2015

​Who are the founders?
Jared Karr and Jules Tompkins, who first met in high school and were reconnected over a shared love for specialty coffee

Where is it Located?
At 255 Ottley Drive, Atlanta, GA in the newly renovated Armour Yards. The stadium seating in the main foyer provides a great place to study or meet with friends over a good cup of coffee

How many locations are there now?
One

What’s unique about this place?
You can subscribe to the many clubs such as the Scuba Club, Yacht Club, or Titanic Club and receive coffee at your doorstep every four, two, or every week, respectively

Why Should I Care?
Their team has a combined 20 years of experience with specialty coffee, including their Iglesias Antigua, the beans for which are grown through sustainable agriculture in the rich soil of the slope of the Volcano Agua in Antigua, Guatemala  

I moved to the Lenox area in the summer of 2016 and am about to move out of the area to a few miles away from here. It’s amazing how much the area has changed in the just over 4 years of being here. What was once a suburban, wilderness, and car-centric landscape has become a very walkable urban district, with close to a dozen new skyscrapers. Atlanta is rapidly growing and changing, and I believe it is only the beginning of what could be one of the world’s greatest cities of tomorrow.

Landmark Property
Historic Fourth Ward Park
When was it completed?
2012, the first major city park on the Beltline
Where is it located?
In the Old Fourth Ward at 680 Dallas St. NE, Atlanta, GA
Who built it?
The Atlanta Beltline, Inc., which is also responsible for the 22-mile Atlanta Beltline and other major parks
How Big is it?
17.5 Acres, stretching all the way from North Avenue to Ralph McGill Boulevard
What is significant about it?
The park was a significant piece of the transformation of the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood of Atlanta, along with Ponce City Market. Before the park, the property was a brownfield of abandoned warehouses and parking lots with regular flooding problems. The park was conceived as a solution to improve storm water management for the area, with the park’s central pond acting as a sustainable storm water detention pond. Proof that sustainability and good real estate development can work together for the greater good
Who owns it?
City of Atlanta
Why should I care?
With an amphitheater, a playground, a large pond,  fountains, and a large open field, The Historic Fourth Ward Park is an oasis of nature, culture, and community in the middle of the city and is easy to access from the Beltline or from Ponce City Market 

Landmark Property
Icon Buckhead
When was it completed?
2019
Where is it located?
In Buckhead at 3372 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta, GA
Who built it?
Related Group is the developer, the building was designed by Atlanta based Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart & Associates and built by Gilbane Building Company
How Big is it?
With 35 stories at 420 ft consisting of 363 luxury apartments and 32,000 SF of ground floor retail space, it is one of the tallest buildings in the Buckhead area of Atlanta
What is significant about it?
The building contains abundant amenities such as a pool deck, a rooftop terrace with a hot tub, and 8th floor club room, a private screening room, and museum-quality art located throughout the property, including a large painting located on the northeast side of the parking deck
Who owns it?
Related Group, one of the most active condo developers in Miami, FL
Why should I care?
On the northeast side of the parking deck is a giant painting called The Distance Between by local artist Deanna Sirlin, an opportunity that came out of a chance encounter between one of the building’s investors and Sirlin’s artwork that was placed in a restaurant in Venice, Italy  

Lots of people enjoying the latest extension of the Eastside trail of the Atlanta Beltline on a very lovely Labor Day. Many people enjoying the outdoor dining at the new  restaurants and coffee shops such as Shake Shack, the James Room, Playa Bowl,  and Hawkers Asian Street Fair. Atlanta is still rising.  

Took these photos while walking around Atlanta on Saturday. The world may be in a difficult and confusing place, but I noticed that cranes are still in the air, new buildings are getting built, families and couples from every race and background were enjoying the beautiful day, teenagers were playing sports. Don't let the noise drown out the reality that there is still much beauty and good in the world. The Lord is still in control and on His throne. Atlanta is still rising.