East Atlanta: A Rogue Geyser and Why Everyone Wants to Move Here

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Good morning, East Atlanta! It's been quite a week in the neighborhood for our water mains. We've also got the scoop on which BeltLine bridge is finally getting its glow-up and what's happening around the neighborhood this week.

- News — From rogue water mains acting like fountains to early voting news for the May primary, there's plenty to catch up on over coffee.
- Events — Between a multi-night residency at The Eastern, the return of the Cabbagetown Concert Series, and the Dogwood Festival, your week is stacked.
- Government — We're tracking new cameras on school buses, youth soccer field wins, and a $600k boost for the city's bumpy roads.
- Construction — Between new restaurant build-outs on Gresham and high-tech LED upgrades on I-20, the orange cones are staying busy this week.

Let's dive in.

NEWS

Roads open again after water burst from ground in southeast Atlanta (April 05, 2026) Southeast Atlanta had an accidental fountain show this weekend when a water main decided to go rogue. Watershed Management crews rushed to the scene to get the geyser under control, and thankfully, the roads are already back open. Just in case you were looking for an excuse not to wash your car this week, the city briefly handled it for you.

Fulton County Announces Early Voting Locations for May 19 Primary (April 01, 2026) Democracy doesn't wait, and neither should you. Fulton County just released the list of early voting sites for the upcoming primary on May 19, so it's time to start scouting your spot. No excuses—mark your calendar now so you can get that "I Voted" sticker without the long lines.

Images: a First Look at the Beltline Eastside Trail Extension (April 03, 2026) Big news for our favorite neighborhood explorers! We finally got a peek at the new interstate bridge and pathway work connecting Reynoldstown and Ormewood Park. It's the Beltline glow-up we've been waiting for, and it looks like our weekend walking route is about to get a whole lot smoother.

EVENTS

Music lovers, clear your schedules — plenty of concerts around the area to look forward to, and if you feel like trekking over to Midtown, the Atlanta favorite Dogwood Festival is back.

Monday, April 06
- Outdoor Art Lab Spring Break Camp | Historic Oakland Cemetery
- Spring Break Camp Grant Park 2026 | Grant Park Recreation Center
- Trust the Process w/ Jo Thomas | Local Honey
- Cabbagetown Initiative Meeting | Cabbagetown Neighborhood Improvement Association
- Overdue For Destruction Tour 2026 | 529 EAV
- Effuse & Great Wide Nothing | 529 EAV

Wednesday, April 08
- Snarky Puppy with The Nth Power | The Eastern
- Angela Autumn | The Earl

Thursday, April 09
- Snarky Puppy with The Nth Power & Zach Brock | The Eastern
- Cabbagetown-Reynoldstown Transit Committee (CRTC) Meeting | Cabbagetown Neighborhood Improvement Association
- TOKES AND STROKES THURSDAY for $22 | Twisted Dips THE SHOP
- The Gunshy | The Earl
- Trauma Family | The Earl

Friday, April 10
- Execution Day & The Broken View | 529 EAV
- Redd Kross & Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends | The EARL

Saturday, April 11
- Field Medic | The Earl
- lowheaven | 529 EAV
- Cabbagetown Concert Series: Four O'Clocks & Comer String Collective | Cabbagetown Neighborhood Improvement Association
- Petting Zoo Painters | Zoo Atlanta
- Atlanta Dogwood Festival | Piedmont Park

Sunday, April 12
- Atlanta Dogwood Festival | Piedmont Park

GOVERNMENT

Note: it’s an unusually quiet week as many governing bodies take spring break; if you’re new here, you can see what this section usually looks like in prior issues

Past Week Roundup

Atlanta Board of Education
APS is leaning heavily into infrastructure and campus upgrades this month. The board greenlit a major 10-year deal for the fields at Howard Middle School, ensuring the Inter Atlanta Football Club will be maintaining and using the space for the next decade—a long-term win for local youth sports. The board also approved a coordinated "design-build" contract for five different district properties to streamline renovations, along with separate contracts for kitchen modernizations and HVAC upgrades across multiple schools. On the safety front, expect to see more tech on your morning commute: the district is installing new camera systems across its entire bus fleet to monitor student safety and catch traffic violators. To keep the wheels turning, they also authorized a full replacement of the Metropolitan Transportation System facility. The board approved a shared parking agreement for one of the district's campuses, and in an effort to keep classrooms staffed, approved an Appreciation Stipend for employees aimed at boosting retention and morale as the school year heads toward the finish line.

Fulton County Board of Commissioners
Public safety and road repairs topped the agenda for the county this week. Commissioners moved over $7 million into the jail system, specifically for maintenance and "clinical grade" cleaning to address sanitary concerns at detention facilities. For those tired of the bumpy ride around town, the board added $600,000 to the budget for road paving and patching services through 2026. The board also approved a lease renewal for a senior center, ensuring continued services for older residents. However, the meeting wasn't without friction; a proposal to fund a public education campaign on how to obtain voter identification failed to pass following a split vote. On the social services side, the board approved nearly $1 million in funding to support survivors of domestic violence through legal and advocacy services. Residents should also prepare for some political activity in the coming weeks, as the board set the qualifying fees for a special election to fill the vacant District 4 seat.

CONSTRUCTION

Permits
- 450 Moreland Ave SE — Say goodbye to the old commercial building here. A full demolition permit was just filed, so keep an eye out for the wrecking ball and a change to the Moreland streetscape.
- 535 Gresham Ave SE — New food alert! Suite A is being built out for a brand-new restaurant. We're digging for details on the menu, but for now, expect some interior construction noise while they get the kitchen ready.
- 170 Blvd SE — Things are getting a bit sparky at the lofts. There's a flurry of permits to restore power to seven different units (421 through 429). Here's hoping our neighbors weren’t sitting in the dark for too long.
- Mercer St SE — This Ormewood Park 3-bedroom is getting a major glow-up. A permit for a full renovation and addition is currently in review, so get ready for the "construction chic" look on the block.
- Around the Neighborhood — It's going to be a loud week for the local squirrels; we're seeing 20 different arborist permits for dead or hazardous trees, plus another 10 miscellaneous residential projects. Watch your head and your parking spots!

Road Work

Under Construction
- I-20 from Capitol Ave to Flat Shoals Road (Fulton & DeKalb Counties) — We're finally moving out of the dark ages. Crews are upgrading the highway lighting to bright, energy-efficient LEDs. Expect some nighttime activity as they swap out poles and conduit along the corridor through the heart of the neighborhood.
- Memorial Drive (SR 154) from Hill Street to Pearl Street (Fulton & DeKalb Counties) — Major pedestrian safety upgrades are underway. They're adding a mid-block crossing and tweaking the traffic flow with "Restricted Crossing U-Turns" between Capitol Gateway and Reynoldstown. It's all about protecting folks on foot, but your usual left-turn shortcut might be a thing of the past.
- Moreland Avenue (SR 42) at Arkwright Place (Fulton County) — The end of the "Moreland Left Turn Prayer" is near. Work is happening now to install a median that will restrict this intersection to right-in/right-out only. It's going to make this Reynoldstown/Edgewood border much safer, though it'll take some muscle memory to get used to the new flow.
- Glenwood Avenue (SR 260) at Brownwood, Joseph, Haas, and Eastside Avenues (DeKalb County) — Pedestrian safety is the name of the game in EAV right now. Crews are active at multiple spots installing those high-visibility flashing beacons (RRFBs). Give the workers some space while they get these set up to help us cross Glenwood without the stress.
- Moreland Avenue (SR 42) between Faith Ave and Custer Ave (Fulton & Clayton Counties) — Just south of Ormewood Park, work continues on installing several Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons. It's a significant multi-county effort to make the southern stretch of the Moreland corridor much more walkable (and less like a racetrack).

Construction Work Program
- BeltLine Southside Trail (Fulton County) — Big moves for the Segment 6 stretch along Bill Kennedy Way! We're looking at a new trail bridge over I-20 between Glenwood and Woodward. It's in the works, so get ready to eventually trade those awkward sidewalk crossings for a dedicated path.
- SR 42 @ United Ave & Skyhaven Road (Fulton County) — If you've ever been annoyed by the alignment at this intersection near Moreland, help is on the way. They're re-aligning Skyhaven to line up with United and adding turn lanes to help traffic flow better through the heart of the neighborhood.
- Atlanta Traffic Signal Enhancements - Phase II (Fulton & DeKalb Counties) — GDOT is bringing our traffic signals into the 21st century with fiber comms and better detection. This spans the city, so expect to see crews tinkering with the boxes to optimize your commute timing and (hopefully) reduce your red-light-induced stress.
- SR 154/Memorial Drive Corridor Improvements (Fulton County) — New sidewalks and ADA upgrades are coming to the stretch of Memorial between Connally and Grant Street. It's part of a plan to make the walk between Capitol Gateway and Grant Park much smoother.
- SR 154 Auxiliary Lanes (Fulton County) — Along with the sidewalk work, they're planning to add auxiliary lanes between Connally and Grant Streets to help manage the "I'm just trying to get on the highway" shuffle near the Gold Dome.
- SR 42/US 23 Scoping (DeKalb County) — This one is just in the "scoping" phase, but it's a significant heads-up: they're looking at narrowing the travel lanes between DeKalb Ave and Austin Ave to 10 feet. It's a move toward a more pedestrian-friendly vibe near the Cabbagetown/L5P border.
- I-75 Bridge Preservation (Fulton County) — Keep an eye out for bridge maintenance at four spots along I-75. They'll be doing everything from painting to joint replacement to keep the Connector standing strong.
- I-20 & Downtown Connector Scoping (Fulton County) — There is a major study underway for a 5.5-mile section where I-20 meets the I-75/I-85 Connector. It's just planning for now, but any changes here will be a significant deal for our daily East Atlanta exits and entries.

Service Requests
- Potholes — A whopping ten reports this week, primarily clustered on Moreland Ave NE, plus Berne & Marion St, Emerson Ave SE, Chester Ave SE, and Moreland & Sherwood. Your suspension is on high alert.
- Illegal Dumping — Investigations are active on Kelly St SE, Hill St SE, and the corner of Stovall & Cummings. Let's keep the neighborhood charm and lose the roadside junk, please.
- Litter Removal — Crews are cleaning up the right-of-way at the intersection of Brantley & Seaboard, as well as two stretches along Grant St.
- Traffic Signal Repairs — Expect some signal wonkiness at Glenwood Ave SE, Blvd SE, and the busy intersection of Memorial Dr & Grant St.
- Downed Tree — Someone is dealing with some unexpected timber over on Cavanaugh Ave SE.