Presented by Rally Built Homes

Hey Midtown! Hope you had a lovely July 4th weekend - and kudos to those of you that got out and ran or watched the Peachtree Road Race in the heat. This week: G. Garvin's LowCountry Steak has quietly closed its doors, a new sushi concept is moving in, and the Rum Island Festival is taking over Piedmont Park this Saturday.

- News — The apartment building boom is officially cooling, Midtown International School narrowly avoids bankruptcy, and tens of thousands packed Peachtree Street for the 57th annual Road Race.
- Business — Celebrity Chef G. Garvin has abruptly shuttered his Southern steakhouse after five-plus years, while a new sushi concept called An Sushi preps to open at Society Atlanta.
- Events — The Rum Island Festival headlines a stacked weekend at Piedmont Park, with Jill Scott at the Fox, a FIFA World Cup watch party, and the ATL Vegan Festival all landing before Sunday.
- Government — City Council is voting on a 180-day self-storage moratorium, a MARTA contract renegotiation, and a special use permit for Ansley Golf Club — plus NPU-E takes up Piedmont Park event permits and the Peachtree Circle Historic District overlay.
- Construction — Multiple Peachtree Street properties are pulling HVAC, electrical, and plumbing permits pointing to new tenants, while GDOT is overhauling the busy 14th Street and Northside Drive intersection cluster.

Let's dive in.

NEWS

Report: Atlanta's apartment 'supply wave' is easing as '26 unfolds
If you've noticed fewer cranes on the Midtown skyline lately, there's data to back up that feeling. A new report confirms the intensive high-rise building boom is winding down, pointing toward a more stable rental market ahead.

Midtown International School blames declining enrollment for financial woes, but avoids bankruptcy
Midtown International School has pulled back from the edge of bankruptcy after a rough stretch driven by falling enrollment. Local families should keep a close eye on this one as the school works to steady itself.

Pride grand marshals announced
Atlanta Pride has named its 2026 grand marshals, honoring eight individuals and organizations under this year's "Louder & Prouder" theme. With the annual parade rolling right through Midtown, you'll want to know who's leading the charge.

Massive crowds pack 57th annual Peachtree Road Race on Fourth of July
Tens of thousands of runners and spectators turned out for the 57th Peachtree Road Race this past Friday, making it another packed Fourth of July along the course. If you were anywhere near Peachtree Street that morning, you already know how big it was.

Atlanta Public Schools considers new limits on classroom screen time
Atlanta Public Schools is weighing new rules that would restrict how much time students spend on screens during the school day. It's an early-stage conversation, but one that parents and teachers in the district will want to follow closely.

F1 Arcade Atlanta Hosts World Cup Watch Parties
F1 Arcade at Atlantic Station is throwing a run of World Cup watch parties through the tournament, giving soccer fans a loud, fun place to gather. If you're looking for a spot to catch the matches with a crowd, this is your move.

BUSINESS

LowCountry Steak - closing - Celebrity Chef G. Garvin has abruptly shuttered his Southern steakhouse at the Tens on West apartment community after about five and a half years in business.

An Sushi - opening - A new sushi concept is getting ready to open at the Society Atlanta mixed-use apartment community in Midtown, so you'll want to keep an eye on this one.

Every backyard needs a Hansø pergola. Shade, privacy, rain protection, extra space - built to last 40+ years. Get yours now.

Get My Pergola Now

EVENTS | Presented by

Peace of Mind Recycling is your one stop shop for a convenient and affordable way to make sure your recyclables actually get… recycled! With Atlanta's city recycling services your guess is as good as ours in regards to what actually gets recycled. We document where we take your glass, metal, electronics & everything else so you can rest assured it's going to the good place 100% of the time.

Monday, July 6
- BASURA | Alliance Theatre
- Sip and Save at 1231 Rooftop Bar | 1231 Rooftop Bar

Tuesday, July 7
- NPU-E Meeting | Midtown Neighbors Association
- Seddy Hendrinx 1 Year of B4RNG Concert | Vinyl
- Bally Baby and Friends | The Loft at Center Stage
- Weekly Walking Club | Piedmont Park

Wednesday, July 8
- SCADshow Summer Series: Hook | SCADshow
- Summer Strolls | Piedmont Park
- Fresco Trey | Vinyl
- Atlanta In The Wild Dating: Speed Dating 28+ | Park Tavern

Thursday, July 9
- Sed The Saint: FIFA World Cup 2026 Watch Party | The Woodruff Arts Center
- Cocktails in the Garden | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Infrastructure Committee Meeting | Midtown Neighbors Association
- How Hip Hop Made Atlanta: Enter the Dungeon | MODA
- Pour Minds: Still Sippin' Tour | Center Stage Theater

Friday, July 10
- Jill Scott Set to Take Fox Theatre Stage with "To Whom This May Concern" World Tour | Fox Theatre
- Domani | Center Stage Theater
- In The Wild: Nashville Singles Summer Cocktail Party | Park Tavern
- National French Fry Day at Establishment | Establishment Atlanta

Saturday, July 11
- Rum Island Festival | Piedmont Park
- Green Market | Piedmont Park
- Music in the Garden | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Monthly Exhibition Tour | Isamu Noguchi: "I am not a designer" | High Museum of Art
- ATLGREENHOUSE | Piedmont Park
- The World Improv Cup | Whole World Improv Theatre
- Ariana Grande Night at Virtue Rooftop | 5Church Restaurant
- Everlasting Mini-Terrarium Workshop | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Hydrangea Primer and Guided Walk | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Plant. Eat. Repeat. Workshop Series | Atlanta Botanical Garden

Sunday, July 12
- ATL Vegan Festival | Piedmont Park
- UPS Second Sunday | High Museum of Art

GOVERNMENT

Note: our information comes from posted meetings documents (agendas and minutes when available) — latest source document hyperlinked to each meeting.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta City Council — Committee on Council | Jul-06, 11:30 AM | key topics: E-SPLOST school tax special election, police security at recreation center polling sites, public comment rule changes
- Atlanta City Council — Full Council Meeting | Jul-06, 1:00 PM | key topics: 180-day self-storage moratorium, MARTA IGA renegotiation, 196 Montgomery Ferry Dr NE (Ansley Golf Club special use permit) is on the agenda, Peachtree Circle Historic District designation
- Atlanta NPU — NPU-E | Jul-07, 6:30 PM | key topics: Piedmont Park special event permits (ONE Musicfest, Atl Vegan Festival, and others), Peachtree Circle Historic District overlay, new business licenses at 770 Juniper St NE and 811 Peachtree St NE among others

CONSTRUCTION | Presented by

If you’re thinking about a residential renovation to create a space that’s comfortable, memorable, and personalized for you, look no further than Rally Built Homes. Learn more here.

Permits

Peachtree Street is busy right now. Multiple commercial properties along the corridor are pulling HVAC, electrical, and plumbing permits, which usually signals tenant buildouts or space refreshes ahead of new occupants moving in.

- 950 W Peachtree St NW — Interior buildout filed for a smoothie cafe. A new tenant improvement is underway, with partition work and other scope changes in the mix. Status is still under review.
- 1355 Peachtree St NE — Two permits filed covering new ductwork and an electrical upgrade with new fixtures and receptacles. Looks like a space getting a full mechanical refresh.
- 715 Peachtree St NE — HVAC and plumbing permits both filed, including two sinks, tankless water heaters, and a dishwasher. The plumbing scope points to a food or beverage use.
- 675 W Peachtree St NE — A 5-ton chilled water air handler system is going in, along with new ductwork. That's a significant HVAC install for a commercial space.
- 660 Peachtree St NE — Two electrical permits filed, both described as mainstage permits with no additions to the existing system.
- 75 5th St NW — Fire sprinkler work permitted. Advantage Fire is adding and relocating off the existing system to bring it up to current NFPA standards.
- 1072 W Peachtree St NE — A phased HVAC permit issued for the first floor, broken out from a larger permit originally filed in early 2024. Work is still progressing on this one.

On the residential side, the area has a handful of plumbing permits and a couple of arborist complaints in the queue, nothing out of the ordinary.

Road Work

Under Construction
- SR 3/US 41 Intersection Improvements (Fulton County) Work is underway at the intersection cluster of Northside Drive, 14th Street, and Hemphill Avenue. GDOT is simplifying the geometry and upgrading signal operations at this busy cluster. If you pass through here regularly, expect some disruption while construction is active.
- SR 13 Resurfacing from SR 9 to North Fork Peachtree Creek (Fulton County) GDOT is resurfacing SR 13, which last saw fresh pavement in 2012. Expect lane restrictions and rough transitions near active paving zones.
- Bridge Preservation at Multiple Locations across Cobb, DeKalb, and Fulton Counties This multi-county effort covers co-polymer overlay work, steel beam painting, and bridge joint replacement at seven locations. One of those locations falls near the area, so watch for lane closures and flagging operations if you're near any bridges on your usual route.
- Buford Spring Connector Tunnel Lighting Upgrade at I-85 (Fulton County) GDOT is swapping out old HPS fixtures for LED lighting inside the tunnel. Work may also include conduit and wiring replacement. Plan for possible lane shifts near the tunnel entrance.
- I-75 Lighting Upgrades from I-85 to Memorial Drive (Fulton County) LED lighting is going in along this I-75 stretch, with potential pole and conduit work as part of the scope. If I-75 is part of your commute, give yourself extra time for any nighttime or shoulder-hour lane closures.

Service Requests

Traffic signals are getting a lot of attention this week. Non-Emergency Traffic Signal Repair requests were filed at 10 intersections across the area, including N Ave & Somerset Ter, Spring St & Ponce de Leon Ave, and Peachtree St at both 11th and 13th streets. An Emergency Traffic Signal Repair at Ponce de Leon Ave & Juniper St has already been resolved.

Potholes were reported on Piedmont Ave NE and at 15th St & Peachtree St. Sign repair or replacement is underway at 17th St & Peachtree St. And a litter removal request is in progress at N Ave & Myrtle St.

Want to alter your neighborhood selections? Submit here

Want to sponsor us? Submit here

Want to promote an event? Submit here

Until next week,
Midtown Busybody

Disclaimer: We use advanced data retrieval and analysis techniques across hundreds of sources, and may be prone to occasional error. Independently verify information with a secondary source, and please let us know if we got anything wrong via the feedback form.