Presented by Rally Built Homes

Hey O4W, L5P, and Candler Park! Hope you had a lovely 4th, and kudos to those of you that got out and ran the Peachtree in the heat. This week: Joystick Gamebar is closing its Edgewood Avenue doors after nearly 14 years, but before you mourn too hard, there's a Little 5 Points comeback in the works. And if you're looking for weekend plans, Historic 4th Ward Park is throwing a free World Cup watch party Saturday that's going to be worth getting there early for.

- News — The Atlanta Summer Halal Food Festival is bringing 70+ vendors and FIFA screenings to the East Side BeltLine, and the Peachtree Road Race drew its usual massive Fourth of July crowd.
- Business — Joystick Gamebar is shutting down its Edgewood Avenue location after 14 years — but a new Little 5 Points spot is already in the works.
- Events — It's a packed week: World Cup quarterfinal watch parties at Historic 4th Ward Park and New Realm, the Halal Food Fest at the Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark, and a full slate of music, film, and comedy across the neighborhood.
- Government — Atlanta City Council is weighing a 180-day self-storage moratorium and a renegotiation of the "More MARTA" agreement, while DeKalb sets 2026 millage rates and eyes a data center moratorium extension.
- Construction — A 7-story storage building is permitted on Highland Ave pending city approval (should be interesting with the recent self-storage ban), Ponce de Leon Ave is being resurfaced, Moreland Ave at Arkwright is going right-in/right-out, and potholes on N. Highland are finally getting attention.

Let's dive in.

NEWS

Atlanta Summer Halal Food Festival Coming to the BeltLine
More than 70 vendors serving global cuisine will take over the East Side BeltLine this July for the Atlanta Summer Halal Food Festival. Live FIFA match screenings are on the schedule too, so expect crowds.

Atlanta Public Schools considers new limits on classroom screen time
Atlanta Public Schools is weighing new restrictions on how much time students spend staring at screens during the school day. If you have kids in APS, this is a policy shift worth watching closely as the district heads into the new school year.

Massive crowds pack 57th annual Peachtree Road Race on Fourth of July
Tens of thousands of runners turned out for the 57th annual Peachtree Road Race this Fourth of July, keeping the world's largest 10K going strong. If you ran it or cheered from the sidewalk, you were part of one of Atlanta's biggest summer traditions.

Enjoy free fitness classes on the Beltline
Free fitness classes are available on the BeltLine, giving you an easy way to get moving without spending a dime. Great way to stay fit and take advantage of the city’s urban planning crown jewel.

BUSINESS

Joystick Gamebar - relocating - The beloved arcade bar is closing its Edgewood Avenue doors after nearly 14 years, but you haven't seen the last of it. A new location in Little 5 Points is in the works.

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EVENTS | Presented by

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Monday, July 6
- Goals + Glory: Round of 16 | New Realm Brewing
- Atlanta Run Club: Monday Night Runs | Ponce City Market
- Keke Wyatt | City Winery Atlanta
- Story Time | Fernbank Museum of Natural History

Tuesday, July 7
- Goals + Glory: Round of 16 | New Realm Brewing
- Lady Bunny | City Winery Atlanta
- Nemophila | The Masquerade

Wednesday, July 8
- Zoning Committee Meeting July | Candler Park
- Maestro | Dad's Garage
- Enjoy live jazz every Wednesday from 7–10 PM alongside cold pints, craft cocktails, and BeltLine views. | Ponce City Market Events
- Patti Austin | City Winery Atlanta
- Man Man | The Masquerade

Thursday, July 9
- Goals + Glory: Quarterfinals | New Realm Brewing
- Georgia on Film: GRIZZLY + MUTANT Double Feature | Plaza Theatre
- Y'allmark Christmas in July! | Dad's Garage
- Baby Bipolar by Maria Mainelli at 7 Stages Theatre | 7 Stages Theatre
- Larry Griffith Band: Larry Griffith Trio@Two Urban Licks,6-10! | TWO urban licks
- Food & Street Art Tour on the Atlanta Beltline | 99 Krog St NE
- Trivia Thursdays | New Realm Brewing

Friday, July 10
- Goals + Glory: Quarterfinals | New Realm Brewing
- Atlanta Experimental Fest & Atlanta Micro Short Film Festival | 7 Stages
- Dedrick Flynn | Variety Playhouse
- Club 90's: 2000's Night | The Masquerade

Saturday, July 11
- 2026 WORLD CUP COMMUNITY WATCH PARTY IN THE PARK | Historic 4th Ward Park
- Atlanta Summer Halal Food Fest – A Global Culinary & Cultural Experience | Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark
- 725 Off the Wall Viewing of Quarterfinal Match | 725 Ponce: Beltline
- Goals + Glory: Quarterfinals | New Realm Brewing
- TJ and Dave | Dad's Garage
- Jacques Greene | Aisle 5
- Sunset Sessions | New Realm Brewing
- Y'all Rock Camp | The Masquerade

Sunday, July 12
- Barks & Bites: Beltline Doggie Crawl | Krog Street Market

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 | Jul-06, 11:30 AM | key topics: E-SPLOST school tax special election, public comment rule changes, independent investigation into former city clerk
- Atlanta City Council | Jul-06, 1:00 PM | key topics: 180-day self-storage moratorium, "More MARTA" IGA renegotiation, Jesse Hill Jr. Drive pedestrian plaza, $200M Southside/Westside healthcare investment request
- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners — Committee of the Whole | Jul-07, 9:00 AM
- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners | Jul-07, 9:00 AM | key topics: 2026 property tax millage rates & budget revisions, pet shop sales ban, data center moratorium extension, pedestrian safety improvements at N. Decatur Rd. & Ridgewood Dr.
- DeKalb County Planning Commission | Jul-07, 6:00 PM | key topics: industrial-to-residential rezoning on Henrico Road, townhomes proposed near Mercer University, salon suites rezoning at 3040 Briarcliff Road

CONSTRUCTION | Presented by

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Permits

315 Highland Ave NE — A 7-story, 110,000+ square foot mixed-use building is permitted here, with the bulk of the space going to climate-controlled storage. That's a significant footprint coming to Highland Ave.

675 Ponce de Leon Ave NE — Both HVAC and plumbing renovation permits issued for this address. Ponce City Market tenants and visitors should expect some mechanical work underway.

684 John Wesley Dobbs Ave — A commercial addition permit filed July 3. Details are sparse, but something's expanding on Dobbs Ave.

477 Wilmer St NE — A commercial pool is getting replastered, retiled, and structurally supported with new piers. Health Department has signed off on the modifications.

537 Ponce de Leon Ave NE — Electrical work filed to run conduit and connect an illuminated sign. Someone's putting their name in lights on Ponce.

830 Willoughby Way NE — Generator installation permitted, covering a 20,000W unit plus two 400W units. That's serious backup power for a commercial property.

863 Ponce de Leon Ave NE — A 6-foot wood fence going in at the back of the property.

Beyond the headliners, the area logged 33 residential and minor permits this week, totaling around $54K. Electrical work and home alterations make up most of that activity.

Road Work

Under Construction
- SR 42 / Moreland Ave at Arkwright Place (Fulton County) Intersection work is underway to convert this junction into a right-in/right-out configuration. A new median will block left turns in both directions, so if you regularly cut through here, start thinking about your alternate now.
- SR 8 / Ponce de Leon Ave Resurfacing (Fulton County) Crews are resurfacing SR 8 between SR 3 and SR 42 to address a low pavement condition score. Expect lane disruptions along this stretch until work wraps up.
- SR 154 / DeKalb Ave Pedestrian Improvements (DeKalb and Fulton Counties) This multi-location project adds a mid-block pedestrian crossing, a right-in/right-out, and a restricted crossing U-turn between Hill Street and Pearl Street. If you walk or bike along DeKalb Ave, the finished product will be worth the short-term disruption.
- I-20 Lighting Upgrade, Capitol Ave to Flat Shoals Rd (DeKalb and Fulton Counties) Crews are swapping out the old high-pressure sodium lights along this I-20 corridor for LED fixtures. Work includes pole and conduit replacement in some spots, so expect nighttime lane activity.
- I-75 Tunnel Lighting Upgrade at Ralph McGill Blvd and Baker St (Fulton County) The tunnels at these two interchanges are getting new LED lighting to replace aging fixtures. Conduit and wiring work is also part of the scope, so plan for intermittent closures near these ramps.

Service Requests

Potholes are getting attention on N. Highland Ave and around Waddell St and Lake Ave. Three reports have been filed, with crews already working on the N. Highland stretch.

- Potholes — Waddell St at Lake Ave and N. Highland Ave NE
- Traffic Signal Issues — Signals need repair at Krog St and DeKalb Ave, and at John Lewis Freedom Pkwy and Ponce de Leon Ave
- ROW Litter — Reported along McLendon Ave, Decatur St, and Ralph McGill Blvd
- Overgrowth — Visibility complaints filed for Decatur St, the Josephine St and DeKalb Ave intersection, and Lampkin St
- Downed Tree — Indiana Ave NE, now cleared

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Until next week,
O4W / L5P / Candler Park 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.