Hey neighbors! Manuel's Tavern just hit the big 7-0, and while we're raising a glass to that, a piece of neighborhood baseball history quietly toppled over near Ponce City Market. Also this week: Fulton commissioners drew a hard line on data center tax breaks, a new Parisian bookstore-restaurant is about to open in O4W, and Piedmont Park is turning into a full-blown street festival this Saturday.

- News — Manuel's Tavern celebrates 70 years, the Beltline's first-ever housing fair drew crowds looking for answers on affordability, and that famous centerfield magnolia from Ponce de Leon Park has finally fallen.
- Business — Sargent, a Parisian-style restaurant and bookstore, is set to bring some serious charm to Old Fourth Ward this month.
- Events — Piedmont Park Arts Festival and the Popsicle 5K/10K take over Saturday, with a Beltline doggie crawl, a Black August concert, and Criminal Records' 35th anniversary bash rounding out the weekend.
- Government — Fulton commissioners voted down data center tax breaks and put a transportation sales tax on the November ballot, while a Highland Avenue rezoning and Lullwater Creek bridge easement head to council this week.
- Construction — ALO's new store build-out and a speculative Ponce City Market suite lead the permit list.

Let's dive in.

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NEWS

Manuel's Tavern celebrates 70 years of beer, politics, and community in Poncey-Highland
Founded in 1956, Manuel's Tavern is marking seven decades as a gathering spot in Poncey-Highland.

Atlanta Beltline hosts first housing fair connecting renters and buyers with necessary resources
The Atlanta Beltline held its first housing fair this past Saturday, connecting attendees with resources for renting and buying amid rising housing prices along the corridor.

Historic magnolia tree from Ponce De Leon Park centerfield falls down
The magnolia tree that once stood in deep centerfield at Ponce de Leon Park, across from present-day Ponce City Market, has fallen; it was famous for staying in play during Atlanta Crackers games and being struck by home runs from Babe Ruth and Eddie Mathews.

We asked 150 people on Beltline what changes they want. Here's what happened
A survey of 150 trail users along the Atlanta Beltline gathered feedback on transit, pedestrian safety, and greenspace priorities for future corridor development.

BUSINESS

Sargent - opening - Sargent, a Parisian-style restaurant and bookstore, is set to open in Old Fourth Ward in mid-August.

EVENTS | Presented by

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Monday, August 10
- CPNO Board Meeting August | Candler Park
- Atlanta Run Club: Monday Night Runs | Ponce City Market

Tuesday, August 11
- Rome Streetz | Aisle 5

Wednesday, August 12
- Enjoy live jazz every Wednesday from 7-10 PM alongside cold pints, craft cocktails, and BeltLine views. | Ponce City Market Events
- Maestro | Dad's Garage
- Gritz and Jelly Butter | City Winery Atlanta
- Family Nature Walk | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Slow Joy | I Love You So Much I Could Die Tour | The Masquerade

Thursday, August 13
- Trivia Thursdays | New Realm Brewing
- Larry Griffith Band: Larry Griffith Trio@Two Urban Licks,6-10! | TWO urban licks
- Zoe Bayani | Aisle 5
- Connor Kelly & The Time Warp | Aisle 5

Friday, August 14
- Outdoor Movie Night: Pee Wee's Big Adventure | Atlanta Beltline
- Fernbank After Dark: Bones & Brews | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- David Ryan Harris: ShedFest 2026 | 800 EAST
- Zhamira | Variety Playhouse
- Melanie Fiona | City Winery Atlanta
- Live Music In The Scout Courtyard | Ponce City Market
- Only Improv in the Building | Dad's Garage
- Ciel | Aisle 5
- Hickoids | Star Community Bar

Saturday, August 15
- Open House at Candler Park Golf Course | Druid Hills Civic Association Events
- The Constellations: Criminal Records 35th Anniversary Celebration 2026 | Criminal Records
- The Sundogs Present: The Tom Petty Show | Variety Playhouse
- Food & Street Art Tour on the Atlanta Beltline | 99 Krog St NE
- SEE Atlanta Through A Different Lens: A Photography Exhibit | Helene Mills Senior Center
- Sunset Sessions | New Realm Brewing
- The Yum Yum Tree: Criminal Records 35th Anniversary Celebration | Little 5 Pub
- GRIP: Criminal Records 35th Anniversary Celebration 2026 | Criminal Records
- The Dynamic! - Funny scenes, songs and games! | Dynamic El Dorado
- Piedmont Park Arts Festival | Piedmont Park
- Popsicle 5k/10k/Half Marathon | New Realm

Sunday, August 16
- Barks & Bites: Beltline Doggie Crawl | Krog Street Market
- Trey Daniels | City Winery Atlanta
- Sensory Morning | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Till It's Done - Black August Concert w/ BbyMutha | Aisle 5

GOVERNMENT

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

Past Week Roundup

Fulton County Board of Commissioners
Fulton commissioners took a firm stand against tax breaks for data centers, voting 5-0 to oppose incentives for any such projects countywide, with commissioners specifically naming potential deals involving OpenAI and Anthropic. That matters for your wallet, since these abatements shift tax burden onto everyone else. The board also revived a Budget Commission to help shape the county's annual budget, and it approved nearly $1.4 million combined for jail suicide prevention upgrades and new inmate transport vans. In a separate special meeting, commissioners voted 4-0 to put a Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax on the ballot, which would fund local transportation and infrastructure work if voters approve it in November. Commissioners also approved election agreements with Atlanta and Sandy Springs to run their November elections.

Atlanta City Council
The full council's agenda for August 3 includes a vote to authorize agreements supporting Atlanta's bid for the 2028 Democratic National Convention, plus a plan to close part of Jesse Hill Jr. Drive near Grady Hospital for a new pedestrian plaza. Council members are also weighing tough new consumer protection rules for private parking lots and garages, a $5.6 million expansion of the city's solar contract, and a 60-acre truck terminal proposal in South Atlanta, though none of these had final votes recorded at the time this was written since only the agenda is posted. Separately, the Committee on Council did meet with minutes in hand, and it unanimously confirmed Stephanie Jackson as City Auditor for a five-year term and approved $36,825 in contingency funding for council communications. That same committee held several policy proposals for further review, including a council civility pledge, new public comment rules, and a request for law enforcement officers at recreation center polling sites.

Notable Neighborhood Mentions

Atlanta City Council
- 0 Ponce De Leon Avenue NE — A temporary construction easement for GDOT is on the agenda, part of the Lullwater Creek Bridge Rehabilitation project.
- 686 Highland Avenue NE — A rezoning request from R-5/BL to C-2/BL is on the agenda, which would allow this 0.3-acre BeltLine-adjacent parcel to shift from residential duplex use to commercial service use.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta Public Schools — Board of Education | Aug-10 | key topics: new A.D. Williams Elementary School construction, multi-site demolition bundle, Tax Anticipation Note and FY2027 budget adjustments
- Atlanta City Council — Committees | Various | key topics: rezoning at 460 & 478 Decatur St SE and 686 Highland Ave NE for mixed-use/BeltLine development, Comprehensive Development Plan land-use changes along Ponce De Leon Ave and Decatur St, Moreland Avenue SE water valve relocation for GDOT repaving, full council session and additional committee votes through Aug-12
- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners — Board of Commissioners | Aug-11, 9:00 AM | key topics: historic preservation appeal at 1080 Clifton Road in Druid Hills, park and lake/dam renovation grant applications, Sugar Creek Tennis & Golf upgrades

CONSTRUCTION

Permits

- 1144 Blue Ridge Ave — Re-roof permit ready to issue, new TPO membrane going on. No structural work involved, but expect roofers on site soon.
- 696 Cleburne Ter NE — Commercial tenant suite getting subdivided. The space was previously a general business occupancy, now under review for its next use.
- 639 Glen Iris Dr NE — Interior build out for ALO clothing store just got issued. New lighting and 30-plus branch circuits mean the store is gearing up to open.
- 455 N Ave NE — Change of ownership filed for this commercial space. Worth watching to see what's moving in.
- 675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE — Two separate permits here. One's for low-voltage audio and speaker wiring, already issued. The other is a build out on the 4th floor of Ponce City Market to create a speculative suite, meaning the space is being prepped for a future tenant that hasn't signed yet.
- 731 Highland Ave NE — Cell equipment upgrade issued, new antennas and hybrid cabling. Standard infrastructure work, likely on a rooftop.
- 586 Candler Park Dr NE — Mary Lin Elementary is building an outdoor classroom.
- 870 Inman Village Pkwy NE — Bathroom fan installation, minor HVAC work, already issued.

Beyond these, 14 more commercial permits are in the pipeline, mostly electrical, plumbing, and alteration work, though none carry disclosed dollar values yet.

On the residential side, 43 smaller permits are moving through, split evenly between electrical work, HVAC swaps, and dead or hazardous tree removals. Four new single family detached homes are also in progress. Combined, these smaller permits add up to about $53,600, nothing major, just steady neighborhood upkeep and a handful of new builds.

Road Work

Under Construction

- SR 42/Moreland Avenue @ SR 154 & Arkwright Place (Fulton County) — Crews are converting this intersection to right-in/right-out only, adding a median that blocks all left turns.
- SR 8 Resurfacing, SR 3 to SR 42 (Fulton County) — GDOT is repaving this stretch to fix a rough, low-scoring road surface. Expect lane restrictions and a smoother ride once it wraps.
- SR 154 Pedestrian Safety Upgrades, multiple locations (DeKalb and Fulton Counties) — This project adds a new mid-block crosswalk, a right-in/right-out conversion, and a restricted U-turn crossing between Hill Street and Pearl Street. It's a multi-county effort, so expect ongoing lane shifts near those intersections.
- I-20 Lighting Upgrade, Capitol Avenue to Flat Shoals Road (DeKalb and Fulton Counties) — Crews are swapping old sodium lights for LED fixtures along this stretch, with possible pole and wiring replacement. Night drivers on I-20 near downtown should watch for lane closures during work hours.
- I-75 Tunnel Lighting, Ralph McGill Blvd and Baker Street (Fulton County) — GDOT is upgrading tunnel lighting to LED near these interchanges. If your commute runs through this tunnel, expect intermittent lane work as crews replace fixtures and wiring.

Utility Work

Atlanta Watershed
- Lane Closure at 339 Edgewood Avenue SE Due to Emergency Repairs — Crews will close a lane on Edgewood Avenue SE between Fort Street SE and William Holmes Border Street for emergency repairs on August 11th. Expect slower travel through the O4W/Sweet Auburn corridor while work continues.

Service Requests

Potholes keep popping up around the neighborhood, with crews responding to reports on McLendon Avenue and Ivy Place, Hooper Avenue, DeGress Avenue, Blue Ridge Avenue at Moreland, and Moreland at Ponce de Leon. Most of these are already in progress or closed out.

Downed trees caused cleanup work on Iverson Street, Lakeshore Drive, Ridgewood Road at Almeta Avenue, McLendon Avenue Traffic Circle at Howard Circle, and McLendon Avenue at Lakeshore Drive.

Traffic signals needed attention at several major intersections. Non-emergency repairs are underway at John Wesley Dobbs Avenue and Blvd, Jackson Street and John Wesley Dobbs, Edgewood Avenue at Krog Street, DeKalb Avenue at Clifton Road, and McLendon Avenue. DeKalb Avenue at Clifton Road also drew three separate emergency-level signal repair calls, so if you drive through there, expect ongoing work.

Overgrown right-of-way areas got flagged on E Avenue, Daniel Street at Gartrell Street, and Howard Circle at McLendon Avenue, with most of that cleanup already wrapped up.

Missing or damaged signs are getting replaced on Blvd NE, Edgewood Avenue at Gunby Street, and Blvd SE.

Rounding out the list, you'll find a litter removal request on Somerset Terrace and a general service request tied to the 1451-1467 block of McLendon Avenue.

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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.