ANSLEY MALL SHOPPING CENTER

04/05/20

In the early 1800s, in old Easton township, a train depot likely

occupied the property where Ansley Mall is today. The railroad linking

Easton to Atlanta is long gone but the BeltLine follows its roadbed.

Watkins Mill on Clear Creek, the first business in the area, served the

surrounding farmers. Across the creek, Meredith Collier ran the first

local post office out of his home. These were Piedmont Heights’

commercial roots.

In 1928 Atlanta annexed Easton and changed its name to Piedmont

Heights. By that time a number of homes had been built in the area,

mostly west of Montgomery Ferry Road, which was already a noted

suburb.

In the early 1960s the Adams-Cates Company purchased a 16 acre

tract on the west side of Piedmont Avenue from Clear Creek to

Monroe Drive to build one of Atlanta’s first shopping centers. The

land, a former cow pasture,was mostly vacant except for an auto

repair/service station on Piedmont Road and five houses on Monroe

Drive.

In 1964 Ansley Mall opened for business. It cost $3.2 million and

boasted 175,000 square feet of shops spread along a beautifully

landscaped open-air mall. Anchored by a Woolworth 5 & 10 and a

Colonial supermarket, it also featured 26 smaller retailers. Early

tenants included Regalos “emporium”, the Matador Room cocktail bar,

Ansley Florist, Morrison’s Cafeteria, Revco drugstore, and the 175-

seat Ansley Mall Mini-Cinema. It soon became a serious rival to the

older commercial district on Peachtree at Tenth Street.

Selig Enterprises bought the property in 1972 and in 2010 gave the

buildings a contemporary exterior facelift and re-landscaping the open

mall. Today, a shopping magnet for all the surrounding

neighborhoods, it is one of Atlanta’s few open-air malls and, as such,

featured in the “Mall Hall of Fame”.

Bill Seay 

Atlanta Public Schools and City Schools of Decatur closing for two weeks or more over coronavirus concerns.

One More Day of School on Friday 13th, before extended leave.

3/12/2020

As concern deepens over coronavirus infections, both Atlanta Public Schools and City Schools of Decatur have announced they are closing indefinitely.

Atlanta Public Schools will close for two weeks or more due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic, Superintendent Meria Carstarphen.

https://atlantaintownpaper.com/2020/03/atlanta-public-schools-city-schools-of-decatur-to-close-over-coronavirus-concerns/

CLEAR CREEK

02/24/20

Clear Creek, a modest rivulet flowing through Piedmont Heights, has significant roots in Atlanta’s history. In the early 1800s it was a large stream powering Benjamin Walker’s grist mill. But its steep banks, rushing waters, and the lack of a bridge made it virtually impassable in heavy rains.

The creek is fed by two main tributaries originating in the west. One, originating in Inman Park, was called Shermantown Branch for a while after the Civil War because the Union army had camped beside it. Running on through Springvale Park, this stream was dammed to form Lake Clara Meer for the 1895 Cotton States Exposition and was piped underground through Piedmont Park in the late 1990s. The second began in the northeastern part of Midtown near the intersection of Peachtree and Tenth streets.

These two are supplemented by other creeks along the way such as one drainingMorningside’s Orme Park which connects near Grady High School. Smaller branches and other natural water sources, such as Ponce de Leon Springs, add to the flow. During the recent northern expansion of Piedmont Park more such springs were discovered as the underbrush was cleared. Several feeder creeks flow through Piedmont Heights. Most were piped underground during the 1918 flu epidemic, but one can still be heard gurgling under the manhole covers down the middle of Rock Springs Road. Two others remain partially exposed here and there if one knows where to look.

Behind Ansley Mall, Clear Creek widens and slows to form a quiet pond where a colony of turtles can be seen cavorting. It then turns west under the BeltLine and into a concrete culvert through Ansley Golf Club on its way to Peachtree Creek at the western end of Armour Industrial Area. Soon, however, this little stream could become a major amenity for Piedmont Heights. BeltLine plans feature its course through the neighborhood as the “water gardens” proposed in the 2004 BeltLine “Emerald Necklace” study by noted landscape designer Alex Garvin.

This muddy ditch could soon be transformed into a wonderful neighborhood amenity as well as a “must see” feature along the BeltLine trail.

#voting2020

For those interested in voting in Georgia's primary, the deadline for registration is fast approaching. The final day to register is MONDAY FEB 24TH.

If you’re not already registered to vote in Georgia or your address has changed, you must register to vote by Monday, Feb. 24, to participate in the March 24 Georgia presidential primary. Check your registration status online at www.mvp.sos.ga.gov.

Advance in-person voting for the 2020 presidential primary begins on Monday, March 2, 2020 in limited locations in each of the counties around the state. Hours and locations may vary.

The Georgia Secretary of State's office has released dates for events related to this year's elections. Here are a list of critical dates associated with Georgia's 2020 election cycle:

Feb. 24, 2020 - Voter Registration Deadline for the March 24 Presidential Preference Primary

March 2, 2020 - Advance (in-person) voting begins for the Presidential Preference Primary

March 14, 2020 - Mandatory Saturday voting for the Presidential Preference Primary

March 20, 2020 - Final date for advance voting in the Presidential Preference Primary

March 24, 2020 - Georgia Presidential Preference Primary

April 20, 2020 - Voter Registration Deadline for May 19 General Primary Election

May 19, 2020 - General Primary Election for local, state and federal offices

Oct. 5, 2020 - Voter Registration Deadline for November General Election

Nov. 3, 2020 - 2020 General Election

https://www.11alive.com/article/news/politics/elections/2020-georgia-presidential-primary-election-guide/85-6f0fe16d-c18f-44d2-8be4-72cdc2d45539

We always knew that our neighborhood was special, now the entire state knows it too! Thank you Curbed Atlanta for naming Piedmont Heights one of the best neighborhoods in Atlanta!Curbed Atlanta

THE DRAW: A feeling of being tucked away, in the middle of it all

SIMILAR NEIGHBORHOODS: Morningside-Lenox Park; Peachtree Hills

TYPES OF HOMES: High-dollar new construction; handsome brick townhomes; garden-style condos

An icicle-shaped neighborhood bounded by Piedmont Avenue, Interstate 85, and the former railroad line that cuts through Piedmont Park, Piedmont Heights is under-appreciated. This tony neighborhood is a segue between trendy Midtown and the old/new money of Buckhead, with enviable proximity to Piedmont Park and all the scuzzy wonders of Cheshire Bridge Road. Its roster of attractions includes venerable Smith’s Olde Bar and Ford Fry’s Little Rey, plus a stock of truly lovely, smaller houses that can be attained in the ballpark of $500,000.

There is history aplenty; Atlanta’s second-oldest home—the Liddell House,http://piedmontheights.org/Walk/liddell-house a classic, clapboard-sided antebellum farmhouse with a

porte cochère—is located on Montgomery Ferry Road. But for all its aspirational residences and marquee location, not every Atlantan could point out Piedmont Heights on a map, which boosts the cachet.

Bonus: Piedmont Heights is getting its own Beltline segment

http://bit.ly/PiedmontHeightsBeltline—a stretch of the Northeast Trail, behind the neighborhood’s Ansley Mall—that launched construction last fall. The result should be a combination of Beltline and interstate access second only to West End and Reynoldstown. And locals know not to miss Grindhouse Killer Burgers, which opened its “flagship” location here on Piedmont Avenue in 2011.

Piedmont Heights mourns the loss of our beloved Jean Johnson who passed away quietly on February 4 th after a short illness. Jean moved to Piedmont Heights in 1972. She joined the Piedmont Heights Civic Association a few years later, and served on its Board of Directors for 35 years. She chaired and served on many committees and task forces, never seeking high post nor personal recognition. She was always the calm voice of experience and reason, never excited nor angry, led by example, and offered wise counsel. Her dedication to community extended far beyond our neighborhood. She served many years as Piedmont Heights’ representative to Neighborhood Planning Unit F, garnering much public recognition. In 2016 she received an Atlanta Planning Advisory Board Award for the City of Atlanta’s “Neighborhoods Matter” program.

Jean was at heart a teacher. Her professional career in Atlanta included three major educational organizations, the Southern Regional Education Board, the Southern Education Foundation, and the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges, retiring in 2000. Jean never married but the many friends she made in Piedmont Heights became her loving family.

In 2013, to recognize her long service to our neighborhood, the PHCA Board created and awarded her the “Jean Johnson Award”, which since has been awarded annually to a PHCA Board Member for outstanding service. When asked about the highlights of her life, Jean responded without hesitation, friends made and her years of service to Piedmont Heights.

We thank Jean from the bottoms of our hearts for being such a good neighbor and wish her a fond farewell. We will sorely miss her but her spirit and example will always be with us.

Bill Seay - Piedmont Heights Civic Association

PHCA Board

Construction will take place overnight starting in April 20 and last 24 weeks.

The Kroger adjacent Ansley Mall, at 1700 Monroe Dr. NE in the Piedmont Heights neighborhood of Atlanta, will soon begin interior renovations to the tune of $1,500,000.

Planned improvements to the 64,788 square-foot supermarket include replacement and relocation of sales floor fixtures, display cases, some deli-prep modifications, and the relocation of the in-house pharmacy.

Kroger will remain open and in operation during the remodel.

“The contractors will work on the renovations overnight so there will be no change in opening hours and no disruption for our customers,” a Kroger associate shared with What Now Atlanta over the phone this week.

Construction is expected to span 24 weeks, starting in April 2020 and ending in November.

Kroger’s Piedmont Heights renovation comes just months after the Murder Kroger redux at 725 Ponce.

Article 

https://whatnowatlanta.com/piedmont-heights-kroger-slated-for-1-5-mm-interior-remodel/?fbclid=IwAR2cRV2OfiwVWe54Efq_8Xbcjqo1eM-51rMoxjQOMJlQXyGco6UnCr02yWY

Giving Tuesday

A Global Generosity Movement| December 3, 2019

What Will You Give?

Help others through the gift of your time, donations, goods or your voice.

GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world on December 3, 2019 and every day.

It was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past seven years, this idea has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.One of the best ways to get involved is in your own community. Identify your gifts, pick a cause that gets you fired up, and give back - not just on December 3 for Giving Tuesday, but every day.

For Piedmont Heights

PIEDMONT HEIGHTS COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT FOUNDATION

When so much attention is given to what makes us different, generosity is what brings people together. We’re proud to be part of the #GivingTuesday global movement for generosity

The Piedmont Heights Community Improvement Foundation (PHCIF) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable corporation with a Board of Directors made up of local residents and representatives from the business community. Its mission is to raise funds for the "...preservation of the rich heritage of Piedmont Heights, the enhancement of its physical assets, and the betterment of its common welfare."

Monies raised by the Foundation are distributed to the Piedmont Heights Civic Association to initiate and implement projects that will benefit the community. Donate to help improve our neighborhood or volunteer your time to the community through the Piedmont Heights Civic Association

http://www.piedmontheights.org/Foundation

Neighbors, PHCA your neighborhood association is looking for neighborhood volunteers for 2020 and beyond. As the year draws to close we look back at a busy and successful year for all of the PHCA volunteers and ambassadors who make a positive difference in our neighborhood. We have a lot to be thankful for this year.

We need your help make 2020 even better. We have volunteer opportunities in many areas with our association. Contact us here for more information on how you can have a positive impact on our community!

#givingtuesday #giveback #donate

Owner and Chef Pat Pascarella of The White Bull in Decatur, and soon Grana ATL (next to Sprouts on Piedmont Rd) which opens in Jan 2019 in #morningside #piedmontheights will be one of the chefs at our neighborhood annual meeting tomorrow, join us! 

Eating & Drinking in PiHi! A conversation with local chefs, beverage makers, and more! Come meet Chef Pat Pascarella of Grana (opening early 2020 next to Sprout Market!), Sachi Takahara from Nakato, Steve Farace from SweetWater Brew, and more.

http://bit.ly/PHAnnualMeeting2019 - RSVP

Sun, November 24, 2019

3:30 PM – 5:30 PM EST

Location

Ansley Golf Club

196 Montgomery Ferry Drive Northeast

Atlanta, GA 30309

Piedmont Heights Civic Association (PHCA) Annual Neighborhood Meeting

FREE EVENT for all residents of the Piedmont Heights neighborhood, whether you're an owner or renter in a home or in an apartment complex, and whether or not you're a member of the Piedmont Heights Civic Association (PHCA). Welcome!

Mix and mingle with your neighbors in PiHi and enjoy complimentary hors d'oeuvres. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase.

https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2019/11/04/construction-starts-on-atlanta-beltline-s.html?ana=e_me_set1&fbclid=IwAR0E4YAeqy6C6UgcaQS-j2IrlagsVG_svU0lpbYym5x_M99SICXoS8HE9ew