Tag Archives: atlanta

Learning the Art of Doing Nothing

2nd February 2013

Doing Nothing This morning, I set out to run for my first weekend run in a few weeks. Lucky for me, it was also one of the coldest Saturday mornings we have had all season here (read 35 degrees, this is Atlanta, not Chicago). As I haven’t run more than four miles consistently in a few weeks, I headed out to the river for an easy six miles.

Keeping with my resolution to take things a little slower, I decided to simply enjoy the day and not focus on my pace or setting record distance. When I pulled in, I realized I had forgotten my headphones, meaning I really was forced did get to enjoy six miles in nature. The six miles surprisingly flew by, I felt great despite the cold and finished with an average pace much faster than expected. Win.

Efforts like this deserve rewards. Enter Land of a Thousand Hills. If you have not been to this hidden Atlanta gem of a coffee shop, you are most definitely missing out. Tucked away off of the Chattahoochee River within the Walton apartment complex, this little coffee shop not only makes fantastically crafted drinks, but also has a killer view. Land of a Thousand Hills

I love this spot as a post-run treat, but today was the first time I visited by my lonesome. Taking things slow is not a virtue of mine. I’m not quite whatsoever a master of “doing nothing”, as P seems to say to me once a week, “slow down turbo”.

Hot chocolate in hand {confession, I actually HATE coffee}, I spent the next hour literally enjoying the view {OK, I may have taken one Instagram and checked-in on Foursquare, but that was it, I swear}. Taking things slower certainly means moving in baby steps for me, but this was a perfect ending to a solo morning.Hot chocolate with a view

How do you spend your down time? How do you love to spend a day doing nothing?

I’m Movin’ Out (best read in your Billy Joel voice)

20th January 2013

After two years in our first post-grad apartment, my roommate are on to bigger and better things. We wrestled with the idea of moving last year around this time, but oh the boxes, the cold, the reconfiguring. Nope. Not happening. We stayed put. However, the time has come to bid our current pad adieu and make a change.

When we first decided to make the leap from our cozy, suburb, rent-free places of residence a little over two years ago, making a decision was simple. We worked with a local rental source (Promove) who basically did all of the work for us, with flexible move-in dates. It was fantastic. And easy. Seriously, if you are looking to make a move in Atlanta, go visit the guys at Promove.

However, this time around, no one gave us a heads up that switching apartments in grown up world and in a big city isn’t quite like moving in college where everyone operates on the same schedule and has visited every location in town.

Our apartment “must haves”:

  • Less than $50 – $75 increase in current rent (though ideally less)
  • Nearby running trails
  • Safety – some form of gate / alarm
  • Two bathrooms
  • Large closets (seriously, this is Atlanta, not New York – we can afford not to budge on that one)
  • A view – maybe. A girl can dream, right?

Since I’m certain I’m not the only twenty something figuring all of this out for the first time, here are          the top four things we have learned in the last few months.

  1. Don’t begin seriously looking more than 60 days out, in our case, we really didn’t even start to see things opening up until less than 30 days from move out date.
  2. Craigslist is not entirely sketchy. We found more leads here than anywhere else, but always, always use your best judgement and take a friend when viewing a place. Also, check out PadMapper.com. This site basically takes posts from Craigslist and other similar sites and maps them for you.
  3. Use your mobile device to your advantage. We ended up finding our new place through an ad on Trulia. Trulia and Zillow are excellent sources for storing your favorite spots and seeing places on the go.
  4. Ask all of the right questions. We knew we didn’t want to be in a typical complex, which often means less rules and less tenants managed. Be sure to ask about deposits, potential move-in dates, pets, etc. as the management, building or owner views may vary.

Most important of all, have fun! Yes, it’s stressful. Of course with a month to go I wanted to know where I would be living next month. But…by taking the due diligence and patience route, it paid off. My roommate and I found a place that fits every requirement on our list (and then some) and even came in under budget. While I can’t wait to own a home to call my own, I cannot wait to jump ship and get to re-decorating, Pinteresting and making our new apartment, home.

What tips do you have from moving experiences? How did you find your current dream place?

 

Tweets for Tacos

27th October 2010

New York and L.A. may be resident food truck fanatics, but to us here in the south, they are pretty new. I’ve been waiting for a while for the perfect moment to come along and experience a delicious restaurant on wheels for myself.

Today that moment arrived.

If you’ve heard of the ever popular Kogi BBQ taco truck in California, Yumbii is the hip Atlanta version. So why is food in a truck so appealing when I could just walk across the street to some of Midtown’s best places to eat?

1. Exclusivity: With street eateries on the go, you’ve got to catch it at the right place and time. Some may post their schedule on their website, but for most, you’ve got to be following them on Twitter to find out where they are heading next. It keeps things fun, interesting and leaves you wishing you worked a few blocks away on that day.

2. Sharability: Check-in on Foursquare and share on Twitter. It’s the main way to spread the word. Had it not been for my good friend Rene re-tweeting a message, I would have never known.

3. Availability: Sure I could get in my car and drive a mile to my favorite taco place, but  what makes it so great is it comes to you. As this model catches on, hopefully we will find something new and exciting just outside our office doors on a regular basis.

Interested in learning more about the food truck phenomenon? Follow @AtlantaStreetFood on Twitter for updates on various vendors around town, or join me during Social Media Atlanta for an Eat Up at the Hub…and yes, we hear the trucks will be there.

Kathlene and Rene show their excitement...even in the rain