⚾ Braves Legends + Roti Canai

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What's up, neighbors!

The Braves have their alumni back at Truist Park this weekend, and the best piece of it doesn't cost a dime. Saturday at 4 PM the legends walk down Battery Avenue, starting near Silverspot Cinema and ending at the Third Base Gate. No game ticket required. Grab a spot on the sidewalk with a drink in your hand and watch it go by.

Now the annoying part. Saturday's forecast is calling for a 70% chance of rain and a high near 92, and that rain lands right around parade time. Check the radar before you load up the car.

Friday is the safer bet if you want to be outside. Roswell runs Music on the Hill on the City Hall lawn every second Friday, and this month the theme is Billy Joel versus Elton John. Free, no tickets, BYOB, and Gate City Brewing is pouring if you don't feel like hauling a cooler. We're aiming for 6:30 because the flat spots near the front go quick.

Saturday morning we're doing the DHA Farmers Market at Brook Run before it gets brutal out there. If the rain shows up later, game night at Donaldson-Bannister Farm runs 5 to 10 that evening and it's free.

Rest of it's below. Local news, a Doraville strip mall spot that made Atlanta magazine's 75 Best list, and an 80-pound bloodhound named Kalina.

- Andrew

When was the last time you actually looked at your homeowners policy?

For most folks in Atlanta and the Perimeter area, the honest answer is "when we bought the house." Which would be fine, except home values around here are up $150K to $200K+ since 2020. If your policy hasn't kept up, your dwelling limit is probably short of what it would actually cost to rebuild today. That gap won't show up on your bill. It only shows up when you file a claim, which is the worst time to find out.

Peachy Insurance is Atlanta-based and built to make this kind of check painless. No call center, no upselling, no runaround. Just a licensed local agent who looks at your full picture and gives you a straight answer on where you stand.

Three things worth a quick look while it's on your mind:

Takes about 5 minutes. Free, no pressure.

Get a free coverage review OR text/call 770-520-7095 (Mon-Fri, closed weekends)

Truist Park and The Battery Atlanta
755 Battery Ave SE, Atlanta, GA
Friday, August 14 and Saturday, August 15
Parade Saturday at 4:00 PM
Parade is FREE with no game ticket | Game ticket required for autographs and MLBx Atlanta
Get Tickets

Alumni Weekend happens once a year, and this is the year to actually go. Braves legends are back at Truist Park both Friday and Saturday against the Diamondbacks, and the Braves stacked the weekend with real reasons to show up early instead of at first pitch.

Saturday at 4 PM the alumni head down Battery Avenue, starting outside Silverspot Cinema near Cobb Parkway and ending at the Third Base Gate. That parade is free and does not require a game ticket, so you can walk over, grab a spot on the sidewalk, and watch it with a drink in your hand. Space is first-come, first-served and no autographs happen on the route, so get there early if you want a front row view.

With a ticket you get more. Friday alumni sign autographs around the ballpark starting at 5:30, with locations dropping in the MLB Ballpark app at 4:30 so you know where to line up. At 6:50 the legends get introduced one by one down centerfield, and the Braves are asking fans to be seated by 6:45 for it.

New this year is MLBx Atlanta on Saturday at 5:30. Four teams of three run two Home Run Derby competitions on the field, each led by a Braves alumnus and filled out with an Athletes Unlimited softball player and a player from Georgia or Georgia Tech, then a swing-off decides it. Braves alumni pitching to college kids and pro softball players in a derby is not something you get to see twice.

Pick your day, check the alumni roster before you commit, and if you only do one piece of this, do the Saturday parade. It is free and it is the closest most of us will ever stand to that dugout.

Mamak is a small, bright room in a strip mall that shares its lot with a bakery, and the tables sit close enough together that you will hear what the folks next to you ordered and probably want it too.

Atlanta magazine put it on their 75 Best Restaurants list and it still runs the same way it always has: quick, unfussy, and busy. Service is fast rather than chatty, and they set a jug of water on your table so you are not waving anyone down for refills.

The room is genuinely small though, so if you are rolling in with six people at 6 PM on a Saturday, go early or plan to wait.

Start with the roti canai. Reviewers keep calling it the best they have ever had, and the curry dip is full of potato and chicken, which is why people admit to finishing it with a spoon after the bread is gone. The sambal okra is the other thing everybody brings up, smoky and a little sweet and not the least bit slimy. One review is literally titled "Mamak Will Make You Like Okra."

From there the regulars go for the Hainanese chicken rice, the beef chow ho fun, and the char kway teow, and the rendang beef comes up again and again for how tender it is. If you want to spend a little more, the salt and pepper squid and the black pepper beef are both on the chef's specials list at $20.

The one thing to know before you go: they are closed every single Thursday, which catches a lot of people off guard, so today is not the day.

Price: $$
Hours:
Mon-Wed 11 AM-9 PM
Thu closed
Fri-Sun 11 AM-9 PM
Website

Rain on an August Saturday usually ends with everybody back on the couch by two. This is the way out of that.

Nushi opened at The Forum this year, next to Belk. Walk in any day, pick a mug or a bowl off the shelf, and paint it. They glaze it, fire it, and call you in about two to three weeks. If you would rather try the wheel, the beginner class runs two hours for $65 and you leave with up to two finished pieces. Kids 8 to 11 need an adult signed up beside them, and 12 and up can go on their own.

The thing people keep mentioning is how calm the room is. Quiet, clean, and stocked with the small things that make your piece look better, like tape, sponges, brushes, and turntables to spin your work while you paint. One mom wrote about bringing her teenage daughter and actually getting a conversation out of it. Drinks are welcome, just nothing glass at the wheel.

The wheel class needs two people signed up to run, so bring somebody. Friday and Saturday they stay open until 9:30, so it works after dinner.

Price: $$
Hours:
Mon-Wed 10 AM-7:30 PM
Thu 10 AM-8:30 PM
Fri-Sat 10 AM-9:30 PM
Sun 12-7 PM
Website: nushiarthouse.com

6 beds
5 baths
4,951 sq ft

A) $1,225,000

B) $1,379,999

C) $1,499,000

D) $1,650,000

Parents who fought to keep Spalding Drive Elementary open just got a win. On July 29 the State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia approved the Save Spalding Committee's petition for a new state charter school, to be called the Spalding Academy for Innovation and Learning.

Fulton County Schools closed the more than 60 year old neighborhood school at 130 W Spalding Dr, Sandy Springs, GA in 2025, turned down a $10 million offer to buy the building, and now uses the site as a teaching museum and administrative space. The parent-led nonprofit picked National Heritage Academies as its operator and is aiming to open for the 2027-28 school year, once it lands a building.

Board chair Raymond Grote said roughly 180 families in Sandy Springs and nearby communities like Dunwoody have already said they are interested, and the school will be tuition-free like other state charters.

If you have younger kids in this part of town, follow this one, because the hunt for a site is happening right now and Mayor Rusty Paul, council member Melody Kelley, and city staff have been helping identify properties.

Source: Rough Draft Atlanta

The city set a community information meeting on the proposed Ashford Dunwoody Road and Windsor Parkway Safety Improvements Project, and a roundabout is part of the plan. Staff will walk through the design, pedestrian and bicycle accommodations, stormwater work, right-of-way needs, tree impacts, how it is funded, and what comes next. T

he meeting is Tuesday, August 18 at 6:00 PM on the third floor of City Centre, 4001 Peachtree Rd NE, Brookhaven, GA.

Here is the part worth circling. The city says this is the only funded transportation project currently planned for this area, so the questions raised at this meeting are the ones that can still change it.

If you drive, walk, or bike that intersection, or live on a street that feeds into it, this is the meeting to show up for before the design gets locked in.

Source: City of Brookhaven

Park Place Shopping Center at 4505 Ashford Dunwoody Rd, Dunwoody, GA is still sorting itself out. Owner EDENS currently lists about 27,000 of the center's 88,000 square feet as available.

Pepper Boxing, the 3,000 square foot training facility that moved into part of the old Alon's Bakery space last December, closed recently with little notice. On the other side of the ledger, Le Faucheur Tearoom opened April 3, Simply South Pure Indian Vegetarian is slated to take 7,000 square feet in the former Alon's space at the front of the center in October, and Van Leeuwen Ice Cream has the location listed as coming soon with no date attached.

The anchor is holding steady though. McKendrick's Steak House, open since 1995, just named Atlanta native Branden Holte as executive chef, and the owners say he will add in-house butchery, house-made bread, and closer ties to local farmers while keeping the steakhouse format intact.

EDENS announced back in 2024 that it wanted to turn Park Place into a modern village, starting with the courtyard, so if you have not walked through in a while it is not quite the center you remember.

Source: Rough Draft Atlanta

There is an 80 pound bloodhound sitting in an Angels Among Us foster home right now with a deep red coat and a look on her face that makes you feel vaguely guilty for no reason at all.

Her name is Kalina, and she came out of a backyard breeder situation, which means she missed most of the gentle handling and socializing a puppy should get.

So yes, she is shy when she first meets you, especially somewhere new. Give her a little time and a different dog shows up: sweet, goofy, and playful.

What we like about her write-up is how plainly her foster puts it. Kalina is already house trained. She is spayed and current on her vaccines. She is good with other dogs. And once she decides you are hers, her foster says she is fiercely loyal about it. That is a lot of the hard work already done for a big dog, and it means the only thing left to give her is patience.

She does need the right kind of quiet. Her people should be calm and consistent, with nobody pressuring her to be a social butterfly by week two. Her foster specifically thinks she would do best with a confident dog already in the house to show her the ropes and give her someone to play with. They have not tested her around kids or cats yet, so if you have either, ask about setting up a meet and greet before you commit.

Angels Among Us is foster based, so there is no kennel to walk into. You start with the online dog adoption application at angelsrescue.org, and once you are approved they set up a meeting with Kalina's foster. The listing calls for an experienced adopter.

The adoption fee is $300 for dogs under eight, and her spay and vaccines are already covered in that. Veterans, seniors, repeat adopters, and anyone adopting more than one dog get $25 off. They do a home check before anything is final, and you only pay the fee after you are approved and have actually met her.

Angels Among Us Pet Rescue
PO Box 821, Alpharetta, GA
(877) 404-5874
Foster based, no walk-in shelter. Meet and greets are scheduled after your application is approved

🎵 Shows for Seedlings: Musical Fun In The Sun with Mr. Jason - Atlanta Botanical Garden | 1345 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA | 10:00 AM and 10:45 AM | Included with Garden admission | More: atlantabg.org
Mr. Jason does songs about bugs, rainbows and dirt, and the little ones dance in the grass. Two short sets, so pick whichever one lines up with nap schedules.

🦋 Butterfly Encounter - Chattahoochee Nature Center | 9135 Willeo Rd, Roswell, GA | Open until 4:30 PM | Included with admission, $20 adults and $14 ages 3-12 | More: chattnaturecenter.org
Hundreds of native butterflies in a walk-through tent, and they land on people constantly. The season closes August 30, so we are into the last stretch.

🏛️ Barrington Hall Self-Paced Tour - Barrington Hall | 535 Barrington Dr, Roswell, GA | 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM | Free | More: roswellgov.com
One of the best Greek Revival houses in the state and it costs nothing to walk through. Docents are around if the kids start asking questions.

📷 Historic Roswell Photography Competition and Exhibit - Roswell History Museum | 950 Forrest St, Roswell, GA | 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM | Free | More: roswell365.com
A juried show of Roswell's historic sites, mounted for the America250 anniversary. Quick, free, air conditioned, and a nice pairing with a house museum stop.

🦕 Dino Talk - Fernbank Museum of Natural History | 767 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA | 2:00 to 2:30 PM | Included with admission, from $25.95 adults and $23.95 ages 3-12 | More: fernbankmuseum.org
Half an hour under the Argentinosaurus in the Great Hall with an educator who actually knows the answers. Weekday pricing is a couple dollars cheaper than the weekend.

🧱 LEGO NINJAGO: The True Ninja Trials - LEGO Discovery Center Atlanta | 3500 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta, GA | 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, last entry 3:30 PM | Tickets from $27.99 online | More: legodiscoverycenter.com
Brick-building challenges against elemental monsters, plus the 4D movie. Heads up that an adult cannot get in without a kid 17 or under in tow.

🎬 Frame by Frame: The Art of Stop-Motion Animation - Center for Puppetry Arts | 1404 Spring St NW, Atlanta, GA | 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, last admission 4:30 PM | Museum admission $18 adults and $14 ages 3-12 | More: puppet.org
The stop-motion exhibition runs alongside the Jim Henson Collection, which is the real draw for anyone who grew up on Fraggle Rock.

🎶 Music on the Hill: Piano Man vs. Rocket Man - Roswell City Hall lawn | 38 Hill St, Roswell, GA | 7:00 to 9:00 PM | Free | More: roswell365.com
Billy Joel and Elton John covers on the City Hall lawn, free, second Friday of the month. Bring a blanket and let the kids run while you sit.

🥬 Sandy Springs Farmers Market - City Green at City Springs | 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs, GA | 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM | Free | More: citysprings.com
Karl Weismantel and Johnathon Heilbroun are playing this week. Well-behaved dogs are welcome on the plaza and sidewalks, but not out on the City Green itself.

🥕 DHA Farmers Market - Brook Run Park | 4770 N Peachtree Rd, Dunwoody, GA | 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM | Free | More: dunwoodyga.gov
Pesticide-free produce, local meat and eggs, honey, and prepared meals with vegan and gluten-free options. Park once and let the kids hit the playground after.

🛶 Family Canoe Day - Chattahoochee Nature Center | 9135 Willeo Rd, Roswell, GA | 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM | Registration required today; $25 per person, $12.50 CNC members, ages 5 and up | More: chattnaturecenter.org
Built for first-timers, with guides who spend real time on technique before turning it into races and games on Beaver Pond. Admission is included, so pack a picnic and stay.

🐸 Frog Feeding - Atlanta Botanical Garden | 1345 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA | 10:00 AM | Included with Garden admission | More: atlantabg.org
An amphibian specialist in the Fuqua Conservatory lobby, and the frogs put on a show at breakfast. Do it first thing, then walk the Niki de Saint Phalle sculptures before it gets hot.

🌳 Meet a Ranger - Fernbank Museum of Natural History | 767 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA | 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM | Included with admission, from $27.95 adults and $25.95 ages 3-12 | More: fernbankmuseum.org
A Fernbank Forest ranger takes questions about the old-growth woods out back. It gets canceled in bad weather, so check the sky before you commit.

🔍 History Seek Saturdays: Decorative Arts Exploration - Barrington Hall | 535 Barrington Dr, Roswell, GA | 11:00 AM | Free | More: roswell365.com
Appraiser Courtney Christy walks you through the 19th century pieces in the collection for an hour. Better for older kids who like the what is that worth angle.

🎲 Game Night - Donaldson-Bannister Farm | 4831 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd, Dunwoody, GA | 5:00 to 10:00 PM | Free, donations appreciated, under 18 with a parent | More: dunwoodyga.gov
Third-Saturday board game night at the historic farm. Games are provided, but bring your own if you have a favorite nobody else owns.

🦋 Breakfast With Butterflies - Chattahoochee Nature Center | 9135 Willeo Rd, Roswell, GA | 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM | $30 per person, $20 CNC members, ages 4 and up | More: chattnaturecenter.org
You get the Butterfly Encounter and the grounds to yourselves before the gates open, plus a light breakfast. Last one of the season, and registration closes the Thursday before.

🌲 Family Nature Walk - Fernbank Museum of Natural History | 767 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA | 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM | Included with admission, from $27.95 adults and $25.95 ages 3-12 | More: fernbankmuseum.org
A short ranger-led loop through Fernbank Forest, which is a genuine old-growth stand inside the city. Dino Talk follows at 2:00 PM if you want to make an afternoon of it.

⚾ Braves vs Arizona Diamondbacks, Kids Giveaway - Truist Park | 755 Battery Ave SE, Atlanta, GA | 1:35 PM first pitch | Game ticket required | More: batteryatl.com
The afternoon game is the easy one with kids, and there is a Kids Giveaway at the gates. Get there early and let them burn off energy in The Battery first.

🏀 Goizueta Children's Experience: Atlanta Sports - Atlanta History Center | 130 W Paces Ferry Rd NW, Atlanta, GA | 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM | Included with admission, $35 adults and $31 ages 4-12 on weekends | More: atlantahistorycenter.com
Five thousand square feet of hands-on kid space themed to Atlanta's teams, including a Time Machine Climber and a mini Fox Theatre stage. Buy online to save two dollars a ticket.

🏛️ Archibald Smith Plantation Home Self-Paced Tour - Archibald Smith Plantation | 935 Alpharetta St, Roswell, GA | 1:00 to 4:00 PM | Free | More: roswellgov.com
The most intact of Roswell's three historic houses, with original family furnishings and outbuildings. Sunday hours are shorter than the rest of the week, so do not show up at noon.

🎨 Greene Family Learning Gallery - High Museum of Art | 1280 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA | 12:00 to 5:00 PM | Included with $23.50 admission, free ages 5 and under | More: high.org
The High's own family studio space, built for infants through age 8, with CREATE and EXPERIENCE rooms. The last ticket goes at 4:00 PM.

🚣 River Canoe Trip - Chattahoochee Nature Center | 9135 Willeo Rd, Roswell, GA | 6:00 to 9:00 PM | $39 per person, $34 CNC members, ages 8 and up | More: chattnaturecenter.org
A guided two and a half hour evening paddle on the Chattahoochee with all gear provided. Great last night of summer for older kids, and registration closes the Thursday before.

🎤 Ella Mai: Do You Still Love Me Tour - Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park | 4469 Stella Dr, Atlanta, GA | 8:00 PM | Ticketed, prices vary | More: synovusbankampatchastainpark.com
Chastain in August under the trees is still our favorite way to hear R&B, and no coolers or carry-ins this year, so plan on buying inside.

🍷 Melanie Fiona - City Winery Atlanta | 650 North Ave NE, Atlanta, GA | 6:30 PM or 10:00 PM | Ticketed, prices vary | More: citywinery.com
Two shows a night across Friday and Saturday, seated with table service, so this is the rare concert where we can actually eat dinner during the set.

🎭 Quilters, A Musical, opening night - Roswell Cultural Arts Center | 950 Forrest St, Roswell, GA | 7:00 PM | Tickets from $36.75 | More: roswell365.com
Broadway veteran Terry Burrell leads an all-Atlanta cast in a bluegrass-scored show that ties straight back to Roswell's mill-town history.

👻 Roswell Ghost Tour - departs from the Town Square bandstand | 617 Atlanta St, Roswell, GA | 8:00 PM | $20 adults, cash or Zelle at the start | More: roswellghosttour.com
Two and a half hours but only a mile of walking, and it is a genuinely good excuse to end the night on Canton Street.

😂 Keep It Positive, Sweetie Live - Buckhead Theatre | 3110 Roswell Rd, Atlanta, GA | 8:00 PM | Ticketed, prices vary | More: thebuckheadtheatre.com
Crystal Renee Hayslett brings her podcast to the stage, and the Buckhead Theatre is small enough that the cheap seats still feel close.

🌭 Bats and Bites Ballpark Tour - Truist Park | 755 Battery Ave SE, Atlanta, GA | 3:00 to 7:00 PM | $150 per person, game ticket purchased separately | More: mlb.com
A guided tour that ends in the Outfield Market with food samples, a signature beer or cocktail, a former Brave to talk to, and batting practice from the outfield.

🎷 Masego: Fix Your Face Tour - Coca-Cola Roxy | 800 Battery Ave SE, Atlanta, GA | 8:00 PM | Ticketed, prices vary | More: cocacolaroxy.com
He calls it trap house jazz and he plays the saxophone like he means it, and the Roxy is a ten-minute walk from dinner at The Battery.

🪩 Cumbiatron: The Cumbia Rave - Buckhead Theatre | 3110 Roswell Rd, Atlanta, GA | 9:00 PM | Ticketed, prices vary, 21 and up | More: livenation.com
Classic cumbia rhythms run through modern electronic production, and it is a dance floor show, so wear shoes you can move in.

🎸 Shane Alexander Live - Roswell Junction | 340 S Atlanta St, Roswell, GA | 7:00 PM | $10 | More: roswell365.com
Ten dollars for a songwriter who has toured with Bon Iver and Lucinda Williams is the best value on this whole list, and the door money goes to Roswell Arts Fund.

🍳 Jazz Brunch at C. Ellet's - C. Ellet's | 2605 Circle 75 Pkwy Ste 400, Atlanta, GA | 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM | No cover, order off the menu | More: batteryatl.com
A live jazz duo plays the full four hours, the mimosas are strong, and reservations are worth making on a home-game Saturday.

🎶 Dominic Fike: Comedy Tragedy Parody - Coca-Cola Roxy | 800 Battery Ave SE, Atlanta, GA | 7:30 PM | Ticketed, prices vary | More: livenation.com
He is playing rooms this size on only a handful of dates before the arena run with Tame Impala, so this is the small-room version.

🎺 Trey Daniels - City Winery Atlanta | 650 North Ave NE, Atlanta, GA | 6:30 PM, doors 5:30 PM | Tickets from $36 | More: citywinery.com
A saxophonist who toured with Anita Baker doing jazz, funk and R&B in a seated room with wine service, which is about as easy as a Sunday night gets.

🌿 Niki in the Garden - Atlanta Botanical Garden | 1345 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA | 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM | Included with Garden admission | More: atlantabg.org
Forty-one of Niki de Saint Phalle's monumental sculptures are scattered through the Garden through September 6, and going late means cooler air and better light.

🏛️ Bulloch Hall Guided Tour - Bulloch Hall | 180 Bulloch Ave, Roswell, GA | Tours on the hour, 1:00 to 3:00 PM | $8 adults, $7 seniors | More: bullochhall.org
Forty-five minutes with a docent who tells the Bulloch family story straight from their own letters and diaries, and the grounds are free to wander after.

⛳ Skyline Park at THE ROOF - Ponce City Market | 675 Ponce de Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA | 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM | Day tickets from $10 adults, 18-hole mini golf $12 | More: poncecityroof.com
Mini golf, skee-ball, a horse derby race and a full bar on a roof with a view of Buckhead, Midtown and Downtown at once.

Roswell runs Music on the Hill on the second Friday of the month and does not charge for it, and this month the theme is a Billy Joel versus Elton John showdown. Two hours of songs everybody in the car already knows the words to, on a lawn in the middle of downtown Roswell.

Here is our play. Get there closer to 6:30 than 7:00, because the good flat spots near the front go early and the hill gets steeper the later you show up. Blanket, a couple of low chairs, bug spray. Gate City Brewing and Top Job are pouring beer, wine and sangria on site, plus it’s BYOB, and the kids can run around behind the blankets while the band plays.

Canton Street restaurants are a short walk from the lawn, which makes the whole night easy to build around. Eat first, walk over, sit down, sing along, home by 9:30. No tickets, no parking fee, no admission.

August storms move through here fast, and around the Perimeter we have a lot of very old, very tall trees standing very close to very expensive roofs.

In general a standard homeowners policy covers the damage when a healthy tree comes down on your house, and most policies chip in for removal up to a set dollar limit. The wrinkle is that policies expect you to handle obvious maintenance.

A tree that was already dead or visibly rotting, and that somebody had flagged, can turn into a maintenance argument instead of a clean claim. It works the same way in reverse. If your dead limb lands on the house next door, that conversation gets uncomfortable in a hurry.

Not sure whether the leaning pine in your yard counts as a problem yet, or what your debris removal limit actually is? That is a five minute call with a Peachy agent. Ask us.