Paste covers every type of music imaginable, and its readers are treated to a free sampler CD with each issue.  Rounding out its well-written music articles are commentary and coverage of film and culture.  Paste's content spans all generations, truly living up to its trademark of "Rock 'n' Roll: It's Not Just for Kids Anymore." 

Paste readers become loyalists after their first issue.  This is reflected in the magazine's growing popularity throughout the world.  Decatur's homegrown favorite is now sold in a dozen countries!  As if that weren't enough, the venerable Chicago Tribune named Paste to its "50 Best Magazines" list, placing it just underneath the world-renowned New Yorker. 

While you can find Paste for sale in just about every national chain bookstore in America, pick one up while you're visiting Atlanta and show your support for our local favorites!

111-D New St., Decatur, GA 30030

While you're visiting the Atlanta area, be sure to check out the awesome restaurant and bakery known as Duck's Cosmic Kitchen.  The smace is fairly small, but what do you expect of a space that was a pumping station at one point in the distant past?

Situated in the funky and vibrant development known as East Decatur Station, Duck's Cosmic Kitchen is another Decatur dining destination that gives its customers "real food".  Just the smell of the freshly-baked breads wafting through the space makes everyone salivate as they struggle to place their orders from Duck's delectable menu.

I like to pop into Duck's for some of their gorgeous artisan breads.  From kalamata olive bread (to die for when dipped in a little olive oil and fresh herbs!) to their chewy bagels, the foundation of Duck's meals definitely start off on the right note.

Sandwiches here offer a spectacular combination of flavors.  From the foundations of leek bread to an array of accents such as their roased red pepper dip, the combinations just work.  I have friends who can't go to Duck's without getting an order of their shrimp cakes, while others will drop everything for one of their made-to-order personal pizzas.

Duck's is also a popular place for a snack of freshly baked sweets and a great cup of coffee.  When the weather is nice, you'll often find folks taking a break from one of the nearby businesses, munching on a cookie and chatting happily.

The restaurant's labor-intensive fare makes it a can't miss dining destination.  And thanks to its location within East Decatur Station, it's likely that you'll be one of the rare tourists to grace Duck's.  Not only will your meal be memorable, you'll have a great "in the know" story to take home from your visit to Atlanta.

Here's where the city planners got it right.  Taking MARTA from the airport is so simple that you'll actually be grateful you didn't stand in line waiting for a rental car.  The MARTA train will take you directly to downtown Decatur, where you'll step off into our charming downtown core of boutiques and cafes. 

It's easy to get to Atlanta's most popular neighborhoods and attractions on MARTA.  And by taking Atlanta's public transportation system, you'll avoid the city's notorious traffic.  And let me tell you folks, Atlanta traffic is no joke.  Consistently ranked as the worst congestion in the nation, it can often take many times longer to get to your destination than you'd planned.  Let me put it this way--it was a shock when I first moved here--and I came from Los Angeles!!!

Not only will MARTA help you avoid traffic, but will keep you from hunting for parking at each place you want to go.  Parking in the city can be difficult to find, and when you do, you will pay a premium for it.

If you're in town on business, MARTA conveniently travels directly to major conference centers, such as the Georgia World Congress Arena, Philips Arena, the Georgia Dome and America's Mart.

For the easiest and most enjoyable trip to Atlanta, I cannot encourage you enough to do two things:  Stay in Downtown Decatur, in a peaceful and inviting setting.  Then take advantage of MARTA as an affordable and easily navigable method of traversing the city. 

Fellow travelers, what do you think?  Do you consider taking public transportation when you travel?  Or do you have to have a car?  Any past visitors to Atlanta want to comment on MARTA as an alternative to the rental car?  Let us know!  

Another thank you to TwelveYearsOfBeingAnnoyedByChloeSevignyDotCom (the craziest web moniker I've ever heard of!) for linking the Brick Store story to that site!

I look forward to even more folks coming here to share their stories about visiting Atlanta and Decatur.  If you're planning an upcoming trip to the area, feel free to ask questions in the Comments sections and we'll get our team of fun-loving locals to answer all the questions we can!

Intersection of East Lake Drive and Oakview Road

The Oakhurst Wine Tasting (often called the Oakhurst Wine Crawl) is a perennial favorite here.  Rain or shine, the event goes on, and you won't find an unhappy face in the bunch.  Participants' "tickets" are actually small wine sampling glasses, which they collect the day of the event, along with a map of participating businesses. 

Revelers then head off to sample a variety of wines.  For some, this is a chance to savor wines from around the globe.  Others approach the event as a challenge to hit all participating locations before the end of the event.  For me, I particularly appreciate the kitsch factor of the Oakhurst Wine Tasting.  You see, Oakhurst Village's colorful bars and restaurants participate, but so do a variey of unconventional locations.  At past wine crawls, I've found myself quaffing wines in such places as a laundromat and an auto garage!

Participants can traverse the course on foot.  But the folks at Fur Bus also offer free rides along the path.  Definitely take them up on a free ride, as you've *got* to check out their funky buses, which have been featured on both MTV and Eliminidate.  The maps for the Oakhurst Wine Tasting are generously created for free by famed artist James Dean, and many participants try to keep their map free of wine spills to later frame.   

Cost: $22 in advance, $25 day of event

When: February 24, 2007, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.

125 E. Court Square, Decatur, GA 30030 

The Brick Store has garned heaps of acclaim for its "Beer and Cheese Tasting" series.  Pairing the flavors of finely crafted beers with cheeses of equal stature, beer lovers enjoy an educational tour of the world in the most tasty manner possible.    

Cost: $25, includes five beers paired with five cheeses

When: 6:00 p.m., first Monday of each month

174 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur, GA 30030

I don't cook breakfast.  It just seems like a lot of work and a lot of clean-up, and it doesn't set a good tone for the day.  Thank goodness for Crescent Moon.  I can't get enough of this place.  Their prices are reasonable and their food is fantastic.  While most places will happily take shortcuts (particularly with breakfast), Crescent Moon takes the exact opposite approach.  This is real food.  Omlettes are huge and fluffy, packed with fresh vegetables or farmhouse meats.  They add just a hint of fresh herbs, and this little difference is wholly indicative of the Crescent Moon experience.

Everything here is homemade.  From the incredible strawberry jam to the sweet-spicy barbecue sauces, you won't find anything from a can or a jar in Crescent Moon's kitchen.  Their meals are huge and an incredible value.  The Farmer's Omlet is packed with sausage, seasoned potatoes, onions and cheddar/jack cheese and toast or a whole wheat biscuit for $6.50.  The Garden Omlet has mushrooms, onions, spinich and mozzarella for $6.25.

Breakfast and lunch are served all day, and since breakfast for me can often be a noon meal, I'm deeply appreciative of this fact.  Lunch offerings include southern favorites like the Fried Green Tomatoes sandwich on grilled sourdough with bacon, melted mozzarella and red pepper mayo.  Lately I'm hooked on their BBQ sandwich, a slow-cooked sloppy concoction of either pork or chicken.  Choose your side from an extensive list that includes collard greens, steamed or grilled veggies, garlic green beans, skin-on smashed potatoes, corn cakes, sweet potato puree, fried or grilled tomatoes, sweet potato fries, coleslaw, potato salad, black beans, mac and cheese, mixed salad, fresh fruit, grilled tofu or sauteed fresh asparagus.

Crescent Moon serves dinner after 5:00.  Their Blue Plate Dinners are huge, and I've never in my life come close to finishing one.  You can try their Springer Mountain All-Natural Chicken either stuffed wtih spinich and goat cheese or baked with apple wood smoked bacon and fresh sage.  Perennial favorites such as Catch of the Day, fried trout, sauteed cod, and pan seared salmon are the fish offerings.  Larger portions of the lunch-time meatloaf and pulled smoked pork BBQ are available, as is comfort food like meatloaf and sauteed shrimp with creamy garlic cheese grits.  Dinner prices range from $7.25 to $11.99 for the 10-ounce Butcher Block Angus New York Strip.

Crescent Moon Hours:  Monday 7:30 a.m. - 3 p.m., Tuesday - Friday 7:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m., Saturday 7:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. Brunch and 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Dinner, Sunday 7:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. Brunch

216 E. Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur, GA 30030

Walk-In or Appointment

The weather outside has taken a frightful dip into true winter.  I keep telling myself that if they can have snow in Malibu this year, I can't complain too much.  But winter weather is hell on the skin and nails, so luckily Viet Traditional is just a short walk away.

I'll tell you right now that I had to really think about exposing one of my favorite haunts to the world wide web.  This is one of those closely-held secrets that ladies guard with their lives.  But in the spirit of making sure you have the best possible experience here in Decatur, Georgia, I'll "introduce" you to the ladies who keep our hands and feet beautiful.

Viet Traditional offers manicures and pedicures for both ladies and gentlemen.  They have a back room for waxing services, and I'm always pleased with the shape of my eyebrows after a visit there.  Not only are these women incredible at what they do, they're cheerful and vibrant.  An hour or two here is a life-saving respite from the real world, and I always leave feeling refreshed and rejeuvenated.

When I first visited Viet Traditional Nail, I was thoroughly impressed that all of the instruments were ripped out of autoclave-baked protective sealants.  These folks are serious about keeping things sterile, and that alone relaxes me into spa-mode.

What other spas and salons offer as 'extras' are the norm here.  You'll be ushered into a cozy chair for a lengthy massaging foot soak.  During winter weather, it's well worth the extra $8 for the exfoliating treatment followed by a moisturizing foot 'mask'.  As long as you're not getting acrylics, a second manicurist will appear to shape and polish your nails while your toes are being painted.

Viet Traditional Nail's prices are incredibly reasonable.  And their manicures and pedicures both stand the test of time.  I can honestly say that I've never had mani's and pedi's last as long as the ones I get from Viet Traditional. 

While you're in Decatur, treat yourself to a trip to Viet Traditional Nail.  If the place gets crazy busy because of this little indescretion on my part, would you return the favor and let me jump the queue when I pop in?