Speaking of history, I just came across a must read for Atlantans, theatlanticcities.com just published a really interesting article on Atlanta comparing the city in the years 1871 & 2011. It gives side by side depictions of then and now. Any Atlanta resident is sure to find it an interesting read.

- Mindy

Gather documents that contain personal information and bring them for the shredder. There is a limit of 5 boxes per person. See information on the types of shredding here http://web.co.dekalb.ga.us/beautiful/pdf/2011_11_19Shredding.pdf

In addition, if you have any old tires hanging around or if you have had any dumped illegally on your street you can bring those and for $1.00 they will be recycled. Limit 10 tires per person.

The Shred & Tread Event is being held Saturday, November 19th 9am – 1pm
DeKalb County Sanitation – Central Transfer Station
3720 Leroy Scott Drive
Decatur, GA 30032

Baby Bird is the youngest of her flock. She is also the biggest girl in the bunch.

She a city chicken hailing from East Atlanta where she shares the backyard of Rebecca & Joe with her pals.

1. Savannah, GA – home to the largest National Historic Landmark District in the country.  Spanish moss on low growing oaks, parks galore, haunted stories at every turn and amazing walkability, Savannah never fails to impress. Don’t miss: A visit to Bonaventure cemetery
2. Smoky Mountain National Park , NC/TN – I am big fan of our National Park system, this is the 1st one I ever visited as a kid. Highlights include – miles and miles of hiking trails, streams and cooler temperatures. Don’t miss: seeing the Elk in Cataloochee Valley
3. Asheville, NC – Another walkable city fill of yummy places to eat. If you love craft beer this place is a must visit with local brewers around every corner.  Don’t miss: the River Arts District
4. Cloudland Canyon State Park, GA – located in the Northeast corner of Georgia people are always surprised by the canyon views at Cloudland. Hike the rim trail or down into the gorge. Don’t miss: the 2 mile waterfalls trail
5. The Forgotten Coast, FL – Located on the panhandle of Florida, it is hard for me to pick one just city. Couple the cleanest, whitest beaches you can find almost anywhere with fresh shrimp and oysters right off the boat. Highlights: For Beaches: St Joe Peninsula and Saint George Island. To get a taste of  “Old” Florida: Appalachicola. Don’t miss: Oysters on the half shell and peel and eat shrimp at the Indian Pass Raw Bar.

photo: taken by Mindy in Smoky Mountain National Park

I think this is a great tool for potential home buyers. The stats seem to run 30-45 days behind but the heat colors are indicative of patterns and typically that is what my buyers are interested in seeing.

It is interactive and you can zoom in and see details about the crimes listed. I hope they take this further and make it searchable. Right now it just shows city of Atlanta of DeKalb County. I live in a zip code that covers 2 counties and would love the option to be able to search by zipcode or search by map.

Not surprising is that the commercial areas in our neighborhoods are mostly red zones. The Edge Retail District just south of Little Five Points had a shockingly high number. Seeing that red blob is a good reminder to stay alert when I am in that parking lot.

I was surprised to see that a neighbor just around the block from me was broken into earlier this year!

Check it out at: http://www.trulia.com/crime/#