To do list for "Phoenix Flies" March 6 - 20 includes Neel Reid houses

I'm making a to-do list.

Above is a Neel Reid house. one of my absolute faves. I wonder if he spec'ed the shutter colors. He died too young in 1926, aged 40.

Phoenix Flies is "more than 160 events, from guided tours to lectures to open houses, at dozens of Atlanta's historic sites." It's ideal for architecture tourists in Atlanta.

I got intimidated last year because there are so many events. Work and personal things interfered so I didn't do anything. Shame on me.

Thanks to Atlanta Architect Rodolfo Castro from Castro Design Studio for urging me to try again. He suggested:

"I recommend you do the Preservation Center's Neel Reid house tour in Druid Hills. It is a great way to see some fantastic houses in a short amount of time."

It's at 6:30 P.M. on Friday March 19, 2010. It's free but you have to call for a reservation and to find out where the tour starts.

Here is a another Druid Hills Need Reid. It's for sale. Distinctive even in a neighborhood of distinctive houses.


But that's not all I want to do. Here is my not-very-short list. Some need R.S.V.P.'s. Some are repeated. Items marked "**" are on my slightly-shorter short list.

• **Meadow Nook Open House Pre-Civil War, one of my favorites, I've never been inside. Across the street from East Lake.
  
• Oakland Cemetery Guided Walking Tour - Symbolism There are several other themed Oakland tours.)
• **Historic Downtown Guided Walking Tour
• Burns Cottage Presentation and Guided Tour Did you know there is a replica Robert Burns cottage near the Federal prison?
• Harmony Grove Cemetery Tour a restored Buckhead landmark.
• Grant Park Guided Walking Tour there are several themed Grant Park Tours.
• Whittier Mill Village Walking Tour of Parks and Historic Structures There are more Whittier Mill tours too. Never heard of Whittier Mill? I have but I've never been there.
• **The Temple Guided Tour. One of Shutze's best.
• Emory University Hospital Midtown Guided Tour of Modern and Historic Buildings. I've been there many times but never guided.
• **Grady Memorial Hospital - Guided Walking Tour of 3 Historic Buildings
  
• Central Presbyterian Church Guided Tour & Organ Concert
  
• Georgia State Capitol Guided Tour - Architecture and Art
  
• Oglethorpe University Guided Walking Tour
• **Academy of Medicine Talk and Tour another of Philip Trammell Shutze's best.
• **Cathedral of St. Philip Guided Tour
• Sardis United Methodist Church and Cemetery Presentation and Tour
• **All Saints Episcopal Church Guided Tour
• **Goddard Chapel at Grady Hospitalddard Chapel at Grady Hospital
  
• **B*ATL - Battle of Atlanta in East Atlanta
  

There is so much more.

Want one more? A more elaborate house might catch my eye at first. You can't take in this corner unless you slow down.

Click here to see a bigger picture.

Thanks,
Terry

P.S. Meadow Nook (1856)

Six Atlanta design bloggers lunch with blues titans at Fat Matts

On Monday six Atlanta design bloggers ate BBQ at Fat Matt's Rib Shack.

From left to right: Holly from Things That Inspire, Helen Young from Whitehaven, Terry Kearns (me) from Architecture Tourist, James from Limestone & Boxwoods, Claire Watkins from High Gloss Blue, and Blayne Beacham from This Photographer's Life (In Search of a Style)

Some of us had met, some hadn't. It wasn't exactly like we'd been childhood friends. But we certainly weren't strangers. We had plenty to talk about.

We didn't do any business, elect any officers, make any plans. We just ate sweet, saucy, tummy-filling sandwiches and gabbed.

Here is our closeup. A hansdome bunch, I think.


This may be our better side. I do love the pulled pork sammy levitating over my head. If you haven't been to Fat Matts, you order at the counter. At 11:30 A.M. the food got to our table before we could sit down.


Fat Matt's shows it's glorious face on at the corner of 3 in-town neighborhoods: Morningside, Piedmont Heights and Ansley Park. It's red, yellow, and green, with over-sized ribs floating in the window.


Across the street is Rock Spring Presbyterian Church which is on the National Registry of Historic Buildings. Fat Matts is one of the few places where you can comfortably take it in.


I think a city that allows these two beauties across the street from each other is doing something right.


We missed other great Atlanta bloggers. We'll do another in April if we can.

Thanks,
Terry
terry @ surf303.com