Latest news with #communityregeneration
%3Amax_bytes(150000)%3Astrip_icc()%2FTAL-talat-market-spread-ATLANTASUMMERHILL0825-c38b1e87fde94d31b75e0a6bcad1a6df.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Travel + Leisure
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Travel + Leisure
This Once-forgotten Atlanta Neighborhood Now Has the City's Most Exciting (and Diverse) Food Scene
I have lived in Atlanta for more than a decade, and for much of that time I drove past Summerhill—a neighborhood just south of Downtown—without stopping. It felt like a forgotten place. Then a couple of years ago, I began to notice buzzy new restaurants appearing, and my interest in the area was ignited. Summerhill, it turns out, was a place for formerly enslaved people to live; it was also home to a large community of Jewish immigrants. Back then Georgia Avenue, its commercial corridor, was filled with general stores and a theater. But social unrest in the 1960s led to a decades-long decline; homes were boarded up and stores shut down. Summerhill's rebirth started in 2017, after the Braves moved out of Turner Field and Georgia State University took over the stadium, which anchors the area's northwestern corner. Then the Atlanta-based developer Carter purchased 35 nearby acres, including much of Georgia Avenue. Summerhill is now a case study in community regeneration. These days when I drive through, I see bakeries, barbecue joints, and beer gardens—not to mention restored bungalows on tree-lined streets. I also see a steady stream of visitors, not just on game days but year-round, especially at the trendier restaurants. Here are four of my favorite places to sample the scene. This feels like the quintessential Summerhill spot. A cheerful neighborhood restaurant, Little Bear serves dishes made with hyperlocal ingredients and craft cocktails with a clever twist. The chef-owner, Jarrett Stieber, draws on his Jewish heritage and Atlanta roots to update classic Southern dishes, like chicken meatballs with congee drizzled with a Manischewitz glaze and a turnip-green soup with kimchi, pickled carrots, and matzo. The menu changes often, according to what's in season. 'Everything is based on the farms we work with,' said Stieber, who received the Michelin Guide's award for Young Atlanta Chef in 2023. 'We try to make fine dining a little more playful, approachable, and affordable.' The décor reflects Stieber's sense of whimsy. Housed in an old brick building, the restaurant has exposed wooden rafters, string lights, and a hand-painted pink bar. Cartoonish drawings of Stieber's dearly-departed dog Fernando are everywhere. 'We didn't want a dark, romantic sort of fine-dining restaurant,' Stieber told me. On a late-summer visit, I had an heirloom-tomato-and-peach salad, with a vinaigrette made with coffee and tahini. On another evening, I stopped in for a pre-dinner drink (a watermelon-infused charanda ). The dining room was teeming with young, happy patrons. I couldn't resist ordering the golden-curry custard: a spiced pudding with crunchy bits of gherkin, an herb coulis, and a dollop of torched meringue. Vegetables in a dessert sounded odd at first, but they added texture and a delightful touch of saltiness. Little Bear. Dominique White/Grub Freaks/Courtesy of Asana The first thing you notice is the hand-painted mural along the back wall. It is a colorful homage to chef Parnass Savang's family, whose parents immigrated from Thailand and ran a traditional Thai restaurant in suburban Atlanta—now owned by Savang's aunt. The second thing you notice is that the food melds classic Thai recipes with Southern cuisine in dishes like green curry with catfish, broccoli, and turnips. Or hamachi crudo in a piquant blend of fish sauce, lime juice, and peach. 'I wanted to trust my gut using Georgia ingredients,' Savang told me. Talat Market is tucked on a quiet residential block of Summerhill, but there was nothing quiet about my visit on a cold night in December. Over a playlist of American 80s and Thai pop, the vintage industrial space was filled with thirtysomething couples and friends catching up over tropical cocktails. It was fun to watch the action in the open kitchen; Savang is often there behind the stove, along with his co-owner and fellow chef, Rod Lassiter. But it's even more fun to take another bite of the crispy rice salad with red-chile jam and crunchy Georgia peanuts. From left: Seasonal dishes at Little Bear, in Atlanta; chef Duane Nutter, right, and restaurateur Reggie Washington of Southern National. From left: Gabriella Valladares/Stills; Rebecca Carmen/Courtesy of Southern National While not the first destination-worthy restaurant in Summerhill, Southern National seemed to confirm the neighborhood's arrival when it opened in 2023. Run by chef Duane Nutter, who gained recognition for his Southern-sushi restaurant at the Atlanta airport, it brought a sophisticated vibe to the district. Dishes like Berber-spiced fried chicken, pimento-cheese spread, and mussels with collard greens have since won Southern National numerous accolades. Foodies flock to its loftlike space with polished concrete floors, garage-style glass doors, and an underlit, U-shaped bar. When I dined there on a recent weekend, the effortlessly cool crowd made the place feel like an extension of Atlanta's film industry. Opening in Summerhill was also a full-circle moment for Nutter. Born in Louisiana and raised in Seattle, he lived nearby when he first moved to Atlanta in the 1990s. 'Who would've known, 30 years later, that I'd move back and open a restaurant on the same block I used to ride my bike to work along,' Nutter said. A good breakfast was hard to find in Summerhill until this spot came along. Brian Mitchell moved to Atlanta from Florida nine years ago, and saw how the neighborhood was changing. Raised in a family of restaurateurs, he wanted to create a healthy spin on Southern cooking that catered to the area's diverse population. Opened in 2021, Poach Social is known for brunch items like avocado toast on brioche, jerk-chicken egg rolls, and an 'SLT' (with pan-seared salmon subbing for the bacon). It's all served in a bright space with barnwood planters, potted fig trees, and big windows. When I visited last summer (after it reopened following a big kitchen fire), the tables were filled with customers of different ages and races, sipping coffees and strawberry lemonades. This is what a neighborhood joint should be, I thought to myself. I was in the mood for something hearty, so I ordered the shrimp and grits, served with a sauce of spicy sausage and red peppers. 'We just want to offer great food, a great mood, and be very inclusive,' Mitchell said. A version of this story first appeared in the August 2025 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline 'Hot Plates .'
The Independent
14-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Inside the ‘forgotten' estate where £20m of Labour funding promises to bring a change in fortune
A rumpled security guard walks out of the sliding entrance doors of a Morrisons supermarket in southern Bristol. The worker looks up at the cloudy sky, then leans back against the railings and lights a rolled-up cigarette. 'Have you seen the news?' a shopper eagerly asks. 'No,' signals the guard with a shake of the head. 'We're going to be getting twenty million quid,' declares the customer, smiling from ear to ear. Hartcliffe is more than 120 miles from Westminster, but news that the post-war housing estate is one of 25 'trailblazer neighbourhoods ' announced in Chancellor Rachel Reeves ' spending review is already on everyone's lips. The details of the plan are vague. Four paragraphs in the published policy paper state that each neighbourhood will get up to £20m funding for community-led regeneration, as well as a 'direct link' to Whitehall for investment. The term 'trailblazer' suggests a new idea. Although, the Tories' post-Brexit Levelling Up Fund promised - and arguably failed - something similar. And as Labour wrestles against a surge in support for Nigel Farage 's Reform UK in working-class areas amid unpopular reforms to the welfare system, critics could argue there are wider goals for Sir Keir Starmer here. But any political pessimism fails to dampen the spirits in Hartcliffe on a soggy Thursday morning, less than 24 hours after the announcement. 'I was like 'wow' you don't very often see things like that for people like us,' says mother-of-two Kirsty Green, who recently took over the management of Hartcliffe Community Centre, a short five-minute walk from the Morrisons supermarket. The shabby-looking centre was built through a community fundraiser not long after the estate opened in the 1950s - and it's now showing its age. 'Like everything here, we don't get nothing so we have to find a way ourselves,' says Ms Green, who runs the venue with her sister-in-law Leanne Heyward. 'This is the first time I think I've seen we've got money like this - it's amazing because we are always left behind. 'Because we've never had a nice reputation, the money seems to always to go elsewhere.' The cash promised by Labour is something the centre would like to get a slice of, says Ms Green, who points toward three plastic buckets collecting water dripping through holes in the roof in one of the three rooms inside. 'There's so much potential here for the community, but as you can see, we need the money,' says Ms Green, who has plans for a children's holiday club and a cinema. Across the main road and down a street lined with discoloured concrete homes is the South Bristol Methodist Church. In the main hall, a weekly morning Coffee Time is taking place. Three women and a man sit around a set-up table, drinking from glass cups and sharing a packet of digestive biscuits. It's usually busier, but the rain has kept people at home. 'We've just been talking about the news,' says Charlotte Gardiner, an 85-year-old pensioner, when asked about the funding announcement. 'It's about time we're getting something - we've been neglected and forgotten from the moment the last brick was laid on this estate.' Mrs Gardiner was aged 10 when she arrived here with her parents. The new estate was initially sold by planners as a ' Garden City ' primed to get a cinema, swimming pool and five youth clubs - but the blueprint was scaled back through changes in governance. Even the homes were said to have been built to a lesser standard than first designed. Of the five promised, three youth clubs opened, with just one remaining today. A swimming pool and cinema were never built. Donna Webster, 77, a retired community transport driver, says a lack of investment has led to problems faced on the estate today. Hartcliffe, and neighbouring Withywood, are in the top 10 per cent of most deprived areas in the country, with 39 per cent of children living in poverty. Crime levels are high, with 73 per cent of people recently telling a city council survey that antisocial behaviour was a problem. Ms Webster says: 'The money is good news, but I worry it'll quickly be spent on something that won't make any difference.' Former city councillor Paul Smith wrote in his book Hartcliffe Betrayed that, once built, the area, located some five miles from Bristol city centre, became 'Bristol's largest cul-de-sac... on the edge, out of sight and often out of mind'. His book explores the dangers of rapid house-building projects - lessons that can be learned today as Labour forges ahead with its ambitious target for 1.5m new homes within five years. A former long-time resident of Hartcliffe, Mr Smith warns £20m 'won't touch the sides' in Hartcliffe, but hopes it will provide a platform for future investment in facilities and improved housing. 'I'm pleased Hartcliffe has got the money,' he says. 'The area really desperately needs it, and it needs to make sure it is very wisely spent. I'm aware that £20m can disappear really quickly, and so it's really important it's used to make lasting change and it involves people in the area who deserve this.' Back at Morrisons, Labour councillor Kerry Bailes sits finishing a coffee in the half-empty cafe. She, like everyone else, first found out about the announcement through Ms Reeves' spending review. 'It's fantastic news,' she says. 'As someone who has lived here all my life, I know, as a community, we feel left behind and used to having things forced on to us with no control. This is about giving control to the community on how they want the money to be spent.' Outside the store again, as rain continues to lash down, a CCTV van parks up at the entrance, a response to shoplifting and years of antisocial behaviour. Nearby, the shut-down council rent office stands like an ugly fortress, while shutters are down on an empty unit along a short row of shops featuring a betting shop, bakery and tanning salon. A lack of major investment is clear, but finally, residents have good news to talk about. Time will only tell if government promises can match Hartcliffe's undoubted strong community spirit and resilience.
The Guardian
07-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Reeves urged to fund libraries, parks and social centres in left-behind areas
'Red wall' Labour MPs are urging Rachel Reeves to fund grassroots 'social infrastructure' such as parks, community centres and libraries, as well as high-profile transport projects, to ensure voters in left-behind areas can benefit from growth. The Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods (Icon), chaired by the Labour peer Hilary Armstrong and supported by a string of backbenchers, has identified 613 'mission critical' local areas. It is calling on the government to pilot community-led regeneration schemes in places like these – which are defined as those furthest away from contributing to Labour's targets, including on growth and social mobility. Such neighbourhoods are characterised by higher unemployment, 'dramatically higher' welfare spending, and 40% lower productivity than the national average, Icon finds – and many voted Reform in last month's local elections. Ahead of next week's spending review, Reeves trumpeted plans for an additional £113bn in capital spending over the next five years, including £15bn on transport projects outside London and the south-east. The chancellor's rewritten fiscal rules allow for a significant expansion in borrowing to fund such investment, which Reeves has called 'the lifeblood of growth'. But the commission argues many projects that would be classified as day-to-day spending, which is more tightly constrained under Reeves's rules, are essential for improving long-neglected local areas. 'Buses and trams are important, but they're not the whole picture,' said Armstrong, who was the Labour MP for North West Durham from 1987 to 2010. 'The problem is that big infrastructure projects, like, you know, trains, bridges, roads, take a long time, and people don't really feel that they're in control of what's happening.' She added: 'Unless people are getting the skills, feel confident about who they are and what their opportunities are and actually believe that they are able to build real opportunities for their kids, for their families, for their communities, then they're not going to be doing the work that will add to the growth of the economy.' Jake Richards, the MP for Rother Valley, said: 'Transport and other infrastructure projects are really important, but we must not overlook the importance of social infrastructure, which will be critical to the government's missions. Sure Start is perhaps the best example of this, bringing remarkable benefits for millions of families in our most disadvantaged communities.' Armstrong cited a project in Wolverhampton the commission recently visited, which employed a chef to cater for community lunches. 'They came together and they chatted and they talked and they set things up coming out of it,' she said. She called on the Treasury to consider social infrastructure when judging how funds should be disbursed. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion 'It's about, how do you get a sense of pride in where you come from, where you live, neighbours that you can talk to because you share a meal with them once a week, or something – it's actually enabling people to get to know each other a bit better and be more confident in each other. That will absolutely transform people's lives.' Chris Webb, the MP for Blackpool South, said: 'Towns like Blackpool, the most deprived in England, are poorly served by traditional economic infrastructure, which tends to benefit the big cities more than isolated coastal towns. This government must draw on our party's proud history of rebuilding communities to directly invest in disadvantaged neighbourhoods.' The North Durham MP, Luke Akehurst, said: 'Investing in social infrastructure such as community centres, parks and libraries, would start to plug my constituency back into the national economy, which it has been excluded from for far too long.' Icon is funded by the Local Trust, which was set up to implement Big Local, a national lottery-funded project due to end next year, that gave more than 150 neighbourhoods more than £1m each to spend over a decade on locally led regeneration and fostering community connections. Analysis of Big Local by Icon suggests these areas saw greater declines in crime and smaller increases in economic inactivity than similar neighbourhoods outside the scheme.
