Christmas Lights in Buckhead

I am trying to compile a list of "light shows" in Buckhead, you know, a good list of where to go to see the best Christmas lights. I am looking forward to driving the kids around and hope you can help us with some ideas. I will add them to this post as they come in so be sure to check back.

Here are the places I know of so far:

*Statewood Road just East of GA 400 off of Wieuca Road
*Wellesley Drive off of Howell Mill Road
*Tuxedo Road between Valley & Blackland
*Mount Paran east of Northside Parkway
*Peachtree Dunwoody Road at Winall Down Road (thanks Katy)

Please leave any suggestions in the comment section below.

thanks,

Carson

Loans for Condos Above Hotels Few and Far Between

I heard today that Wells Fargo will no longer be originating loans for condos that are part of a hotel building. That's a big deal here in Atlanta, we currently have at least a dozen or so of those projects going on like the St. Regis, the Mansion, Twelve, The Atlantic, W Hotel, Loews Hotel, and plenty more. This decision is in response to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae announcing that they will not be purchasing any of these loans on the secondary market. I haven't heard of other banks following suit but you can be sure that they will and those funds will be hard to come by. It's my understanding that the reason behind this is the risk of the hotel not succeeding and bringing down the value of the condos with it. I hate to see something like this that could potentially be devastating to a developer. We'll see how things unfold.

Holiday Shopping in Buckhead

I just received an email from BATMA and they have extended the hours of ”The Buc“, Buckhead’s free shuttle. The shuttle is great for those that live and work in the areas surrounding Lenox & Phipps. During the month of December BATMA along with Simon Malls will be giving away gifts from their “favorite things” list to lucky riders. Items include:
*Wine from the Tinder Box/Vino 100
*Signature Hot Chocolate from Williams-Sonoma
*Running Shoes and a Customizable Shirt from Niketown
*The New E-Watch from Prophesy E
*Jimi Rocker Clock and WeatherCast Wireless 5-day Forecaster from Brookstone
*Holiday Tumbler and Cocktail Plate Set from Tommy Bahama
*Hair Products from Cortex International
*Accessories from Chico’s
*Gift Cards to J. Jill
And more!

Below is the full press release.

(ATLANTA – Dec. 5, 2008) To make holiday season shopping trips a little less daunting for Buckhead shoppers, residents and workers alike, the Buckhead Area Transportation Management Association (BATMA) has once again extended the hours of its free shuttle “the buc” and, along with Simon Malls, is giving away some of the season’s hottest gifts from “the buc’s” Favorite Things list.
December 1 through 24, “the buc” will have an extended lunchtime schedule, running every 15 minutes from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and continue its normal operating schedule during morning and evening commutes on weekdays.
“Our goal is to give workers in the area a way to get to and from the malls without getting caught in the traffic crunch,” said Denise Starling, executive director of BATMA. “They can take a long lunch break, get to the mall and take care of holiday shopping without the frustration of wasting time in traffic or looking for a parking spot. And they can feel good about going green this holiday season by keeping pollution out of the air.”
To thank riders for helping reduce traffic and air pollution in the Buckhead, BATMA and Simon Malls have built “the buc’s” Favorite Things list full of the best buys of the holiday season and will be randomly giving them away to lucky riders throughout the month of December. Some of “the buc’s” Favorite Things this year include holiday delights from Williams-Sonoma, cool gadgets from Brookstone, athletic gear from Nike and tropical home accessories from Tommy Bahama—just to name a few.
“Our retailers are proud to support clean commuting as a way to improve the quality of life in Buckhead,” said Dewayne Herbert, director of marketing and business development for Simon Malls. “And giving those clean commuters some of the area’s finest gifts is a great reward.”
During the shopping season, when traffic surrounding the popular Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza malls gets more congested than usual, “the buc” is the area’s only alternative to walking to the car, sitting in traffic between the malls and circling the parking lots looking for spots. Holiday shoppers can even take “the buc” to multiple MARTA stops to avoid a car altogether and enjoy a “Green Christmas” this year.
“the buc” will also continue its normal operating schedule on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Detailed schedules, routes, stops and more information on “the buc” can be found at http://www.bucride.com/ or by calling (404) 812-RIDE.