Atlantafi.com is bringing you the latest on the coronavirus pandemic, which has the state of Georgia and the city of Atlanta under a state of emergency.
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Homeowners looking to sell their properties will soon be able to request an offer from real estate listings site Zillow to buy their homes. The program, called Zillow Offers, is expanding to Atlanta after successful launches in Phoenix and Las Vegas.
The program is slated to launch in Atlanta in the fall of 2018. Zillow Offers will buy homes in the Atlanta market directly and prepare them for sale as well as list them.
Zillow Is Buying & Selling Homes in Atlanta
Zillow’s research shows that 71% of sellers are stressed out during the home-selling process. With the new program, potential home sellers can get a free, no-obligation cash offer from Zillow Offers within two business days.
“Sellers love Zillow Offers, because it’s a service that offers them more control and convenience – and less stress – when they sell their homes,” said Zillow Brand President Jeremy Wacksman.
New research shows that more Americans are struggling to come up with the downpayment for a home, a process that can be eased with a number of helpful programs. For renters in 13 of the country’s 35 largest housing markets, it can take more than 10 years to save the necessary 20% down on a home.
“Zillow has delivered that to sellers in our first two markets, and we’re excited to expand into Atlanta. Once we launch the program in the fall, we will be able to provide Atlanta-area homeowners with more choices, greater control, certainty about price, and transparency when it comes to selling their home – whether they take a cash offer or sell traditionally with a Premier Agent.”
In Atlanta, Zillow will forge partnerships with brokerage houses and agents to get leads for the Offers program. So far, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices (BHHS) Georgia Properties and Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers have signed on for the Zillow launch in Atlanta.
For local real estate agents, the new program will allow them to be matched up with motivated sellers. Zillow will pay a commission to agents when it buys and sells each home. Continue Reading…
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The highly-anticipated Adair Court project has began in earnest after a recent groundbreaking ceremony. The project, located in a coveted spot between MARTA’s West End Station, Adair Park and the Atlanta BeltLine Westside Trail, will be a 91-unit mixed-income senior rental community.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and other city officials were on hand for the groundbreaking, which signaled the city’s efforts to sustain affordable housing amid a real estate boom that is being accelerated by the Beltline.
“Adair Court provides affordable housing that targets one of our city’s most vulnerable populations – our seniors,” Bottoms said in a news release. “This development and others like it are a direct result of the city’s concerted efforts to secure affordability and preserve legacy residences with the help of Invest Atlanta and the Atlanta BeltLine.”
Woda Cooper Companies, Inc. and Parallel Housing, Inc. are the developers on the project, which will cost $15 million.
Of the 91 units, 77 will be income-restricted based on the area median income.
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Say what you want about the “Puerto Rican Princess,” but she knows how to draw a crowd. The season, “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta” went live without the reality TV star and the ratings have been brutal.
According to the AJC’s Rodney Ho, “LHHA” ratings have sank 25% without Joseline Hernandez. After the birth of her child last year, Hernandez left VH1 over creative differences and bad blood on the set.
She now lives in Miami. I guess she’ll bounce back with a Florida-themed show.
The show’s overnight ratings averaged 2.06 million viewers, down from 2.74 million a year ago, according to Ho.
Do you miss the Puerto Rican Princess?
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Ray’s Restaurants is already has the giving spirit even though it’s summertime. The restaurant with three metro Atlanta locations (Ray’s on the River, Ray’s in the City, Ray’s at Killer Creek) is offering a $100 dining card to those who book a December party at its locations before Sept. 30, 2018.
To qualify, parties must spend at least $1,500 in food and drinks for the events. The dining cards will be mailed to recipients in January 2019 once the event invoices have been paid in full.
Got an event or know of something opening in and around Atlanta? Holla: TJohnson@AtlantaFi.com. See what’s poppin’ in the ATL! Subscribe to our news alerts here, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
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Even though Fat Tuesday was many moons ago, we’ve still got the alcoholic masterpiece known as the frozen daiquiri on your minds.
To put us back in the mood, Marietta seafood restaurant Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar is celebrating the official drink of New Orleans by serving the classic variety as well as two specially crafted versions as well.
The Cuatro daiquiri combines Bacardi 4 year with lime and house syrup, while the Thai daiquiri features Santa Teresa 1796, pineapple, lime and sesame. The Papa Doble blends Bacardi 8, grapefruit, lime and Luxardo for another refreshing twist.
Head to Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar and try them all by Sunday, July 22.
Read more: Casi Cielo opens in Sandy Springs
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A new restaurant is coming to Sandy Springs in the Modera mixed-use development. Casi Cielo: a chef-driven, upscale-casual dining eatery is set to open its doors in August.
Casi Cielo comes to us from the same people who brought metro Atlanta the venerable La Parrilla Mexican Restaurant. This time, the purveyors, La Cosecha Group, will serve locales tasty dishes featuring artisanal Oaxacan cuisine.
Casi Cielo restaurant coming to Sandy Springs
The 135-seat restaurant will include a patio and full bar with over 50 types of Mezcals – the largest collection in Atlanta. Not only will patrons have premium cocktails at their call, but they will also have a generous selection of wines from Spanish-speaking countries including Argentina, Uruguay, Spain, Mexico and Chile, just a cork pop away.
The eatery will also feature water infused daily with fruits and herbs via a SonicPrep Ultrasonic Homogenizer machine, from which low-heat sound waves create a smooth infusion of flavors and aromas.
Casi Cielo will also serve as the U.S. debut of Executive Chef Juan Ruiz, who earned his kitchen stripes from the maternal side of his family in his native Bogota, Colombia. His culinary expertise includes stints in the esteemed kitchens of Palacio de Congresos El Kursaal (three Michelin Stars; Barcelona, Spain), Hotel Finca Lérida (one Michelin Star; at the base of Volcán Barú in Panama), and many other elite restaurants.
“Everything served at the restaurant is designed to stimulate the senses and entice the palate. We respect the ingredients, history and traditions of Mexican cuisine and pride ourselves in doing things the right way- no shortcuts,” Ruiz said in a written statement.
Casi Cielo is located at 6125 Roswell Road Atlanta, GA 30328, where it will serve lunch and dinner Monday – Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Thursday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Friday / Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m.
Got an event or know of something opening in and around Atlanta? Holla: CJ@AtlantaFi.com. See what’s poppin’ in the ATL! Subscribe to our news alerts here, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
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Opium nightclub formally known as Privé has been on and poppin’ recently. This Saturday July 21, 2018 will be no different.
Opium is one of Midtown Atlanta’s newest nightclubs featuring some of the hottest music and an eclectic experience. Doors open at 10 pm with complimentary entry for ladies till midnight by RSVP.
Opium is located at 960 Spring Street NW in Midtown Atlanta. For more information, please call 404-898-1710.
Lounge Hours
- Monday through Thursday 6:30 pm – 12:30am
- Friday 5pm – 3am
- Saturday 9pm – 3am
- Sunday Closed
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Two Atlanta rappers made the cut to be featured on liqueur brand Hpnotiq’s ICONIQ mixtape. The campaign, in its second year, is in partnership with premier digital publication ELEVATOR.
Local rappers K$upreme and Nessly both are featured on the mixtape’s A Side.
This year’s partnership will feature a double-disc mixtape. The first release of the ICONIQ Vol. 2 mixtape (Side A) will feature a ten-track tape, with an exclusive single from legendary New York-based trio, The LOX (Jadakiss, Styles P and Sheek Louch). This Winter, the brand will release its Side B tape featuring nine original tracks from the next-generation of hip-hop.
“This year’s ICONIQ mixtape continues the brands storied relationship with hip-hop, bringing together signature sounds, cultural influence, legends and the leading voices of the underground hip-hop scene,” said MaryCrae Guild, Brand Manager, Hpnotiq Liqueur. “We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with ELEVATOR, discovering the hottest SoundCloud artists and are excited to announce our exclusive track by hip-hop’s very own The LOX.”
ICONIQ Vol. 2 Side A features:
- The LOX, Legendary Rap Group (New York) – New album Living Off Xperience to release in Fall 2018
- WAV, Rapper (New York) – Recently dropped a video for his debut single “Again” produced by CashMoneyAp
- K$upreme, Rapper (Atlanta) – Latest anthem “Move” premiered on ELEVATOR in April
- Nike Boi, Rapper (Chicago) – Recently debuted “Scammers” featuring Valee
- Larry June, Rapper (Bay Area) – Recently release track “Trap, Trap, Trap“
- Nessly, Rapper (Atlanta) – Latest project Wildflower features standout cuts “WHOHASIT” & “Back 2 Life”
- Don B The Artist – Hpnotiq Community Submission
- Juice 716 – Hpnotiq Community Submission
- Abel Deón – Hpnotiq Community Submission
The full list of Side B artists to be released in winter.
Here is K$upreme’s latest video, titled “Move.”
Here is the video for one of rapper Nessly’s biggest songs
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Atlanta is the No. 2 city in the nation when it comes to people finding work in the “gig economy,” according to a new report. All you have to do is look around you to see the many Uber, Lyft and Grubhub drivers on the streets and we see the freelance market is alive and well in the ATL.
The report from FitSmallBusiness.com looked at 20 cities in the United States and pulled info from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Brookings Institute to determine the best cities for gig economy jobs.
THESE ARE THE TOP 15 CITIES FOR GIG ECONOMY JOBS:
1) San Francisco
2) Atlanta
3) Los Angeles
4) Boston
5) Washington D.C.
6) Dallas
7) San Jose
8) San Diego
9) Miami
10) Phoenix
11) Minneapolis
12) Nashville
13) Denver
14) Chicago
15) PortlandFitSmallBusiness.com chose the following metrics to rank the cities:
Per Capita Revenue – 33%
Average Rent Costs – 33%
Growth of the Gig Economy – 33%
Qualitative Considerations (high-speed internet and shared workspace) – tie-breaker for similarly scored cities“Certain cities have the magic ingredients to make it easier to be successful as a freelancer,” says Eric Noe, Editor-in-Chief, FitSmallBusiness.com. “Affordable rent, low overall cost of living and helpful resources for non-traditional workers all factor in, and our research clearly suggests that gig economies are strongest in metro areas where there’s a bigger demand for task services.”
It must be said that many workers aren’t joining the gig economy as a substitute for full-time employment. No, statistics show that workers are taking on temporary or freelance positions to earn extra money.
Indeed, earning extra income online has become one of the biggest things in the job market over the past 10 years.
Employers are become more open to gig workers because they help keep costs down: Typically contract workers don’t require insurance, a certainly not a 401(k) and other benefits.
Still, if you’re serious about working in the gig economy, there are some things you’re going to need:
- A car
- A computer
- A smartphone
Without all three, which incidentally are what you need for a full-time on-site job, your chances of working decrease exponentially.
But there are things you can do to sweeten your position in the job market. In the meantime, look for side jobs that work for you.
Got an event or know of something opening in and around Atlanta? Holla: CJ@AtlantaFi.com. See what’s poppin’ in the ATL! Subscribe to our news alerts here, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Read more: Best work from home jobs in Atlanta, Georgia
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Techstars Atlanta, presented in partnership with Cox Enterprises, recently announced the 10 companies that earned coveted spots in its startup accelerator program for 2018.
Applications were received from 42 countries around the globe, and the chosen participants hail from six U.S. states and Israel. This is the third class of the Techstars program in Atlanta, which boasts a worldwide network of successful entrepreneurs and investors.
“In 2016, Techstars Atlanta entered the ecosystem as a startup itself and we focused heavily on leveraging the global Techstars network to make a name for ourselves,” said Techstars Atlanta’s Managing Director Michael Cohn. “We traveled extensively, building relationships in cities from Cincinnati to Chattanooga, and from Tel Aviv to Miami. Throughout the Southeast, we left no stone unturned in our hunt for the best and brightest entrepreneurs to participate in this program. The broad network of supporters we have established enabled us to recruit 10 excellent startups for Techstars Atlanta this year, and we’re extremely excited to begin working with each of them.”
Techstars Atlanta continues to be housed at Ponce City Market. Over 90 days of rapid acceleration, the entrepreneurs will build their business network, receive individualized support and learn the building blocks of a successful business – all while being embedded in Atlanta. The program kicks off with mentor madness, where more than 1,000 hours of mentorship is provided by the region’s leading subject matter experts.
“Cox is proud to support our city’s start-up ecosystem and bright, bold innovators through Techstars Atlanta,” said Cox Enterprises President and CEO Alex Taylor. “We’re excited to see the great energy and ideas each of these entrepreneurs will bring to life over the next 90 days and we look forward to helping them build successful businesses.”
The program culminates in a Demo Day Oct. 15, where participants have a chance to pitch their unique business plan to hundreds of investors and community supporters. For a peek at Demo Day in action, check out this video of last year’s event.
“Techstars is the gold standard for accelerators around the world, and we couldn’t be more excited to be a part of such a global network,” said PowerSpike Founder Angelo Damiano. “We anticipate the next three months to be a period of tremendous change and growth for PowerSpike, but our team is prepared for the challenges ahead, and thrilled to embark on this journey. We want to take our company from a successful college dorm room startup, and build it into a world–class business, and we couldn’t be happier than to partner with Techstars Atlanta and Cox to make that happen,
Techstars Atlanta’s 2018 Class (Company’s Founding Location):
BigTeam (Atlanta, GA) | A platform that allows modern marketing, product, customer experience, and innovation teams to generate actionable feedback from employees, clients, and stakeholders.CaribShopper (Miami, FL) | A platform that enables underbanked customers in developing nations with the ability to participate in e-commerce by providing them with accessible cash-to-credit facilities and simplified freight-forwarding.
Case Status (Charleston, SC) | An application that assists attorneys in keeping clients up-to-date on case status, allowing them to focus on more high-value work.
Cemento (Tel Aviv, Israel) | A commercial real estate construction collaboration application for general contractors and subcontractors that provides visibility to all stakeholders to ensure that projects are delivered on time and on budget.
CommissionTrac (Atlanta, GA) | A cloud-based software for commercial real estate firms that streamlines tedious back office accounting and commission management.
Fixel (Tel Aviv, Israel) | A fully-autonomous platform that helps marketers create and manage more efficient customer segments by ranking them based on their level of engagement.
Motivo (Chattanooga, TN) | An online platform that connects aspiring mental health professionals seeking licensure with clinical supervisors through live, HIPAA-compliant video.
PadSplit (Atlanta, GA) | A solution for landlords that enables them to provide affordable shared living experiences to the workforce.
PowerSpike (Albany, NY) | A platform that connects streamers with brands in a fully-managed eSports influencer marketing platform.
SAWA (Cincinnati, OH) | A virtual graphic designer that allows teams to create consistent, branded designs for commonly needed communications.