Award-winning Tuesday
Dec. 9 — This week brings news of a national accolade for a senior living community in Buckhead; we have details on Lenbrook – Georgia’s highest-ranked not-for-profit facility – below. There’s also more in the latest installment of Above the Waterline, which explores the fee increase at state parks and its impact on our relationship to public green spaces. Plus, the City of Atlanta has unveiled ‘Michael Langford Drive’ in honor of the late Michael Langford’s public service and advocacy.
And now for a few headlines:
⚖️ A man has taken a plea deal in the 2022 murder of Eleanor (Ellen) Bowles inside her gated Buckhead townhome community.
🩻 City of Hope Cancer Center opened a second location of its medical facility at Paces Ferry in Buckhead.
🚇 MARTA has officially renamed GWCC/CNN Center Station to the Sports, Entertainment, and Convention District Station, or SEC District Station.
🍖 Charleston-based Lewis Barbecue opened its first Georgia location at Ansley Mall in Piedmont Heights yesterday.
🍰 Hear from author Annette Joseph in conversation about her new cookbook, “Sweet Life at La Fortezza,” tonight at the Margaret Mitchell House at 7 p.m.
🕓 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter.
• Lenbrook’s national accolade
• Park fees double
• Michael Langford Drive
AND
• Stories of Atlanta | Lance Russell
Enjoy!
Georgia’s top-ranked senior living community is in Buckhead
🏠 A not-for-profit senior living community in the heart of Buckhead has been named one of the best in the country.
Lenbrook placed 24th on Newsweek’s list of America’s Best Continuing Care Retirement Communities 2026, making it Georgia’s highest-ranked facility.
Newsweek partnered with global data research firm Statista to evaluate life plan communities across the United States based on four data sources: a national online survey of medical professionals, management/administration staff, and acquaintances/residents, visitor satisfaction scores, accreditation scores, and Google Reviews scores.
🏆 Find out more about Lenbrook here.
Wrap Up a Year Full of Surprises
SPONSORED BY TOWN BROOKHAVEN
SPONSORED BY FERNBANK MEMBERSHIP
🎁 Looking for a meaningful gift?
A Fernbank Membership offers a full year of discovery with unlimited daytime general admission to exhibits, films, and outdoor adventures.
🌲Members explore 75 acres of nature in WildWoods and Fernbank Forest, featuring seasonal programs, canopy walks, and a nature play area—plus three floors of immersive science exhibits indoors. It’s a gift that inspires curiosity and connection. Coming soon: new museum experiences launching in phases, beginning in late 2025 with “Our Place in the Cosmos.”
✨ Look for our Holiday 2025 sale running Dec. 18-25, 2025.
Fees double at state parks, despite budget surplus
ABOVE THE WATERLINE | SALLY BETHEA
🏞️ Georgians love parks. Whether located in cities or remote areas, they are places where people can go for physical and mental well-being: a way to manage stress in an increasingly stressful world.
Public green spaces are also essential to democracy. They function as social “infrastructure,” providing shared, accessible places in nature that can foster a sense of community.
Today, most of us are living with high levels of uncertainty in our personal lives and in our country. Affordability is a serious concern. A recent poll found that a majority of Americans say they’re spending more on groceries and utility bills than a year ago. At such a time – with a budget and reserve surplus of more than $14 billion – why did the state of Georgia decide to double the cost for its citizens to find exercise and some respite in a public park?
💸 Sally Bethea explores this question in the most recent edition of Above the Waterline. Check it out here.
City of Atlanta unveils ‘Michael Langford Drive’ in honor of local community advocate
🛣️ Atlanta leaders recently gathered to unveil “Michael Langford Drive,” officially renaming a portion of Pryor Road and Pryor Street in honor of the late community advocate. The new name is attributed to the stretch that runs from Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard to Lakewood Avenue.
Michael Langford Sr., a native Atlantan, originally became a grassroots community advocate alongside his brother, Rev. Arthur Langford, Jr., leading him to a diverse job career that spanned political strategy, community organizing, nonprofit leadership, and public service.
🌟 Read more about Michael Langford’s dedication to Atlanta here.
‘Love in the Workplace’: Stories of Atlanta by Lance Russell
VIA SAPORTAREPORT
🥤 A young man from Cartersville comes to the big city hoping to pursue a career in medicine. He walks the streets of Atlanta, knocking on the door of every drug store in town.
As the sun is setting, he is hired on the spot by one of the best-known druggists in Georgia, and his career path begins … until he falls in love with the boss’s daughter.
💍 It’s a story of love in the workplace on this week’s Stories of Atlanta.
Explore more of our newsletters
💡 Did you know Silver Streak has other newsletters that go deeper into what’s happening across Metro Atlanta?
➡ Stacks: Our newest newsletter covering Atlanta’s literary scene, author profiles, book reviews, and more comes out the second Sunday of each month.
➡ Sketchbook: All about Atlanta’s art scene. Artist profiles, art openings, museum events. Wednesdays.
➡ Side Dish: News about the food scene. Beyond just openings and closings, Side Dish includes recipes and a regular feature on pop-ups. Thursdays.
➡ Scene: The only newsletter focused on the movie world. Reviews, interviews, podcasts. Fridays.
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🖋️ Today’s Silver Streak was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.