Health + Wellness

Get Outside and Find Yourself

Mindful Trails cultivates space for genuine connection: with nature, each other, and ourselves. Article by Natalie Fox Imagine walking across a peaceful forest. You feel twigs crunch beneath your feet, hear birds calling and branches rustling, while your eyes take in the golden splendor of the setting sun. The full body connection we achieve in nature is no accident; it’s by design. We are meant to commune with the outdoors, where anxieties are soothed and our nervous systems can truly reset. ...

Life + Culture

A Meaningful Feast

Honoring the Hands That Grow Our Future Article by Caroline Ficken | Photography by John Wachs On an April evening beneath a canopy of trees at Decatur’s Legacy Park, our city’s largest greenspace, neighbors, chefs, and community members came together for A Meaningful Feast – a fundraising event celebrating the roots and reach of Global Growers Network. Held in honor of the nonprofit’s Founding Farmers, the evening paid tribute to a group of New Americans, immigrants, and refugees, who...

Wellness

Wellness with a Passport

A local yoga studio brings wellness and wanderlust together, offering restorative retreats abroad that go far beyond the mat. Article by Josh Cornwall | Photography by Connelly Crowe If you’ve ever wanted to do downward dog on the Amalfi Coast and then toast it with a glass of wine overlooking Capri, Sati Yoga & Wellness might be the studio for you. Tucked next to Dolce Vegan Bakery in historic downtown Kirkwood, Sati is the place where yoga doesn’t feel like a performance and where community...

Food + Beverage

Roasted with Respect

More than a cafe – Opo is coffee with a vision. Article by Brandon Malcolm | Photography by Matt Boggs In 2006, Opo Coffee owner Jonathan Pascual worked at Starbucks in Downtown Decatur- his first coffee job. Like all great baristas, Jonathan enjoyed a steady group of regulars whose orders he knew by heart, one of whom was former Decatur Mayor Bill Floyd. “He always got a mocha,” Pascual remembers. “I loved knowing regulars, being a part of people’s lives, and the community. That’s when I...

Home + Design

Smart Landscapes, Stronger Community

How a New Permeable Hardscape Product Can Empower Decatur Homeowners to Create Better Landscapes Article by Scott Reinblatt As a professional deeply invested in the beauty, resilience, and sustainability of our neighborhoods, I’ve had the privilege of helping many Decatur homeowners transform their outdoor spaces into vibrant sanctuaries over the last 20 years. One of the most rewarding parts of this work is watching homeowners realize that smart landscaping isn’t just about curb appeal — it’s...

Travel

The Secret Sweet Spot

Why Shoulder Season Travel Is the New Luxury Article by Erin Camin When it comes to luxury travel, many of us envision visiting iconic destinations during peak season: soaking in the views of Santorini at sunset, wandering the Louvre on a warm summer day, or indulging in fresh sushi on a crowded Tokyo street. While there’s no doubt that these experiences are memorable, there’s a less crowded, more serene way to travel that offers a deeper connection to a place—and it comes with fewer tourists...

Arts + Culture

Cat Eye Creative Has Vision

Adam Crawford brings his expansive expertise and high-value art to Decatur. Article by Natalie Fox | Photography by Caroline Ficken Cat Eye Creative is more than an art gallery: it is a communal, educational hub inside an intimate, European-style space. Adam Crawford (Owner, Curator, and Consultant) wants his new Decatur location to be somewhere people can enjoy the work while learning the stories behind their creation. Art appreciation is at the center of his mission, alongside collaborating...

Food + Beverage

Herb’s 22-Year Pour

How Herb Chereck helped build Decatur’s favorite bottle shop. Article by Brooke Felder | Photography by Caroline Ficken If you’re looking for a bottle, Herb Chereck has one and probably a great story to go with it. Since 2003, he’s been the man behind Decatur’s favorite neighborhood liquor store. Herb didn't grow up dreaming of amaros and craft cocktails, but when he walked away from law school and into the liquor business, he found his true calling. Open since the 1970s, Decatur Package...

Arts + Culture

Framing a New Adventure

Origin Story Comics offers a new chapter for comic book fans in Decatur. Article by Josh Cornwall | Photography by Caroline Ficken At Origin Story Comics, storytelling goes beyond the pages of its books. It’s on the walls and immersed in the conversations between different generations of readers. For co-owner Adam Beauchamp, the shop represents both a childhood dream and a family-friendly space where stories truly come alive. “I started reading in the early ‘90s,” Beauchamp said. “My mom used...

Home Services

Passion, Purpose, Painting

How CertaPro Painters’ community spirit is powering literacy revolution. Article by Josh Cornwall In Avondale Estates this August, a neighborhood theater will come alive with classic rock and a sense of community purpose. But behind the bright lights and electric guitars is something more powerful than nostalgia–a benefit concert built on a unique blend of business, music, and Mission. The event, set for August 16 at the historic Avon Theater, will raise funds for REAP—Reading is Essential...