Sweet AuburnThe Barbershop That Has Cut Hair on Auburn Avenue Since 1971
James Okafor inherited his father's chair, his father's clippers, and his father's regulars. He has no plans to sell.
By Darnell Washington·
The Soul of the South Starts on the Block
From Sweet Auburn to Little Five Points, Atlanta's independent shop owners are keeping the city's spirit alive.
Lead Story
The Record Shop on Edgewood That Refused to Become a Cocktail Bar
By Darnell Washington·
Marcus Hill has been selling vinyl on Edgewood Avenue for twenty-two years. He's had four offers from developers this year alone. He keeps a folder of them in his back office — not to consider, but to remember.
Hill's shop, Deep South Records, opened in 2004 in a neighborhood that was then considered too far east, too rough, too forgotten. Today Edgewood is lined with rooftop bars and boutique hotels. Hill's shop is the oldest business on the block.
'They want to turn everything into a place where you spend money on a drink and forget where you are,' Hill said. 'A record shop is the opposite of that. You come in here, you remember exactly who you are.'
The most recent offer came from a hospitality group that wanted to convert the space into a 'vinyl-themed cocktail lounge' — keeping the aesthetic, removing the substance. Hill declined without a counter-offer.
'They wanted the vibe without the community,' he said. 'That's not a compliment. That's a threat.'
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Own a shop in Atlanta?