Naya Clark

Canopy Atlanta continues to report in the communities we work in by listening to community members and attending neighborhood meetings to learn about what is happening. We then write about what we hear from the residents.

Canopy Atlanta also trains and pays community members, our Fellows, to learn reporting skills to better serve their community. Naya Clark, the reporter and photographer for this story, is a West End and Innovation Lab Fellow.

Meet this programs and marketing manager from West End. Jenn dreams of leisure time in the North Georgia mountains, biweekly manicures, and a dental plan

Coffee is a pretty big deal in Atlanta. Nestled throughout the city and its surrounding suburbs, you’ll find a burgeoning coffee culture with local shops happy to offer an alternative to the big name chains and their $10 lattes. From laid-back neighborhood joints to hipster hideaways, Atlanta’s coffee scene has it all. So grab your favorite mug and join us as we take a sip-by-sip tour through the city’s coolest coffee shops, where every cuppa comes with a side of Southern hospitality.

If you live in Atlanta, you know the weather can sometimes make or break fun plans. Fortunately, as this city grows, so have the options for entertainment, so you don’t have to let low temperatures or rainy days stifle your next adventure. Check out these indoor activities for ways to get out of the house without having to plan around the elements.

If you’ve ever watched HGTV’s Dream Home and Urban Oasis, you’ll surely recognize dynamic host and designer, Brian Patrick Flynn. A self-taught virtuoso, Flynn has an unparalleled talent for transforming lackluster spaces into cozy living rooms, functional laundry areas, enchanting outdoor retreats, and so much more. Beyond the screen, Flynn, an Atlanta local, is our go-to guide to the city’s most sought-after furniture and decor shops. Whether you’re looking to totally furnish a room or need a little style refresh, design pro, Brian Patrick Flynn shares the shops you should know about.

Are you an Atlanta Falcons and/or Georgia Bulldogs fan? If so, there’s a perfect bar for you. Nestled at the edge of Atlanta’s famous Piedmont Park, Park Tavern hosts events and watch parties for the Falcons, Dawgs, Braves, and more. They’re even an Atlanta United Pub Partner, showing every game. With 25 big screen TVs between the indoor bar area and outdoor patio, it’s the perfect spot in Midtown to root for your favorite team.

If you can’t make it to New Orleans for Mardi Gras this Feb. 13, you’re still in luck: There are plenty of ways to celebrate around Atlanta, especially when dining out.
Historically, Mardi Gras (or Fat Tuesday) was the gluttonous precursor to Lent, hence all the hearty, flavorful dishes many have come to associate with the holiday. Across Atlanta, you have your choice of southern-style dining experiences that offer up favorites like po’boys, gumbo, seafood, and more. Visit these eight spots t...

Earlier this year, Brooklyn-based poet and author Cynthia Manick released her latest poetry collection, No Sweet Without Brine (Amistad Press, 2023). Selected by the New York Public Library as one of the Best Books for Adults 2023, The work is wonderful, full of memory and wonder. Manick uses poetry to make the mundane feel like freedom while incorporating contemporary themes, such as Idris Elba’s narration on the Calm App, dating apps for welders, Ursula in The Little Mermaid, the classic no...

Boutiques
Often found at pop-ups on the Beltline near Ponce City Market, Kamawe sells all-gender (and totally unique) brass and copper jewelry. There’s a great selection of bold architectural pieces as well as many understated—but still eye-catching—options. Inspired by the founding husband and wife duo’s trips to Nairobi, Kenya, each piece is handmade by Kenyan artisans with skill and quality.
Souk Bohemian is located in Ponce City Market and features a unique aesthetic influenced by world t...

Located inside Ponce City Market, The Village Retail boasts a large collection of Black-owned products, including beloved and emerging Atlanta brands. Shop men’s and women’s fashions with stylish offerings from head-to-toe, from handmade wooden watches to handbags to bucket hats and more. Visit the Edgewood Retail District for another one-stop-shop, the beehive, home to a wide variety of products from local designers and artists, who offer new products consistently.

White Mountaineering, by Japanese designer, Yosuke Aizawa gives an outdoor camping meets streetwear feel. Especially with patterns ranging from geometric, floral, and owl inspired camo.

M. I. DEVINE IS A multidisciplinary writer, lyricist, and performer. An associate professor of English at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, Devine has published widely on an array of topics, his scholarship winning the 2019 Gournay Prize in Creative Nonfiction and support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. His most recent book, Warhol’s Mother’s Pantry: Art, America, and the Mom in Pop, published in November by Mad Creek Books, delves into the life and work of pop-...

How the neighborhood’s artists are adapting to the COVID-19 era

(Seattle, WA: Entre Ríos Books, 2020)
Orange, by E. Briskin, is a collection of segmented prose about the death of a grieving narrator’s dog. Along with the jolting theme, the form that Orange takes is just as peculiar. The stream-of-conscious narrative is displayed in numerically disordered blocks of thought, many times in the form of observational one-liners. The nameless narrator’s thoughts are consumed by the memories and consciousness (or lack thereof) of their late canine companion. Des...