Buckhead - Atlanta, Georgia

w w w . B u c k h e a d^®

R. Thomas Deluxe Grill
1821 Peachtree Road
Photo courtesy of R. Thomas

Over the years, artists have turned blank brick walls in Buckhead into an outdoor gallery. Some favorites were fleeting, victims of changing businesses. Others have survived and weathered with time. Some were signed, others were anonymous. Some artists were paid for their work, others worked with spray paint and without permission.

Oddly enough, both types of artists have gained recognition over the years. And some graffiti artists once considered vandals have gained recognition in the legitimate art world. In fact, graffiti painters rated an exhibition at the City Gallery at Chastain hosted by the Atlanta Bureau of Cultural Affairs.

The debate keeps Buckhead's art scene lively and challenging.

Buckhead Pool Hall, 30 Irby Avenue. For more than 50 years, the pool hall has been a storied hangout for students, professionals, cabbies, police and politicians. Opened in 1946 by James Lunsford, later owned by Gene Loudermilk and now by Mike Dowdle, it is the oldest bar in Buckhead. One of the most popular commercials in Europe for Levi's jeans was shot there, as were parts of a video on baseball legend Hank Aaron and numerous music videos. Minnesota Fats, one of the best pool players who ever lived, played there in 1957.