Six Feet Under
Okay, here's a bit of a random post for you all. I'm in from Carlsbad to visit the Surf Expo Atlanta offices and it's a full day, with meetings that stretch from 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. By the end, I'm pooped, but I'm not going to turn down the offer to hang out with Doog and check out his gallery in Cabbagetown -- a beatdown, hipster neighborhood that's being (unfortunately) gentrified.
The district, which is a few miles east of downtown Atlanta, was fromed in 1860 when the Fulton Bag and Cotton Mill built simple housing for its factory workers. Today these small eclectic houses and their boho residents define this neighborhood of narrow streets -- along with the remains of the Mill which have been converted to lofts. Cullen now lives in the Mill. Vicki V also lives nearby.
Doog is a great guy, and I'm happy to know him. Originally from the Midwest, he's lived in Cabbagetown for the last five years in a warehouse converted into a loft and art space where he has his gallery, dubbed the Doogallery.
When we arrive, Doog realizes he left his keys at work, but his neighbor comes to the rescue with a spare set. The inside is large and airy -- about 3,000 square feet -- and consists of the main gallery space and kitchen (which he rents out for events) and a smaller personal area. His collection of art is impressive. He also has a large collection of sand from places he's surfed.
We have dinner at Six Feet Under, a fish joint that overlooks the Oakland Cemetery. I admit that I was intrigued by this dining concept when Doog first pitched the idea of eating there. I was a bit skeptical. I didn't need to be. The Oakland Cemetery is 157 years old. It's beautiful and spooky in a Tim Burton sort of way, but it's too old to be very sad. The food at Six Feet is pretty good too: I have a half basket of gator bits, then the catfish, calamari, and shrimp tacos washed down with a fine local microbrew.
Doog is pretty classic. Given his gregarious nature, it's no surprise that he knows quite a few of the workers at the restaurant. He offers some gator bits to a nearby table, which results in smiles all around.
We drive into the graveyard after dinner, it's narrow lanes hemmed in with weathered mausoleums, brass urns with moss-green patina, statues, lovely old trees, and countless memorials to the departed. Margaret Mitchell (of Gone With The Wind fame) is buried here. So is golfer Bobby Jones and other famous residents.
The sun begins to set and downtown goes golden as we head back to Doog's. The Atlanta Surf Posse is supposed to show tonight for a surf movie showing, but 8:20 rolls around and nobody's there yet. It will probably be a good party in a few hours, but with a 7:00 a.m. meeting scheduled for tomorrow, I call it a night, knowing that this is an area I'd like to return to.
