10/10!!!! GORGEOUS morning hike. Nicely maintained trail. AMAZING views. Well worth the drive.read more

What would you pay to get up close and personal with a concrete and earthen structure, well five…read morebucks per vehicle may seem reasonable, this ticket also gets you toilet privileges, bbq grills, and a picnic pavilion and some other intangibles. Dams are structures built to primarily obstruct the flow of water usually built across a stream or river constructed by man or beavers, yes there are many type of dams and in some cases provide a life-sustaining resource to people although some seem to obstruct the life of some - it's been rumored that salmon hate dams as do those that work to promote to protect the swimming right of fish. I guess one would have to weigh the pros and cons to pick a side being millions of each species are affected since humans eat fish the fish usually lose. Dams are an extremely important part of this nation's infrastructure--equal in importance to bridges, roads, airports, and other major elements of the infrastructure. They can serve several functions at once, including water supply for domestic, agricultural, industrial, and community use; flood control; recreation; and clean, renewable energy through hydropower. It's nice to know this dam has a revenue stream beside my five buck so the return on the investment is shortened. I came here at the right time on the right day - the generating stations were operating so the lower river was filled and the water was racing to its next destination so probably not the best time to float on a tube or kayak. I was somewhat surprised or maybe amused to see signage on the bank of this river that's designates the shoreline as a life-preserver zone, thankfully the government is providing this knowledge or we might have some people from the gene-pool wondering in to this massive deadly volume of rapidly flowing water, it seems the wildlife in the area understands the danger without barriers or communications. I wish I could of gotten closer to the structure so I could see the water boil from beneath the discharge of the generators but I was happy to see they do have a walk bridge a little downstream of the dam that allows you to cross over and experience the power of the release up close without a life preserver and only requires a little common sense sometimes a "danger sign" isn't needed for the obvious threat. I'm a fan of dams and understand I'm screwed if the dam burst during my visit even though I am parked in a designated paved parking lot far below the water level on the other side of this massive structure even though there is no signage inform me of this fact...

Everything in this plaza is amazing! Please visit and try out all the cuisines on Buford Highway…read more You cannot go wrong with any of them. You'll like some better than others of course, but this is my go to location for food.

Let me put it this way: Every city should have a Buford Highway. This road is so much more than…read morejust a high-speed, dangerous, suburban 2-lane and 3-lane Highway coming into ATL from the NE Burbs. This is ethnic food paradise. All along this road for miles, you will find one plaza after another filled with all kinds of Latino, Asian, Indian, European goodies and so, so much more. El Rey is a great taco shop, Sweet Hut has lovely bubble tea and pastries, and Bismillah is awesome for curry, and that is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. You could spend a year driving up and down this road and never eat at the same place for dinner twice. Oh and don't get me started on the delicious Crawfish Shack, which sells the cheapest and most delicious Cajun style crawfish in the area, despite being Vietnamese rather than from the Bayous of the Deep South. You might see me in the Buf along this highway. It's so awesome I always want to get naked.

A beautiful public space that deserves more gratitude than criticism…read more I've seen a few low-star reviews about staff interactions, and honestly, I find them unfair. This library offers a free, clean, and modern facility for anyone who wants to read, study, or simply find a peaceful place to think -- and that's something we shouldn't take for granted. The Norcross Branch is bright, open, and thoughtfully designed -- with private study rooms, creative children's areas, and comfortable seating by the windows that make it easy to focus. Everything feels calm and cared for. Staff members have always been courteous and professional when I've visited. They manage a busy public space while keeping it welcoming and safe, which isn't easy work. If you need a quiet retreat to learn, write, or reflect, this library is a wonderful gift to the community. Let's appreciate it for what it is -- a place built for everyone, maintained with effort, and offered freely.

Best libary in the region! Why? Friendly staff who actually enjoy working at the library. This…read morelibrary serves the community well! I been to a Fulton library near my residency, and there is no comparison. This branch is always ready to accommodate patrons, and is lively as well. I travel more than 20 minutes to this facility, and it is worth it! Gwinnett county government at its finest here! Great services, great facility, great staff, great resources, friendly people, and great surroundings---, the park and Norcross historical area.

The city removed all the vehicle capacity they had on College Avenue in favor of "complete streets"…read more- a project that had taken over two years to complete. Now it's completely congested just like everywhere else. Avoid.

The little gem of a town abutting City of Decatur is developing into quite the find for this…read morehomeowner. We knew it was a good value (especially compared to CoD) in 2008, but worried during the rough years if we had overpaid. Not worrying now, our property values have recovered & then some as new home-seekers discover not only the value for the $$, but the charm, friendliness and new dining and entertainment options. This past few years, however, Avondale Estates has worked hard to buff up its image and welcome a diverse community of homeowners. It has all the charm (and safety) of a Mayberry type community, but until recently that was about it. Under Mayor Rieker & City Manager Clai Brown's guidance, the Avondale Lake Park was stunningly renovated and re-landscaped, and an update is in progress for Avondale Park. An arts community is thriving behind the old downtown English/Tudor style buildings, Wild Heaven Brewery recently opened, Palookaville has brought crazy fun to downtown dining and The Bishop has brought AE a city bistro with amazing food and wonderful ambiance. We have a farmers' market on Sunday mornings in the arts area & Pine Street Market (guess what on Pine St. in AE) supplies fine meats and cheeses to restaurants in Decatur, Atlanta and beyond - and those places brag that their source is Pine St. Market. Sweet & Sinful Bakery is a wicked delight too. And, this year (thanks to the city & with help from Palookaville?), we had the most amazing 4th of July parade ever. Love the kids on tricycles, but the addition of the Seed & Feed Marching Abominables along with an array of clearly professional cartoon and action figure characters populating this parade were delightful!

SMALL TOWN FLAVOR…read more Flowery Branch is a historic railroad town and continues to have several trains driving through the town each day. I discovered the town when I had traveled to the area for a seminar. It was a quiet and peaceful drive and I always thought that I would like to return and explore the downtown area. I recently did just that. The downtown area is very small but it has an antique store, a hair salon, café, bakery, candy shop and other businesses all housed in original structures. Prior to arriving at the shops, you will pass a historic caboose and depot, (built in 1890). Both have been lovingly restored and are currently being used as museums. The depot is also used for weddings, receptions and community events. It can be toured on Saturdays between 11am and 2pm. Just behind the depot you will find Depot Park which is the community green space. It is also where the large Christmas tree has been installed and on this day, additional decorations were being added. Next door to the depot, you will find the Lakeview Art Center which recently installed a mural of a Southern Crescent train on the side of its building. A similar train once ran through the town and is a now a reminder of this period of time. If you want to make the most of your visit to this town, I definitely suggest going when you can tour the caboose and depot, grab a snack from one of the local shops and take a walk down to City Park to enjoy your snack and take in the view!

This very exciting, useful review is for the 14th Street Bridge in Midtown Atlanta. As someone who…read morehas lived in Midtown for almost 20 years, first on 10th Street and then on 17th Street, the 14th Street Bridge has been a regular part of my day-to-day life in the city. You can consider this a companion piece to my equally exciting and useful review of the 17th Street Bridge: https://www.yelp.com/biz/17th-street-bridge-atlanta. I moved to Midtown in 2000. The old 14th Street Bridge, which was constructed in 1984, was taken down in 2008. The new and current bridge opened on September 3, 2009. It took over a year to build the new bridge and it opened ahead of schedule. I barely remember the disruption. This bridge is newer than the 17th Street Bridge which opened in 2004. The bridge spans east-west over 15+ lanes of the Downtown Connector (I-75 and I-85). The new bridge is an improvement over the old bridge in every way. The biggest improvement has been to traffic flow. The bridge is longer and wider than the old bridge. It's got three vehicular lanes in either direction with two dedicated turn lanes (the old bridge didn't have dedicated turn lanes). There's an elevated median with decent landscaping and spacious, equally wide sidewalks on either side with lampposts and waste receptacles; no benches though. The bridge's fencing is green with an artistic cutout design. My favorite features are the lighted columns on either end of the bridge. At night, they change colors and it looks cool. So, the 14th Street Bridge is a lot more aesthetically appealing than the fairly plain yet functional 17th Street Bridge. The entire 14th Street Bridge project actually took several years and extended multiple blocks in either direction from the bridge. 14th Street was widened and made to look nicer with trees, bushes, and other landscaping. This displaced a lot of businesses. A couple businesses I distinctly remember being affected were Tamarind (Thai restaurant), just east of the bridge, and Wolf Camera, just west. Tamarind moved down the road to Colony Square where it reopened as Tamarind Seed. There also used to be a CVS and Office Depot at the corner of 14th and Techwood where the storage facility is now. I don't remember if those two businesses left as a direct result of the project or not. The old Silver Skillet diner, which opened in 1956, survived and still lives on to this day. In February 2015, a Georgia State University art project inadvertently shut down all lanes of the Downtown Connector for about two hours on a Monday: https://www.cnn.com/2015/02/03/us/art-project-shuts-down-atlanta-interestate/index.html.

I finally visited The Lilburn Branch which moved to City Hall in 2017. This new location is…read moremassive with front and back entrances and a beautiful lobby. CHILDREN SECTION - I took my son there to check out children's books and was blown away by the huge section dedicated to young kids. The facility is also furnished with all iMAC PCs and had a lot of learning games for kids. I came with my son on Saturday, so we got to participate in one of their kid's activities where a group of kids take turn reading with 'Riley the Dog'. Even the toilet in the kids restroom was designed at a low height specifically for toddlers and hound children! ADULT SECTION I went there primarily for my son so only skimmed the adult section. I felt like there are a lot fewer books than I recalled compared to the old location. This is why I only rate 4/5 stars for this location. THE STAFF The highlight was the hospitality and great service from its staff. The librarians was so helpful in telling me about all the kids activities offered at the library and so nice to my son. One of the librarians even gave me a small tour of the place and highlighted some of the services and features for adults including assistance with tax filings, etc. also I filled out my information for a library card so it took only a couple minutes to get my physical card when I got to the library and presented a utility bill for proof of residence and driver license CHECKOUT Checkout is a breeze. It is done at a self check out machine, where you scan your selection and library card and can be completed 100% by yourself, super convenient. Beautiful library, excellent service, and a great place for kids and adults!

The book selection isn't great but if you want anything, just go online and order it. This is more…read moreof a playground than a library. Loud kids, babies screaming and crying with no sound insulation from the children's section. Definitely, NOT a good place to study.

My first time at the Duluth Library and it is beautiful. Furthermore, I haven't been to the library…read morein about 20 years. LoL!! I took the 1hr 49min ride to the Duluth Library to experience the engagement with Raymond Santana. Detailed as, "Join Raymond Santana, one of the Central Park Five, as he discusses his young adult illustrated memoir, "Pushing Hope," which reflects on his wrongful conviction and tireless fight for his 2002 exoneration." I was excited to be in the room. The Duluth Library was the perfect place to have this event. The space was huge. The sound system was perfect and went throughout the entire room and the way the room was set up was ideal for the audience to focus and be able to feel the emotions expressed with each word. More than just a library, the Duluth Library was a night of memoir engagement for me and I am so happy that I went and was able to be present. Overall, the Duluth Library is humungus, super clean, and is easy to navigate when looking for books. The staff was super friendly and greeted me upon walking in with smiles on their faces. If you're in the area and ready to engage with all the Duluth Library has to offer. Make sure to stop in and check out all you've been missing.

I love this branch. It is modern and spacious. Very bright on the inside and you get a ton of…read morenatural lighting as well. The seating arrangement is well thought out. Plenty of outlets and USB ports. The staff is always super friendly, helpful and professional. Plenty of Mac Monitors to choose from. The selection of books are solid. Last, they have book club and author programs all the time that are well done and as someone mentioned you don't have to live in Gwinnett County to attend these programs. This is a great branch and I can't recommend it enough. During different times, the branch has kiosks that give out free COVID or flu testing kits. The people running this branch are really on top of it! Separate and apart from this review, this is also an Amazon Locker location.