This basic scene is pretty much what you’ll see every evening and weekend afternoon at the O’Mara house. We love our porch. LOVE. We pretty much live out here in nice weather.

The porch is incredibly special to us because it’s where the bike shop started. It’s where we used to watch fights in the park across the street. It’s where we were when a sweet little girl asked for help on a homework project, which led to help fixing her bike, which led to a whole slough of bikes being earned by kids. It’s where 20+ kids used to gather on a Saturday as Tim fixed flats in the driveway and I chatted with other kids just hanging out. It is now where I sit and watch kids play, laugh, and can watch upwards of a dozen bikes enjoying the park on a cool summer evening, a perfect slice of childhood. Our porch is part of our story and I wouldn’t trade a mansion in the country for it any day of the week.

This weekend, a few kids and teens will also participate in the Porch Crawl. You’ll meet one of our teen gals that loves to sew, has a budding house-cleaning summer business, and is excelling in school, admidst tough, tough teenage pressures. You’ll meet another teen, a guy, that is one of the hardest workers I know, mowing lawns and helping with yard work all over the neighborhood as he attends school. He is a role model to our young boys that have so few. You’ll meet one of our kiddos that is thriving in a charter middle school this year, and has jumped two grade levels in reading since the beginning of the year. His self-confidence is soaring. And other sweet, special kids I adore, that make the shop a special place. You’ll meet them as they help neighbors this weekend host, guide groups around, and visit with you all.

 Remember, Beltline Bike Porch Crawl:
This Saturday! May 19th, 5-9pm
745 Catherine St SW, Atlanta
 $15/person!
Tell us you’re comin’ today!
 

Today I introduce you to a porch that will make you swoon and one of my favorite people in the whole world, Crystal. She is my southern garden and homemaking mentor. She and her husband Teague have a yard that is the envy of the entire neighborhood. And I just adore her. If this porch, and the wonderful nature of Crystal and Teague, don’t make you want to participate in the porch crawl, I don’t know what will! Prepare to fall in love.

Tell us about your porch and what you love about it: “For Teague and I, the porch and garden is where our home connects to the community and our neighbors.   We’re constantly in the front area so we interact with everyone walking on the sidewalk or riding bikes. When we bought the house six years ago, the entire front was obscured by bushes and vines. It was dark and uninviting and the paint on the house was drab and peeling. It’s taken a lot of work, but now the porch is bright and cheerful and the garden is an ever changing kaleidoscope of pinks, yellows and purples.”


What’s your favorite feature of the Porch? “The vintage metal furniture. All three pieces were found separately. I negotiated with a garbage collector in Villa Rica for the glider. We stripped, scraped and hand painted each one and I still can’t believe how well it all turned out.  In fact … with the exception of the swing and one chair everything on the porch is refinished or repurposed. It’s the one room of our 100 year old house that I consider (almost) finished.”

Why are you participating in the Porch Crawl?  “I promised Becky! Seriously though … Everyone remembers his or her first bike and the freedom that went along with it. The Beltline Bike Shop taps into that memory, opening a door between kids, teens, adults and seniors and helping us to find that ever elusive common ground. And when we work on community projects together … such as picking up litter or gardening in the park those connections get even stronger so that we are all truly neighbors.  Through the efforts of Tim, Becky and all the amazing volunteers and supporters of the shop, our little neighborhood of Adair Park is becoming an extraordinary place.”


Crystal was one of my first friends in the neighborhood, and one of the first friends of the bike shop. She and Teague are such an important part of the shop in that their presence in our neighborhood truly matters. It is common to see kids stopping in their front yard to say hello, look at Crystal’s flowers, or occasionally taste a fresh-picked veggie. They employ and encourage kids regularly, whether it’s helping with yard work, home renovation or walking their dog Scout, whom all the kids know. What does all that mean? Crystal and Teague are neighbors, in the truest essence of the word. They are the people that make our neighborhood strong and a great place for kids to grow up in.
I hope you come participate in the Porch Crawl and meet these wonderful friends of mine. They will be yours too! Reserve your tickets today, and then check out a few more photos that will make you swoon.
Handpainted vintage furniture

Beautiful ferns

Homemade cocktails are always closeby.

Scout the dog.

Second in our series on the hosts of the Beltline Bike Shop Porch Crawl is my brother-in-law Jeff. I like to joke that Jeff is our neighborhood’s most eligible bachelor, mainly because he is. I talked him into hosting the Porch Crawl because his home is huge and gorgeous and almost done. He’s also got a massive backyard (2/3′s of an acre with a 1500 square foot garden. It gets prettier every day. He agreed to host (if only because I agreed to send women to stage and cook and do everything! Alas, you will love seeing his home.Jeff has lived in the neighborhood for over seven years, and has seen a lot. He will shock your ears with stories of prostitutes and shoot outs in front of his home. He was there when ‘ATL’ was filmed on his street and the neighborhood was the ‘go-to’ location for rap video film shoots. But more than that, he can speak to the change he has seen and the kids he now knows. Jeff has a soft spot in his heart that cares about young men and boys learning the value of a hard day’s work, learning how to make a dollar, and getting by. He’s got his own crazy stories of being a wayward teen and pushing through to where he is now. He’s often seen hiring teens to help with lawn work or home renovation, or helping them do the same with other neighbors around the hood.

And his home–well it’s about 1,500 square feet of custom trim, beautiful new oak floors, and trey ceilings. It’s one of the largest in the neighborhood and was rescued from the pits of neglect. After 7 years of working on it (and getting sidetracked by neighbors’ renovation projects), he’s almost done. You can see it get to know Jeff at the Porch Crawl on Saturday, May 19th. Reserve your tickets here! Next up: Our neighborhood gardener and my dear friend, Crystal! See you Monday!

Starting Place: Tim and Becky’s on Catherine Street
1st Stop: Home of Rick Sands & Denise Taylor, also on Catherine
2nd Stop: Crystal & Teague Paulk-Buchanan, Brookline Street
3rd Stop: Jeff O’Mara of Elbert Street
4th Stop: Rachel & Kevin Hill of Pearce
Final Stop: The Beltline Bike Shop on Brookline.

Over the next week, I’ll be introducing you to each of our hosts, bragging about how wonderful they are and show you to-die-for photographs of their porches. We love our porches in Adair Park, and invite you to come fall in love too!

Meet Rachel & Kevin 

Rachel and I have a great (long) story on how we met and they ended up in Adair Park. Let’s just say we were destined to be friends. She, her husband Kevin and sweet kiddos Jude and Evie have lived in Adair Park for just over six months. She’s a crazy talented photographer, constantly giving of herself, and great neighbor to so many in Adair Park. Her home is beautiful, comfortable, and kid-friendly. Let’s get to know her porch!

What’s your favorite feature of your porch?  ”People just don’t make southern, sweet tea sippin’, room for picnic table dinners-sized porches anymore!  That’s why we knew we needed to find an awesome historic neighborhood like AP for an authentic southern front porch.  My favorite feature is our picnic table, with plenty of room for 12.  But my favorite thing to do on my porch is to sit on my porch swing and enjoy an awesome Atlanta summer thunderstorm.”

Why you’re participating in the porch crawl? “We love Adair Park and we love the way our porch has given us the opportunity to meet many new friends and neighbors on our street.  We’ve connected with lot’s of kids on our porch.  We love that Tim and Becky have been a great part of connecting neighborhood kids with positive opportunities through the bike shop and we’re excited that we can have the chance to further support the work their program does!”

Ready to reserve your tickets? Click here! Next up: Learn more about Jeff O’Mara on Friday!

We’re just a month away from our second annual spring fundraiser, the Beltline Bike Shop Porch Crawl! Will you be there?

On Saturday, May 19, we invite you to enjoy five gorgeous front porches here in Adair Park. We invite you to come, snack, drink, and chat with our neighbors about the work of the Beltline Bike Shop and its impact on our neighborhood. All proceeds will continue the work of the shop as we invite kids to earn bikes, clean up the neighborhood, and build relationships with peers and neighbors in our community. We believe every relationship strengthens the neighborhood our kids are growing up in.

Details and reservations can be made at porchcrawl.eventbrite.com. Invite your friends and come out for a great night in our neighborhood! Questions? Contact Becky!

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new app “Bike Shop”, a joint project between Matchstic, Hybrid Design, and Highgroove Studios.
Through Matchstic’s On The House pro bono project, three of Atlanta’s most talented creative agencies came together to create this iPhone app.

As bike enthusiasts, we’ve encountered the challenge of being out and about on our bikes, wanting to stop in a favorite shop for a coffee or look around, and not knowing where to park our bikes. “Bike Spot” is a bike rack locator designed for the city of Atlanta to track, record, and locate bike racks around town. Looking for the nearest bike rack? Simply open your app, allow it to pinpoint your location, and look for the closest rack! Then, join in the fun and photograph and post bike racks you find around town.

Learn more at: http://www.beltlinebikeshop.org/bike-spot-app/

Thank you Matchstic, Highgroove and Hybrid Design for what is sure to be a great resource for our city and cycling community!

We are thrilled to announce the date of our second annual Porch Crawl Fundraiser!

On Saturday, May 19th, our generous neighbors of Adair Park will open up their front porches and host Beltline Bike Shop supporters as we raise funds for our continued operations.

The bike shop really began on our front porch; as we met kids and began to interact more and more with neighbors, it became apparent that front porches were natural gathering spots. We love nothing more–still–than sitting on our front porch, hanging out with kids, and chatting with neighbors as they walk by.

We are inviting you to enjoy the front porches of Adair Park this spring! Come for great drinks, snacks, and hear about the impact of the bike shop through our neighbors voices. And invite friends! The porch crawl is a great event; low pressure, casual, and a great way to introduce friends to the mission of the Beltline Bike Shop in a fun way.

So save the date and invite your friends to do the same! And expect more details to follow later this month. Ticket info coming Thursday, April 19! Stay Tuned!

The Beltline Bike Shop and the South Atlanta Bike Shop worked together to supervise the event and make sure everything was assembled correctly. It was a blast! After the event was over, the shop was blessed with 12 NEW Bikes to use in our program.

Within a few hours of receiving the bikes our kids were taking them apart and rebuilding them to make sure they had enough grease on the bearings and all nuts and bolts were properly installed and tightened. One of our 9 year old boys was able to take apart 4 bikes and put them back together during our shop hours today. What a great day!

Summer is coming quickly and our bike supply is getting low. If you have an old bike in decent condition you would like to give a new life, please consider donating it to us. We are also looking for a few churches that would like to host a bike drive in their area. It’s a great way to serve 2 communities in the same day.