About Atlanta Intown. (Sandy Springs, GA) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 2025)
4 | SEPTEMBER 2025 EDITOR'S NOTE Reflecting on 40 years as a journalist EDITOR'S NOTE $36.95 Service Package (Reg $101.95] FREE TRIP SAFETY INSPECTION $36.95 Service Package alued At $49.95 upon Free for the first 25 people. Expires 9/30/25 Includes Oil Change, Tire Rotation & 27 Point Safety Inspection. Valued at $101.95 Does not indude synthetic oil/some filters extra. Expires 9/30/25 Collin Kelley Being a journalist these days has never been more difficult, especially when you’ve got half of the U.S. electorate who believes everything produced by mainstream media is “fake news.” the HYBRIDSHOP® The Hybrid Pros Call for an appointment! Monday-Friday 8-6 • Saturday 8-3 404.377.2285 1489 Scott Boulevard MedlockGulf.com Sold in 10 Days 1028 Oxford Road Sold for Full Price $1,900,000 Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s INTERNATIONAL REALTY PEGGY HIBBERT’S Sold in 1 Day 1218 Springdale Road Sold for $2,220,000 D Recent Sales Sold in 5 Days 2016 Castleway Drive Sold for $950,000, Buyer + Seller a" •a 5 Average Days on Market 99.8% Sales-to-List Price Ratio Growing up, I never wanted to be anything but a reporter. Some kids wanted to be astronauts, firefighters, doctors, or lawyers, but I was inspired by my distant relative Margaret Mitchell (so distant I’ll never see any of that “Gone With the Wind” money), who began her career as a reporter for the Atlanta Journal Sunday Magazine. I started writing a column for the Fayette Sun newspaper in 1985 called “The Wonderful World of Libraries” (yes, I am that nerd), covering happenings and news from all of the county’s local homes for tomes. Then, in 1986, like Cousin Peggy before me, my first piece of journalism appeared in the AJC’s long-defunct Sunday Magazine. Eliptically, it was the first article ever written about efforts to restore Mitchell’s Midtown apartment into a museum. I was 16. More freelancing followed for a variety of Georgia magazines before my editor at the Fayette Sun offered to give me a regular beat if I could attend a Fayette County Planning and Zoning meeting and write something coherent. A trial by fire, so to speak. I distinctly remember sitting at the county courthouse in Fayetteville, completely flummoxed by the proceedings and the incomprehensible zoning codes on the agenda. I looked up and my doctor, friend, and mentor, Ferroll Sams, was standing beside me. “What the hell are you doing here, boy?” He told me to shift over and sat with me, explaining the agenda items. The next morning, when I submitted the story, my editor eyeballed me suspiciously, but I got the job. I spent the next couple of years covering the tiny town of Tyrone, GA. Hey, you gotta start somewhere. From there, I went on to be an assistant editor at a business magazine, then as a reporter/entertainment writer for the Marietta Daily Journal and Neighbor Newspapers. I would remain there for 13 years, working my way up to executive editor of the South Metro Bureau. I hated being the boss, hated not being able to write, hated driving back and forth from Forest Park to Marietta almost daily for some meeting. Luckily, a former colleague at the MDJ, Joe Hiett, called and wanted to meet for lunch. He had just been named publisher by the late Tom Cousins, who had taken over ownership from founder Chris Schroeder. Joe offered me the job as editor of Atlanta Intown on the spot. That was 23 years ago. Even with all the insanity happening in the world, I still want to be a journalist. I have my “other life” as a poet and novelist, but being a reporter is still my bread and butter. As Rough Draft Publisher Keith Pepper mentions in his new “A Pinch of Pepper” newsletter (roughdraftatlanta. substack.com), print journalism is making something of a comeback. The U.S. version of The Spectator, US Magazine, Ebony, and Sports Illustrated are either expanding or resurrecting their print publications. Remember when vinyl disappeared and print books were passe thanks to eBooks? You just can’t beat the tactile feel of holding media in your hands. I plan to keep living my dream as a reporter — both in print and online. Thanks for coming along for the ride. PEGGY’S 2024 SALES STATS Party in the Kitchen PEGGY HIBBERT No. 1 Agent, Druid Hills + No. 1 Metro Brokerage Your Neighborhood Expert with Global Connections c. 404.444.0192 o. 404.874.0300 peggy@atlantafinehomes.com Sotheby's ©2025 Atlanta Fine Homes, LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. Source: FMLS. 1/1/21-12/31/21. Druid Hills. All Property Types + Price Points. Intown Ranking: TrendGraphix. Top 5 Firms. 1/1/23-12/31/23. Zip Codes 30306, 30307, 30308, 30309, 30324. All Property Types + Price Points. 2024 Stats from FMLS & Off-Market Sales by Peggy Hibbert. Open Hand’s 22nd annual culinary fundraiser is back! September 25 @ 6:30 p.m. Scan the QR code to learn more, get tickets, and meet the chefs.
