Midtown News

The Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless says that it has raised the $15,000 to pay its water bill and will not have its water shut off by the city, which could have forced the closing of its controversial shelter in Midtown.

The patio at Steamhouse Lounge is a great spot for people-watching. Just because it's scorching hot outside doesn't mean there's no fun in the shade.

Fire and rescue crews have worked their way down to the first floor of the Midtown Atlanta parking deck that collapsed without warning on Monday.

Atlantans may be sad to say goodbye to longtime French favorite Joel Restaurant, but we're glad to welcome the five-star elegant-casual Joel Brasserie, just in in time for summer.

A parking deck in Midtown Atlanta partially collapsed in Midtown Atlanta Monday afternoon, crushing several cars.

CYPRESS STREET PINT & PLATE : This hidden Midtown drinking spot not only has one of Atlanta's best patios, complete with a fire pit, but also serves up loads of "fancy" bar food standards.

The citrus-glazed salmon will be served during the gluten-free wine dinner at Wildfire.

If ghosts exist, I'm sure that the one belonging to former Atlanta Mayor Livingston Mims is hanging out on the stairwell at Livingston Restaurant and Bar, inside the newly renovated Georgian Terrace Hotel in Midtown.

404-897-5000. www.livingstonatlanta.com . Breakfast: Daily, 6:30-10 a.m. Brunch: Sat.-Sun., 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Lunch: Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Dinner: Sun.-Thurs., 5-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 5-11 p.m. Full bar.

With luxury retail in the tank, Midtown's biggest developers are trying to strike deals with moderately priced stores to anchor their Peachtree Street projects.

Noon Midtown. 1080 Peachtree St. 404-496-4891. www.noonmidtown.com. Sandwiches, $5.75-$9.50. The culinary industry is full of career changers.

An Atlanta bartender has packed her bags and left town after she was assaulted while trying to break up a fight.

Pack a picnic and grab a lawn chair. The annual summertime tradition of free outdoor flicks is back.

Scott Kilpatrick, co-founder of Arizona-based RA Sushi, eyed the chain's newest restaurant Tuesday, a day after it opened in the 1010 Midtown high-rise in Atlanta.

MF Sushibar , was established by brothers Alex and Chris, an artist/chef duo who have presented Midtown with an elegant option for dining on sushi.

The Noguchi Playscapes in Piedmont Park is at heart a playground, but it's also a major work of public art by a noted Japanese-American sculptor and designer, which is why its painstaking restoration was anything but child's play.

CB2, an offshoot of home furnishings chain Crate & Barrel geared toward Generation Y, is considering whether to enter the Atlanta market.

For now, tall mounds of recycled steel, concrete, tin, copper and asphalt dot the site that once housed the old Ford Motor Company plant in Hapeville.

May 28-31. $15-$23. Laughing Skull Lounge, 878 Peachtree St. 877-523-3288. www.vortexcomedy.com . Originality matters in comedy, from the joke being told to the stage it's told from.

Small problem with that: The Woodruff's board of trustees hasn't even voted yet on the switch of construction sites, from 14th Street, off Peachtree, to a corner of the art center's campus.