You’ve probably noticed that there’s no shortage of magazines in Atlanta devoted to covering the exciting things that are going on here at any given moment.

And whether you’ve lived in this city all your life or you’re a recent transplant like I am (by way of Birmingham, Boston and New York), you also know that Atlanta comprises dozens of neighborhoods, each with its own distinct flavor and its own set of influencers. It’s a lot of ground to cover. So much so that, no matter how much these publications are able to report on, noteworthy stories, events and personalities are still bound to slip through the cracks.

Much of what’s making Atlanta great right now is unfolding in its geographic heart—the neighborhoods directly surrounding 17th Street—and that’s exactly why we decided to launch a magazine devoted entirely to covering this area. In our debut issue, and in the months and issues that follow, we’ll bring you the latest on restaurants, shopping, stylish homes and their inhabitants, the arts, neighborhood festivals, and plenty more in Midtown, Westside, Virginia Highland, Inman Park, Grant Park, Ansley Park, Reynoldstown, Cabbagetown, Old Fourth Ward, Poncey-Highland and Morningside.

For our first issue, Kate Parham Kordsmeier sat down for lunch and dinner at Bellina in Ponce City Market’s popular food hall to unearth the Italian eatery’s best dishes; Karina Antenucci rounded up summer-ready beauty products and body treatments; and H.M. Cauley pored over Atlanta’s annals and did some not-too-hard-to-handle field research to give you both a historic and what’s-hot-now breakdown of the 11 neighborhoods we’ll be covering. It didn’t take long for us as a team to learn that Atlantans who live in the heart of the city are passionate about their neighborhoods’ charms, and that a bit of friendly dispute over what landmark belongs within which boundary is not only common, but fun.

Regardless of which neighborhood you call home, I hope that 17th South will help you get to know yours a little bit better, and inspire you to get out and explore across neighborhood lines, as well. Enjoy!

Lindsay Lambert Day
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF