What’s Up Dunwoody

Podcast 349 - The AAU Path From the Driveway to Dunwoody United Basketball - Zak Elfenbein If your kid won’t put the basketball down, someone has probably already pitched you on AAU. I’m a soccer dad who’s still figuring it out, so I had a lot of questions. Before you write that check, give this one a listen. Zak Elfenbein runs Dunwoody United Basketball, better known as DUB, out of the JCC, and he’s back on the podcast. We got into how DUB stays close to home, why travel ball gives up on players at 13, and what a “shoe circuit” actually is. Then Zak walked me through where AAU money really goes, and spoiler, the price tag has nothing to do with who’s watching. We also talked about hype videos, the one question every parent should ask a coach, and why so many DUB families stick around after their sons age out. DUB tryouts start in January at the JCC. If you’ve got an 8th through 11th grader who loves the game, now’s the time to reach out. Full episode summary lives here: whatsupdunwoody.com/podcast-349 Thanks for following What's Up Dunwoody. I’m Matt Weber, a Dunwoody REALTOR®. I’ve spent over 10 years telling Dunwoody’s best stories and helping neighbors buy and sell homes here. Thinking about buying or selling in Dunwoody? Start here: https://whatsupdunwoody.com/homes

Podcast 348 - Light Up Dunwoody 2026 Guide: Parking, the Trolley, and Santa Pics - Jimmy Economos If you’ve driven down Chamblee Dunwoody lately, you’ve seen the tree and menorah already standing at the Donaldson-Bannister Farm. That means Light Up Dunwoody is almost here, and it looks like the event has found its forever home. Jimmy Economos of EEP Events is back to walk me through it. He and his wife Leah produce Light Up for the Dunwoody Homeowners Association. We got into why the farm works so well after years in the Village, where to park at Independence Square, the Discover Dunwoody trolley that runs you over, and how the Santa pics stay free. Santa David has been doing this for almost 20 years, and Jimmy has a story about him that says everything. We also talked about the new food trucks, why Jimmy calls Leah the sponsorship queen, and his hot take on where the real center of Dunwoody is. Then Jimmy shared a story that brings the whole thing full circle, and it starts with him growing up across the street. It’s Sunday, November 15th, from 2 to 6, with the tree lit around 6. It’s a small-town event in the big city, and everybody should come out. --- Full episode summary lives here: whatsupdunwoody.com/podcast-348

Podcast 347 - Dunwoody Isn't Just Known for Perimeter Mall Anymore - Mark Galvin High Street, Ashford Lane, and Campus 244 are changing the way the rest of Atlanta sees Dunwoody. For years, people outside our city knew us for one thing, Perimeter Mall. Now they're coming for the restaurants and the green space, and they're starting to figure out there's a whole lot more here than a mall. Developers see it too, and they're putting real money into older shopping centers, like EDENS is doing at Park Place. Mark Galvin from Discover Dunwoody is back, and I asked him what Dunwoody will look like five years from now. He made a comparison to Avalon that I can't stop thinking about. We got into High Street's Phase 2 redesign, the new Brazilian steakhouse on the way, what's taking Living Spaces so long, and why Dunwoody needs a big gateway sign you can see from 285. We also talked about why our hotels charge more than the ones next door, why sitting right at 285 and 400 matters so much, and I had a take on parking decks that some of you might not love. --- Full episode summary lives here: whatsupdunwoody.com/podcast-347

Podcast 346 - Karate Atlanta Builds Confidence and Leaders in Life - Bonnie Rhodes & James Devins Karate Atlanta has been teaching taekwondo in Dunwoody since 2005, right in the Publix shopping center in the Village. My son trained there years ago, and what stuck with me wasn't the kicks. It was how proud he was when he earned a new belt. They teach everyone from four-year-old Tigers to adults, and their oldest beginner started at 72. Bonnie Rhodes and James Devins walked me through what really happens when you learn confidence. Bonnie started as a shy adult who grew up being told she was worthless, and now she's found her calling and is making sure kids start out with more than she had. James calls his students athletes, and he wants every one of them to become a leader in life. He loves the moment a timid kid gets to testing and says, "I don't need you, Mr. Devins." His favorite class to teach is actually the adults, and he credits martial arts for helping him lead a 400-person band in the Rose Parade. We got into earning your uniform, why the white belt starts with listening at home, and the quiet kid who became an instructor. If you've been curious, they offer a two-week trial for $49, uniform included, so you can see it for yourself. --- Full episode summary lives here: whatsupdunwoody.com/podcast-346

Podcast 345 - Sounds of Dunwoody Is Back at the Shops of Dunwoody - Nida Mudd & Miguel Romero Miguel Romero and Nida Mudd are back to talk about year two of Sounds of Dunwoody. We went through the lineup, from Miguel's band, Bad Habits, opening at 4, to a Dunwoody High School band called District 5, the Basement Band and Family Truckster. We also talked about the recent bar crawl that raised money for the Dunwoody Police Foundation, Beyond Juicery and Sweat440 moving in, Dunwoody Tavern turning 30, and why Miguel's skinny margaritas sneak up on people. More and more events are popping up in the Village now that the Dunwoody Village Merchant Alliance is introducing the business owners from all of its shopping centers to each other. Five Shops of Dunwoody restaurants are giving 10% to Dunwoody High football that night, and the TVs inside will have the games on. This Saturday Night, October 24th from 4-11pm at the Shops of Dunwoody.

Podcast 344 - Ashford Lane Has Become Dunwoody's Event Space - Autry Graham & Bari Holmes Ashford Lane wants Dunwoody to come hang out, and they're spending real money to make it happen. Free movies on the lawn, fall festivals, watch parties, a stage for local nonprofits, and great restaurants steps away. Autry Graham runs marketing for Ashford Lane, and Bari Holmes, a Dunwoody High grad, plans their events. We got into why they keep throwing free events for families, their "Costco hot dog" theory, and why Dunwoody would rather be invited than sold to. We also talked about S'more the Merrier in December and what's coming in 2027. And yes, Dunwoody Idol is coming back! Next up is the free Fall Festival. It was scheduled for this Saturday, but it's moved to Saturday, October 17, from 4 to 7. Pumpkin painting, carnival games and a stilt walker, then grab dinner on a patio. Bring the kids. The best part is that it is completely free, and surrounded by amazing restaurants. See you out there! --- Full episode summary lives here: whatsupdunwoody.com/podcast-344

Podcast 343 - Wildcat5e Robotics Opens St. Luke's Pumpkin Patch This Week - Lars Dike & Izzy Grant If you've driven down Mount Vernon Road in October, you've seen the giant pumpkin patch in front of St. Luke's. Every one of those pumpkins helps pay for Dunwoody High's robotics team. My nephew Lars Dike and his friend Izzy Grant are both on Wildcat5e, and they walked me through what the team actually does. We got into the brand new game that drops every January, what six weeks of "lock-in time" looks like, why no two robots look alike, and how close they came to Worlds in Houston. Then we talked about where the money comes from, and spoiler, it's mostly pumpkins. We also got into the Dunwoody High School Marching Band and this year's halftime show. The patch opens October 6th, so plan your pumpkin run now. These kids have earned it.

Podcast 342 - Aritzia at Perimeter Mall, Ashford Lane, and School of Rock Dunwoody - Mark Galvin I asked Mark Galvin, "If a family came to Dunwoody to visit, where's the number one place they should go?" His immediate answer was Ashford Lane, which I love, but I didn't expect it. His next answer was Perimeter Mall, where Aritzia just opened, and Mark swears malls are back. Then we dove deep into a bunch of random topics, like who actually fills Dunwoody's hotels, how Discover Dunwoody helps bring conferences to town and why, and why they're packing up the office and moving to High Street. We talked about what Create Dunwoody is really for and who decides what public art goes up around the city. We also got into a few new business openings. School of Rock just opened in Williamsburg, and Mark had a stat about who's signing up for lessons that neither of us saw coming. Mark, with Discover Dunwoody, knows more about what's going on in Dunwoody than just about anybody, and he brought a whole list of fall events, so grab a pen.  

Podcast 341 - Free PR and Marketing Tips Every Dunwoody Business Can Use - Dori Mendel - Totally PR I've been doing What's Up Dunwoody since 2018, and I had never once sat down with a PR pro and asked what I'm doing wrong. So I did it on the show. Dori Mendel has spent more than 20 years helping companies tell their story, and she launched Totally PR in Dunwoody seven years ago. A sign she bought at a Dunwoody boutique that first week still hangs behind her desk: "Don't be afraid to fail, be afraid not to try." Her approach starts with one question. Where do you want to end up? Instead of throwing spaghetti at the wall, Dori builds the plan backward from the goal, then lets the data decide what to do more of and what to drop. She's big on keeping one consistent tone of voice, so people recognize you whether they meet you at a Dunwoody event, land on your website or open your email. She also reminded me that every buying decision is an emotional one. People do business with people they trust. She made the case for authenticity over polish, for promoting your wins instead of sitting on them (like the time Atlanta Magazine featured What's Up Dunwoody in its 2019 Best of Atlanta issue, which I never told anyone about), and for using what's already around you, like client testimonials and your own team. Content ideas are everywhere. Most people think we have a short attention span, but Dori put it better: "I think we have a short consideration span." If you run a small business around Dunwoody, there's a lot in here you can use this week, no big budget required.

Podcast 340 - You Don't Have to Be Jewish to Belong at the JCC - Janel Margaretta The JCC has been sitting on the land off Tilly Mill since 1961, back when it was farmland and Dunwoody was still decades away from being a city. It's still a huge part of Dunwoody's culture. Sixty thousand people walk through the doors every year now, and nine out of ten of them tell Janel Margaretta they made a friend while they were there. Measuring that is literally her job. She is the Chief Impact Officer, and she raised the money for the biggest renovation that campus has seen since 2000. You see it in small ways. A bus brings kids from school to Club J while a parent gets a workout in. When you show up at the pickleball courts, you always see someone you know. Summer camps are where kids grow up. Janel calls it the third spot, after work and home. All are welcome. You don't have to be Jewish. She said it comes down to kindness and honesty and caring for one another, and that is it. Sixty five years on the same piece of ground, and that is still the whole idea. Camp Barney registration opens September 23. And the Book Festival is back November 1 through 22, one of the largest Jewish book festivals in North America and somehow already in its 35th year, with Harry Connick Jr. on the lineup.