Welcome to the October issue of Stroll Historic Brookhaven! Along with Halloween, October conjures images of festivals, fall foliage, and hearty comfort foods. This month’s issue has a little of all of those and more.

 

Our Landmarks with Lisa column details a 1990s and early 2000s Halloween Party hosted by the Rushtons of East Brookhaven Drive, a former Historic Brookhaven family. Complete with a professional haunted house and fortune tellers, it rivaled commercial Halloween events.

 

The Rushtons were our next-door neighbors for several years. While my kids were toddlers and early elementary school age when they hosted their Halloween party, we all have fond memories of the haunted house, rock tunes wafting into our home until the wee hours of the following morning, and seeing fellow residents dressed in all sorts of creative costumes. My son even won the costume contest as a second grader!

 

In 2024, the neighborhood Halloween party won’t be as gory, but it promises lots of family fun followed by trick-or-treating along a section of East Brookhaven Drive that will be blocked and manned by Atlanta Police officers. Check out our upcoming events for more details on this as well as the Historic Neighborhood Association Fall General Meeting, IrishFest, Georgia Festival of Trees, and more.

 

This month’s cover family is the Chapmans. Susannah and Ryan have lived in the neighborhood for three years, love traveling to the mountains, and enjoy spending time at Little Nancy Creek or Chastain Park with their boys Holden and Graham. Ryan co-owns Tucker Brewing Company. Read on to learn more about the Chapmans!

 

Our Precious Pet is Mitchell Simmons. He is one of four terrier-Chihuahua mix puppies fostered by Claire Simmons. Turn to the article to find out how Mitchell stole Claire’s heart and became her forever “wild and crazy guy.”

 

Resident Nancy Jiang brings us a recipe for soba noodles. When topped with egg or salmon, or paired with barbecue, it is the perfect fall dish.

 

Our charity this month is Kate’s Club. Located close by in the City of Brookhaven, Kate’s Club empowers kids, teens, and young adults after the death of a parent, sibling, or other loved one.

 

October has always been a favorite month of mine. I love following my Gators, decorating our yard for Halloween and giving out candy, baking all sorts of spicy treats, and hiking in North Georgia. What are your favorite fall activities? Send me an email at lgwargo@aol.com and tell me! I love hearing from neighbors.

 
Happy reading!
Best,
Lisa Wargo