For the inhabitants of Atlanta, even mundane tasks like gassing up your car can end in a brush with the stars. There is rarely a dull moment in this southern hub for sports and music. Rappers and athletes practically line the blocks. With many celebrities living in North Atlanta’s surrounding areas, students have encountered famous people in everyday places—from gas stations to coffee shops.
Ex-Brave player Dansby Swanson is no longer a local, but he used to frequent the same brunch destinations as North Atlanta students. Junior Anna Hammond loves to dine with her family at The Companion, a restaurant located on the West Side. Here, she has spotted Swanson, not once, but two times. The first time she saw him, she was too starstruck to introduce herself, but when she saw him again two weeks later, she knew she could not let the opportunity pass. With shaking hands, she approached Swanson and told him that she was a huge fan, to which he graciously smiled. She even got a selfie before he sped off in his Ferrari. “This will be my greatest flex until the end of time,” said Hammond. “Fun fact, his brunch order is a salad and blueberry pancakes.”
Lifetime Gym is another hotspot for celebrity sightings. Junior Easley Sloan and his friends enjoy the occasional after-school basketball game at the gym. One day, they had just begun their game, when out of nowhere, famed Instagram comedian and internet personality Druski appeared. Druski and his friends then asked Sloan to play a game with them—making one wonder who the real celebrity in this situation was. “Druski only shoots half-court shots,” said Sloan, who was victorious over his long-time idol.
One afternoon on the corner of Powers Ferry and Roswell, a gas station valet informed junior Adeline Briggs that at that very moment, the car of celebrated rapper Lil Baby was directly behind her. Briggs and her friends rushed inside to see Lil Baby, his security detail and his son quenching their thirst in the aisle lined with refrigerators. At first, they hung back, observing the legendary Atlantan from afar, but after he had paid and was on his way out, they knew that they must seize the chance. They finally approached him and secured a selfie, along with a group picture snapped by his security detail. Immediately after, Lil Baby and his entourage hurried out of the gas station, as a parade of cars had begun to flood into the parking lot to greet the star. “It was amazing how fast his fans tracked him down,” said Briggs. “I remember thinking this is what it feels like to be famous.”
Sporadic basketball games with superstars and brunch with VIPs. In Atlanta, students should be ready for the possibility of everyday errands and activities quickly transforming into exciting anecdotes.
