In addition to our normal news coverage, What Now Atlanta is tracking ways Atlanta’s businesses are adapting to the novel coronavirus and the challenges it brings to brick-and-mortars.
[UPDATE (May 1, 2020): There’s a Vox Media furlough fund being raised on GoFundMe. Click here to make a donation.]
Curbed Atlanta, the beloved site known for breaking scoop on the City’s ever-evolving real estate, architecture, design, and urbanism, has shut down indefinitely.
Longtime Curbed Atlanta Editor and one helluva Journalist Josh Green announced the news on the publication’s social media pages Thursday.
“This account will be dormant after today, at least in terms of local news,” Green wrote.
“Your support of this news source and passion for this city has been legendary over the years.”
Curbed Atlanta parent company Vox Media on Thursday did not immediately respond to What Now Atlanta’s (WNA) request for comment.
The company, did, however, earlier this month announce it would be furloughing nine percent of its staff and that its Curbed publications in Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, and Detroit would stop publishing during the furlough period which ends July 31.
A spokesperson also shared this statement with Business of Home in referencing the furloughs:
“We believe this sets Curbed—a beloved brand and home to some of the strongest digital journalism on real estate, architecture, design, and urbanism being published—on a path that’s editorially ambitious while also more sustainable as a business.”
As with many other companies around the country, the furloughs are in response to the economic hardships in part brought on by nationwide stay-at-home orders created to slow the spread of COVID-19.
“While no one can predict when the downturn will abate, as I write this, the signs of a prolonged impact on our health, social norms and economy are gathering steam,” Vox Media CEO Jim Bankoff wrote in a companywide email earlier this month.
“We’ve already seen a decline in our business. Weakness in March, driven by the cancellations of SXSW and March Madness, the collapse of travel, sports, and fashion-related advertising, and other factors led us to miss our revenue goals by several million dollars in the first quarter; the impact will be significantly greater in the second quarter. While expressing the severity of this decline, it’s also important to know that we will rebound. We don’t know when or to what extent a rebound will occur. I’d be overjoyed if it happened quickly, but we cannot bet our company on these hopes. So, we are striving to make the necessary adjustments to get through this period, recalibrate and emerge with relative strength.”
Vox is expected to make an announcement regarding the shutter Friday, May 1 atop the [Curbed] homepage,” Green wrote, which could detail a “relaunch” of the site later this year.
“I won’t have access to that page or any social media associated with Curbed Atlanta as of 5 p.m. today, so twitter is the only channel for any updates that hopefully come.”
Josh can be reached and followed on Twitter here.
“By all metrics, this site is/was a standout hit because of all you. Your fervent interest in Atlanta raised so many eyebrows across the company/nation over the years. Sincere thanks, and stay well.”
[Editor’s note: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is rapidly evolving as is its effect on Atlanta, and the City’s businesses and its residents. Click here for What Now Atlanta’s ongoing coverage of the crisis. For guidance and updates on the pandemic, please visit the C.D.C. website.]
20 Responses
Curbed really won’t be missed. All they ever did was promote extremely overpriced old bungalows in sketchy areas.
Shawn must live in Smyrna.
#letmesaythis
Curbed is beloved? Just because that’s what they said in their press release doesn’t make it true
I have read Curbed faithfully for the last 7 years, and I was missing it already because no new articles have come out for the past couple of weeks, so I was beginning to wonder what was happening. Curbed Atlanta does have a big community of followers and has served as a good source of important news. I really hate this. We need local news.
What a shame. I will miss it and think it is an over reaction. It is a good source of local info for all with a vested interest (home/tax payer) in Atlanta area.
Thank you for providing this update. I’ve been really missing it. The expensive ($350/yr) ATL Biz Chronicle has published several articles behind its paywall about major real estate developments in the city in the past few weeks. Curbed would usually follow up with a free story about those developments a day or two later. Any one who invests or follows real-estate in this city uses this publication as a daily free resource. I was really starting to wonder what was going on with them. Lets hope they resume publication in August. And yes its a “beloved” publication like this one. Everyone I ever shared a “Curbed Atlanta” article with became a fateful reader.
Aside from IP30307, I don’t know about you others, but I really am going to miss Curbed Atlanta. It’s always interesting to read about major construction projects that are happening or the unique properties that exist around town. And Curbed Atlanta reports that kind of information better than most other companies.
Agreed, although What Now Atlanta has made its way to my daily rotation of website reading with their improved reporting
You still can get that information.. if you read the ATL development threads online, you will find all sorts of new development news, actually before curbed normally reports and more up to date generally speaking than curbed was.
The thing is, there was a very active community of commenters (the Snark Tank) who were a pretty dedicated & knowledgable group.
How appropriate that the first two comments on this post are snarky cynics talking about promoting homes in “Sketchy Neighborhoods” (Reeks of suburban POV) and a comment saying Curbed was not beloved, these comments are right on brand for Curbed Atlanta Trolls. I was a daily reader of Curbed Atlanta and will miss it terribly. The comment sections (Avoiding Trolls) was always an interesting read to get different perspectives. I found my in-town neighborhood partially from articles and information shared through Curbed Atlanta between 2012~2015. This site has been impressive the last 6 months or so, sometimes breaking stories before Biz or Curbed, and I hope the robust comment community can transition over here and continue. Cheers to a great run Curbed Atlanta, I hope you will be back soon.
Atlanta Resident
Oh no! I really loved reading Curbed Atl. I read it when I lived out of state before I moved here.
Such sad news.
Fingers crossed for the return of Atlanta Curbed and the Snark Tank!
Arobservices Property Management wrote: “The expensive ($350/yr) ATL Biz Chronicle…” WOW! I read this and about fell out of my chair. I have subscribed to the Atlanta Business Chronicle continuously for well over 10-years and have never paid that much. In fact, my last renewal 1-year was $70 (50% off sale). The trick is that the Chronicle has 50% off sales on occasion and you have to know when they are and when to renew. And besides that and even if you don’t, their current annual 52-week subscription rate is reasonably priced at $125.00 (Digital Only) and $140.00 (Digital & Mailed Print Edition). Just Google them and see for yourself.
Good tip, still doesn’t work with my budget though.
I’d be interested to know if there was any demographic study or voice-of-the-customer research done on their readers. Personally I found their commercial construction news well done but the residential reporting was too narrowly focused (fawning?) on in-town development for any real value. If you take a look at the other Curbs in the country the difference is striking.
Curbed Atlanta had the most commenter participation out of all the cities– possibly all the cities combined.
Will definitely miss Curbed Atlanta and wish them well as they work to get back on their feet, like the rest of the world.
I was hoping Curbed would come back. So much happening in the city, even with the pandemic.