Downtown Wellen comes alive at night

A panoramic view from the Oak & Stone. COURTESY PHOTOS

“Heavenly shades of night are falling,” sang The Platters. Their song, “Twilight Time” would be a fitting backbeat in Downtown Wellen Park as the area comes alive in the evening.

On the Great Lawn outside Solis Hall, the community banquet and meeting center, a group of youths in dark shirts and shorts race across the greensward that slopes down from the building. Using a trampoline, hands, hips, butts and feet, they played a robust ball game as younger children watched. Families gathered under a heritage oak said to be 100 years old. Some parental figures ensconced in lawn chairs kept sharp eyes on young ones near the lake, some supervised children playing in the splash attraction while others joined the kids in playing with the oversized public toys that dot the green.

Further north along the pathway that hugs the lake, couples young and old enjoyed the romance on a stroll at dusk. Beyond them lay a park with traditional and modern play equipment. Children scampered up struts and girders or swung for their young lives on the swings.

Outdoor seating at Acqua Pazza.

A dog barked with excitement and strained momentarily at his leash as he heard the children laugh. Its owners stood a moment at the lip of the green, near the parking lot of Oak & Stone restaurant. Like the dog, they seemed torn between the lakefront view and the fine smells emanating from the whiskey-themed restaurant. With high-quality bar food, specialty pizzas, impressive alcohol menu and laid-back atmosphere, the restaurant doubles as a date night venue and a wonderful place to watch a game.

Two stories high, the Oak & Stone rises with angular offset grace above the lakefront downtown, giving second-floor patrons — those who are willing to brave the heat — panoramic views of Wellen Park, a burgeoning community that sprang from stark pastures of scrub and stunted slash pines. An arc of restaurants with an outer ring of artisans, professional offices, public buildings and apartments girdle the northeast corner of Grand Lake. Beyond that, new homes rise and cleared land speaks to future growth.

A view of Grand Lake.

The multicolored sun-sails that shade much of the downtown piazza ripple like flags. The hues are mimicked in the garishly painted ex-shipping containers from which snacks, drinks and comestibles are sold. Pop Dawgs, a spinoff of the Atlanta Braves’ presence in the area, selling ballpark food, along with sporting goods supplier Kind Vibes Outfitters occupy the repurposed containers.

Next to Oak & Stone is Foxtail Coffee, which bills itself as an environmentally conscious outlet. The restaurant goes for a funky industrial look with lofty ceilings and exposed ductwork. And they serve a good cup of joe.

Across the open area next to Solis Hall is The Banyan House, which offers up steaks, seafood and pasta, along with specialty meals. Its peaked roof and high windows complement Solis Hall’s airy façade. Acqua Pazza, an Italian restaurant; Villani & Co., which features a raw bar; and Bright Ice, which sells frozen treats, help round out downtown’s fast-food to fine dining circle.

LEFT: Ping-pong for everyone at the public table in Wellen Park’s interactive downtown.

A robust farmers’ market offers fresh produce and comestibles every Sunday, Zumba aficionados work out on the Great Lawn on Mondays, and a host of other activities keep downtown front and center in the public mind when the sun shines.

But downtown comes alive at twilight time. Shadows darken the area behind the high Oak & Stone building, then drift across Grand Lake and the Great Lawn into the gloaming. Ambient streetlights offer an ethereal luminescence.

One departing group bought into the charm while leaving. They paused for some photographs, posing while swinging in a hammock under a tropical mural.

ABOVE: Colorful former shipping containers serve as snack kiosks.

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