Hometown Roots Run Deep In Atlanta

I’m  a transplant from Toledo, Ohio (area code 419), to Atlanta, Georgia. But these days you’d be spot on if you called me a Georgia Peach. I was raised on the East Side of Toledo, attended Macomber-Whitney High School, and I’m a diehard Buckeye’s fan. I take pride in where I was born and raised but I love living in Atlanta. Its bright lights and expansive skyline is what made me fall in love with the place that I now call home. 

I vividly remember the day I set foot in this city as a new resident in 1993. I relocated for a job opportunity as a customer service representative in an office park beautifully landscaped with yellow flowers and lots of greenery which made my soul feel happy and renewed. My first day of work just happened to coincide with my birthday and that scenery was the birthday gift I never expected. I met co-workers and made new friends from Atlanta and those like me from other places. As the years rolled by and I  settled into my routine, I soon found I wasn’t the only transplant from Toledo. I ran into other family members, classmates, and friends of friends that lived here too. It seemed my hometown roots had spread all the way down south.Then I learned about the ‘419NATL’. 

The 419NATL is a reunion of former Toledoans who come together the first weekend in August each year to network, socialize, celebrate each other, and reminisce about “the good ole days.” The founders of 419NATL, affectionately known as “The Committee,” are Stephen Pope, Myron Johnson, Kesha Allen, Angelo Byrd, and Matha Bryson (not pictured). It started with an idea from Myron, Angelo, and Stephen, who were childhood friends. The three men wanted to bring people together from Toledo. They asked Matha and Kesha to join them to add a feminine point of view and together they set out to plan what would become an annual celebration. Their first event was held at Angelo's townhome with approximately 50 people in attendance. Year after year, the event continued to grow by word of mouth and invites by text or social media. The event has now grown into a full weekend gathering with hundreds of people from “The Glass City” celebrating their lives in the city they call “Hotlanta.”

This year the weekend was packed full of fun, food and camaraderie. The event started on Saturday with the family and friends “Cookout at Coan Park.”  419ers showed up despite the overcast skies and periodic sprinkles of rain, to laugh, converse and have a good time. The DJ played the ones and twos round and round as the natives lined up to dance to “Boots On The Ground.”

The 12th annual event concluded on Sunday with a “Day Party” at Vybez Restaurant & Lounge located in Stonecrest. The entire establishment was packed. The energy was unmatched!  The beat-synced party lights illuminated Toledo pride throughout. Several people donned Mud Hens ball caps. Others showed up in colors that paid homage to the high schools they attended,  Some even  wore Toledo branded shirts or “Mud Made” gear. Regardless of what color you wore, your age, or high school graduation year, it was nothing but love, respect and the opportunity once again to see familiar faces, from the 419NATL.

If you'd like to get involved or take part in the festivities, you can join the “419NATL” group on Facebook for all information pertaining to people from Toledo that live in Atlanta.

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