ARTS ATL asked me to name my 11 Good Things when it comes to Atlanta.

Here you go.

Cheers.

97.1 The River’s English Nick grew up in the south of England, in the village of Stourton in Wiltshire, about 100 miles southwest of London. His dad was a shepherd on a large estate, so, as a kid, Nick did a lot of sheep herding along with other farm chores. It also meant Nick was close to many great British rock bands, and saw some of his rock heroes perform live at gigs and festivals across the United Kingdom. He also sang in some bands of his own, playing pubs around the South. Moving to Atlanta in 1996 (just in time for the Olympics), Nick quickly realized that sheep herding wasn’t an Olympic sport and that there was much more rock on the radio here than in his homeland. He got involved in radio in November 1999. After a few gigs at other Atlanta radio stations, he’s been at 97.1 The River since July 2011.

Here, in no particular order, are Nick’s 11 good things.

1. Dark Horse live band karaoke. If you want to be the rock star and get on stage with a real live rock band, Dark Horse live band karaoke at the 10 High Club, located underneath the Dark Horse Tavern in Virginia-Highland, is the place to be. I’m your host every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, so come on and be a rock star.

2. Gigi’s Italian Kitchen in beautiful Candler Park is my favorite restaurant in the last couple of years. I love sitting and eating at the counter cause I get to watch the great chefs make the magic happen. Great food; great cocktails.

3. Triumph Motorcycles. I have a couple of Triumph motorcycles that I love to ride around Atlanta. If you want to get into Triumph motorcycles, check out Triumph of Roswell.

4. Candler Park. I love my neighborhood. The park, so many trees and wonderful neighbors! If you’re looking for in-town living, Candler Park is the spot. Sometimes it feels like you’re not in the city, even though we are 10 minutes from downtown and a mile from Little Five Points.

5. Little Five Points is such a great hang with a bunch of my favorite bars and eateries (Star Bar, Elmyr, Euclid Avenue Yacht Club).

6. Criminal Records in Little Five Points is my favorite place to get new and used vinyl. Nothing like killing an hour or two browsing the record racks, and they also have the best in-store performances from local artists and sometimes bands that are coming through Atlanta for a show.

7. The Earl. Right in the heart of East Atlanta Village, The Earl is my favorite small venue. Great live room in the back and an awesome bar with the best staff out front.

8. Steinbeck’s in Oakhurst is one of my favorite bars. Always feel so welcome, and you never meet a stranger. Just has the best community feel you’ll find anywhere.

9. 97.1 The River. The classic rock/hits radio station where I host the midday shift on Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

10. Brick Store. The Brick Store pub in Decatur has, in my opinion, the best fish and chips in Atlanta. Plus, the best beer and whiskey lineup from all over the world. They feature a beer and cheese pairing/tasting event on the first Wednesday of the month.

11. Loyal radio listeners and fans of everything I do on the radio in Atlanta. Thanks to you all for making it possible for me to do what I do every day.