Read Local Stories
A collection of stories from Auburn and Opelika
Com.mu.ni.ty
In 2019, Hueman Collective participated in Standard Deluxe’s Old 280 Boogie. There, strangers came together to paint an amazingly positive and hopeful picture of our community. In times as divisive as these, we are not as alone as we may think. We are community. We are collective…
The Tom Sawyer
Inspired by the rambunctious character in Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” the Tom Sawyer is full of imagination, yet noticeably more mature. Crafted with all the care of a cocktail in modern-day St. Petersburg’s finest bar, the drink is surprisingly complex while still being non-alcoholic…
Embracing a Southern Spirit
Since opening its doors in 2012, The Hound has become synonymous with a laid back atmosphere serving up quality, one-of-a-kind food and drinks. Tucked quietly beside a downtown parking deck, The Hound seems like Auburn’s best kept secret that’s definitely not a secret anymore…
A New Culture of Clothing
If you visit Downtown Opelika, you can’t miss the revitalization happening. Nestled next to a local record store and a hidden speakeasy lies Griff Goods, a locally-owned men’s clothing shop. This small-town shop is part of a bigger mission: to offer sustainably sourced clothing and goods to people who normally would not have access to them…
Bending Light
Photography: The process of capturing light, “the art, application and practice” thereof. An art form that I hold dearly within my heart, a practice that made me who I am today. I would’ve never guessed it’d open so many doors within my life, as the core of photography is to engage, study and document human behavior…
The Behavior of Nature
Born in Dallas, Texas, Amy Briggs is a ceramic artist, sculptor and recent BFA graduate from Auburn University. With an affinity for surrealist sculpture and the subconscious, Amy works with ceramics, fabric, metal and light to create fantastical spaces and immersive sculptures…
A Refuge To Create And Gather: The Sound Wall
“The idea is to get out of the big cities,” says Rob Slocumb, sitting in a renovated, 111-year-old home in historic Opelika, Alabama.
“If you Google ‘sound wall,’ it’s a barrier to keep noise out,” his wife, Jen Slocumb, adds. “For us, it’s like a little refuge. …It’s a barrier to keep all the extra noise out for you to focus on your art and your craft and your passion.”…
Scott Simpson: Bringing the Taste of the World to Auburn
From Florence, Italy to Napa Valley, California, the man behind the finest seafood dishes you'll find in Auburn has trained with the best. After 20 years of honing his culinary skills while traveling the globe, Scott Simpson now calls Auburn home and has invested in one of its most historic structures, The Depot…
Winter Seared Trout: Chef Scott Simpson
“One of the many reasons I like this new Winter Trout dish is because at the The Depot, Trout has consistently remained one of our most popular sellers. However, with this seasonally-inspired recipe featuring warm cider-braised cabbage and this winter seared Carolina trout, it has all the Winter flavors. The Rainbow Carolina trout we use is a very approachable, sustainable fresh fish which is readily available to cook at home…
The Young Man: On Bar Series
David Bizilia is the owner and operator of Side Track Coffee in downtown Opelika. David opened Side Track Coffee in 2016. Since then, he has crafted coffees with an artist’s care. Side Track serves classics like pour overs, espresso and lattes, as well as a seasonal menu featuring unique, imaginative coffees…
From An Acre: Creating A Restaurant Of Investment
He jokes with a couple dining by the window about the downpour outside while she greets a couple girls at the host stand who meet her with an emphatic, “Well you look great today!” You can see it in the way the staff interacts—they’re not nervous when they walk in because the owners walking around the restaurant is an everyday occurrence here…
Side Track Coffee: Cultivating Community Through Coffee
Walking through the glass double doors, I’m greeted with a forest of traditional coffee shop sounds. The whirl of coffee grinders, the shuffling of chairs against old hardwood and the gentle table conversations all blend into a collective hum like cicadas on a warm Alabama night…
Hueman Collective: Creating a Place to Learn, Connect, and Be Inspired
There’s something valuable, and even powerful, about connecting with the people around you. Being around others and learning about their lives–their struggles and successes–motivates and inspires us as humans. Through this, we’re able to draw a sense of togetherness in a world full of individuality…