Julianna Chen

So happy you’re here! I’m a freelance writer and editor from Pittsburgh, writing about Dallas and Atlanta.

I’m especially passionate about profiling local business owners, like:

• Two cousins–both called Mimi–and their mission to bring needlepoint to a new generation via their namesake store in Dallas (Dallas Morning News)
• The 90-year-old owners of Jeng Chi Restaurant in Richardson, Texas, and their dedication to making mooncakes from scratch for the Mid-Autumn Festival (Texas Monthly – also adapted for TV in collaboration between PBS and the magazine!)
• The owner of the first pilates studio in Atlanta’s historic West End (Atlanta Magazine, forthcoming)
• Fort Worth-based artist Billy Hassell and his conservation-focused wildlife watercolors (Covey Rise, Dec./Jan. 2025)

I also specialize in covering real estate and home design–I’ve written the Hot Property column at D Magazine for over a year, and contribute to Georgia Design‘s House Envy now, too.

• This European guesthouse in Atlanta overlooks the Chattahoochee River (Georgia Design)
• A Perfectly Preserved Prairie Foursquare in Winnetka Heights (D Magazine)
• An Award-Winning Eastwood Estates Ju-Nel (D Magazine)

And I really, really love to eat. I regularly contribute dining guides to DiningOut ATL, and was lucky enough to interview Mario Carbone and experience his steak pop-up in Dallas.

• The Split Design Personalities of No. 1 Highland Park Village (D Magazine)
• Mario Carbone Just Wants You to Have a Good Time (Dallas Observer)
• My author page at DiningOut ATL, ft. roundups of Georgia bakeries, jazz bars, breweries, and more; with features to come