ALPHARETTA

Founded 1858

Photograph by Ben Rollins

About the commercial center Unrecognizable from a decade ago, downtown Alpharetta’s vintage storefronts now are flanked by 40 single-family homes, 168 high-end apartments, a new office building, and a $130 million explosion of commercial activity that includes 25 retail shops and a dozen patio-heavy, nonchain restaurants. The hub covers six pedestrian-friendly blocks, anchored by an open greenspace.

Key attractions Upscale seafood house Lapeer and a downtown location of homegrown Jekyll Brewing draw crowds. A 9,000-square-foot, speakeasy-inspired entertainment hub called Roaring Social is expected to join the mix soon at the forthcoming Hamilton Hotel. Sections of the planned BeltLine-style Alpha Loop have begun to open, including a link from downtown to Avalon, located a mile east.

Housing types Options within a short walk of Alpharetta’s core are dominated by newer construction, be it modern-leaning townhouses or relatively dense single-family clusters.

Cost of living Searching for a low-cost suburban alternative? You might need to keep looking. One-bedroom rents at the aforementioned apartments, Amorance, clock in at $1,800 for about 700 square feet. Larger condos have fetched well over $800,000—and townhomes more than $1 million—in the past year.

Who lives here? Alpharetta’s been a particular hit lately with Gen Xers moving from larger, denser cities, often for jobs in the city’s blossoming tech sector. A recent survey showed just 2 percent of Alpharettans were born there.

You might be surprised Prior to the turn of the century, when Alpharetta city leaders began assembling rundown buildings and parking lots to create a town center, no significant projects had been developed here for almost 30 years.

Charm-o-meter Rating 8. Hats off to architects and developers, led by Atlanta-based Morris & Fellows, for devising a ground-up new section of downtown that invites activity while feeling mostly organic.

HAPEVILLE

Founded 1891

Photograph by Ben Rollins

About the commercial center Down the street from Porsche’s roaring, growing North American headquarters and Experience Center, Hapeville’s main-drag Central Avenue is home to the original Chick-fil-A Dwarf House, an eclectic slate of restaurants (Thai, Caribbean, Cuban, and an expanded Corner Tavern), plus the Hapeville Depot Museum, which traces local railroad history.

Key attractions Newer points of interest include John R. Lewis Memorial Park on King Arnold Street, a skatepark at the Tom E. Morris Sports Complex, and the downtown pedestrian bridge—colorfully reimagined recently by artists Micah and Whitney Stansell—with 360-degree views.

Housing types Hapeville offers cottages built in the first half of the 20th century and Craftsman-style offerings less than 20 years old, with an injection of denser townhomes and mixed-use apartment hubs on the way. At a new 18-home townhome venture called the Clyde, as one example, two-bedroom units start at $305,000.

Cost of living For a location closer to downtown Atlanta than, say, Decatur, Hapeville could seem an under-the-radar bargain, with typical home values a hair over $200,000 and rising, per Zillow.

Photograph by Ben Rollins

Who lives here? Popular with airline pilots, airport workers, and young families seeking cost-friendlier alternatives to intown living without sacrificing ITP hipness.

You might be surprised Yehimi Cambrón’s seven-story mural We Give Each Other the World, which covers the side of a North Central Avenue building, is one of metro Atlanta’s largest.

Charm-o-meter Rating 7. Hapeville achieved “Main Street City” designation back in 2003. Now, new development and splashes of public art are lending a contemporary bent.

LAGRANGE

Founded 1828

About the commercial center Handsomely revitalized over the past decade and a half, downtown LaGrange claims a dozen restaurants, an AMC movie theater, a picturesque fountain replicating one in France, and one of the first segments of the Thread, a BeltLine-like multiuse trail that will eventually stretch for 26 miles.

Key attractions Sweetland Amphitheatre, circa-1831 LaGrange College (Georgia’s oldest private college), and nearby Great Wolf Lodge. At downtown’s southern end, award-winning Wild Leap Brew Co. claimed a vacant tire center three years ago to become a linchpin for growth.

Housing types Homes run the gamut from 1990s-era infill to brick traditional estates designed by hallowed Atlanta architectural firm Ivey and Crook.

Cost of living Median home prices in LaGrange’s core clock in at $296,000, but century-old four-bedrooms with storybook charm can be found for less than $200,000.

Who lives here? LaGrange’s 30,500 population is steadily climbing, with international businesspeople (attracted by nearby Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia and a growing business park) and others seeking a respite from city life without sacrificing airport access.

You might be surprised Nearby West Point Lake was among the first built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers specifically for recreation.

Charm-o-meter Rating 9. For inimitable small-town architecture with a progressive spirit, downtown LaGrange stands out.

LAWRENCEVILLE

Founded 1821

About the commercial center Among Lawrenceville’s many openings and mixed-use additions, the arts and cultural center has generated the most buzz recently; scheduled to open this spring, it will house a 500-seat mainstage room and Aurora Theatre, the state’s second-largest performing arts space. Like Roswell and Duluth, Lawrenceville adopted an open-container ordinance in 2019, permitting drinks to be carried in plastic cups within a limited zone.

Key attractions Dubbed “the DTL,” downtown Lawrenceville opened two new eateries during 2020’s pandemic doldrums—Ironshield Brewing and D’Floridian Cuban restaurant—to join staples such as Local Republic and Dominick’s family-style Italian. Events abound around the square, including a summer concert series. A 120-key boutique hotel, the Lawrence, is planned to open this year with architectural detailing (red brick and arched windows with mullioned glass) that echoes the past.

Housing types Restored bungalows near the square occasionally come up for grabs, but Lawrenceville’s bread and butter of late has been infill housing, especially townhomes. At one new venture, Urban Square at South Lawn, trilevel, four-bedroom units with nearly 2,500 square feet are listed for just shy of $400,000.

Cost of living In 2020, Lawrenceville’s median home values jumped about 9 percent to $254,403.

Who lives here? Younger families and empty-nesters have gravitated toward Lawrenceville’s townhomes, condos, and preserved original houses. It’s also drawing grads of nearby Georgia Gwinnett College, the fastest-growing institution within the University System of Georgia.

You might be surprised Lawrenceville is metro Atlanta’s oldest incorporated city—two years older than Decatur.

Charm-o-meter Rating 10. The town-square center of Gwinnett’s county seat hums with fresh commercial activity, all punctuated by a lovingly preserved, landmark courthouse.

MARIETTA

Founded 1834

About the commercial center The early-20th-century core of Marietta—one of Atlanta’s largest suburbs—is home to about 50 restaurants and 35 retailers ranging from a record shop to purveyors of upscale women’s clothing, six museums, three theaters, and a host of art galleries. Commercial activity continues to expand outwardly down several side streets.

Key attractions Downtown made waves in 2019 with the debut of Marietta Square Market, an adaptive-reuse food hall with 20 food options reminiscent of Krog Street Market. Other recent additions include Glover Park Brewery, which has helped lure foot traffic down Atlanta Street, Mac’s Chophouse, and speakeasy-style cocktail lounge the Third Door.

Housing types The downtown boom has lured builders of newer subdivisions and townhome clusters within a quick bike ride of the action, while historic thoroughfares such as Church Street are loaded with well-kept, grander century-old dwellings.

Cost of living The rather steep median home price, $454,210, reflects the prevalence of larger, restored estate homes that can fetch more than $850,000. More affordable bungalows and ranches can be found further off the square.

Who lives here? Popular with young families and retirees—and, more recently, fans of the Atlanta Braves, who play ball eight miles away.

You might be surprised This past fall, Yelp and Zillow declared Marietta the number eight suburb in the U.S. for affordability with a big-city feel.

Charm-o-meter Rating 10. With its impressively preserved houses, gorgeous square, and growing slate of sophisticated culinary options, this city center is where Mayberry meets Inman Park.

NORCROSS

Founded 1870

About the commercial center Norcross was born about 150 years ago as a railroad line’s first stop out of Atlanta, and many of the community’s boutique shops and eateries still face the active railroad tracks. These days, the historic depot is the Crossing, a family-owned steakhouse.

Key attractions With its splashpad and tiered greenspaces, Lillian Webb Park is a can’t-miss for families that acts as a gateway to Buford Highway eats next door. The Rectory, a restored building from the early 1900s, now houses the nonprofit Lionheart Theatre. For international bites, try Mojitos (Cuban), Paizanos (Italian), or the Iron Horse Tavern (English-style pub).

Housing types The city’s older sections near Thrasher Park and along South Peachtree Street are studded with Victorians and quaint bungalows that rarely trade hands, but blocks of newer houses and townhomes in the Craftsman vein are more readily available. A luxury apartment venture that opened last year, Broadstone Junction, has brought 200 rentals to just south of the commercial district.

Cost of living The median home price is $206,868, and average rents clock in at $1,491.

Who lives here? The city center’s post millennium housing stock, with prices cheaper than most of intown, makes it popular with younger couples and families seeking small-town quaintness with easy proximity to places like Brookhaven and Buckhead.

You might be surprised Gwinnett is speckled with lovely downtowns rich in history, but Norcross—once dubbed “Atlanta’s Summer Resort”—was the county’s first to earn a place on the National Register of Historic Places in the early 1980s.

Charm-o-meter Rating 8. Norcross’s railroad-bisected, park-laden nucleus might not be as expansive as that of some north-OTP enclaves, but that’s sort of the point.

SERENBE

Founded 2004

About the commercial center More than 30 independent businesses call Serenbe home, including six new retailers that opened in 2020, all clustered in four quiet hamlets with specific themes, such as art and agriculture.

Key attractions Serenbe is home to five restaurants, including the Blue Eyed Daisy bakeshop and fine-dining mainstay the Farmhouse at the community’s elegantly rustic inn. All within shouting distance of nature trails, open greenspaces, and the 25-acre organic farm that helps feed the town.

Housing types It’s quite a mix, ranging from condos and cottages to large estate lots and “farmettes” for anyone seeking breathing room with up to 25 acres. More than 350 homes are finished, with about 70 more in the pipeline for 2021.

Cost of living Serenbe is remote by design, but don’t expect rural price points. Homes start in the mid-$400,000s and commonly sell for well over $1 million.

Who lives here? Seventy percent of Serenbe homeowners live here full-time. The rest are weekenders or second-home residents from as far away as Los Angeles and New York.

You might be surprised About a third of Serenbe’s 750 residents are age 35 or younger, including 150 kids.

Charm-o-meter Rating 8. Serenbe was just rolling farmland 15 years ago, so it’s hardly a hub of timeworn history. Instead, the appeal is holistic design and a dazzling range of residential architecture, from ecofriendly modern to neo-Victorian.

STONE MOUNTAIN

Founded 1839

Photograph by Ben Rollins

About the commercial center Encompassing just 1.7 square miles in the shadow of Georgia’s most visited tourist attraction, Stone Mountain’s throwback Main Street and surrounding blocks are home to a growing slate of more than 50 unique restaurants, shops, and other businesses, such as the eight-room Stone Mountain Manor hotel.

Key attractions A PATH trail linking downtown Atlanta with Stone Mountain Park brings droves of cyclists to the commercial center, where the Village Corner German Restaurant has been dishing schnitzel and in-house pilsner since 1974. Elsewhere, the cozy Sweet Potato Cafe, newcomers Outrun Brewing Company (with 1980s neon flair!), Stoned Pizza Kitchen, and coffeehouse Gilly Brew Bar join cultural attractions such as nonprofit Art Station, set in a former trolley hub.

Housing types Ranges from renovated, sub-$100,000 condos to country cottages in the $200,000 range. The village’s first new residential development in 20 years, Hearthstone, is building 34 houses priced from the mid-$300,000s.

Cost of living Median home prices for Stone Mountain’s city center are $191,271 and rents $1,555.

Who lives here? Creatives tired of astronomical intown prices, budget-conscious renters, and more established residents who scooped up older homes in the village and aren’t budging.

You might be surprised Stone Mountain’s granite was used to construct landmarks around the world, including Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel, Fort Knox’s gold depository, and the Lincoln Memorial’s foundation.

Charm-o-meter Rating 8. Despite its troubled racial history and years of disinvestment, the village’s bones remain largely intact, and as recent entrepreneurial activity indicates, the future is bright.

TRILITH

Founded 2016 (groundbreaking; then known as Pinewood Forest and rebranded as Trilith in 2020—think Stonehenge)

About the commercial center Located across from the nation’s second-largest purpose-built movie studio, which carries the same name and was home to many Avengers productions, Trilith is a 235-acre planned community that is expected to eventually have 6,000 residents, between its homes and apartments. The 25-acre town center will feature around a dozen local restaurants. The community is 20 miles south of the airport and technically located in Fayetteville.

Key attractions Top draws to open thus far include Piedmont Wellness Center, Barleygarden Kitchen and Craft Bar, and Hop City Craft Beer and Wine, with more than a dozen new retailers planned for 2021. Fifteen miles of walkable pathways—including a 5K loop around the property—are expected to join 120 acres of greenspace. Also in the works: a nine-screen luxury cinema and boutique hotel.

Housing types In the megaproject’s first phase, 161 Trilith homes have been completed, ranging from two-bedroom cottages to three-bedroom townhomes and five-bedroom, modernistic dwellings. A tiny homes enclave is the latest addition.

Cost of living Prices have ranged from the low $400,000s for two-story cottages to just shy of $1.5 million.

Who lives here? According to brokers, buyers in the initial phase have included actors, actresses, film-industry personnel, creators, writers, artists, entrepreneurs, and families.

You might be surprised To boost the community’s ecofriendly appeal, all stand-alone houses are geothermal-powered and situated directly on parks or within one block.

Charm-o-meter Rating 7. While it’s a grand example of a master-planned community with eye-catching design, Trilith remains a relative infant. Look for it to gain steam quickly.

WOODSTOCK

Founded 1897

About the commercial center In the early 2000s, a downtown master plan, supported with a grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Livable Centers Initiative, helped transform sleepy central Woodstock into a bustling destination, where $950 million in investment has materialized in and around the downtown core. Thousands of new housing units have cropped up around Main Street, along with some 20 restaurants, helping swell the city’s 1990s population by nearly 760 percent.

Key attractions The Elm Street Cultural Arts Village is expected to produce a new gallery and pottery studio this year, following the 2020 debut of the Elm Street playground. Next door is the huge patio of Reformation Brewery and some 45 independent retailers—from spas and a local bookstore to a custom men’s clothier and an outdoor outfitter—within a one-beer walking distance in the open-container district. A free concert series at Northside Hospital–Cherokee Amphitheater, a 7,500-capacity venue covering 2.7 acres downtown, is scheduled this summer.

Housing types Runs the gamut from penthouse condos in a 2007 building with both city and mountain views to massive Craftsman-style estate homes in newer communities where plantation shutters and shiplap abound.

Cost of living In Woodstock’s city center, median home prices are $229,744, with a majority of that stock less than 20 years old. Smaller condos can be found in the very heart of town for the low $200,000s.

Who lives here? Newcomers especially are a mix of younger singles, families, and empty-nesters. An influx of international residents is beginning to diversify the food scene.

You might be surprised From a makeshift stage on Woodstock’s Main Street, President George H.W. Bush launched his ill-fated 1992 reelection campaign against Bill Clinton.

Charm-o-meter Rating 9. Cherokee County’s most populous city has evolved into an alluring mix of both old and new urban-style architecture, performance art, and nature.

This article appears in our April 2021 issue.

The post 10 of metro Atlanta’s most vibrant city centers—that aren’t Atlanta appeared first on Atlanta Magazine.

Rich history and culture, a sizzling culinary scene, unbeatable shopping, and iconic entertainment have helped Atlanta earn its place as one of the best cities to live in. And it isn’t just our Southern charm that draws people to the city; strong job opportunities and close-knit neighborhoods are part of what make Atlanta a peachy-keen place to live.

As home is where life unfolds now more than ever before, Empire Communities understands that the community you live in should complement and reflect the values that you hold tight. With a focus on offering design-forward townhomes, Empire’s six new Intown Atlanta communities starting from the low $300s are set in some of the city’s most sought-after neighborhoods, including Old Fourth Ward, West Midtown, Grant Park, Kirkwood, Buckhead, and Vinings.

To help match homebuyers with the urban neighborhood that best suits their lifestyle, Empire has created a quiz with questions on how you like to spend your free time, shop, and enjoy the city. You’ll then be matched with one of our Intown communities, from the vibrant and eclectic Paintbox in Kirkwood, to the thriving and connected 4Forty4 in Old Fourth Ward. 

No matter which community you’re matched with, homebuyers will have access to a modern collection of homes with the latest in designer features and finishes. But don’t just take Empire’s word for it—schedule a tour of the professionally-designed homes at 4Forty4 in Old Fourth Ward and the Swift in Grant Park. 

Empire’s Intown communities are well-connected with easy access to transit—with some communities just minutes from existing and future BeltLine trails—and local hot spots. Ponce City Market, Westside Provisions District, Staplehouse, Beetlecat, and Gaja Korean Bar are just some of the top venues and chef-driven restaurants that surround Empire’s communities. 

Empire is one of the most trusted homebuilders in North America, with established communities in the metro Atlanta area; Houston, Austin, and San Antonio, Texas; and Toronto, Ontario, Canada. With more than 20,000 homes and condos to their name, Empire’s strong understanding of what makes a new community thrive and the importance of a well-built home with purposeful design and comfortable luxury is what sets them apart.

See what sets Empire’s communities apart 

Empire Crosby in West Midtown

Crafted for those who want to live in a thriving neighborhood while experiencing the very best of what Intown Atlanta has to offer, Crosby’s modern exteriors and innovative ‘top-floor living’ floor plans complement residents’ need for a home that supports flexibility and evolves with their contemporary lifestyle. 

Empire Swift in Grant Park & Boulevard Heights

The Swift is ready for the next generation of trailblazers who don’t want to compromise on the best of what the city has to offer. Owning a home at the Swift means you’ll have access to almost everything you need just outside your front door, from the community’s highly-recognized amenities and access to a future Atlanta BeltLine spur.

Empire Buckley in Buckhead

In a community brimming with high-end shops, chef-driven restaurants, organic food stores, and the latest fitness studios, Buckley will appeal to those looking for the opportunity to live in one of Atlanta’s top neighborhoods. Well-connected and close to it all, Buckley is located just one block from Chastain Park and provides unmatched walkability to the area’s most active scenes. 

Empire Paintbox in Kirkwood

Located in the heart of Kirkwood, Paintbox will attract those who covet the value of owning their own home in a vibrant neighborhood surrounded by a creative and dynamic group of tastemakers, foodies, and trend-setters. Residents will be greeted each day with rows of colorful homes, each one reflective of the bright and spirited dwellers who inhabit them.

Empire 4Forty4 in Old Fourth Ward

Created for the resident who values floor plan designs that maximize space and function, 4Forty4 is where you can live a life that’s truly uncompromised. Intentionally-designed ‘top-living’ floor plans feature bedrooms on the second floor with the kitchen, living area, and outdoor terrace uniquely positioned on the third floor. 

Empire Albright in Vinings 

New, design-focused homes in Vinings are hard to come by, especially with the close proximity of local restaurants, shopping, and outdoor trails. This small and intimate community of sophisticated, three-story homes at Albright creates a blend of an active and modern lifestyle. 

The post Empire Communities wants to help you celebrate the best urban living has to offer appeared first on Atlanta Magazine.

On a warm mid-March afternoon, Tom and Lisa Werner were lounging on a bench beside the fountain at Town Green, the new social nucleus of downtown Alpharetta. Residents of a nearby subdivision for the past decade, the Werners were marveling at recent changes: a stately brick City Hall, stacks of upscale apartments, early imbibers enjoying the new open-container policy, and the bright-white exteriors of Lapeer Seafood Market—like a landlocked echo of Florida’s idyllic 30A. It’s the kind of vibe the couple used to drive to Roswell to enjoy.

“We had a choice of like five restaurants to walk to, and now, there must be 40 or 50,” said Tom. “I mean, this was really a dumpy area.”

The metamorphosis of Alpharetta’s formerly sleepy downtown was no accident, albeit a few years behind the rest of metro Atlanta’s post–Great Recession construction boom. Founded in 1858 as the county seat for now extinct Milton County, the town had remained largely agrarian until the 1980s.

Around the turn of the millennium, city leaders began assembling 26 acres in the heart of town, where no projects had been built or redeveloped for nearly three decades. The real estate was deemed obsolete: 1960s-era shopping strips, a gas station, underused low-rise buildings, and numerous parking lots. After finishing City Hall and adjacent Brooks Street Park, city leaders in 2014 picked Atlanta-based Morris & Fellows—which is also spurring Woodstock’s downtown revival—to lead a group of developers in designing and building a six-block center that felt like an organic extension of the city’s vintage storefronts, along with 40 single-family houses. Indeed, it’s difficult today, in places, to determine where the previous downtown ends and where the $130 million infusion of 25 retail shops and 12 restaurants (no corporate chains), 168 apartments, and an office building (now DataScan’s headquarters) begins.

City Center was fully leased months before the last pieces debuted at the end of 2019. As of early June, Alpharetta’s Community Development Director Kathi Cook said no businesses had closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and homes and townhomes keep selling (some for well over $1 million), as hotel construction and land deals continue. That’s contributing to nearly $550 million in recent investment—some 50 projects since 2015, including a one-mile section of the BeltLine-style Alpha Loop linking downtown to Avalon.

Back in the park, Tom Werner said, “I ask people all the time, ‘Have you been to Alpharetta lately? If not, you won’t know where you are.”

This article appears in our Fall 2020 issue of Atlanta Magazine’s HOME.

The post There’s more to the Alpharetta’s explosive mixed-use growth than Avalon appeared first on Atlanta Magazine.

Photograph courtesy of Atlanta Luxury Rentals

As Hollywood continues to choose Atlanta as a prime filming destination—Georgia productions generated more than $9.5 billion in impact last year—actors, crews, and other talent are infiltrating Atlanta neighborhoods and sometimes even setting down roots. Here’s where they hang their hats.

The Eastside
Celebs like Jon Hamm, Ed Helms, and Gabrielle Union have all stayed at the FLATS apartments in Ponce City Market, which has partnered with Atlanta Luxury Rentals to offer 19 units for short-term lease by year’s end (like the Edison loft, above right). Units begin at $5,500 a month and range from studios to three bedrooms. Nearby, Walking Dead actors like Danai Gurira and Andrew Lincoln are known to have set up long-term abodes in buzzing Inman Park. According to Chad Salenius, who runs Atlanta Luxury Rentals with interior designer Minhnuyet Hardy, it’s a popular place for the Hollywood set. Their listings in the neighborhood include an airy five-bedroom home with a gym, theater, and a separate apartment downstairs—ideal for a nanny or assistant.

Photograph by Mali Azima

Midtown
Midtown is another Hollywood hotspot. Donald Sutherland and Helen Mirren are among the stars who have lived in the residences at the Loews Atlanta. Others are opting for the neighborhood’s historic charm. Designers Emily Dunn and Kathryn McAdams worked with an investor to spiff up a triplex on Fifth Street for the film industry (at left). They gave it a pop-art, midcentury vibe and mixed budget and more upscale finds with fabric from Lee Industries, furniture from Noir, and fixtures from Circa Lighting and West Elm.

Buckhead
According to Ansley Atlanta Real Estate agent Carter Phillips, the A-List often wants to be in Buckhead. Jennifer Lawrence has rented historic Mediterranean-style villas, and Vince Vaughn and Robert Downey Jr. have both leased the same estate in Tuxedo Park. (Downey Jr. was permitted to land his helicopter on the soccer fields at Pace Academy in exchange for delivering that year’s commencement address.) Rental prices for properties like these can fetch up to $50,000 a month. Isla Fisher and Sacha Baron Cohen brought their children and dog to a gated home in family-friendly Peachtree Park. “When actors like the Rock and Vin Diesel come,” Phillips says, “they want 20,000 square feet and uber-privacy.”

Pinewood Forest
Given its location adjacent to Pinewood Atlanta Studios, the largest movie studio outside of Hollywood, the 234-acre New Urbanist neighborhood was designed with film and TV creatives in mind. Dreamed up by Dan Cathy and planned by Lew Oliver, the community 20 miles south of Atlanta features a range of housing styles, from English country cottages to modern treehouses. It’s still in early phases, but according to the development, industry talent is already setting up camp.

Looking to rent your place to Hollywood?
Ansley Atlanta Real Estate agent Carter Phillips represents more than 100 industry residences and filming locations, ranging from cozy intown bungalows and Neel Reid estates to a burned-out gas station and a deteriorating library near Dawsonville. You can also list your property for free on the state’s list of filming locations at georgia.org.

This article appears in our Winter 2018 issue of Atlanta Magazine’s HOME.

The post These are the neighborhoods celebrities stay in while filming in Atlanta appeared first on Atlanta Magazine.

Fifteen miles south of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, on 234 acres of former wheat fields, Pinewood Forest is designed as the kind of mixed-use community where “positive collisions” happen among neighbors—and where picturesque streets might serve as the backdrop of a Hollywood blockbuster.

The Fayetteville live-work-play hub, envisioned as a denser Serenbe or Alys Beach, is rising across the street from Pinewood Atlanta Studios, the country’s largest purpose-built complex for filming outside Los Angeles. It’s the brainchild of Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy, who’s partnered with local real estate vets to fashion a mini-city where creativity is encouraged (via writers’ rooms and artist colonies sprinkled throughout, for instance) and corporate chains are verboten. “It’s designed to create a sense of place and community that’s missing in so many of our suburban neighborhoods,” says Rob Parker, Pinewood Forest’s president.

Pinewood broke ground in late 2016, and pioneering homebuyers arrived last December. But given its scale, the project will continue developing over the next decade. In the meantime, Parker highlights a few surprising—inspiring, even—facets of what’s to come.

Amenities
In addition to the typical tennis courts and public pool, expect a 15-mile system of permeable-surface trails (including a 5K loop and boardwalk over wetlands) that encourages residents to walk, pedal, and commune with nature. Less bucolic perks will include gigabyte Internet and a frequent, WiFi-enabled shuttle to the airport’s MARTA station.

Green aspects
Each of the standalone houses will be geothermal-powered with what Parker calls the highest sustainability standards available (solar optional), and they’ll all either be directly on parks or within a block.

Housing array
With styles that hearken the European roots of Pinewood Studios’ U.K. headquarters, the look and size of Pinewood’s housing stock will vary as greatly as pricing (from the $300,000s for 1,100-square-foot cottages to $2 million estates).

Downtown core
The 25-acre town center will include 15 local eateries (one-off concepts only, including the first announced: Braise, from Chef Tanya Jimenez), a 60,000-square-foot wellness center, boutique shops, coworking offices, and a performing arts center. Also appealing to A-listers will be an upscale boutique hotel.

Demographics
Pinewood’s target audience for homebuyers ranges broadly from upstart millennials to well-to-do retirees, but its embrace of “starving artists,” as Parker puts it, could set it apart. Options for creatives will include dorm-style cohousing (with private bedrooms), clusters of micro-cottages, and shop-houses, where renters would live above their retail storefronts. “Creatives will thrive in this environment,” Parker says.

Publisher’s Note: This fall, Atlanta magazine and Atlanta Magazine’s HOME present the Pinewood Forest Idea Home. Opening September 15th and running through October 7th, this unique home will showcase trendsetting designs in the community of Pinewood Forest. Tickets are available for purchase here, and you can learn more about the Pinewood Forest Idea Home here.

This article appears in our Summer 2018 issue of Atlanta Magazine’s HOME.

The post Across from the massive movie studio, Pinewood Forest was designed with creatives in mind appeared first on Atlanta Magazine.

Location

This 450-acre gated community in Chickamauga, Georgia, is nestled in a lush valley at the base of scenic Lookout Mountain, approximately 20 minutes from downtown Chattanooga and two hours from Atlanta.

History

Part of what makes this family-friendly north Georgia community special is its commitment to conservation and history; its theme is a celebration of “the simple things” (think potbellied stoves and a general store). There’s a circa 1799 Cherokee chief’s cabin on the premises, as well as the remains of several old homesteads, whiskey stills, and orchard farms. Approximately 200 acres are in a conservation easement.

Price range

Home sites start at $90,000, with cottages and homes ranging from $150 to $200 per square foot. The community will soon break ground on a collection of “not-so-tiny homes”—small houses ranging from 1,000 to 1,600 square feet with cozy bedrooms and a hearth room—that will range from $215,000 to $260,000, including the lot and home. They’re intended to be economical and low-maintenance.

Activities

Residents can start the day with a cup of coffee at the former one-room schoolhouse, which has been converted into a coffeehouse and lending library, and later enjoy an afternoon treat at the Sweet Shoppe. Outdoor enthusiasts can fish and canoe on Lake Angela, take a swim in the infinity-edge saline pool, or hike a trail system that includes leisurely strolls along the creek and heart-pumping treks up Lookout Mountain. There’s also bocce ball and croquet. The community sponsors regular social events, many of which are held in its 165-year-old renovated recreation barn or on the village green.

What’s unique

Cloudland Station is committed to traditional architecture. Within its four distinct home themes—Cottage Charm, Homestead Nostalgic, Cabin Rustique, and Mountain Traditional—are a variety of approved styles that reflect the evolving architecture of the region from the late colonial period through the mid-20th century.

Nearby

Cloudland Station sits within easy driving distance of the Civil War site Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park, world-class climbing and hiking sites like the breathtaking Cloudland Canyon State Park, kitschy Rock City, and Ruby Falls. In Chattanooga, stroll the riverfront and pedestrian bridge, visit the Tennessee Aquarium and the Hunter Museum of American Art, and dine at award-winning restaurants. cloudlandstation.com

The post Vacation Home Community Snapshot: Cloudland Station appeared first on Atlanta Magazine.

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Focus360 based on Foley Design Architects design

Andy Isakson’s family legacy stretches back more than 100 years and four generations in Atlanta real estate. Yet he and his siblings (including Senator Johnny Isakson) struggled to find an appropriate home for their parents. The experience convinced Andy the city needed better options for independent seniors, so he began to explore various models. In 2004 Andy, along with his nephew Kevin Isakson, opened his flagship Continuing Care Retirement Community, Park Springs in Stone Mountain. “The old model is, ‘Live here and we’ll take care of you,’” says Andy. “The model we’ve created is quite different. It says, ‘Live here and take care of yourself.’”

Location
The campus stretches over 20 acres, which abut Peachtree Creek and will eventually connect to the Atlanta BeltLine. It is within walking distance of Peachtree Battle Shopping Center and will share its dog park and a large conservation area with Peachtree Hills. In fact, PHP owners will be considered part of the surrounding neighborhood and can join the homeowners association. 

History
It has been almost 10 years since Isakson Living demolished an aging apartment complex to make way for a CCRC. When the project was halted by a bank failure, the developers returned $13 million worth of deposits (with interest). Nonetheless, after the project was relaunched last fall, a third of those original buyers came back on board, helping Isakson Living sell more than half of its PHP units within months. The developers expect move-in by the first half of 2019. “Relaunching has been like a mulligan,” notes Andy. “We got a chance to really learn what our buyers want.”

Price range
Condos range from just under 1,400 square feet and $696,500 to 3,294 square feet and $1.8 million (pricing includes a one-time $100,000 club membership fee). Monthly fees range from $3,074 to $5,020.

What’s unique
In addition to its stellar Buckhead location, PHP offers spacious units with upscale features like 10-foot ceilings, high-end appliances, and luxurious master bathrooms. Subtle accommodations like lever door handles, shower grab bars, and wider doorways allow for aging in place. To purchase a home here, prospects must be at least 55 years old and able to live independently. So far, some 40 percent of buyers still work at least part-time, and many split their time between Atlanta and larger homes in resort areas. However, because the community is a CCRC, it will provide home health care, plus housing and medical services for residents who later need skilled nursing or even memory care. 

Amenities
Membership comes with a fitness center, a clubhouse with an art studio and game room, and outdoor amenities such as a regulation croquet lawn. Staff will include 24/7 security, a physical therapist, nurses, and a dietician. The monthly fee also covers transportation, concierge services, and a $500 per person dining credit.

This article originally appeared in our Summer 2017 issue of Atlanta Magazine’s HOME.

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The swath of north Atlanta west of I-75 inside I-285—now known as the Upper Westside—was developed in the 19th century as an industrial hub around the CSX line. The area is home to quiet neighborhoods—including Bolton, Riverside, and Whittier Mill Village—and filled with a mix of historic mill worker homes, bungalows, and squat apartment complexes. But lately development, from warehouse conversions to a much-needed grocery store, has been booming in the area. “It’s one of Atlanta’s best-kept secrets,” says Dustin Hillis, a former Riverside Neighborhood Association president. “But that’s rightfully changing.”

Photograph by Marc Mauldin

Skyline view
At Crest Lawn Cemetery, climb to the top of Casey’s Hill, where you’ll find one of the city’s best skyline vistas among the century-old tombstones. Nearby, the site of the former Whittier Cotton Mills, which opened in the 1890s, is now Whittier Mill Park—a 22-acre expanse with trails, a picnic area, and historic mill ruins.

Photograph by Marc Mauldin

Startup suds
Matt Shirah opened Scofflaw Brewing Co. in the Bolton neighborhood in 2014. Inside the tasting room, order a pint of the caramelly and hoppy Westside IPA.

Going west
A new Publix-anchored shopping center is set to open this year. It’s one of several adaptive-reuse projects in the works, including the Westside Village at Moores Mill, near the ceme­tery, which could bring fitness studios, a specialty grocer, and the Upper Westside’s first coffee shop.

Photograph by Andrew Thomas Lee

Hog heaven
Riverside’s Hottie Hawgs BBQ shuttered in early 2016, but pitmaster Bryan Furman took over the space to open a new barbecue destination, B’s Cracklin’ Barbeque. (Hillis’s pick: the brisket plate with a side of cracklin’ cornbread.) Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q will open a new location in an old warehouse off Moores Mill this spring.

Rendering courtesy of Ardent Companies and Riverview Landing

Coming soon: Riverfront revitalized
The Chattahoochee snakes along the area’s western edge, but the river is difficult to access here. Now proposals like a community-backed river walk and a riverfront residential community could transform this stretch into a waterfront destination. The buzziest plan is for a residential development called Riverview Landing, which the Ardent Companies will build on an 82-acre site just across the river in Cobb.

This article originally appeared in our April 2017 issue.

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Edward Andrews Homes’ Alpharetta community, Larkspur, is a new take on the “active adult” formula. Its target market is “a generation of buyers that are trading in their large family homes and entering a new chapter lived on their own terms,” says Caroline Simmel, senior vice president of marketing. Most innovative is the neighborhood’s “modern farmhouse” ranch-style architecture evocative of Texas Hill Country or, perhaps more precisely, HGTV’s Joanna Gaines. Think shiplap walls, barn doors, beamed ceilings, marble kitchen islands, walk-in pantries, and outdoor fireplaces—all contained on one level, except for optional loft or basement spaces. The pastoral theme extends to the grounds, where Vegetable Hill boasts a community garden and Winter Vale Dressage is listed as the closest recreational facility. Closer to Vickery Village than Avalon, homes start at 2,450 square feet, with prices from the high $300s.

This article originally appeared in our Spring 2017 issue of Atlanta Magazine’s HOME.

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