Beautiful, gay friendly community outside of Atlanta! (Portal, Oliver: house, landscaping)

[OliverATL]

I'm a native Atlantan and have been searching for the ideal community to build my next home for several months now. My partner and I both love the outdoors, a walkable neighborhood, and a peaceful, safe environment. On the other hand, we really enjoy great food, culture, and spending time with open minded people. In the South, we thought this was an impossible mixture to find and it's been quite frustrating. Well, we recently stumbled upon the answer....the Serenbe community just 35 miles from downtown Atlanta. We spent 7 hours there yesterday with a realtor and met many of the residents. It has horse stables, miles of trails, tennis courts, a pool, three gourmet restaurants, farmer's market, and is surrounded by 40,000 acres that will always be preserved green space. There are already a few gay couples that are full time residents and everyone was very welcoming to my partner and I during our time there. You have to see this place in person to really understand the beauty and quality of life. We are selling our house in Atlanta and building our dream home there! For anyone seeking the same amenities in the South, check it out!!!

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by OliverATL

I'm a native Atlantan and have been searching for the ideal community to build my next home for several months now. My partner and I both love the outdoors, a walkable neighborhood, and a peaceful, safe environment. On the other hand, we really enjoy great food, culture, and spending time with open minded people. In the South, we thought this was an impossible mixture to find and it's been quite frustrating. Well, we recently stumbled upon the answer....the Serenbe community just 35 miles from downtown Atlanta. We spent 7 hours there yesterday with a realtor and met many of the residents. It has horse stables, miles of trails, tennis courts, a pool, three gourmet restaurants, farmer's market, and is surrounded by 40,000 acres that will always be preserved green space. There are already a few gay couples that are full time residents and everyone was very welcoming to my partner and I during our time there. You have to see this place in person to really understand the beauty and quality of life. We are selling our house in Atlanta and building our dream home there! For anyone seeking the same amenities in the South, check it out!!!

That's great, Oliver! Appreciate the nice success story and wish you guys all the luck in the world. Serene is a gorgeous place.

[atlantagreg30127]

Trivia:

Serenbe is home to last years HGTV Green Home so was highlighted quite a bit on TV during that time. It is known for being the most "West Coast" style community in metro Atlanta by some, without being obnoxious about it, and has an extreme mix of residents that come from all corners and walks of life. They're known for their farm, organic-style mentality, buried utilities so the community looks clean and natural, etc etc. They have their own village area with a handful of restaurants and privately owned shops. They have strict guidelines for building homes there, landscaping, and no, it's not cheap. It's isolated by some standards on the South side with fewer amenities in the surrounding area, but not an issue for some so long as you don't have to have malls near you and you don't need a quick commute daily into the City. They have a couple of festivals each year that the public is finding out about more and more, as well as resident-only events regularly.

Their community link: Serenbe Portal Page

[OliverATL]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

Trivia:

Serenbe is home to last years HGTV Green Home so was highlighted quite a bit on TV during that time. It is known for being the most "West Coast" style community in metro Atlanta by some, without being obnoxious about it, and has an extreme mix of residents that come from all corners and walks of life. They're known for their farm, organic-style mentality, buried utilities so the community looks clean and natural, etc etc. They have their own village area with a handful of restaurants and privately owned shops. They have strict guidelines for building homes there, landscaping, and no, it's not cheap. It's isolated by some standards on the South side with fewer amenities in the surrounding area, but not an issue for some. They have a couple of festivals each year that the public is finding out about more and more, as well as resident-only events regularly.

Their community link: Serenbe Portal Page

It's not cheap, but they have created smaller cottages and lots to provide a greater range of affordability over the past couple of years. The building guidelines are strict as far as being energy efficient, but I was pleasantly surprise that Serenbe allows for custom designed home builds. No two homes are alike, which makes it much more interesting than a subdivision style neighborhood in my opinion. To build a home in a transitional, (somewhat unsafe) intown Atlanta neighborhood was going to cost us the same amount. Many of the Serenbe residents commute to downtown Atlanta for work as it's only 35 miles away, which is a nice option. It's not city living, so it obviously wouldn't be ideal for everyone. However, we found it to be the perfect blend of beautiful land, trails, water, etc., while still having a farmer's market, art galleries, shops, open-minded residents, theater, award-winning restaurants, etc. Here is the link if y'all want more information: Serenbe Community
As you can tell, I am quite a fan now and we cannot wait to begin our new adventure in this amazing place. They have never formally advertised, so it's still a bit of a hidden gem.