Looking for place like Peachtree City only further away from Atlanta (Griffin: schools, closing)

[Kaci]

I love Peachtree City, but my husband won't want to leave that close to Atlanta. Are there any other communities like PTC? WHere we can take our golf cart to the store, lots of trails and trees? Thanks, K:

[mamamarie]

I believe it is the only place like that... that's why it is so unique! When you are in Peachtree it is not like a busy city. It is like its own little town. I am sure you will get more responses. There are a number of people who live or who are familiar with PTC so they will probably respond. We are moving to PTC next year hopefully!

[zebbie]

We haven't come across other communities in Georgia that are similar in Peachtree in terms of the golf carts. However Peachtree has gotten kind of sprawly lately and a lot more traffic so we find that it's lost a lot of it's former charm. There is a LOT of road widening going on there as well. Some of the better restaurants have closed down. If you're interested in golf cart access, there is a Del Webb retirement development going in in Southern Georgia, I believe it's going to be somewhere near Griffin or McDonough, and if you're interested you could look on-line. While I sure wouldn't recommend Griffin or McDonough as places to re-locate to, the development might suit your needs. The ambiance of a Del Webb development would not be the same as Peachtree, but these developments are sometimes set up for golf carts, if the golf cart access is more important than the forest-y look. You also might find of the very attractive small towns in mid-Georgia in the piedmont areas (about 50 -55 miles south of Atlanta)attractive. While these towns are not set up with golf cart areas, people frequently do ride around in golf cards (such as riding "to town") because there is little traffic. If you're looking for a real town atmosphere (but no formal golf cart access) you might take a look at the downtown side of Madison. It's not one of the smaller towns I was thinking of (where you could zip around on a golf cart) but the downtown is really nice. There is a sprawly side to Madison (on the highway), but it's quite separate from the historic downtown. The downtown area of Madison has a lot of amenities, antique stores, an indepenend bookstore, some good restaurants and a nice candy shop (where they make candy). It's a very friendly town and my husband and I go there a lot for weekends. Downtown Madison is the kind of place where the residents walk their dogs in town and sit down on benches to chat. We've even found the shop owners very friendly and there are cultural exhibitions in one of their historic buildings as well. Rutledge, about 7 miles away from Madison on back roads, is a SMALL historic town (with virtually no amenities) but one could ride a golf cart from Rutledge to Madison.

[mamamarie]

Originally Posted by zebbie

However Peachtree has gotten kind of sprawly lately and a lot more traffic so we find that it's lost a lot of it's former charm.

What do you mean by sprawly?

[zebbie]

Sprawly...well, not an "official definition" in the least (joke, I don't know if there IS an official definition) sprawly: strung out development, development sprawling outside of a more central area, often with unnecessary and repetitive businesses, etc. The commercial areas in Peachtree were kind of nice because they were more centralized. The Avenues had a really good seafood restaurant (closed down), across the street from the Avenues (in the area where Pike nursery is) was a fairly nice Italian restaurant (now closed), etc. The earlier businesses in Peachtree seem to have been slightly upscale. Roads are being widened all over for development and consequently a lot of the forest-y feel is gone. My husband and I find the traffic in Peachtree TERRIBLE, although we still go there from time to time because the Pike Nursery is very good.

[Kaci]

With having kids retirement community is out. I'd like to be able to ride our golf cart to the library and the stores. I'm looking anywhere North of mid- Georgia. Thanks! K

[mamamarie]

Originally Posted by zebbie

Sprawly...well, not an "official definition" in the least (joke, I don't know if there IS an official definition) sprawly: strung out development, development sprawling outside of a more central area, often with unnecessary and repetitive businesses, etc. The commercial areas in Peachtree were kind of nice because they were more centralized. The Avenues had a really good seafood restaurant (closed down), across the street from the Avenues (in the area where Pike nursery is) was a fairly nice Italian restaurant (now closed), etc. The earlier businesses in Peachtree seem to have been slightly upscale. Roads are being widened all over for development and consequently a lot of the forest-y feel is gone. My husband and I find the traffic in Peachtree TERRIBLE, although we still go there from time to time because the Pike Nursery is very good.

OK, I get it now. They used to have more "unique, privately owned" places and now have more "chain" type of things. It is becoming like the rest of metro-Atlanta... I understand. When we move there I hope to work in one of the Fayette or Coweta County schools so I will at most be going west and my husband needs to go to North Fayette County so I doubt we will hit that much traffic.

[ptcgirl]

I don't agree that some of the better restaurants are being closed. The ones you mentioned were not closed due to anything with PTC: the seafood one closed due to tax evasion and the other one was Macaroni Grill (not exactly a "locally owned" place). There is some widening of HWY 74 taking place which has increased traffic temporarily on the southern part of 74 (easily avoidable BTW if you take PTC Parkway). Once the widening is complete, the traffic won't be there. PTC is actually really good at planning things out. That is why the road is being widened now BEFORE more development takes place. I think the "sprawl" aspect you are referring to is more like new developments which have added to the area. They are very well planned.

I haven't ever seen another place like PTC. It is far enough away from Atlanta, but close enough to offer excellent services.

[ptcgirl]

I did think of one other place that sort of reminds me of PTC. Have you looked at St. Simon's Island on the Georgia coast?

[zebbie]

Well, I sure didn't mean that the closing of the seafood restaurant had anything to do with Peachtree City itself....and I'm really sorry if I gave that impression. My point was simply that two of the better restaurants in that area are now closed down and that some of the newer restaurants and businesses don't seem to be as nice. I was aware of the tax evasion reason for the closing of that seafood restaurant. And, yes the Macaroni Grill is a chain, however, my husband and I found it to be a cut above the Italian restaurant that is in the commercial area (West something?) across the street from The Avenues.

It sounds as if you are very happy in Peachtree City and I think that's wonderful. I have friends who lived there for a number of years and loved the place...

Again, I am very sorry if I have offended any residents of the area. My husband and I often VISIT Peachtree and that is obviously quite different from living there. Perhaps it is because we ARE visitors that the traffic and changes in the resturants are more annonying to us than to the residents who enjoy the services and other benefits afforded by LIVING in Peachtree.