Would like an active retirement in Atlanta suburbs: Location suggestions appreciated (Peachtree City: chapel, college)

[Yoski]

Originally Posted by Rancho5

PPS: Just finished an article, "8 Best Atlanta Suburbs" and Peach Tree City, Roswell, Alpharetta, Decatur seem nice.

Take a good look at Peachtree City, especially if it’s a strong sense of community and neighborliness you desire. That comes in an abundance.. Many of the other desires you have can be fulfilled via the lakes we have in the city and the mutli-use trails intertwined throughout. If you want to be outdoor and active by just stepping out the door, PTC offers you ample opportunity to include pickle ball. There is no true city center though, just village centers which are more shopping centers than places to stroll and hangout, though lake Lake Peachtree with Drake Field, Battery Way Park and the outdoor amphitheater and Peachtree City Market nearby in many ways serves as the city center. Camping and wilderness hiking will mean a little bit of driving. Chattahoochee Bend State Park is right up the road, but the family and I like to travel up to Sweetwater State Park.

[bellhead]

Originally Posted by Rancho5

I’m reading that Cobb County has some nice tax breaks for retirees? No school taxes and 80% off property taxes? Are other counties in the area as generous?

Forsyth county.

Everything you want is in South Forsyth County.

I live in a active Swim/Tennis community plus active Pickle ball. Location wise I am about 45 minutes form downtown with light traffic, 15 minutes to Alpharetta which has about 90% of the food & entertainment I need at 50 years old. There is an ampitheater there which draws national acts in normal times. 45 minutes to the north are hiking & biking trails in the national parks & mountains. Lanier is 15 minutes away also. A bonus if your a foody is Duluth is about 15 minutes away & is ground zero for the Korean population in the SE US.

[Rancho5]

Been watching videos...

Love the charming Roswell downtown and Live after Five events. I love that Peachtree has over 90 miles of golf cart paths because apparently cyclists can use them too! Sadly it looks like it has no actual charming town center though. Woodstock looks cool. I wonder if there are paved bike paths? I’m still looking at videos. Beautiful places, all of them.

Our son wants us to help him move this July to NW Arkansas because he got on with Walmart Corp. so we planned to check out Bentonville, Little Rock, Fayetteville, etc, then down to Clear Lake, Houston area, all for retirement potential, but after hearing how hot Houston is and how “not pretty” the beaches are (which we discovered a few years ago anyway but just thought it was a blip) maybe we drop him off and just head east to the ATL area instead. My sweetheart wants to think about it.

NW Arkansas is apparently beautiful but the tiny airport, isolation etc. We shall see!

PS: When we went to Gainesville in 2019 we were driving back into ATL and stopped near a Mercedes dealership right off the freeway, near a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Chapel, and had “hot fried chicken” (like spicy) for the first time. Incredible! I’ve been looking for it ever since...

[Rancho5]

Originally Posted by bellhead

Forsyth county.

Everything you want is in South Forsyth County.

I live in a active Swim/Tennis community plus active Pickle ball. Location wise I am about 45 minutes form downtown with light traffic, 15 minutes to Alpharetta which has about 90% of the food & entertainment I need at 50 years old. There is an ampitheater there which draws national acts in normal times. 45 minutes to the north are hiking & biking trails in the national parks & mountains. Lanier is 15 minutes away also. A bonus if your a foody is Duluth is about 15 minutes away & is ground zero for the Korean population in the SE US.

What towns are in South Forsyth County? In the West we don’t use counties much for reference. They’re way too huge.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by Rancho5

What towns are in South Forsyth County? In the West we don’t use counties much for reference. They’re way too huge.

South Forsyth County (the part of Forsyth County roughly below Georgia State Route 20) includes areas with Cumming, Alpharetta and Suwanee mailing addresses.

In Georgia, many (if not most) counties are relatively smaller and more numerous (Georgia has 159 counties, more than any other state outside of Texas) than in most states. So counties will often be used as reference points when discussing issues of local geography.

[bellhead]

Originally Posted by Rancho5

What towns are in South Forsyth County? In the West we don’t use counties much for reference. They’re way too huge.

My zip code is 30041, which should put you in the general location.

[cparker73]

On the south side, 20 minutes from the airport is a New Urbanist community called Serenbe. It's focused on wellness and sustainability and the whole farm-to-table cycle. It has a farmer's market, an organic farm, equestrian and hiking trails, and pre-Covid (and some controversy), its own theatre company with very popular elaborate outdoor productions. If you need to go "into the city," you can be in Midtown in 45-minutes or less.

Many people there work from home or are retired, so it's not your typical swim-tennis community that empties out during the day. The housing styles vary from 2-bedroom cottages/townhomes to 5-acre ranchettes. It's also popular with Hollywood types because of its proximity to several nearby movie studios.

[Rancho5]

Originally Posted by cparker73

On the south side, 20 minutes from the airport is a New Urbanist community called Serenbe. It's focused on wellness and sustainability and the whole farm-to-table cycle. It has a farmer's market, an organic farm, equestrian and hiking trails, and pre-Covid (and some controversy), its own theatre company with very popular elaborate outdoor productions. If you need to go "into the city," you can be in Midtown in 45-minutes or less.

Many people there work from home or are retired, so it's not your typical swim-tennis community that empties out during the day. The housing styles vary from 2-bedroom cottages/townhomes to 5-acre ranchettes. It's also popular with Hollywood types because of its proximity to several nearby movie studios.

I will check it out! Thanks so much

[citidata18]

Originally Posted by sedimenjerry

Don't have time for a well thought out reply but Woodstock could be a good option.
Atlanta is known for its sprawl and you will find a lot of the region is suburbia with chains and strip malls.
However, a lot of towns and cities have been revitalizing and improving their downtown areas and offer walkable areas with shops and non chain restaurants/bars, and even breweries (though I know you don't drink). Even if your particular neighborhood isn't walkable, you can drive to many of these places.
Woodstock itself has a nice downtown from what I hear, you're close to Marietta which has a very active and decently sized (for the region) downtown square. You're not far from Roswell and Alpharetta (I live in Alpharetta and love it, but 400k does not go very far there). Also Crabapple has been developing its own town center of sorts which would be close by. Plus you have Lake Allatoona a stone's throw away and just shoot up 575 to the mountains. Also have Kennesaw Mtn nearby.

Peachtree City, Roswell, Alpharetta, and Decatur are all great. But 400k is nearly impossible in Decatur and tough in Roswell/Alpharetta if you want to be near the action. And Peachtree City doesn't seem as walkable, no real downtown I don't think. Perhaps someone can chime in and speak to Newnan and Fayetteville. They have actual downtown areas.

I just don't think Newnan, Peachtree City and Fayetteville would be the right fit.

They're all way too far from the amenities the OP seeks.

[columbusboy8]

Originally Posted by Rancho5

I will check it out! Thanks so much

I agree Serenbe in the south. Woodstock in the north.