Take 400 acres in rural Georgia, just an hour south of Atlanta, and plan its growth strategically, in a way that preserves quality of life and creates community. And you have a dream come true--the Chattahoochee Hill Country, about the size of Napa Valley, anchored by the truly spectacular 900 acres of Serenbe, a mixed-use community that serves as a blueprint for smart, conservation-minded growth that knocked my socks off (all the better to run in those fields!)
I was first introduced to Serenbe a few years ago, when it was new, when Farmer D moved from Full Moon Farm in Athens, Georgia to start Serenbe Farms, an integral part of the community plan. No matter how much he raved about what was happening there on the phone, nothing prepared me for it in reality and I found myself gape-mouthed when I visited it the first time, its intelligent design and spectacular setting truly awe-inspiring.
The elegant yet quaint Serenbe Bed & Breakfast Inn sits by the road and paints an inviting, pastoral picture of what's to come. Horse-fenced fields and serpentine roads lead you from undomesticated green space to small hamlets of EarthCraft townhouses, cottages, estates, fountains, art galleries and shops like The Blue-Eyed Daisy bakery and cafe.
Along the way, you find a small animal farm nestled in the woods, one of the most beautiful labyrinths I've ever seen, an amphitheater on the edge of a pond, a brand-new gorgeous stable, abundant outdoor sculptures, and of course, the 25-acre working, organic farm, which distributes its produce via an on-farm CSA and a Saturday-morning farmers market (8 AM-noon) in Serenbe's Selbourne hamlet. Plus, the Farmhouse at Serenbe restaurant's Chef Seichrist bases his daily changing menu depending on what he finds on Serenbe Farms and from local purveyors. The artfully prepared meal includes an inventive first course, main course with two side dishes, and dessert. A vegetarian option is always available upon request when making reservations.
Serenbe's tag line is the best reason to live here is the life here. Interested in trying it on for size? Take a drive down and see for yourself. There is a diverse schedule of upcoming events on the Serenbe website, from kids days on the farm to movie nights to art gallery happenings. If this is the future of Georgia, bring it on.
To arrange a visit to Serenbe, call the Serenbe Information Center at 770.463.9997. To find out more about Serenbe Farms or to join its CSA, call Paige Witherington at 770.463.9319.
Travel vicariously to Serenbe through its beautifully-designed website.
(The photo above is from the Serenbe Farms photo album on www.serenbefarms.com)
Posts
5 comments:
WOW! That place is incredible. I'd love to live there. We might be moving to the Atlanta area in the next year or so. We are looking to homestead and my husband would be working in Winder if we move. We've mostly looked at properties northeast of Atlanta. I don't think we could afford to live in this community but I'd love to visit it!
Christy: Winder is where Chateau Elan is. See www.chateauelan.com. Local wine! You could do worse!
Where are you generally in relation to Atlanta? My husband looked at a lot of areas around Atlanta and seemed to think northeast was our best bet for land that wouldn't be overtaken by sprawl too soon. He is scared the Atlanta sprawl is going to meet up with the Athens sprawl in the middle so he wants to stay away from that area. I thought Southeat looked nice from the maps and stuff but my husband was scared that area would get built up before the northeast area. If we do end up moving there, I'd love advice from someone in the area.
Christy: I don't have a good feel on where the sprawl is taking this city--it seems to be stretching out in all directions. That Chattahoochee Hill Country, however, seems to have some particular environmental protections built into it. I think it's supposed to retain 80% greenspace, or something like that. I would recommend trying to get in touch with folks at Serenbe and asking their advice about the area.
Thank you for the input. It is hard to predict where a city is going to spread to.
Post a Comment