Another of the new urbanism planned communities, I wasn’t sure what to make of Serenbe until we got there and were able to see that it has less of that planned-just-so feel with overwrought constrictions on what homeowners can have on their porches and in their yards, and more of that eclectic-tied-together-works, just-do-your-thing feel.
Well, first things first: a little snack at Serenbe’s Blue Eyed Daisy Bakeshop.
Shug wanted a sprinkle cookie, and Shugie the chocolate lover got a brownie:
This is how Serenbe describes itself, from the website:
Each of Serenbe’s four hamlets have complementary commercial centers focused on the elements of a well-lived life: arts for inspiration, agriculture for nourishment, health for wellbeing and education for awareness.
Fresh food is another of Serenbe’s natural assets, with a 25-acre organic farm, seasonal Saturday Farmer’s Market, thriving CSA program and edible landscaping, including blueberry bushes along paths and sidewalks.
Year-round cultural events include outdoor theater from Serenbe Playhouse, culinary workshops and festivals, music events, films and lectures, boutique shopping, art galleries, a spa and trail riding, plus a robust Artist in Residence program featuring dinners and talks.
Marie Nygren’s really lovely site, Serenbe Style and Soul (Marie’s a cofounder of Serenbe) is filled with beautiful pictures and recipes.
This, from Congress for the New Urbanism:
The vision for Serenbe was born at the height of Atlanta’s sprawl in the 1990s, in an effort to protect largely rural southwest Fulton County. Landowners in the area began to discuss a way to avoid losing the character of the land, while accommodating inevitable development. This movement eventually led to the formation of the Chattahoochee Hill Country Alliance, which developed a vision plan and outlined various land use tools, such as conservation easements, transfer of development rights, and mixed-use villages, to protect land from traditional suburban development. The result was a master plan and zoning overlay, and eventually the formation of a new city, Chattahoochee Hills, encompassing 40,000 acres. The development plan will cluster growth into hamlets and villages, while preserving a minimum of 70 percent of the acreage unbuilt. Serenbe, with 1,000 acres, is the first of the hamlets to be built, and demonstrates how this balanced growth can be accomplished – by building high density villages and hamlets surrounding community centers.
Commuting to Atlanta, this would have to be a good option, because it’s only about 35-40 miles in
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Here’s what’s on the market in Serenbe (Chattahoochee Hills) currently.
Kevin Gillespie just this month did a video for Bing about Serenbe (well, it starts out there anyway, but now I know about Gu’s Szechuan, which is — where else — Buford Highway).