Atlanta - Hub of the New South

The word is out. Atlanta is the place to be.communities around Atlanta include luxury gated
According to statistics gathered from variousmaster-planned communities with integral golf
sources, Atlanta has ranked first in the nation forcourses, waterways, hiking trails and full-fledged
new home starts for the past thirteen years. Itcommunity centers. Residents can avail
ranks third in the nation for number of Fortunethemselves of fitness facilities that include tennis
500 companies that call the Southern city home -courts and swimming pools, indoor exercise spas
only New York City and Houston boast moreand tracks. Outdoor activities might include
Fortune 500 companies. The economy is strongmarked hiking trails through the lush surroundings
and growing stronger. The weather is sublimeof mountain forests and walking paths through
year round, and outdoor activities abound in thenature preserves designed to spotlight the most
greater Atlanta Metro area. It is the largest andbeautiful features of the community's
fastest growing metro area in the South andenvironment.
ranks high among cities throughout the entireThe beauty of the natural landscape and the
nation.luxury of the homes available may be why CNN
On the reverse side of the coin, the Greaternamed Atlanta one of its Top 10 Cities to Work
Atlanta metro area also offers some of the mostfrom Home in 1997. CNN Money speculates that it
beautiful scenic land in the country. It is stillwas the 1996 Olympics that sparked the trend
renowned for its Old South gentility and for thefor telecommuters in Atlanta, and it may have
unhurried pace of everyday life. A new homebeen. Whatever the original impetus, Atlanta
buyer would be hard pressed to find a morecompanies have been quick to adopt
scenic place to live than along the Blue Ridgework-from-home as part of the culture. Nearly all
Parkway and its surrounding mountains and towns.of Atlanta and its surrounding suburbs and metro
The new developments and communities in andarea are wired for cable and high speed internet
around Cherokee County are counted among theaccess, a must for many of today's new home
top homes for sale in Atlanta.buyers.
Gated and other master planned communitiesAtlanta is also rated seventh on Sperling's Ten
make up the majority of new housing starts inBest Places to Live, the largest city to make the
the Greater Atlanta area, following a trend thatlist. Sperling's cites Atlanta's low cost of living and
has also become popular in other fast growinghigh per capita income as major reasons for the
areas of the country. Master planned communitiescity's popularity with young people who are
offer many advantages to homeowners and theirconcerned with value. The climate - generally
families - as well as to the overall community.warm and pleasant as opposed to steamy in the
Because they take into account the needs of asummer - is a major draw for active older adults
new community from the very start, they tendwho enjoy the social and recreational opportunities
to meet those needs very early in thethat Atlanta living offers. Black Enterprise
development process. The top homes for sale inmagazine, which annually publishes a list of Top
Atlanta include communities and developmentsTen Cities for African Americans has listed
that cater to everyone's desire to live a highAtlanta in its top three for years. They cite
quality of life. They provide recreationalAtlanta's low median home prices and buying
opportunities of many kinds and offer a leisurely,power as major reasons for Atlanta's high rating.
relaxed lifestyle that is less than an hour removedThe median home price for the Atlanta area is
from the amenities and realities of the big city.$177,000 - on the low side of the scale for major
Atlanta has been billed as "where the mountainmetropolitan areas.
meets the metro", and that slogan is embodiedAtlanta is a growing city - growing in size, growing
by list of top homes for sale in Atlanta. Thesein income and growing in opportunity. It's no
neighborhoods are often built around centralwonder that Atlanta regularly makes the Top Ten
amenities and recreational features - but offer thelists of best places in the country to live and
privacy and serenity of living on a mountain lake.work.
The most sought after neighborhoods and