It Was 'Love at First Sight' for One Resident

A decade ago, I had never stepped foot in Peachtree Corners.  Furthermore, I can honestly say I had never even heard of Peachtree Corners, even though I had lived in Atlanta since 1994.

I was living near Decatur at the time, and my then fiancée worked at Checkfree (now ).  One morning, when his car wouldn’t start, I gave him a ride to the office, and after dropping him off, I quite unexpectedly found myself driving through nearby neighborhoods off of East Jones Bridge, delighted with the charm of the area and the feeling of community I immediately felt.

I stopped in front of a house with a “For Sale by Owner” sign in the front yard.  The owner just happened to be in the driveway; I introduced myself, took a quick tour of the house, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Even though we weren’t even looking to move, I fell in love with the area, and in less than a month, we moved into an idyllic neighborhood in Peachtree Corners, and I’ve called this area home since.

So, after quite literally stumbling into Peachtree Corners, I believe my living here was meant to be.  And in that time, our neck of the woods has grown and changed in many positive ways.

A couple of months after settling in, construction started on the Forum. I had zero idea why the beautiful and serene woody landscape that had drawn me to the area was being demolished, but was pleasantly surprised that at least it wasn’t to put in a strip mall. 

Thanks to staples like , and , I rarely find myself shopping out of the area.

In addition, over the past 10 years, Peachtree Corners had made several notable strides in when it comes to matters of sustainability.

The underwent a major renovation, nearly doubling the facility in size by adding a senior center and expanded workout facilities.  In the process, the organization makes the admirable decision to become a certified Silver Leed facility (meeting certain high standards of green buildings).

The Peachtree Corners CSA (community supported agriculture) group was founded four years ago, providing over 150 families in our area with weekly deliveries of locally grown food from the largest organic farm in the state of Georgia.

The turns an unused strip of land under the power lines into a thriving community garden, free to members of the club, and open to anyone who wants a plot.  And as a side note, we need more community gardens and school gardens in our area.  Why not start one at your swim club, church, school or in an unused plot in your neighborhood?

Local schools engaged in Georgia’s Clean Air Campaign and Safe Routes to School programs, enabling area children to breathe a little easier and discover that walking and biking to school can, indeed, be safe.

chooses Peachtree Corners to launch its second Atlanta area location, providing gardeners in the area with high quality options, as Mother Nature intended.

As we approach the date where Peachtree Corners becomes a city, I can’t help but wonder what the next 10 years and beyond may bring. Will we follow in the steps of neighboring Dunwoody, also recently voted a city, in establishing a citizen-led Sustainability Commission to ensure that our area is properly maintained and developed?

Will we preserve what green space we already have and seek to identify more?

Will additional independent businesses choose to move into our area so we can keep our dollars circulating locally?

As the area grows and continues to develop, will we choose to follow the ideals of Peachtree Corners founder, Paul Duke’s vision of a community where we live, work and play?

I’ve been extremely proud to call Peachtree Corners my home for over a decade.  I plan to raise my children here, as they attend the award winning publi schools. My roots are here now.  Yep, I think I’ll stick around awhile.