It's only fitting that neighborhood #2 in our Spotlight Series be the lovely Sandy Springs since my husband and I left the amazing Westside to come here. The city of Sandy Springs incorporated away from Atlanta in 2005 after years of debate and several failed attempts to do so. The city's boundaries are Atlanta to the south, Cobb County to the west and north at the Chattahoochee River, Roswell to the north, and Dunwoody and Brookhaven, at the DeKalb County line, to the east. A small portion in the northeast extends between the Chattahoochee River to the north and Dunwoody to the south, ending in a very small border with Peachtree Corners in Gwinnett County.
Many of the neighborhoods in Sandy Springs are well established with homes on larger lots surrounded by trees and winding hills, especially on Riverside Drive where we live. The Chattahoochee River is nearby which provides some beautiful views for those residents with homes lucky enough to be located near it. There are many places to shop and eat and with the newly built City Springs Innovation and Performing Arts Center there will surely be some great events coming soon. Check it out here: https://citysprings.com/
After almost 5 months of living on "the Riverside" (see what I did there?), there are 5 things I LOVE about Sandy Springs so far. The first is all the nature that surrounds us. We have seen foxes, deer, coyotes (yikes), snakes (also yikes), moles, baby squirrels, and even a bald eagle on our property! It's crazy! We really do live in the forest and have learned to be mindful and cautious of all of the beautiful animals around us.
The second thing I love is the proximity to the Chattahoochee River and all of the trails around it. It's so nice to walk across the street to our neighbor's house and look at the water and also to go tubing whenever we want as the drop in locations are super close. We recently bought our own tubes so it's really easy! If you like to run, there are so many places to run around the river...trails, paths, etc. that are great for dogs and humans. :)
The third thing is the Heritage Farmer's Market (see pic above)! It is held every Saturday morning from 9am-12:00pm in October-December and 8:30am-12:00pm in April-September. They have a bunch of booths set up with offerings ranging from homemade chocolates to farm grown veggies and organic, vegan treats. My favorite is Strive Foods who makes and sells the best raw, vegan food I've ever had! Check out the market here along with all that Heritage Sandy Springs, a nonprofit dedicated to making a vibrant community, has to offer. http://heritagesandysprings.org/3485-2/community-events/hss-farmers-market/
The fourth thing I love is the people. The very day we moved in, some of our new neighbors came to say hello and to tell us how excited they were that we were moving in. I was afraid since the homes on our street are pretty spread out and because we are up on a hill that we wouldn't see our neighbors much, but that is not the case thankfully. We have dinner and drinks with many of them on the weekends as much as we can. There is a great mix of people young and old, some with kids and some not, and a lot of dogs! I have been invited into a book club with a bunch of wonderful ladies whom I look forward to seeing every month and Jon has made some friends who share the same interests he does. Mostly doing guy things that I know nothing about. :)
The fifth (and I guess the 6th) thing I love about Sandy Springs is the convenience and the room for growth. We thought we had it good in the city, but I've quickly realized that Sandy Springs is so convenient to so many of the places we like to shop for groceries, furnishings, etc. and close to Buckhead, Roswell, and Marietta where we spend a lot of our time. There are so many new places popping up over here like awesome restaurants, French coffee shops, and botique gyms. I just joined TURN Studio that has all kinds of classes like spin, HIIT, and even cardio dance. Check it out here: https://www.turnstudio.com/
I can't wait to watch Sandy Springs continue to grow and become one of the cities that people in Atlanta talk about. I know the longer we live here the more I can add to my list of why Sandy Springs is so great, but for now I will enjoy all that it has to offer in this gorgeous fall weather and will continue to blog about new happenings around us. Come visit anytime!!