Down on the Farm- Neely Farm, Part One

Besides the natural beauty along the Chattahoochee river, rolling hills, mature trees and a neighborhood developed during an era when builders still appreciated the value of beautiful properties, Neely Farm is also conveniently located to nearby grocery stores, churches, gyms, shopping and dining options.

The Forum and Town Center are more recent draws. It’s an easy commute to Atlanta and a quick jaunt to John’s Creek, Alpharetta and surrounding areas of interest.

I spoke to Neely farmer of 26 years and former Homeowner’s Association (HOA) President Pamela Brazell about some of the things that make Neely Farm a special place. “We were attracted to this community-oriented neighborhood,” she said. “Neely Farm is more than a subdivision. It’s a community where people care about their neighbors. You feel like you know everybody, people are so friendly. I love how our neighborhood has transcended time. It was beautiful when it was new, and it’s even more so now.”

Residents, known as “Farmers,” have a community website and neighborhood watch group. They also leverage a Facebook Page to keep each other abreast of new developments, ask for recommendations, help of all sorts, and give praise or express grievances.

A group volunteers specifically to help those in need. “If you’re sick and can’t pick up groceries or medications, they’ll do it for you,” Brazell explained.

Neighborhood watch

The neighborhood watch group keeps the neighborhood updated if there are any alerts. Brazell said that they’ve implemented the Flock Safety Camera System to help police if there’s ever any criminal activity.

“Several Peachtree Corners neighborhoods have it, and the city is on board as well. It’s very cohesive. It’s precise enough to eliminate registered neighbors in a search, showing only license plate numbers that are not registered,” she explained.

Good sports and great schools

Tennis is king in Neely Farm. There is men’s, women’s, mixed teams — and, of course, kids’ tennis. An old map of the subdivision shows four tennis courts. “We built two more because we needed more,” Ned Richards said. Ned and his wife, Marsha, moved to the Neely Farm subdivision 32 years ago and are among the original residents.  “If you went up Big House to the clubhouse and looked to the left on Neely Farm Drive, the barn and silo were still there,” Ned recalled.

Pickleball is an up and coming sport, and several neighbors play on the tennis courts now, but the HOA is looking at possibly building a pickleball court in the next couple of years. Basketball is a walk-up-and-start-a-game-with-neighbors kind of sport.

The Neely Farm Mallards swim team started up almost immediately, Richards said. Kids from 4 to 18 take lessons at the pool and, besides competing with the swim team, may go on to other divisions. “A neighbor who worked for Wilson Sporting Goods had Neely Farm gear made — hats, shirts. I have a windbreaker. Back then, that was unheard of.”

Richards said that in the early days on the Farm, almost everybody’s kids went to Peachtree Elementary. “We were all in the same PTA,” he recalled. All the Neely Farm teens went to Norcross High School, though there may have been one or two kids going to Westminster or Lovett.

“We all did the same activities, had vacation and school breaks at the same time. Kids were getting on the same school bus,” Richards said. There was more interaction because everybody had opportunities to meet. Now the senior banner in the spring shows 10 or 12 different high schools represented.”

Wesleyan moving here and the area getting redistricted into Simpson Elementary were a plus, and several families with school-aged kids are moving in. “That’s helped a lot in terms of property values and resales,” Richards said. 

Unique homes

Another great thing about Neely Farm is the variety of home styles found here — they’re not cookie-cutter homes. “When you selected a lot in Neely Farm, the builder came with it. By 1994, it was pretty well built out. They had eight builders to start with,” Richards said. “Back then, it wasn’t typical for a subdivision to have only one builder. Developers preferred a variety of builders so there’d be different styles of homes.”

There are 334 homes in Neely Farm. Two of them are in the Reserve at Neely Farm, where homeowners have the option of paying into the Neely Farm HOA to gain access to the tennis and swim facilities.

The average price of a home in Neely Farm was between $650,000 and $675,000 in 2020. Typically, 18 houses are sold yearly. As of November 2020, 24 homes have sold; the increase is likely due to lower interest rates during the pandemic.

Sidewalks make good neighbors

Marchman was the developer who purchased 325 acres of land from Frank Neely’s descendants and began the transition from a rural to a suburban setting in 1984. Richards noted that Howard Hoffman, the husband of Neely’s granddaughter Eve, insisted that sidewalks be built on both sides of the street as a condition of the sale. It’s an extra cost for the developer, but Hoffman was unflinching.

“Howard said, “You can build nice houses on nice streets, and people will wave. But if you have sidewalks, they’ll stop and talk. Then you won’t just have a subdivision, you’ll have a neighborhood,” Richards recounted. Residents make use of the sidewalks and cross paths with neighbors regularly. Some walk, some jog, some walk their dogs, others stroll with their children.

Richards shared an amusing bit of Farm history, “Depending on what was going on, or if there was something you did that warranted it, in years past, you may have woken up to a toilet on your front lawn. It rotated around the neighborhood as needed, depending on who ‘deserved’ it.”

The clubhouse and River Park

The lovely historical clubhouse was built using bricks from the original Fulton County courthouse. They were transported by train and brought to the estate on a wagon. Built in the 1930s, it served as the Neely farmhouse and hunting lodge. It was newly remodeled this year.

Residents can book the clubhouse online. It has seen many weddings, baby showers and graduation parties over the years. It’s a perk for neighbors to have the space to host gatherings.

Pictures on the walls show the original house and what the rooms were like. “It’s really nice to have that kind of a treasure in your neighborhood,” Brazell said.

One of the finest assets is the natural park with trails along the Chattahoochee River which will remain undisturbed. It’s a certified bird sanctuary for bluebirds and a wildlife preserve. Residents can enjoy nature as they walk, jog, bike or picnic.

It served as an invaluable outlet this year during the pandemic. More than ever, people spent time in the quiet wooded area, enjoying wildlife and fresh air. “It was a godsend for our neighborhood,” Brazell added.

The Street of Dreams

The Atlanta area real estate community sponsored “The Street of Dreams” in a new subdivision each year, as a way for the development to get positive PR and drive traffic to the houses. In the fall of 1989, that street was Indian River in Neely Farm. There were only six homes then, each designed by a different builder.

“The homes were nicely furnished. Interior designers were part of the presentation. The public paid for tours,” Richards said. “A day was set aside for residents to visit for free.”

He remembered that, at that time, “River Bottom, where Rachel dead ends, to the left, wasn’t developed hardly at all. When you went up River Bottom the other way, up the hill, there was no Indian Field, Dairy Way or Harrow Trace. It was just wooded land. All that was built a few years later. There were no river lot homes. That whole area was totally open. Traffic wasn’t a problem.”

Farmers and socialites

“Social events bring neighbors and kids together,” Brazell said. “We’ve enriched our programs for children to keep them an active part of the neighborhood. There is something for everyone here.”

Neely Farm has a special Christmas tradition. What was once a Dine Around at different homes has evolved into a single gathering at the clubhouse. The Farm’s very own Bruce Brett grows his white beard every year in preparation for “Christmas with Santa,” an evening with the children, Mrs. Claus and an elf. “He is the perfect Santa Claus. The kids enjoy coming to see him and having cookies,” Brazell beamed.

For Valentine’s Day, the kids meet for an array of arts and cookies. They’re welcome to make crafts and take them home. Parents join in to help and socialize.

The Easter bunny makes an appearance in Spring for an egg hunt and refreshments at the clubhouse.

Chastain Night is a fun event held in May. Around the pool deck at the clubhouse, a band plays while neighbors mingle, dine and dance around theme-decorated tables. Prizes are awarded to the best tables.

A highlight is the Pig Roast, held in fall. The men gather for comradery and set up tents the night before. Face painters, balloons, a DJ, and delicious food make the annual event fun for the whole neighborhood.

Halloween graveyard at the Lewis home in Neely Farm 2020. (Photo courtesy of Jess Lewis)

Fierce homemade BBQ sauce competitions at the roast have gone on for three decades, complete with campaigns and signs. Richards recalls that, in years past, “…we had skits, routines, sang songs. We made hand fans for Slap your Mama BBQ sauce. The last song of the night was always David Allan Coe’s, ‘You Never Even Called Me by My Name.’ We’d all sing, a large group of us in a circle.”

Brazell remembers that The Fourth of July used to be over the top. “A firetruck would park at the clubhouse. Kids would climb all over it and take pictures. Then we had a parade. Kids decorated their bikes, their little motor cars, wheelbarrows. With music playing, they’d march through the neighborhood,” she said.

The Armchair Brigade was a fabulous part of the Fourth of July parade, she added. “Husbands would get together to practice. They used folding chairs. They would fold up, march, snap them open, snap them shut, put them down, sit down. It was a hoot!”