Community
Best Family City in Georgia
Residents, city officials weren’t surprised that Peachtree Corners received the highest marks for families in the Fortune Magazine analysis.
The City of Peachtree Corners has been awarded many accolades in its 10-year history. One recent honor bestowed upon the 41,840 residents is the distinction by Fortune Magazine as one of “The Best Places to Live for Families.” It was ranked top in the state of Georgia and number 19 in the entire U.S.
To many residents, this title sums up all that they strive for as a community.
“This is not something we work towards as far as an award or recognition. It’s a de facto confirmation of what we believe we have here and what we really work hard to achieve,” said Peachtree Corners City Manager Brian Johnson.
“Our goal is to be the most well-rounded, or call it diverse, city that we can be. And when I say diversity, I mean diversity across all the community metrics that exist, meaning we love to have diversity of cultures, races — those kinds of things that makes a community healthier, more unique, more vibrant,” he added.
Although the area has a reputation for being among the higher income, more affluent in the state, Johnson said there is a concerted effort toward diversity of housing.
“We like to have everything from million-dollar single family detached homes, for those who that’s their thing, down to starter homes and workforce housing, both equity and rental,” said Johnson. “We want to have as many housing options for somebody who wants to live here as we possibly can.”
Of course, that doesn’t happen organically, he added. It often requires the pushing or pulling of certain things, like zoning restrictions, and seeking state and federal funding.
“We also strive for diversity of entertainment or social opportunities within the city,” said Johnson. “Restaurants, recreational amenities, community activities — everything from organized youth sports leagues to summer concert series — things for people to go to, to be involved in.”
Gathering spot
The city is so successful at making sure there are lots of things to do that many of the “free” offerings are well attended by people from surrounding areas as well as Peachtree Corners residents themselves.
One recent afternoon, for example, the playground at Town Center had as many families present from Canton, Smyrna, Johns Creek and Doraville as those who walked or bicycled from their homes in the city.
Gina Hannah brought her two grandsons, Wally and Holden Wright, ages nine and five respectively, to enjoy the state-of-the-art features of the facility that was installed about a year ago.
“We moved here 10 years ago. It was our second go around living in Georgia,” she said. “We lived in Marietta in the 70s, and we were in Richmond, Virginia for a long time.”
Her husband Wayne’s business relocated to the metro area shortly before he retired. “We came back in 2013, when Peachtree Corners had just got incorporated,” said Hannah. “We chose the location because it was convenient to where his office was — just three miles from the highway. …We rented at first but grew to love it. Once we got our bearings, we bought a condo.”
As the kids explored the various pieces of equipment on the playground, Hannah explained why she wasn’t entirely surprised that Peachtree Corners made the top of the list in Georgia.
“We love everything about it. Of course, the Town Center is newer, but even 10 years ago, there was just a lot of potential. The Forum was already there,” she said.
Even though they are empty nesters, the Hannahs see the great qualities the city has to offer families.
Hannah’s grandchildren live in Indiana with their parents, but she has a son and a daughter who live in Avondale Estates and Decatur. She also has family in Chattanooga, so she and her husband aren’t too far away from family.
Living in a condo without a lot of yard space or room for kids to roam, she’s glad there are lovely parks and other family-friendly amenities within walking distance.
“Every time [the grandchildren visit] there are new things to do. We love the concerts and stuff,” she said, noting that nearby towns like Norcross also offer a variety of things to do, adding to the appeal.
If she could change anything, Hannah said she’d like to see even more diversity in Peachtree Corners. She does see that the city is growing its diversity in many ways.
A lot to love here
Treng Lu and his two children were at the park with hoverboards they received for Christmas. The family has lived in Peachtree Corners for seven years. Both he and his wife are in the IT field and came to the U.S. from Vietnam by way of Brussels.
“I’m still working on my English, but we love living here,” he said. “It’s very beautiful and peaceful and there are lots of things to do.”
The children, Kaitlyn, 8, and Daniel, 7, attend Simpson Elementary. “My favorite subject is math,” said Daniel. “Because you can solve almost anything with numbers.”
Similarly, Karen Gallardo brought her sons, Conner, 6, and Grayson, 7, to enjoy the park — especially the splash pad — before the day got too hot. She and her husband purchased their home in Peachtree Corners in 2018.
“I was working in Buckhead at the time. …And I was able to get to work pretty easily — just hop on 400,” she said, adding, “And it was affordable.”
She’s a teacher, and her husband works in sales, so he needed someplace that was centrally located. “We love that it’s kind of central. And I love that Trader Joe’s is right here. That’s my jam,” she said.
Gallardo has a hard time enjoying some of the family-friendly offerings because the movies and concerts often start a little late for their schedule. “Sometimes things start so late. So, as a parent, …I don’t want to go out at 7:30,” she said.
Number one for families
And although this kind of national recognition is good PR for the city, it’s not a goal the city necessarily strives for. Still, Johnson said he’d vote for Peachtree Corners every time.
“I think it is fair to say that when you look at a community like ours — about 45,000 people and about 45,000 jobs with lots of diversity in all of those sectors — that’s a pretty cool community to consider living in. …We work hard to try to do that every day, and it’s nice,” he said.
The recognition is not something the city applied for, but Johnson said, “we’re very proud of it; …Families are the backbone of this country. When you can say that you are number one in Georgia and number 19 for families in the country, that’s a pretty cool place to be.”
If you drive a ‘Little Deuce Coup,’ a ‘Little Red Corvette’ or nothing at all, the Ride Lounge in Peachtree Corners may be the club for you.
If you’re someone who’s so fascinated with automobiles that casual conversations often turn into treatises about torque, transmission overdrive, throttle linkage and tread squirm, the Ride Lounge, set to open this year in Peachtree Corners, might be your utopia.
Founders Dave Codrea and Josh Friedensohn have envisioned the spot as a unique car storage facility and social club designed for car enthusiasts and their families.
Once complete, the 18,000-square-foot building will have indoor storage for about 65 cars as well as lounge areas, a conference room/presentation area for members to do group events, a car detailing area and a bar.
“There will be plenty of room for social events and stuff,” said Codrea.
Pre-opening fundraiser
Even though the establishment’s interior wasn’t completed at the time, the guys kicked off the first weekend in February with the first charity fundraiser of many to come. Pedal Fest took place on Saturday, February 1, with proceeds going to the Gwinnett County Public Schools Foundation.
Teams of three competed in pedal-powered drift trike races around a track set up in the parking lot.
“This is the kind of family-friendly stuff we like to do,” said Codrea. “We’ll probably have about one event a week — mostly related to different car events.”
The concept behind the Ride Lounge is more than just your old man’s garage. According to design firm Archie Bolden, the club will have “strategically integrated focal lighting throughout to enhance specific areas and create captivating visual focal points that invite visitors to explore highlighted zones or admire showcased feature cars.”
The look is described as masculine luxe with industrial accents.
Just a couple of gearheads
Codrea and Friedensohn don’t have anything to do with autos in their day jobs. They are partners in Greenleaf, a real estate company that buys, rehabilitates and manages long-term low-income residential properties and small business commercial properties to provide advancement opportunities for its residents, tenants, investors and communities.
“I started getting into cars when I was about 13 or 14 years old and as a little boy growing up with Hot Wheels,” Codrea said. “I got my first car, and I always enjoyed working on it. I took the whole engine apart and put in a turbo system. I’ve always loved cars.”
And he’s come across other “gearheads” who like to talk about cars, hang out around cars and work on cars as well.
So why a car club?
“You can do whatever you want to do with cars and it doesn’t matter what kind of car you have as long as it’s something you’re passionate about and like talking about it with other car people,” he said. “It’s a really good way to bring people together.”
Why here?
“That’s easy. I live in Peachtree Corners and I like it,” he said.
Building community
Codrea added that there’s so much diversity and growth that it’s kind of a no-brainer that there are many people who’d gravitate to the concept.
“Atlanta is a big city, but that also means there’s all sorts of interest in a lot of little segments,” he said. “You know what’s out there in cars and there’s definitely interest. As the area grows, we’re trying to bring people that like cars and their kids and families together.”
The storage spaces will allow owners to keep their prize possessions out of the elements or out the home garage in an environmentally-controlled area. But owning a car is not a requirement for membership in the club. There’s a level for just communing with like-minded individuals.
With so many “reality” shows based on restoration and enhancement, there’s no doubt that the interest is there. There’s a big screen ready for 24 hours of Le Mans, F1 races and anything else with a motor.
It looks like those with a passion for automotive performance have found their tribe.
To learn more about Ride Lounge or for early member access, visit ride-lounge.com.
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