Top 5 reasons why active adults are making the move to the Atlanta area

Love the idea of experiencing seasons but not winter’s cold, harsh realities? Within the country’s ninth-most populated region, Atlanta promises a mild winter climate and is home to beautiful parks and outdoor areas to enjoy it in. And, best of all, only 30-some days out of the year does the temperature dip below freezing.

Recently, financial publication Bankrate rated Georgia as the top destination for retirees, and Retirement Living named Atlanta the #4 city to retire in 2021, thanks to its affordability, health care and quality of life.

Even with a fast-growing population, Georgia’s largest city maintains its Southern charm and slower pace, along with an ethnically diverse population spanning multiple generations. If you’re looking for a new city to call home where you can linger over a tasty lunch with friends, book tickets to the hottest shows in town, and enjoy Saturday hikes, have you thought about Atlanta?

1.     Access to green space

Don’t be fooled by the metro setting: green space is all around. Close to Atlanta there are opportunities to hike, including Chattahoochee National Forest’s Panther Creek Falls and summiting Sawnee Mountain on the 4-mile Indian Seats Trail. North of downtown there’s boating on Lake Lanier, host site for the 1996 Olympic rowing and canoe/kayak competitions, and Georgia’s largest private pickleball center at Cresswind Georgia. Without leaving Atlanta hop on (by foot or bicycle) the 22-mile Atlanta BeltLine, 33 miles once complete. Much like New York City’s High Line, this elevated parkway on former railway tracks connects 45 neighborhoods, paired with murals and sculptures. And gorgeously maintained city parks like Piedmont Park, which hosts year-round events, are prominent throughout the city.

2.     Great city, great suburbs

While Atlanta Proper is a beautiful city (with a phenomenal skyline) offering unique homes and quirky neighborhoods, plenty of trees, entertainment and the hustle-and-bustle of city life, its suburbs are drawing plenty of newcomers. These areas, often just outside of the city, are known for having discrete personalities all their own. Whether you’re looking for a smaller place to get to know people or a growing metropolis where you can get in on the ground floor, there’s plenty of places to explore, like the charming towns of Braselton and Hoschton where you’ll find Twin Lakes, the largest new master-planned community to break ground in the Atlanta area in over a decade.

3.     Intriguing real estate options

The Atlanta real estate market remains hot (like the rest of the country) – but has more inventory than many American cities. And what’s more, many communities and homebuilders are popping up with a certain lifestyle in mind. For instance, in small-but-growing Peachtree City (pop. 34,000), the active adult community Cresswind Peachtree City by Kolter Homes is connected to a 100-mile network of paths for golf carts, bikes and pedestrians that  leads to restaurants and shops. Some residents forego a car altogether! And because the community offers an indoor and outdoor pool, fitness center, yoga/aerobics studio, arts and crafts classes, walking trails, event spaces and tennis, pickleball and bocce courts on property, you may never want to leave anyway.

4.     World-class performing and visual arts.

Like any large city, musicians and rock bands stop in Atlanta on tour but you also, as a local, can easily access arts groups with year-round residency. Whether you enjoy a night at the opera, symphony or ballet, or want to browse some of the country’s best art, Atlanta’s cultural institutions are well known for entertaining residents and visitors alike.

5.     A talent-packed restaurant scene

Any frequent watcher of food shows will recognize many of the chefs in Atlanta, who have creations all their own throughout the city. ‘Top Chef’ season-six finalist Kevin Gillespie (Revival, in Decatur) is joined by ‘Top Chef’ judge Hugh Acheson (Empire State South and By George, both in Atlanta. Four food halls — The Collective Food Hall, Chattahoochee Food Works, Krog Street Market and Ponce City Market, provide opportunities to taste your way around the world., including ‘Top Chef’ alum Hector Santiago serving up Latin sandwiches at El Super Pan.

Excited about the thought of moving to Atlanta? Learn where you might fit in at cresswindATL.com.

Members of the editorial and news staff of Paste BN Network were not involved in the creation of this content.