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Just 30 miles outside of Atlanta, Chattahoochee HIlls offers a rare blend of pastoral beauty, cultural richness, and sustainable living
Chattahoochee Hills isn’t your average Atlanta suburb, and that’s always been the point. Just 30 miles southwest of the city, the rural countryside feels like another world: pastures instead of parking lots, dirt roads instead of drive-throughs. It’s best known for Serenbe, the acclaimed wellness and arts-focused community that’s drawn national attention for its innovative approach to land use, organic farming, and diverse architecture. Life revolves around farmers markets, art exhibitions, concerts, seasonal festivals, trail wandering, horseback rides, and long dinners under string lights. But Serenbe is just part of the picture. Chattahoochee Hills is in fact a full city, with a commitment to conservation and preservation of a quality of life that’s rare anywhere, especially this close to a major metro. As Atlanta’s growth continues to radiate outward, Chattahoochee Hills proves that it’s possible to grow with intention, without losing what makes a place special.
Though officially incorporated in 2007, the roots of Chattahoochee Hills go back centuries. Originally part of Muscogee (Creek) Nation territory, it later became agricultural land. When suburban Atlanta began expanding rapidly in the late 20th century, a group of residents, landowners, and environmental visionaries (including Steve Nygren, founder of Serenbe) pushed for a bold alternative: to preserve the rural landscape while allowing for smart, sustainable growth. The result was a city charter built on the principle of Transferable Development Rights, a first in Georgia. This zoning innovation concentrates development into compact, walkable villages while protecting over 70% of the city’s land as permanent green space. Chattahoochee Hills is now one of the most ambitious and successful examples of conservation-minded planning in the nation.
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Even though well-known among global thought leaders in land planning, Chattahoochee Hills still somewhat flies under the radar, but is quietly booming with growth most evident in the continued evolution of Serenbe. In early 2025, the community announced a transformative $1.7 billion expansion plan, adding more than 1,000 new homes, a boutique hotel, and new commercial and cultural hubs. A major piece of this expansion is the Aging-in-Place campus, projected to break ground in the first quarter of 2026 with a mid-2028 opening. This new facility will offer integrated, community-based healthcare that supports residents through every stage of life. In the meantime, Piedmont Healthcare has already opened a practice at One Mado, a health and wellness building at Serenbe. Says Serenbe founder Steve Nygren, “We continue to attract small-scale retail and hospitality such as a couple from Boulder, Colorado, who moved to Serenbe to launch Allchemy, a first-of-its-kind nontoxic pharmacy. With pioneering entrepreneurs like this, Serenbe and the broader Chattahoochee Hills region are increasingly recognized as a wellness valley of the U.S.” Education options continue to expand, with two new Serenbe hamlets extending into neighboring Coweta County. Residents now benefit from access to two public school systems, the Chattahoochee Hills Charter School, Terra School at Serenbe, and bus service to both Woodward Academy and The Heritage School.
Chattahoochee Hills’ Hill Country Overlay District encourages mixed-use, multihousing types (including village and hamlet formats) while preserving farmland and open space. Several master‑plan nodes are in concept or early planning stages, aiming to offer new housing, small retail, and walkable communities in the coming years.
Sardis An equestrian-inspired community featuring 17 (future) homes on more than 430 acres. The Sardis Barn is the community center and home to a world-class Arabian horse breeding program. This spring, Sardis announced one of Atlanta’s premier builders, Ladisic Fine Homes, will bring three residences to life in 2025.
Farmstead at Piney Woods A 40-acre farm site with only five homesites, all sharing the ultimate in bucolic amenities: a vegetable garden, chicken coop, fishing pond, incredible vistas, and fabulous Bunkhouse designed by Pineapple House Interior Design that can accommodate residents’ overnight guests. Only three homesites remain, each between 1 and 2 acres.
Serenbe’s newest neighborhood, Spela, released its first homesites to builders last fall, and is taking shape with an aesthetic that’s classic in feel, but modern in function. Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles’ 2025 Serenbe Designer Showhouse is located in Spela.
In fall 2025, Serenbe’s founder, Steve Nygren (who many Atlantans know as the founder of the iconic Peasant Restaurant Group) is publishing Start in Your Own Backyard, a book that weaves Serenbe’s story into a broader vision for building healthier, more connected communities, beginning right where you live.
At this year’s Global Wellness Real Estate Summit, Serenbe was spotlighted as the first development in the world to identify as Wellness Real Estate, a category that’s now the fastest-growing segment in global real estate.
An oak tree, symbolizing resilience, growth, and connection to nature.