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Apartments
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Letting the Outside In
Recreational Apartment Communities Provide Active Access to Atlanta’s Seasonal Beauty
By Molly Dickinson
Mildly cool breezes; clear skies, carpets of brilliant red and gold leaves crunching underfoot (courtesy of the most trees of any metropolitan area in America). An afternoon football game at the Georgia Dome; a brisk morning bike ride through the still-green hills of Freedom Park—is there anything more glorious than an autumn in Atlanta?
How about living in an apartment community that offers you an endless array of opportunities to get outside and revel in it? Whether your idea of enjoying the perfect fall weather is hiking out your door and into the sunset-hued woods for a picnic lunch or just watching your pooch frolic at the on-site dog park, these apartment communities encourage you to take full advantage of Atlanta’s gorgeous climate and lush scenery in every season. If you’re moving to the metro area this fall, do your family, your body and your spirit for adventure a favor, and schedule a tour at one or more of these recreational residences. Don’t forget to dress for an open-air excursion or two. At these apartment homes, you won’t be able to stay inside for long.
Highland Walk & N. Highland Steel
Perennialproperties.net
When you live in one of these sister communities from hip, green-luxury developer Perennial Properties, getting out and about in two of Atlanta’s trendiest, most welcomingly walkable neighborhoods—Inman Park and Virginia-Highland—is as easy as opening your front door. Avid or aspiring cyclists, dog-owners, running enthusiasts and those who simply enjoy a long walk in the park once in awhile, will love the communities’ near-instant accessibility to Freedom Park, the largest public park in Atlanta, and its six miles of well-marked, paved paths winding through eight unique Atlanta neighborhoods. No bike? No problem. Simply sign out one of the communities’ free rentals. Ride or walk to dozens of be-decked restaurants and street-side boutique stores providing diverse opportunities for some fall window-shopping or a weather-appropriate beverage on a cozy patio. Though the summer pool days are drawing to a close, you can still lounge waterside with a book or a neighbor or two, or get your hands delightfully dirty while helping tend the community garden. Reaping the rewards of your labor with a home-grown picnic lunch on the community lawn is a pretty sweet way to soak up the outdoors in your own backyard.
Rockledge & Glen Lake Residential Resorts
Rockledgeatl.com, Glenlakeatl.com
If you crave the real outdoors—rushing rivers and acres of forest just waiting to be explored (all mere minutes from the heart of big city Atlanta, of course)—look no further than the recreational resort-style communities at Rockledge and Glen Lake. Located in the sought-after suburban cities of Marietta and Sandy Springs, respectively, these properties will make any outdoor connoisseur weak in their trail-tested knees.
Rockledge, an 80-acre community adjacent to the stunning Chattahoochee National Recreation Area, boasts everything from six tennis courts and over two miles of biking and walking trails to outdoor fitness classes and direct access to the Chattahoochee River and Cochran Shoals, a popular public park. Outdoor fireplaces with seating areas and gas grill pavilions (available at Glen Lake as well) are popular with residents. “It almost feels like you’re camping,” says Billy Holcombe, director of marketing for the properties, “but you get to sleep in the luxury of your own bed.” The community also organizes frequent outdoor resident activities, including river clean-up days with the Upper Chattahoochee River Keeper and events hosted by the Atlanta Fly Fishing meet-up, Sky’s the Limit Adventures, Chattahoochee Road Runners and the Outdoor Adventure Club of the South.
Their newest residential resort, Glen Lake, offers an equally impressive list of recreational amenities. Though the gated, luxury community is just a stroll, jog or bike ride away from Hammond Park, Morgan Falls Park and the Dunwoody Nature Center, you’ll find plenty of reasons to enjoy the great outdoors just beyond your own apartment door, with on-site nature trails, flower and vegetable gardens, a peaceful outdoor meditation area and the Glen Lake Dog Park, a gated retreat where your furry friend can lose the leash and romp with canine and human kind alike.
Gables Century Center & Gables Sheridan
Gables.com
Two of legendary Atlanta developer Gables Residential’s newest ventures are also two of the most recreation-friendly upscale apartment communities in the popular Druid Hills area. Century Center, so named for its primo location in Atlanta’s Century Center Business District, brings nature to you with several walking and jogging paths as well as gorgeously landscaped garden trails. Community barbecue grills are perfect for staging outdoor parties or just enjoying some fresh air with your meals. And with five courtyards complete with meditative water features, you may never miss your couch and remote again. Well, almost never.
At Gables Sheridan, the many pocket courtyards and green spaces elegantly scattered throughout the property are always beckoning—whether for a walk, picnic, play-session with your pup or simply something a little more scenic to distract you from your book or laptop. The climbing trellises accenting each well-appointed courtyard only add to the enticing effect, as do barbecue grills where residents can convene for a chat and a bite well into October--—thanks to Atlanta’s mild autumns. Sheridan’s aqua lounge and Century Center’s fitness room, overlooking a sparkling resort-pool area, make these beautiful outdoor features appealing hangouts year-round.
The Pointe at Preston Ridge & Highland Square Apartments
Lecraw.com
“Our biggest ‘claim to fame’ is that the Big Creek Greenway wraps around the back of our community,” says Genevieve Whitworth, community manager for the Pointe at Preston Ridge. The 6.15-mile paved jogging and cycling trail takes residents through several preserved wetland areas bursting with wildlife-watching opportunities. “The fall is a beautiful time of year to take advantage of the trail with the leaves changing color and wildlife becoming more visible,” she adds. Preston Ridge’s recreational charms don’t end with the Greenway. A grilling and picnic area, two-net tennis court and an expansive outdoor swimming pool make this Alpharetta apartment community a welcome recreational retreat for those moving to the metro area.
Nestled in the hip and tree-lined streets of the Virginia-Highland neighborhoods, Highland Square is superbly tucked away. Almost hidden amid its lushly landscaped grounds, it provides convenient access to several local trails, dog parks, green spaces (like the famous Piedmont Park, just 2.5 miles away) and walk-to restaurants and shops, while lending its residents a secluded, outside-the-city feel mere minutes from Midtown and Downtown Atlanta. Three barbecue grill and picnic areas are available throughout the community, which “offers residents a place where they can enjoy the cool fall weather while entertaining friends and family,” says Maurice McCaskill, a leasing consultant and self-proclaimed “resident at Highland Square who enjoys the outdoors during the fall season.”
The Jasmine at Sandy Springs
lyonjasminesandysprings.com
With a walking and jogging trail leading right to the banks of the beautiful Chattahoochee River and a location just a stone’s throw from Perimeter Mall, GA-400 and Intown Atlanta, the Jasmine at Sandy Springs is perfectly positioned to offer residents a balance of natural, suburban and urban recreation. Besides the winding, well-kept trails, the community’s five lighted tennis courts, sand volleyball court and four distinct pool areas featuring glittering fountains and waterfalls encourage residents to get outside and play at all times of the year. With Morgan Falls Park, Island Ford Park, Bull Sluice Lake and the Cherokee Country Club all under four miles away, you’ll have plenty of diverse options for outdoor recreation away from home-—but not too far away--—as well. And what better time than autumn to visit the Big Trees Forest Preserve—less than one mile down the road—to take in Atlanta’s native fall foliage in all its fiery beauty?�
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