As we mentioned in one of our previous posts, we made the trip up to Atlanta on May 10th and 11th for the Modern Atlanta Modern Home tour. Great tour and it was uplifting to see the attendance of the opening party, with hundreds of people turning out to see modern design. One of the coolest things of the weekend was the trip to Serenbe, which was about 40 minutes south of downtown Atlanta.

Before this trip we had never even heard of the community, but it can be defined as the rural farming cousin to Florida’s coastal Seaside and Rosemary Beach.

By protecting this land from the typical growth patterns of urban sprawl. By merging ecologically sound sustainability principles with the design philosophies of walking neighborhoods made up of both homes and shops. By building villages and hamlets for single people, families and empty nesters of a wide range of economic and cultural diversity.

And by creating real community, where people are drawn together over gardening, over cooking, over books, over art, over ideas, and yes, even over back fences.

They say that if you want to change the world, you should start in your own backyard. If that’s so, then Serenbe is quite a beginning. Or maybe a respectful nod to times gone by.

The sustainable aspect of the development is seen throughout the community, especially in it’s 3 major restaurants. Chances are, that what you’ve ordered for your meal was picked from the farms that morning or the evening before.

The town also has a wide range of architectural styles, from Victorian, to log cabin, and to yes, our favorite…modern.

If you have a chance, Serenbe would be a great weekend getaway.