Smyrna’s Market Village is the result of intentional revitalization..

Atlanta might be a big city, but there are plenty of residential communities that offer a small town feel. From the recent revival of some of the area’s historic districts to the creation of new “downtown” areas, suburban and intown residents are able to hit the sidewalks and enjoy lifestyles focused around renewed town squares. These residents often help support local businesses, experience a piece of history and just enjoy the charm of a close community. With plenty of residential options, and all of the modern conveniences, town squares around Atlanta are bringing the past into the future.

“Town squares are traditionally the center of activity in a community, and it is clear that people thirst for that well of activity,” says Jennifer Bennett, director of community relations for the city of Smyrna. “That center of activity and town life is central to social creatures, and people are social.”

Located about 10 miles northwest of Atlanta, Smyrna’s current landscape is the result of a master plan that began in the late 1980s. For Smyrna, downtown revitalization came as a response to a less-than-flattering magazine article. As part of the plan for change, the city government acted as an anchor tenant to bring usefulness back to the downtown area. The city also planned for a Village Green that would include a common space, a library and a community center.

Similarly, the town of Suwanee wanted to offer residents an alternative to traditional suburban living. Suwanee, which is located about 30 minutes northeast of Atlanta, benefits from a 21st-century downtown master plan, which Denise Brinson, economic and community development director for the city, says was “built to look like a traditional Georgia town.” Named Town Center, Suwanee’s was developed around the concept of creating a downtown area, Brinson says. While the town already had a historic downtown area, the site was physically unable to be a gathering place, so city developers created the new area, which has become an attractive community.

Suwanee’s Town Center has become a community “front yard.”

While some cities like Smyrna and Suwanee have fashioned their own downtown areas, others have simply made their existing ones more vibrant and welcoming. For example, just east of downtown Atlanta, Decatur has an authentic historic town square that was incorporated in 1823. “Our downtown features wide sidewalks, tree-lined streets, benches, public art, buildings that meet the sidewalks, and a variety of shops and restaurants,” says Linda Harris, assistant director of community and economic development for the city of Decatur.

Other Atlanta area cities make the most of their historic areas, too, including Roswell and Canton, which are both located north of Atlanta. Roswell has a 640- acre historic district complete with antebellum homes and activities that celebrate the city’s past. Initially founded as a mill town before the Civil War, the city lost its mill when Sherman burned much of Atlanta; however, some of Roswell escaped destruction so today several pre-Civil War buildings still survive.

Though many of its structures were lost during Sherman’s march, Canton still has many buildings from the 1920s and 1930s and a downtown area that is a designated National Historic District. “[We’re] bringing downtown back to life, [which] brings a sense of heritage to the community,” says Canton’s Main Street Director Ginger Garrard.

Whether historic or newly developed, what all of these areas have in common is the walkability of a traditional town square, as well as a variety of locally owned businesses, retail shops and diverse restaurants.

Each town square offers unique benefits to residents and visitors alike. Roswell is known for its shops, restaurants and art galleries, as well as its pedestrian covered bridge that links the Roswell Mill Ruins to the Chattahoochee River. In Canton, the “old” Canton Theatre has been renovated and hosts musical and stage performances. Suwanee’s Town Center includes a 10-acre urban style park where outdoor events like jazz concerts, art festivals, outdoor movies and road races are held, while Smyrna’s Market Village includes 33 acres of parks and green space.

Luckily, these town squares also come with a variety of housing options that truly bring the downtown experience to life. “People are looking to connect with each other, and to experience something other than living in a subdivision separated from their neighbors,” Brinson says. This kind of city living is available in downtown Suwanee. What could be more urban than the Madison Park at Suwanee Town Center condos situated above retail in a brand-new mixed-use development? Larger residences also are available nearby at Shadowbrook at Town Center, a Bowen Family Homes community. With five different floor plans and brick, stone or shingle accents, Shadowbrook includes 85 single-family homes and 116 townhomes and direct sidewalk access to Town Center Park.

Suwanee even encourages community nightlife.

At The Bricks in Roswell, residents enjoy luxury condos in what was originally an apartment building constructed for the 19th-century mill workers, as well as the brownstone townhome development Providence. Residential communities have yet to be developed on Canton’s square; but, historic single-family homes are available nearby along East Main Street.

Historic homes also are abundant in Williams Park—possibly Smyrna’s oldest neighborhood, which features Craftsman and Victorian homes just a short walk from downtown. But it’s Smyrna’s Market Village’s townhomes, located over the restaurants and shops of the town square area, that make it the “Walkable Walk-to Neighborhood.” And an urban lifestyle is easy in Decatur, with direct access to the thriving square and downtown from a number of mixed-use developments and lofts like Towne Square Condominiums and Decatur Renaissance Condominiums. The Towne Square building is a pleasant neo-traditional five-story mixed-use building with 105 units offered in one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans. The Renaissance condos also feature retail space on the bottom floor and 168 units above ranging from 750 to 1,250 sq. ft.

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