200 L AYER S
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ADVENTURE AWAITS
Whether you moved here last week, or you’ve been around as long as we have, you know there’s more to this area than good schools and tennis teams. In fact, as our zip codes become more concentrated with active young families, the decision to make outdoor plans is more and more of a no-brainer. And this area answers. Whether manmade, like the multiple greenway trails that are continuing to expand and connect our communities even now, to the natural hiking trail options from Kennesaw Mountain to the North Georgia mountains, there’s never an excuse to stay on the couch and we’ve been one of the first voices to encourage getting out there.
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Big Creek Greenway, Alpharetta
NICHE NEIGHBORHOODS Outsiders describe the trip to the burbs as going way up north, heading “OTP” or driving halfway to Tennessee (if you ask some in-town dwellers). To those of us living here, it’s simply home. And it’s no secret why this is where our heart is — we’ve been telling you so for almost 18-plus years. That we’ve been able to experience it with you, sharing the view of each of these unique pockets of the Northside through our journalistic lens, makes us feel like a part of it. We’ve watched and reported on each neighborhood as they’ve evolved into a network of sprawling communities, blending a little bit (or a lot) of history and adventure with impressive progress that still nods to nostalgia. As a whole, the entire Northside is a blend of born-here, raised-here locals and Atlanta transplants mixed with international ex-pats and people who were tired of the snow. We’re neighborhood-dwelling families and people wanting to be closer to the mountains and farther from the city, in better schools or well off the beaten path. We’ve still got traffic, but occasionally there’s a side road where no one even thinks about blowing a horn. It’s the beauty of the Northside, and that doesn’t even scratch the surface. In short, it means there are infinite stories we have left to tell. PN PHOTO COURTESY OF ALPHARETTA CVB
30 | POINTS NORTH | December 2017