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About 30 miles southwest and a worldaway from Atlanta sits Serenbe, achic eco-community deep in the
heart of the Chattahoochee Hill Country. The900-acre New Urbanism span of estates,cottages, townhomes and live/work lofts complete with sidewalks, stables andmiles and miles of hiking and walking trails will have 70 percent greenspace once thedevelopment is done, making it a hot spot forcouples and families in search of someenvironmental elbow room, as well assecond-home seekers from all over the
country who adore Serenbes proximity toHartsfield-Jackson airport.
The community is the brainchild of SteveNygren, founder of Atlantas PleasantPeasant restaurant. He and his wife Mariepurchased 60 acres in the area in 1991, andmoved there permanently upon retirementin 1994. It was only after coming across abulldozer while out walking with his daughterthat Nygren realized that development to thearea was inevitable
Two years and countless meetings later,40,000 acres of undeveloped acres were re-zoned for conservation development. Today,
the community has a village called Selborne,with homes, shops, restaurants and otherbusinesses, plus two more villages are in theworks. And, it was recently voted one of thetop 10 cottage neighborhoods in the countryby Cottage Living magazine. Whether yourebuying or browsing, Serenbe is a decadentdaytrip or weekend getaway, brimming withshops, restaurants and an inn so remote andrelaxing youll swear youre staying for good.
Said inn, The Inn at Serenbe, offers 18rooms available throughout five buildings,including a restored 1905 farmhouse and
1930s-era horse barn, a lake house and twocottages with all the creature comforts.Theres also the unstuffiest conferencecenter imaginable, a pool and hot tub, a cro-quet lawn, and edible amenities including acountry breakfast, afternoon tea and sweetsat bedtime.
The Inn is also home to The Farmhouserestaurant, where rising new chef NickMelvin (he took over for Nicolas Bour inAugust) showcases the bounty from SerenbeFarms and other local purveyors with aweekly prix fixe dinner Thursday throughSaturday nights and a Sunday supper featur-
ing his famous fried chicken, Southern sidesand dessert for $17 (add a bottomless glassof wine for $9!).
Just down the street, Chef Hilary Whitetakes the phrase farm-to-table very seri-ously at The Hil, the open, airy, right-out-of-Southern Living restaurant she runs with herhusband, Jim, and her mother, Sandy Pitsch.Each day, White collaborates with SerenbeFarms manager Paige Witherington on thefreshest ingredients and plans her menuaccordingly, which means that if it was onthe vine in the morning, it could very well be
on the plate by dinner time. Favorites includecaramelized Vidalia onion dip with house-made potato chips, a pimento cheeseburgerand The Hil parfait, a melty mixture of icecream flavors with cookie dough on thebottom and a sugar cookie on top.
Looking for something a little more casual?From sweets to sandwiches and coffee tochicken dinners, the adorable Blue EyedDaisy Bakeshop has it all. Nibbles include adaily soup special, the Chattahoochee Cobbsalad, hamburgers, veggie burgers and apastry case that will send you straight intosugar shock with cookies, brownies, cakes,
Take a country drive out toSerenbe for shopping, dining
and the best in eco-gratification
10 WHERE AtlAntA SEPtEMBER 2008 www.whereraveer.com
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pies, tarts and truffles. The building is thesmallest silver LEED (Leadership in Energyand Environmental Design) certified buildingin the nation, complete with a shower in thebathroom so that Bakeshop workers can biketo work instead of driving, and shower beforethey start their shift.
As for shopping, the selection is small,but all of the stores have a eco vibe thats inkeeping with the philosophy of the community.For example, every product has a sustainablestory at EcoMeme, Serenbes luxe lifestyleboutique. Owner and Serenbe resident Pam
Hollis and shop dog Max offer uniqueproduct lines including Kim White handbags(made from vintage American car fabricslike the AMC Gremlin and the Camaro),iWood sunglasses (handmade with sustain-ably harvested wood), playhouses for kids(made with recycled cardboard) from Hip ofHolland, Modern Bamboo furniture and bodyproducts including Pangea Organics, a line sogreen their packaging is made of seed paper,and you can plant the box when youre done.An online store is in the works, but for now,learn how to reduce your carbon footprint atwww.ecomeme.com.
StudioSwan, the studio and retail galleryspace of Serenbe residents Gail Foster andTom Swanston, showcases local and nationalartists in addition to the owners own works.Australian ex-pat and Serenbe resident GregNewington exhibits his fine art photographyfrom around the world at Newington Gallery,plus works from emerging artists.
Harris & Clark owners James and AnissaHarris definitely know how to do a bodygood, and have stocked their specialtyfoods shop with cuisine with a conscience regional foods made with an eye towardsthe environment. Expect pickled cucumberswith jalapeos from South Carolina, localhoney and stone ground grits from AtlantasSouth Fulton area. Theres also aneducational element with classes thatconcentrate on food over cooking. Recentevents include Chocolat Therapie, and abeer and cheese tasting with Dennis Langeof 5 Seasons Brewery.
Event designer extraordinaire Keith Robin-son not only plans gorgeous galas in Atlanta,hes also the exclusive event designer forweddings and receptions at Serenbe. Andhes the proprietor of Gloriosa, a preciousplace for tabletop dcor galore and every-thing youd need to host the perfect party.Also check out Goodes, owned by Serenbe
resident Sandy Furrh, for furniture and homeaccessories with a stylish spin.
When youre done shopping, get up closeand personal with nature by renting bikesthrough Getting Around, Serenbes tourismboutique. Adult and childrens bikes are avail-able hourly, daily or overnight, complete withbaby seats or carriers for an extra charge.Golf cars (battery- or electric-powered) arealso available to see Serenbes many sights.A word of advice: Take your time.
Serenbe: 9110 Selborne Lane, Palmetto, Ga.,
www.serenbe.com.w
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Opposite page: Selborne village has a cluster of homes, condos and retail space, plus a livelycoffee shop. This page, clockwise form top left: Serenbe Farms serves the areas three restau-rants; delectable delights from The Hil; a room at the Inn ($160-270 a night); visitors can rockout on the porch; the organic farm grows lettuce, fruit and vegetables.
