neighborhood
SPOTLIGHT Woodstock By Michelle Bourg
W Elm Street Cultural Arts Village
PHOTO: Jillian Melko
oodstock calls itself “a city unexpected,” and this community located 30 miles northwest of Atlanta along Interstate 575 certainly offers amenities you might not imagine in a city of 32,000. Home to more than 2,500 businesses, the city also offers abundant recreation, cultural, shopping and dining options. There’s plentiful housing as well, including single-family homes, townhomes and apartments. It’s easy to see why Woodstock has been steadily racking up accolades from national media outlets and was the only Georgia city to make Money magazine’s 2015 list of “Top 50 Best Places to Live in the U.S.”
Housing
Arts and Entertainment
Close to both Main Street and I-575, Riverside is a pedestrian-friendly community priced from the high $300s to mid-$500s, featuring single-family homes with tennis courts, a pool, a playground and other amenities. At Claremore Manor, wooded greenspace and a playground area with a pool are the setting for designer homes with spacious floor plans. Prices range from the high $300s to high $400s.
Elm Street Cultural Arts Village is a vibrant community arts program that provides an opportunity to both participate in and enjoy live theater, music and the visual arts. It also offers classes and summer youth drama and art camps. Music lovers can enjoy concerts in Woodstock year-round, including the city’s Summer Concert Series and the Music Mondays in May lunchtime series, taking place downtown at Northside Hospital-Cherokee Amphitheater in the Park at City Center.
Avery home model kitchen at Claremore Manor
PHOTO: Ashton Woods
Patio at Freight Kitchen & Tap
PHOTO: Freight Kitchen & Tap
Culinary Treats
OFF THE BEATEN PATH Woodstock offers a community bike share program for $3 per hour (with the first hour free) and up to $24 per ride, and, on weekends, a free downtown trolley service that connects points of interest every 30 minutes.
18 | Newcomer Magazine | newcomeratlanta.com
Recipients of numerous accolades including a James Beard Foundation Award for Excellence, Vingenzo’s serves Southern Italian fare with simple elegance. A 126-year-old house in historic downtown Woodstock is home to the Century House Tavern, which offers both small dishes and special entrees. The Freight Kitchen & Tap, housed in a former railroad freight building, offers a menu built around seasonal farm-to-table ingredients and innovative craft cocktails. The annual Woodstock Restaurant Week, held in October, celebrates the city’s culinary offerings with special menus at downtown restaurants and discounts at gourmet shops and food stores.
Local Treasures Woodstock is the perfect community for those who live to get outside. The Greenprints Trail System connects the city and surrounding areas with miles of paved and natural trails, including three sections for mountain bikers of all skill levels. The Park at City Center is the city’s old-fashioned downtown square, with a gazebo, benches, fountains and shade trees. For a getaway that’s close at hand, Olde Rope Mill Park offers picnic areas, trails and fishing and canoeing on the Little River. And for beaches, water sports and camping, Lake Allatoona is less than 10 miles away. N Boat dock at Cherokee Mills Park
