Bowdon lives up to its nickname, The Friendly City
Walking around the Alabama border town of Bowdon is like stepping into a time machine back to the mid-20th century. One-story brick commercial structures housing antique shops and soda fountains with Coca-Cola signs line the streets of this small city’s central business district. Neighbors eat fried chicken and hush puppies, shop for flowers and one-of-a-kind treasures and sip iced coffee in this welcoming community. “Bowdon is known as The Friendly City,” says Kailey Robinson, a Realtor with Southern Homes & Land Realty. “Most people who live there were born and raised. The people in the school system were born and raised there. Everybody knows everybody.”
There is a mix of historic and new construction on acres of land
Away from the center of Bowdon, you’ll see sprawling farm lots, grassy, rolling lawns and tall, thick trees engulfing the quiet streetscapes. New home construction is underway, but the neighborhood also has structures built in the mid-20th century. Lot sizes can range from half an acre to farm properties with more than 100 acres. Estates with country pastures can cost $3 million, brick ranch-style homes can cost $350,000, farmhouses can cost $300,000 and brand-new modern ranch-style homes can go for $500,000. “There are historic homes in the city of Bowdon or there are homes with land outside of the city,” says Robinson. “There are all kinds of architecture. There aren’t townhomes and condos though. The city voted against that.”
With parks, holiday events and Little Big Jam, there is plenty to do
Near the center of town is a small green space called Heritage Park. Every year, the holiday season kicks off with Bowdon by Candlelight, a downtown holiday event with musical performances, craft vendors and Santa Claus himself. Year-round, neighbors come to the park to sit on a bench or in the gazebo and get fresh air. Nature lovers will enjoy the Shiloh Walking Trail, a paved pathway through the woods with a covered bridge. Dogs will love the big, grassy pastures near the trail. Every year, rock musicians flock to Bowdon for an outdoor concert called Little Big Jam. The festival takes place over a weekend in the fall, and people bring tents and RVs to camp for the whole thing. Between bands, you can get your t-shirt tie-dyed or kick back on the grass and relax with your friends.
Locals shop and dine in Bowdon and the nearby Carrollton
Supermarket chain Piggly Wiggly is near Bowdon’s commercial district for all your grocery shopping needs. Other supermarkets like Kroger and Publix are about 12 miles east in nearby Carrollton. That’s also where you’ll find big-box stores like Target, department stores like Belk and other retailers like Home Depot and Ulta Beauty. Enjoy a rack of ribs or some pulled pork from the local barbecue joint Smokin’ Pig or bring the kids to El Mezcal for nachos and tacos. Sit at the counter at the Southern Lady Restaurant and enjoy pot roast and some sweet potato cobbler. There are plenty of food options in this tiny country town.
Carroll County Schools are highly rated
Kids in Bowdon can attend school through the Carroll County School System, which is highly rated, with an A from Niche. Most kids in Bowdon enroll at Bowdon Elementary School (rated A-minus), Bowdon Middle School (rated A-minus) and Bowdon High School (rated B-plus). Bowdon High School’s football team won the Class A Division 2 state championship game in 2022.
State Route 100 leads to major cities like Atlanta and Birmingham
Bowdon sits along Georgia State Route 166, which runs east to Carrollton and west to Alabama. State Route 100 runs north to south through the town and eventually hits Interstate 20, an east-to-west highway connecting Birmingham, Alabama and Atlanta. Bowdon is a charming small town with an old-timey feel. With its cute country attributes and funky merchants, it has lots going for it.
