Gainesville

Vendors and patrons crowd Gainesville Square every April for the Annual Art Walk, one of the many regular events that take over Downtown Gainesville. Some visitors travel by car, while others walk a couple blocks from their houses. The area attracts homebuyers to its local events and lively restaurant scene, driving home building and community growth. Buyers are also drawn to the boating and swimming along the 700-mile shoreline of nearby Lake Lanier, as well as scenic hiking trails in the Appalachian foothills. The Northeast Georgia Medical Center, Breanau University and the Northeast Georgia University Campus are just a short drive from most downtown homes, which range in style from modern townhomes to historic houses. "People love being able to walk around and engage with so many different places," says Grace Orban, a Realtor at Red 1 Realty with over 20 years of real estate experience. "That downtown lifestyle has brought people from all different walks of life who want to live close to Lake Lanier, recreational facilities, nice restaurants and historic streets." Residential development is helping to drive commercial development, including restaurants like Taqueria Tsunami, which serves Latin-Asian fusion cuisine in a modern dining room. Another one of Central Core's newer restaurants is Standard Service. Once a gas station and later a law office, now it's a classic American diner with spacious outdoor seating and a touchscreen self-serve taproom. Alongside new businesses are some enduring favorites like Luna's, where patrons enjoy refined American cuisine and a weekend Piano Lounge, which features musical talents ranging from classically trained pianists to lively blues, country and rock musicians. Grubs Market on Main Street offers high-end deli items and locally sourced foodstuffs. National chains like Target and Aldi are available in the Lakeshore Crossing Shopping Center. New construction is bringing new townhomes within walking distance of Gainesville Square. These townhome communities feature multi-car garages and high ceilings, along with porches and patios offering views of the downtown and the nearby lake. Historic Green Street is lined with lavish houses featuring Victorian, Tudor and other historic architectural styles. Primarily, Green Street is the sight of frequent walking tours, particularly when houses are decorated for the holiday season.  Ranch-style and duplex houses are just outside the downtown area but still within walking distance of popular restaurants and storefronts. Townhomes range from $440,000 to $490,000, while single-family home prices typically range from $230,000 to $500,000. Historic houses on Green Street and adjacent streets can cost between $725,000 to almost $1 million, though they rarely enter the market. Downtown residents are close to several unique recreational areas. Gainesville Square is home to a trail following a 1 to 2-billion scale model of our Solar System, one of just 13 worldwide. Just south of Gainesville Square is the Midland Greenway, tracing the railway path responsible for Gainesville's growth in the early 20th century. Visitors can follow the greenway to the Gainesville Skatepark or the Train Park, which has a preserved locomotive, caboose and a small playground. Next to the historic homes of Green Street are the regional history exhibits in the Northeast Georgia History Center and the community workshops and classes of the Quinlan Visual Arts Center. Water sports on Lake Lanier and miles of walking paths are easy to get to living in Central Core. Seven hundred miles of shoreline include plenty of parks and boat launches for visitors to take advantage of. One example is Longwood Park, where visitors can launch boats and fish on the pier, hike nearby trails or play a game of tennis. Gainesville Square keeps a busy calendar of events. The Gainesville Artwalk attracts artists from across the region. A First Friday concert series runs from May to September, and the Hot Summer Nights concert series brings free music to the Square every Wednesday in July. Gainesville City Schools provides educational services to downtown residents. Centennial Arts Academy is one of many public elementary schools in the area, and has a C-plus score from Niche. The school teaches its students with a focus on creativity and artistic expression. Students move on to Gainesville Middle, which has a B-minus Niche score, and later to Gainesville High, which has a B-rating on Niche. Gainesville High's drama department was selected to perform in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the largest performing arts festival in the world. Brenau University he Northeast Georgia University Gainesville Campus are both within a few miles of the neighborhood, offering a range of degree programs with specializations in agriculture, healthcare and education. Most homes in Central Core are within easy walking distance of the downtown area. Longwood Park and Lake Lanier are less than two miles from the Gainesville Square. Patients and employees have less than a mile drive to the Northeast Georgia Medical Center. Students and employees of the UNG-Gainesville living in downtown are only seven miles from campus. Atlanta is 55 miles to the southwest along Interstate 985 and Athens is 44 miles to the southeast along Highway 129. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is 60 miles away. The CAP Index crime score for Central Core is 7 out of 10, above the national average of 4 out of 10. Gainesville sees an above average rate of severe storm and tornado activity, particularly between March and October. The City of Gainesville maintains emergency preparedness plans in the event of tornadoes and other severe weather events.

At its height in the 1920s, Pacolet Manufacturing Mill was the largest textile mill in Georgia and supported a village of over 3,000 residents. Part of the mill is still in operation today, and many of the duplexes initially built for the families of millworkers are now investment properties. Today, the Northeast Georgia Medical Center and nearby Brenau University is driving residential and commercial growth. "It's more residential than other towns around Lake Lanier," says Rich Orban, a Realtor at Red 1 Realty with over 20 years of experience. "New Holland Village has a lot for first-time homebuyers, plus residents are close to shopping and major veins of transportation." Neighborhood streets branch off Jesse Jewell Parkway, lined with new condominiums, ranch-style houses, modest bungalows and early-20th-century duplexes. There are also a significant number of rental properties in the area. Single-family bungalows and ranch-style homes blend utility and simplicity in their open-concept designs. Residents sit on decks and covered front porches overlooking the forested streets. Homebuyers looking to invest and renovate have breathed new life into century-old duplexes. Single-family home prices trend lower than the Gainesville and the national average, ranging from $170,000 to $325,000. New Holland Village is just two miles up Jesse Jewell Parkway from Downtown Gainesville. Northeast Georgia Medical Center is just over 1 mile to the west. Residents are less than a mile from the exit onto Interstate 985. Atlanta is 57 miles southwest along Interstate 985, and Athens is southeast 45 miles along Highway 129. Frequent flyers drive 65 miles along I-985 to the Atlanta International Airport. Residents can drive less than a mile for groceries and other necessities thanks to the Kroger Supermarket in the neighborhood's east end. Hello Hilo is a family-owned restaurant specializing in authentic Hawaiian-style rice bowls and layered fruit cakes in the same shopping center. Another local restaurant is Senor Fiesta, which offers hearty portions of Mexican fare and margaritas. Residents can also venture into Downtown Gainesville, which features an ever-growing roster of cafes, restaurants and breweries. Recreational facilities, gardens and the shores of Lake Lanier are within a few miles of New Holland Village. Indoor lap pools and fitness facilities are open year-round at Frances Meadows Aquatic Center, which also features an outdoor water park open from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day. Walking trails lead through acres of natural woodland at the Gainesville Garden, a branch of the Atlanta Botanical Garden less than 4 miles north of New Holland Village. Lake Lanier is just 4 miles to the west and offers 700 miles of shoreline for beach trips, fishing and kayaking. Hall County Schools and Gainesville City Schools provide public education to residents in New Holland Village. New Holland Knowledge Academy teaches from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade and received a C-plus Niche rating. Students move on to Gainesville Middle School's East Campus and East Hall High School. Both schools received B-minus ratings from Niche. Over 15% of East Hall High's student body participates in their marching band, the Vikings, which have appeared in several televised events in the recent years. New Holland Village residents live near two accredited universities: the private Brenau University and the public University of North Georgia Gainesville Campus. Both universities offer several degree programs, with specialization in education and nursing. The New Holland Baptist Church welcomes residents for weekly services and seasonal programs. Downtown Gainesville hosts festivals and community gatherings throughout the year. Artists from all over the state showcase their work at the Annual Art Walk, and events like First Fridays and Hot Summer Nights bring live music acts to Gainesville Square every week from May to September. Gainesville experiences severe thunderstorms and tornado activity above the state and national average between March and November. The City has emergency preparedness plans for tornadoes and other severe weather events.

Once a thriving company town, Gainesville Cotton Mill Village stands as a quiet, affordable suburb that honors its roots. The mill changed hands to Pacolet Manufacturing and later was bought by the parent company of The Gainesville Times, pledging to preserve these icons of the community's hardworking past. "It's what I like to call a 'new old area,'" says Grace Orban, a Realtor at Red 1 Realty with over 20 years of experience. "There's this interesting mix of historic and environmentally appealing qualities." The mill village has retained nearly all of the homes since its founding in the early 20th century. These affordable duplex-style homes are all within a few miles of Downtown Gainesville and Lake Lanier. The original mill village duplexes from the early 20th century comprise much of the neighborhood's single family homes. Many have been renovated and updated with more contemporary appliances and other features. A handful of manufactured and shotgun-style houses are also available in the neighborhood. Area homes typically feature a modest yard and covered front porch where residents can enjoy the fresh air. The average home price in the village is lower than the Gainesville and national average home prices. Village homes typically range from $100,000 to $280,000. Residents largely depend on cars to get around town. Downtown Gainesville and the Northeast Georgia Medical Center are within 2 miles of the neighborhood. Public parks and boat launches on Lake Lanier are 3 miles away. Exits onto Highway 129 and Interstate 985 are less than a mile to the southeast. Amtrak lines run through Gainesville Station, less than a mile from the village. Lakeshore Crossing Shopping Center is just over 2 miles to the northwest, where supermarkets like Aldi and Walmart keep residents stocked with the essentials. The shopping center is also home to popular retailers such as Target, Books-A-Million and Lowe's Home Improvement. Nearby breweries like Jekyll Brewing offer a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and an inventive menu of pub grub and small plate dishes. Up the street from Gainesville Station is The Inked Pig, a veteran-owned restaurant serving classic Southern-style BBQ. Sidewalks on Marler Street connect to the Midland Greenway, a scenic urban trail winding north toward Downtown Gainesville. Pet owners can walk along the greenway to Midland Dog Park. There is also the Gainesville Skatepark, which features rails and ramps for skaters to enjoy and a shaded playground for the kids. Public boat launches in parks like Longwood Park are just 3 miles away, offering access to Lake Lanier's hundreds of miles of shoreline. Gainesville City Schools provides education to the neighborhood's public school students. Fair Street International Academy teaches from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade and has a C-rating on Niche. Students move on to Gainesville Middle School, which has a B-minus Niche rating. Gainesville High School's drama department was one of 50 U.S. high schools chosen to participate in the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, the largest performing arts festival in the world. Less than a mile north of Gainesville Station, the Blackstrap Rock Hall hosts live music performances by rock and punk bands, trivia nights and other lively events. The City of Gainesville keeps a busy event schedule throughout the year. The Gainesville Art Walk fills Gainesville Square with patrons browsing through the works of artists from all over the region. Live music performances are a frequent occurrence, taking place from May to September in Gainesville Square. Gainesville experiences a high rate of severe storms and tornado activity. Hall County and Gainesville City governments maintain emergency preparedness plans in the event of extreme weather.

In 1927, Johnson and Johnson endeavored to build a new kind of factory and worker village. As opposed to the imposing, multi-storied and poorly ventilated mills of the mid-19th century, Chicopee Mill was designed with the well-being of it's workforce in mind. A single-story, well-lit, and ventilated mill along with residential streets designed by a landscape specialist made Chicopee Village's founding resemble a college campus rather than a factory town. Grace Orban, a Realtor at Red 1 Realty with over 20 years of experience, says, "Communities all over Gainesville have been recently revitalized. Places like Chicopee Village have this charming mix of historic and environmentally appealing qualities." Johnson and Johnson hired a landscape architect to design the village, creating a community that blended functionality with the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape. Many of these century-old homes have been preserved and renovated, with several of the former mill buildings and historic houses available for visitors to explore. Cornerstone of Faith Ministries serves as the meeting place for the Chicopee Village Community, hosting community get-togethers and quarterly meetings where neighbors can catch up with each other. Trees dot residential streets lined with bungalows, cottages and ranch-style houses, all featuring backyards with enough space for children to play or for a small garden. Home prices are lower than the Gainesville average, ranging from $130,000 to $300,000 depending on the size of the property and the number of rooms. Most residents depend on cars to get around. The I-985 exit is 2 miles to the south. Downtown Gainesville and the Northeast Georgia Medical Center are both 4 miles to the north along Atlanta Road. The Lake Lanier region experiences a high rate of severe weather and tornado activity. Hall County maintains emergency preparedness plans in the event of extreme weather events. Hall County Schools manages the education of Chicopee Village's public school students. Chicopee Woods Elementary teaches from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade and has a C-rating on Niche. Students move on to West Hall Middle, which Niche gave a B-minus rating. West Hall High has a B-rating on Niche and a championship-winning football team. Brenau University and the University of Northeast Georgia campuses are within 5 miles of the neighborhood, offering degree programs in fields like healthcare and education. Kairos Café is less than a mile north of the community, serving savory breakfast sandwiches and an assortment of caffeinated beverages. Further north along Atlanta Road is Gainesville Seafood Market, which offers oysters, seafood boils and other fresh caught seafood dishes. Nearby College Square Shopping Center has supermarkets like Aldi and Walmart for residents to grab the essentials. A few miles north of the shopping center is Loretta's Country Kitchen, a cafeteria-style restaurant dishing out hearty portions of Southern comfort food. The Highlands to Islands trail passes through the neighborhood, a 35-mile multi-use trail winding through Hall County and ultimately ending at the Rock Creek Greenway in Downtown Gainesville. Residents can hike or go birdwatching less than a mile to the east in Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve, the largest conservation area in North Georgia and an Important Bird Area designated by the National Audubon Society. Lake Lanier is 6 miles to the north, offering 700 miles of shoreline accessible from parks like Balus Creek Park. Chicopee Village Neighborhood Association hosts community potlucks and other get-togethers throughout the year. Downtown Gainesville keeps a busy event calendar. Springtime brings the Annual Art Walk, where visitors can browse and buy the work of artists from all over the state. The First Friday summer concert series brings live music performances and food trucks to Gainesville Square.

Featuring modern and new-build homes and apartments, outdoor amenities and even its own elementary school, Mundy Mill is an evolving master-planned development just 5 miles from Downtown Gainesville. Residents can easily navigate the sidewalks of the subdivisions, heading from a neighbor’s house to one of two community pools to the tennis courts. Shopping centers and Lake Lanier are just a few miles away. “It’s a very nice, quiet community,” says John Buffington, a Real Estate Team Leader at Keller Williams Lanier with over 15 years of experience. “There’s so many different subdivisions, inventory is good, and people are buying.” Three- to five-bedroom contemporary ranch-style and multistory New Traditional homes sit on manicured lawns along winding streets. Most were built less than a decade ago; there are also many new-construction homes. Single-family home prices range from $300,000 to $580,000, with higher prices typically for houses with more square footage and bedrooms. Developers are also building new townhouse complexes in the community, with three-bedroom units ranging between $350,000 and $390,000. Rental properties like Story at Mundy Mill offer a range of floor plans with community amenities such as clubhouses and fitness facilities. “The place is big enough that it’s got its own elementary school,” says Buffington, referring to Mundy Mill Academy, a public elementary school that’s part of Hall County Schools and covers pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade. Students move on to nearby West Hall Middle and High schools. All three schools received B ratings on Niche. The community is a few miles from the Gainesville Campus of Northeast Georgia University, offering a range of degree programs with specialties in nursing and education. Sidewalks wend through Mundy Mill, connecting residents to the community’s recreational areas. Residents beat the Georgia heat in the two outdoor pools after playing a game of tennis on the courts. Amenities also include playgrounds, outdoor fireplaces and picnic and grilling areas. Lake Lanier is less than 3 miles to the west, where boat owners can launch from public ramps in locations such as Balus Creek Park. Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve is just 3 miles east of Mundy Mill; it’s designated an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society and the largest conservation area in North Georgia. Downtown Gainesville maintains a lively calendar of events. The Gainesville Art Walk attracts artists from all over the region every April. “During spring and summer, we have First Fridays,” says Buffington. “Food trucks and musicians draw a crowd in the square.” Northeast Georgia Medical Center is 4 miles away in Downtown Gainesville. Residents are within 3 miles of Interstate 985. Atlanta is 50 miles to the southwest, along I-895, and Atlanta International Airport is 58 miles following the same route. Athens is 45 miles to the southeast. Residents are within a short drive of many restaurants and shopping centers. Loretta’s Country Kitchen offers Southern-style comfort food in a cafeteria-style interior less than a half-mile from Mundy Mill. Supermarkets like Walmart and Aldi are under a mile away in College Square Shopping Center, surrounded by secondhand stores like Goodwill and restaurant chains like Golden Buddha and Dunkin’. Restaurants and stores in Downtown Gainesville are 6 miles away via Old Flowery Branch Road. The area experiences an above-average rate of severe storm and tornado activity, particularly between March and October. Gainesville and Hall County maintain emergency preparedness plans for tornadoes and other severe weather events.

Popular seafood markets draw visitors from all around to the community of West Side. These markets and other local businesses line Atlanta Highway, the neighborhood’s main road running south out of Downtown Gainesville. Forested suburbs branch off of the main road, with modest ranch-style houses and more modern houses offering homebuyers a measure of privacy while still being close to events in the downtown and the shores of Lake Lanier. "You have beautiful communities here," says Grace Orban, a Realtor at Red 1 Realty with over 20 years of real estate experience. "People love being able to engage with so many different places, like recreational facilities and nice restaurants." Spreading out from Atlanta Highway are the primary residential streets, consisting of new contemporary-style houses, simple bungalows and ranch-style homes. At a glance, West Side appears rural, commercial and suburban. "That's what you get when you're going west of Gainesville," says Orban, "the areas feel somewhat rural, which brings environmentally appealing qualities to the homes there." Manufactured houses and mobile home parks are also typical along these side streets. Homes typically feature driveways or garages and are short distances from major thoroughfares. Overall, West Side’s home prices range from $100,000 to $350,000. Jesse Jewell Parkway flows into Atlanta Highway, the neighborhood's main commercial corridor, which includes popular seafood markets, restaurants and shopping centers. The Atlanta Highway and Gainesville Seafood Markets are two of the busiest restaurants in the area, drawing visitors from all over Gainesville. Atlanta Highway Market is known for its Cajun cuisine, like etouffee and gumbo, as well as its own in-house fish market. Gainesville Seafood Market's menu includes clam chowder, seafood boils and their famous shrimp. It also features a small grocery store with seasonal fruits and vegetables. Residents beat the heat with fresh Michoacan-style ice cream from La Mejor De Michoacan Inc.'s ice cream parlor. Just a few miles to the north is the Lakeshore Crossing Shopping Center, where residents can shop for clothes, home goods and groceries. Nearby Gainesville Square hosts festivals and community gatherings throughout the year. The Annual Art Walk brings artists from around the region to sell their work. Live music performances happen at least once a week from May to September during First Fridays and Hot Summer Nights. Hall County Schools manages the public education in West Side. Lyman Elementary and West Hall Middle School oversee pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade students with Niche scores of C and B-minus, respectively. West Hall High School rounds out the school pipeline and holds a B-rating on Niche. West Hall High hosts a chapter of HoPe (Hispanic Organization Promoting Education), which aims to increase the graduation rate of Hispanic students through community engagement. Northeast Georgia University has its Gainesville Campus just four miles south of West Side, offering a range of degree programs with specializations in agriculture, healthcare and education. Lake Lanier is 4 miles to the north, the largest lake in Georgia, with over 700 miles of shoreline. Visitors can launch boats and reel in fish from the parks along the shore, including the Lanier Point Athletic Complex. Local athletes can play on several ball fields, serving 15,000 baseball players and 75,000 spectators annually. Residents can hike or go birdwatching in the Chicopee Woods Nature Preserve, the largest conservation area in North Georgia and an Important Bird Area designated by the National Audubon Society. While not located in Tornado Alley, Gainesville ranks above the state and national averages for tornado activity and frequently sees severe thunderstorms between March and November. The City of Gainesville has emergency preparedness plans available in the event of tornadoes and other severe weather events. Residents in West Side are less than 3 miles from Downtown Gainesville. Northeast Georgia Medical Center is just over 2.5 miles to the northeast in Downtown Gainesville. On the southeast side of West Side and across Atlanta Road is the Lee Gilmer Memorial Airport, which offers runways for chartered and recreational plane flights. Atlanta is 52 miles to the southwest along Interstate 985, and Athens is 44 miles to the southeast along Highway 129. Frequent flyers have a 60-mile drive to the Atlanta International Airport.