Why Vickery is the Best Neighborhood in Cumming, Georgia

My husband is the Quality and Warranty Director for a residential builder in Atlanta, Georgia, so we spend many weekends driving through new neighborhoods to see what other builders are doing, and to see what seems to be selling and what does not.

A little over two years ago, we were on one of our excursions and found a neighborhood close to where we lived at that time. We were very impressed with the quality of the homes and the details put into them. In doing some research, we found that the builder, Hedgewood Properties, had several new neighborhoods under construction. One, in particular, was Vickery, and after reading the description of the neighborhood, we had to see it for ourselves. It is located in South Forsyth County, which is one of the up and coming suburbs of Atlanta.

At the time, we had no plans to sell our own home - we were simply doing one of our regular weekend "curious builder" drives. Two months after seeing Vickery, we put our house on the market, sold it in the first month, and we have lived in Vickery for two years now.

Vickery is one of most unique neighborhoods we have seen, and was awarded the Community of the Year award by the Georgia Homebuilders Association in 2006. The development includes homes ranging in price from $300,000 to $1,000,000, and the current plan is to have around 600 homes in the neighborhood upon completion. They are building single family homes, townhomes, condos, and flats. There are also plans for a building that will house one-floor living spaces with elevators taking its residents from the parking garage on the first level to their respective homes on the second and third floors. The homes are broad enough in size and price range to accommodate a very wide age-range of residents, which gives its residents the opportunity to have neighborhood friends with the same interests and that are at the same place in life.

The architecture of Vickery is very unique, and though, like any builder, they have an arsenal of certain plans that they build, each home has a unique elevation. We live in a home that is one of the most popular plans in the community, but we have not seen one other home that looks like ours from the outside. Outside finishes include brick, stone and siding, and all roofs are cedar shakes, giving the community a very quaint feel, while still providing a variety of traditional, craftsman and other styles.

Vickery's homes are what would be considered "semi-custom". If you buy a home before it is built, or one that is not yet completed, you have the opportunity to sit with a designer and choose everything from doorknobs to granite to cabinet finishes, and everything in between, from a very large number of catalogs and options.

Vickery currently has a large park with play equipment, an open field and a fire pit. Throughout the year, festivals, wine tastings, concerts and private picnics and parties are held in the park, including outdoor movies during the warmer months. The community will include other, smaller parks when it is done.

One of the most unique features of Vickery is the retail village in the front of the development. Some of the condos and flats are located above the retail space, which gives buyers the unique opportunity to experience "in-town" living. At present, the village includes shops like a stationery store, art gallery, antique store, ladies' clothing boutiques, a toy store, and several other unique shops, some of which are owned and operated by Vickery residents. In addition, there are two restaurants in the village and a gelato shop. The village also houses office space. Currently, there is a dentist, family doctor and dry cleaner operating there. A local performing arts center is housed in the village, and they provide music lessons, drama lessons, and opportunities to be involved in local plays. Events are held in the village throughout the year, such as singers performing Christmas carols in the plaza while you are shopping, gelato nights with singing and musical performances, and neighborhood parties in the plaza, catered by the restaurant there.

Also very unique to this community is the YMCA. The developer worked with the YMCA organization to put the Forsyth County YMCA on the retail property, and we have enjoyed the convenience of its facilities very much. Our daughters especially like the indoor swimming pool that they can enjoy year-round.

Vickery has an atmosphere of friendliness and a true neighborly attitude that we have not seen in our personal experience. One of the things that drew us to it was its similarity to my husband's childhood neighborhood outside of Chicago, where each development has its own park and opportunities for activities that we just do not see as much today.
Vickery is simply one of the best places to live in the Atlanta area. It has a very homey and welcoming feel, and we will live here for many years to come.