ALPHARETTA, Ga. — With a booming population and a vibrant downtown district that has been revamped over the past decade, it's no surprise that Alpharetta made the cut as one of the top rising cities, according to Southern Living.
The magazine compiled a list of 25 cities after conducting an online survey among over 20,000 Southern Living customers, asking them to rate their favorite places across the South from July to August 2023.
The city of Alpharetta ranked in at No. 9 on the top 25 of "The South's Best Cities On The Rise 2024" list.
Southern Living wrote that Alpharetta "has become a walkable, family-friendly hub filled with restaurants and shops surrounding a central greenspace." With numerous restaurants, breweries and even a rooftop bar in the downtown area, the entire city also has roughly 750 acres of green spaces to take in and enjoy.
Alpharetta also features Avalon, a sprawling mixed-use area with high-end restaurants, shops, apartments, and a movie theater, which comprises 500,000 square feet of retail space. Avalon is just about a five-minute drive from Downtown Alpharetta.
In a 2022 study, Alpharetta came in as the 13th-largest city in Georgia -- totaling over 65,000 people and still growing.
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Whether you stay at Hotel Avalon or the recently built Hamilton, a 119-room hotel located in the heart of downtown, you are just a short walk or drive away from many different attractions.
The city of Alpharetta is also known for its beautiful greenery, which features trails along the Big Creek Greenway. There, you can take in the fresh air and also may run into deer, ducks and other wildlife.
Although it's just a short drive north of the hustle and bustle of Downtown Atlanta, about 26 miles away, Alpharetta has its own unique feel.
"For years, Alpharetta has made regular appearances on lists of the fastest growing cities in the South, and it’s just getting started," Southern Living said.
Another Georgia city also cracked the top 25, with Gainesville, Georgia, coming in at No. 17. Gainesville was touted for it being a "resort destination," with Lake Lanier among one of its draws.
Here's the full list below:
- Wilmington, North Carolina
- Franklin, Tennessee
- Spartanburg, South Carolina
- Huntsville, Alabama
- Columbia, South Carolina
- New Braunfels, Texas
- Bowling Green, Kentucky
- Cary, North Carolina
- Alpharetta, Georgia
- Bentonville, Arkansas
- Covington, Louisiana
- Gulfport, Mississippi
- Palm Bay, Florida
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Georgetown, Texas
- Frederick, Maryland
- Gainesville, Georgia
- Clarksville, Tennessee
- Hattiesburg, Mississippi
- Morgantown, West Virginia
- North Port, Florida
- Lake Charles, Louisiana
- Reston, Virginia
- Edmond, Oklahoma
- Dover, Delaware