Suwanee, Georgia

A suburb in the northeast region of the Atlanta metro area, Suwanee is just 33 miles from the Big Peach. While traffic doesn’t always make for the easiest commute, the area has a life of its own. 

Old Town Suwanee strives to maintain the charm of its early days as an agricultural hub, serving as a 56-acre historic district with old homes and storefronts dating back to the 1870s. Main Street is particularly full of character, and the city’s revitalization efforts downtown have earned it accreditation from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street Program. The city holds an annual festival here, with a different theme every year (superheroes and the Wild West among them).

Fitness lovers can take part in the Suwanee Running Series throughout the year, in which they’re challenged to complete five races in the Town Center or the Suwanee Greenway, a four-mile trail winding through woods and wetlands; it begins at the 85-acre Suwanee Creek Park.

The city is also committed to the arts, hosting a Suwanee Arts Festival and appointing a commission intended to create and promote public art. It’s been focusing on an Art for All campaign, raising $1.25 million to support three new public artworks.

Half of Suwanee’s 22,000-plus residents come from diverse backgrounds, and the area has a strong health care system. There are four hospitals within 10 miles, per Healthgrades, and there are 13 hospitals within 25 miles that more than half of patients surveyed would recommend.

Its public schools are highly rated, and it’s home to the award-winning Gwinnett County Public Schools System.