To travel North Georgia is one experience, but to live in North Georgia is an adventure that will last a lifetime. Taylor Hollomon, 25, lives in Ball Ground, GA, and her time there since having left Kennesaw, GA three years ago has been exactly what she wanted.
“Living in Ball Ground is really great!” Hollomon said. “We really like the quiet and being somewhat close to the mountains up here. We like the fact that while we are away from the ‘big city’ that we can still have easy access to the city via living close to 575.”
Although she has made herself a local, Hollomon still had some small culture shocks of moving.
“The biggest shock from living here is the fact that we don’t actually get mail on our street,” Hollomon said. “We have a PO Box that all of our mail goes to.”
Austen Luckie, 29, has had her share of common shocks after her and her husband moved from Cobb County, GA to Emerson, GA in Bartow Country.
“Honestly, my biggest shock is that people let their animals roam the neighborhood,” Luckie said. “I was also shocked about the lower property taxes.”
As a first-time home buyer, Luckie was pleased to see how affordable real-estate is in towns like Emerson. But even though Luckie enjoys the peacefulness of living in North Georgia, she does find it difficult when traffic occurs on 75 going into Metro-Atlanta, unlike Hollomon finds the ease of being close to 575 a perk.
When living in North Georgia, it is important to note that the distance you are wanting to be from busy locations and even from friends and family. Luckie is 21 minutes away from her family in Cobb County, whereas Hollomon is 50 minutes away from Atlanta, aka “the big city.”
One North Georgia resident who feels much more separated from the world is Taryn Cox, 21, who currently resides in the small town of Rome, GA. She is about 56 minutes away from her family in Woodstock, GA, but she does not mind the drive since she has been in Rome since 2018 when she began attending Berry College.
Her perspective and shocks are greater in the eyes of a student, and she does not see herself staying in Rome post-graduation, but she has found beauty in the geography and history of her small town.
“Outside of Broad Street and Berry, it’s a bit of a food desert so it’s hard to find good/healthy food that’s not pretty expensive,” Cox said. “Berry’s campus being surrounded by nature, and in Rome, particularly Broad Street, is actually a nice area with a bunch of shops and restaurants.”
The natural beauty of North Georgia has captivated Cox and though she may not continue living in Rome, she is looking forward to building here life in North Georgia.
Any experience is truly what you make of it and moving can be one of the greatest adventures of a lifetime for people. For others, moving may be a simple stop in their plans, but North Georgia gives many opportunities to those who are seeking something great.
Local Favorites:
- Hollomon: “My favorite place to go is to Barrel House Coffee! Their coffee is amazing. They store their coffee into newly dumped bourbon barrels and it gives the coffee a really good taste.”
- Luckie: “My favorite place in Emerson is Doug’s Place restaurant. It’s a hole in the wall that is always packed on Sundays after church. It’s your typical country restaurant with the best Southern food.”
- Cox: “My favorite place off campus I’d have to say is Barnsley Gardens!”
Senior Capstone 