Eco-Village Flourishes

Located on 40,000 acres of pristine, untouched wilderness, Serenbe, a small, eco-friendly community a stone's throw away from Atlanta, Georgia, defies all conventions: While essentially a housing development, (which lie near the top of the "Most Egregeious of Environmental Devestators" list,) Serenbe prides itself on being an environmentally concious community that applies the most up-to-date ways of living sustainably to its framework.

Serenbe consists of 160 individuals, mostly young families that seek to have a slice of rural living in which to raise their children while still making the big bucks that only the city has to offer. The community embraces locality: the restaurants mostly use food that has been grown locally, if not grown themselves.

Serenbe boasts 25 acres of farmland, a water recycling facility, communal compost piles, and innumerable activities to engage in with one's neighbours, all of which takes Serenbe out of being just another town or neighbourhood, and makes it into the truest form of community.  While the real-estate market has considerably shrunk, with sales dropping 39% since last year, home sales in Serenbe have remained steady and consistent. 

Image: "Feb 1st, 2009 - Serenbe 084" by Edition_of_One, courtesy of Creative Commons, on Flickr.