When I turned 21 and went through my wild partying phase, nightclubs were like a second home and some bartenders were like my best friends.

And being the super-independent rebellious soul that I had been since birth, I couldn't wait to move out on my own.

I was also determined to look out the window every morning and see skyscrapers and —- OK, fine —- I wanted to live closer to the bars.

So I moved into an apartment in Buckhead, and from my 10th-floor window I could see the skyline of office towers, condominiums and apartments. Shopping centers and nightclubs were within walking distance or just a $5 cab ride away.

Buckhead and Midtown were huge lures for me and other 20-something young professionals and yuppie-wannabes because of the location, affordable housing and nightlife.

Comparatively speaking, Gwinnett Village may not have the big-city lure, but it is attracting Buckhead-like features.

Even the type of housing available compares to Buckhead, only it's more affordable.

It is my belief that many (if not all) of the new housing developments, including those that may occur at the OFS Brightwave fiber optics site at Jimmy Carter Boulevard and I-85, and existing apartment complexes, will in some way, shape or form be condominiums and/or townhouses.

The other piece of the equation that I am starting to see is the addition of nightclubs and bars.

It seems to me that the Jimmy Carter corridor is a prime spot for the nightclub circuit. The location is appropriate, it is accessible and there is a plethora of empty retail space dying to be filled.

No, the nightclubs that presently exist in the Village do not compare to those that once ruled Buckhead, but I think that is about to change.

The influx of nightclubs and bars in our community has only begun.

Being party central for all of metro Atlanta has its financial benefits, but as we saw in Buckhead, the end result also has negative consequences —- traffic, crime and noise.

If condos and nightclubs continue to find a home here in the Village, there is no doubt that we will be the center of the nightclub scene for many young professionals.

This will be the new identity for Southwest Gwinnett, Norcross and the Gwinnett Village, whether we like it or not.

How would you feel about the Village turning into the new Buckhead?

> Woody Bass' blog appears on ajc.com's Gwinnett Norcross page: www.ajc.com/yournorcross.