Located about 40 miles north of Atlanta, Forsyth County has become a popular place to call home.
It's also worth the drive for Atlanta residents to visit since it combines a small-town feel with excellent restaurants and natural beauty.
If you're making the drive to Forsyth or just moved to the area, make sure to check out these popular destinations that have helped make Forsyth County a top place to call home in metro Atlanta:
Best coffee shops
Credit: From Community Cup's Facebook page
Credit: From Community Cup's Facebook page
Community Cup, 125 Tribble Gap Road, Suite 103, Cumming. 470-215-0390. http://communitycupga.com.
Community Cup's name says it all since it's dedicated not only to serving up delicious coffee but also to helping community nonprofits. Drinks are made with your choice of heavy cream or whole, skim, soy, hemp or oat milk. If you're feeling more adventurous, add a flavored syrup like coconut or French madeleine or order a specialty drink like strawberry shortcake latte or s'mores mocha.
Coffee Nut Café, 5238 McGinnis Ferry Road, Alpharetta. 404-545-4300. http://www.coffeenutcafe.org.
Settle in a roomy, comfortable armchair at Coffee Nut Café and enjoy a cup of gourmet coffee of Costa Rican origin. If you order a Chemex (pour-over coffee) or French press, you'll be able to have your beverage prepared at your table. You'll also have your choice of hot drinks including macchiato or cortado and cold coffees such as freddo cappuccino or cold café Americano.
Best lunch spots
Wildflower Eatery, 125 Tribble Gap Road, Cumming. 678-455-5556. http://wildflowereatery.com/Home_Page.html.
The Wildflower Eatery emphasizes healthy, organic options like a salad made of grilled chicken on a bed of organic field greens. Or set calories aside and choose the Wildflower Cheeseburger, which has a double stack of fresh premium Angus beef, house pimento cheese, garlic mayo and your choice of Swiss, American or cheddar cheese. The eatery is next door to an artist's studio, and when she's painting or teaching, you can get a unique view of her process from the restaurant's "community table."
Lake Burrito, 3040 Keith Bridge Road, A6, Cumming. 347-260-0000. https://www.facebook.com/lakeburrito.
Lake Burrito serves up fresh food in a fun, communal atmosphere, and you'll find all your "fresh Mex" favorites here, including burritos, quesadillas, tacos and nachos. The freshness comes through in every dish and even in non-entrée items like queso, which is made with premium cheese and whole milk from a Georgia dairy farm. Most dishes are customizable with your choice of toppings.
Best dinner spots
Rick Tanner's Grille and Bar (at Vickery Crossing). 5810 Bond St., Cumming. 770-205-5512. http://www.ricktannerschicken.com/.
Since 1986, Rick Tanner’s chicken chain has popularized rotisserie chicken into the mainstream. The restaurant, which has had several locations in metro Atlanta, offers a lesson for life as its mantra: “Life’s hard. Eat good. Drink better.”
To help aid in that mission for life, Rick Tanners offers a variety of local craft brews from Cherry Street Brewing, which will soon have a standalone Cumming location, and its signature rotisserie, nationally celebrated chicken fingers, ribs and more.
Venti Italian Bistro, 14260 Cumming Highway, Cumming. 678-513-1403. http://www.ventiitalianrestaurant.com.
Atlantans find Venti Italian Bistro worth the drive, as it combines classic Italian dishes served in an elegant, updated way. Appetizers include bruschetta and Prince Edward Island mussels, and you can choose from pizza, pasta dishes (adding chicken, sausage, shrimp or meatballs if you'd like) and entrees such as chicken, eggplant or veal parmesan or flounder francese.
Must-see public art
Artistic eggs – Fiberglass eggs have been installed at locations throughout Forsyth County, with each standing about five feet tall. They create a different kind of egg hunt if you'd like to try to find several during your travels. Each is uniquely decorated and reflects the business, public building or other spot that it sits in front of, and they were installed from 2009-2013 as a creative, colorful nod to the county's ties to the poultry industry. Spot them at various locations throughout the county.
Best way to spend a weekend
Explore the Sawnee Mountain Preserve, 4075 Spot Road, Cumming. 770-781-2215.
Forsyth County is filled with natural beauty, including the 963-acre Sawnee Mountain Preserve. Visitors enjoy hiking up to Indian Seats, a natural rock formation that provides breathtaking views of the North Georgia Mountains. It's particularly popular during leaf-peeping season and also provides interesting sights along the way, including abandoned gold mines. The Preserve also has a playground, picnic pavilions, climbing area, tree canopy classroom and a Visitor Center with interactive exhibits.
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