Who: Wendy and Herndon Murray

Where: Serenbe in Chattahoochee Hill Country, south Fulton County

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

Having a home in at Serenbe gives Wendy Murray plenty of benefits, including more time on the trail system with her horse.

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

Murray enjoys working in her garden at Serenbe. She also helps other residents 'work on plantings that ... reflect the individuality of each house.'

What: a two-story house with double front porches and large stone columns, with four bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths

When purchased: December 2005

How far: Forty-five minutes from their Buckhead home, close enough that Herndon, a physician, can drive in to Piedmont Hospital after a weekend at Serenbe.

The background: Wendy says: "We were familiar with the area because my husband's father was from Newnan, and his aunt and uncle had an antebellum farm at the end of Hutcheson Ferry Road where our children learned to fish and pick vegetables. I was boarding my horse south of here, and one day we had some time when we were leaving the barn, so we drove through the community. We had been thinking about a vacation home, but this was the first place we totally agreed on. It just grabbed us."

Vacation home or second home? "Second home, definitely. In vacation communities, it just doesn't seem real, sort of temporary. This is a full-time community, and we've made so many new friends here. I almost feel like two people now. Half my life is here, and my life in Atlanta has become much more abbreviated. That's something we never thought would happen, but it's very pleasant."

Your horse has joined you at Serenbe? "Yes, and it's too fun to be able to just go by the barn and visit him or go riding. It's a dream come true. Now I see him twice as much. We have a beautiful barn and an extensive trail system that takes us through all the different terrains at Serenbe from steep hills to water to woods. All this combines to make an idyllic place to have your horse."

And gardening is a passion? "I always had a big garden on Habersham Way, where we lived for 18 years. The garden was on so many tours ... it was a real part of my life which I loved to share. Here I have a chance to garden for the greater good and share in a different way. I had worked on my yard here, and one by one people began asking me for help and advice on the things that hadn't gone so well with the first landscaping that was done. Now we work on plantings that compliment and reflect the individuality of each house. It happens to all of us: You get here and you just are called; you become a part of the energy that's going on in the community."

SERENBE

Serenbe continues to develop as a restaurant destination for both residents and visitors from Atlanta. The Blue Eyed Daisy Bakeshop is now under the direction of Jim and Hilary White. Hilary was executive chef at 103 West for many years and now runs both the Bakeshop and the new restaurant, the Hil. The community's environmental focus plays a role in how the restaurants operate as well. The Bakeshop is transitioning to 100 percent compostable plates, bowls and to-go containers to save on water and the use of chemicals to clean washable dishware. The Hil opened in August and serves ingredients from Serenbe Organic Farms. Executive chef Nicolas Bour, formerly of East Atlanta's acclaimed Iris restaurant, runs the Farmhouse, which has a prix fixe chef's choice menu.

Recent sales:

Three-bedroom, 3 1/2-bath brick townhouse with walled stone courtyard and gazebo; sold for $655,000.

Three-bedroom, three-bath cottage, finished basement, double-car garage, front and rear porches; sold for $629,745.

Three-bedroom, 3 1/2-bath cottage, finished basement, front and rear porches; sold for $600,130.

Four-story residential live/work, two bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, drive-under garage, rooftop terrace; sold for $415,450.

Community Web sites:

www.serenbe.com

www.chatthillcountry.org

GETTING THERE

Take I-85 south to Exit 69 and follow signs to South Fulton Parkway. After 15 miles, turn left onto Cochran Mill Road. After 2.6 miles, this will dead-end at Hutcheson Ferry. Turn right and travel 2 miles to Atlanta-Newnan Road. Turn left and go nine-tenths of a mile to Selborne Lane; turn right. Drive straight ahead into the community. The sales center is on the right.

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