As Atlanta's population tops the 5 million mark and daily commutes get more grueling, metro area residents are finding a way to slow down and connect with each other by living in lofts — both the authentic kind in old downtown factories and in the new style suburban loft, built to look like an older building.

These days, developers are building lofts with more amenities than oversized windows and open living spaces. And the dwellings often are built near restaurants, shops and small businesses so once you're home, you can hang up the car keys.

RENEE' HANNANS HENRY (ENLARGE)

Kurt Clemmons in his loft in Chamblee. His two-bedroom, two-bath unit has ceilings that are 20 feet high.

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"What you're finding in Roswell and Marietta and Woodstock is a village," says Beth Haynes, co-chairwoman of the Atlanta Downtown Festival and Tour, which is hosting a tour of lofts May 19-20.

"It's that sense that most of what I need is right here, and I can walk to it and know the shop owners and restaurateurs. The concept works whether you're downtown, in a redeveloping small town with a business district or in a newly built, planned community," she explains. "It's that feeling that you're part of a small community in a city of 5 million."

Although lofts attract more singles, couples and empty nesters than families with schoolage children, the low-maintenance lifestyle and close proximity to other attractions is a common bond.

"There's no question that's what people are asking for," says Lew Oliver, a residential and urban designer with Whole Town Solutions who has worked on loft developments throughout the metro area.

"We're going to see a lot more of this as gas prices climb and traffic gets worse," he says. "And there's a whole generation of entrepreneurs who are giving up on corporate life and working from home."

Kurt Clemmons, a 30-year-old Keller Williams real estate agent, bought a unit at Heritage Lofts in Chamblee two years ago because he liked what they had to offer inside and out.

"I was pleasantly surprised to see it in Chamblee. It's definitely one of a kind," says Clemmons. "I was also looking at the area, and I felt like Chamblee was a good area for growth and proximity to everything."

His two-bedroom, two-bath loft is in a new development "with an antique look to it," he says.

The ceilings are 20 feet high. The rooms have exposed ducts, brick walls and stained concrete floors. The master suite has only a half wall, but the lower level guest room is enclosed like a traditional bedroom.

The complex has its own pizzeria, a new shopping center three blocks away, and the drive to the nearest Lowe's Home Improvement takes just five minutes.

"I come home tired and I don't want to go out to get food, so the pizzeria is someplace I eat at quite a bit. It's really neat," says Clemmons.

Perhaps best of all, his Brookhaven real estate office is just a short distance away.

"I can get there in 10 minutes any hour of the day," he says.

While lofts sell for as much or more than a single family, detached home — prices range from about $180,000 to $900,000, depending on the area and square footage — people such as Clemmons buy them for the aesthetics and the convenience.

Lofts are also a good investment, says Kelly Chancy, a Keller Williams agent who specializes in loft sales, because as the population swells, the need for multifamily dwellings will grow.

"We hit over the 5 million mark already," she says. "I usually tell people to hold onto their property for the next five years because they're going to see their loft or condo value increase."

However, Clemmons isn't waiting. He's selling his stylish loft for $319,000 so he can buy something else in the Chamblee area.

"I'll probably move to a single-family home and get a fixer-upper," he says. "I like the loft lifestyle, but I just want to take on a new project."