Couple with 2 small kids finds Smyrna meets needs

Parkview Village, which is in Smyrna, is walking distance from Smyrna’s Village Green and Market Village. “We absolutely love living in the heart of Smyrna," said Teri, who's a Smyrna city councilwoman. She and her husband, who's an attorney, live there with their two children, Adam, 5, and Sylvie, 2.

“The walkability of this community is what really attracted us to the neighborhood. From our house, it's just a few minutes' walk to the Kidscape Village, which is the biggest playground in Cobb County, as well as to the Market Village, which is home to several wonderful shops, like The Wine Cellars (a wine store) and Pie in the Sky (a gift shop), and fun, delicious restaurants like Atkins Park and Zucca Pizzeria," Teri said of their neighborhood.

The village is also home to the Smyrna Community Center, where the kids take gymnastics classes and where Teri took prenatal yoga classes. It features two basketball courts, racquetball courts, a fitness center and an indoor walking track. The Smyrna Library is across from the Community Center. “We're there at least once a week, and they have fantastic programs for both children and adults,” Chris added. “There is also an arboretum and a duck pond, which is always a great place for the kids to spot turtles, koi, and in the spring, baby ducks. “

Teri and Chris' home at Parkview Village is a craftsman-style home with a vintage bungalow look. “We feel like we get the best of both worlds by having a newer home in an established neighborhood. My parents live in a 100-year-old home in my native New Orleans, and Chris and I have always loved older homes, but we also recognize our limitations! We love the craftsman style of our home and how the architecture is consistent with that of so many of the original homes in Smyrna," Teri said.

Chris and Teri said that when you have small children, it's always a challenge to keep the creeping toy clutter at bay.

“We spend most of our time in the living room and the kitchen, and most of their toys are stored in baskets that fit right inside the built-in bookcases, as well as the drawers that are built into the coffee table,” Chris said.

“There's a large playroom for the children in the basement and that's usually a toy free-for-all, but we try to keep things contained on the main level. We strive for a balance between the classic aesthetic that Chris and I both love and the reality that a family lives here,” Teri added.

The refrigerator door is covered with photos of the kids; their drawings; and the school lunch menu. The bookshelves are crammed with photos and other family items that are really special to them. Teri said, “Our living room features a large painting of John ‘Cornbread' Anderson's ubiquitous guinea hens. We bought that piece at Folk Fest in 2008, and the artist inscribed the back of the painting to Adam and Sylvie. We have two smaller pieces by Pete Ovdenk, who is also from Atlanta.”

Of the children’s rooms, Teri said, “I think that the children's rooms are a good reflection of their personalities. Adam is so proud of everything in his room, especially the portrait of our dog Dutch that was painted by Ky Eliza Ivany, an artist from the Boston area. Sylvie's room features crib linens that were sewn by my grandmother, Miriam Buchler, who lives in Roswell."

Teri said that “Chris works in downtown Atlanta, which is only about a 20-minute drive from our home. Smyrna's convenience to the rest of metro Atlanta is another thing that really drew us to this community. We can be to Buckhead, the airport, the zoo, Midtown or the Westside within a 20-minute or so drive. In Smyrna, we really have true small-town quality of life, while being within just a few minutes' drive of Atlanta.”