This Could Be Your New Neighborhood

A twist on communes, these next-level “intentional communities” are focused on human and environmental wellness

- By Gisela Williams

On a mild autumn Saturday, I join a group of prospective homeowners for a walking tour of Serenbe, a 1,400-acre community of 700-plus residents about a half-hour southwest of downtown Atlanta. We meet our guide, Steve Nygren, at Serenbe’s organic farmers market, which is composed of about a dozen stands tucked into an opening in the woods.

Nygren, who’s also the enclave’s founder, is a lean, sprightly man in his early 70s with a thick shock of pure white hair. He opens on a philosophical note: Most intentional communities—carefully planned residential networks designed with social cohesion in mind—“are built upon a specific social, political, or spiritual belief,” he says. Serenbe is different. It’s not a commune, though community is a big part of why people move here. It’s not spiritual either; instead, its guiding principles are sustainability, wellness, and land conservation. And it’s not an elitist gated development like the nearby golf-oriented River Club; instead, it’s more like a vibrant city neighborhood plopped into an idyllic natural setting. Serenbe is one of an increasing number of such intentional communities devoted to improving human and environmental well-being. Call them eco-enclaves.