Where's Su-wan-nee?

My friends love give me a hard time about living in Suwanee. I use to play right into it...when folks would ask me where we lived I would reply, "Oh, we live way up 85 in Gwinnett". That was until last year when Money Magazine put Suwanee on the map by naming it one of the country's top 10 small communities to live. Now I reply with pride, "We live in Su-wan-ee!"

Why is it so great? Here's my top 10 list...

1. Suwanee Town Center - Ippolito's, the local barber shop, kids flying kites on the lawn..it really is Hometown, USA
2. Suwanee Greenway - Miles and miles of trails that connect three different parks (watch out... you may run into Ed Kirchner zooming down the trail on his bike)
3. The Leprechaun and our very own Taco Mac - When you live in a town that has gone from zero to hero in just a few years...the most exciting part is when you begin to get your OWN local hangouts. I remember watching anxiously as they built the Loafing Leprechaun (a lively Irish pub in the middle of suburbia) and then our very own TACO MAC! We're loyal patrons.
4. Affordability
5. 20 minutes from Lake Lanier - It's great to be so close to the lake...except for the fact that we contemplate buying a boat every 6 months and then come to the same conclusion everytime - better to have friends with a boat instead!
6. Fun, free events and concerts! Sister Hazel, Cowboy Mouth, and coming this month... the start of the Tour de Georgia road race!
7. The Kirchner-Dawson radius - when I say "radius" I mean ONE mile...Barry, Arlene, Ed, Linda, Mike and Allison all live within a one mile of each other. Raising your eyebrow? Yep, it's true.
8. One hop, skip and jump away from Athens-town - This means a lot to two loyal Bulldawgs.
9. Hidden farmland - Michael and I just bought dueling Novara mountain bikes (thanks, Lou!)...we love riding from our new house. Lots of rolling hills, and even some quiet, hidden farmland.
10. Live, work, play...that's the motto they use..and some people actually do it all in Suwanee. A great concept for those who can take advantage of it! Unfortunately, not us.

So next time your headed up I-85 North, stop by and check it out for yourself. You may just decide that sitting in a little traffic may be worth it!