SERENBE, GA THERAPIST-LED RETREAT

One of the pleasures of Serenbe is getting from place to place. Explore on foot along the trails, hop on a bike, or rent a golf cart. Bikes and golf carts are available for rent and, as it happens, make getting around part of the fun.

Bike rental available at Pro Bike Repair.

Amplify Your Ride has golf cart rentals located in Sserenbe.

Golf cart rentals are also available to guests of The Inn at Serenbe, while some are even available through AirBnb or VRBO rentals.

Serenbe is not only a village of beautiful homes and trails, but also a place filled with unexpected discoveries. Pay attention to the sightlines, art tucked into the woods, the medicine garden, meditation labyrinth, and other surprises you may stumble upon along the way.

And play in Serenbe isn’t just for children. Look for the treehouse in the woods, trampolines hidden in plain sight, a life-size chessboard, the animal village, and bocce courts scattered throughout the community.

If you come back in the summer, you can indulge in the blueberries planted along the sidewalks. But you have to be quick, otherwise the children will fill their bellies and the bushes will be bare!

The landscape of Serenbe is designed in the philosophy of The Well Placed Weed, by the infamous gardening geius and landscape designer, Ryan Gainey (you will see his name in various places through Serenbe). You can learn more about his work in a book and a documentary about him. And lest you think the weeds are an eyesore, these “weeds” attract butterflies and offer a rotating selection of blooms throughout the seasons.

Serenbe offers plenty of opportunities to enjoy good food and linger over a meal or coffee. After all, it was founded by a well known Atlanta restaurateur: Steve Nygren.

We will begin the weekend at The Farmhouse with a chef-curated tasting meal under the starts.

And there are many more retaurants to experience. You might discover a favorite pastry, ask a server for a recommendation, try something you wouldn’t normally order, or find a place where you’d just like to sit for a while.

Having a hard time deciding where to eat Saturday night? I recommend starting with a spritz at The Farmhouse before heading to The Hill for your main course (I highly recommend the burger, but fancier food is delicious as well). End your evening listening to live Jazz (only on Saturday nights) and sipping an after-dinner creation or the famous Milk & Cookies dessert at Austin’s Cocktailery and Kitchen (you’ll never believe you are in rural Georgia with a lounge like this).

Some other great options? Blue Eyed Daisy has real Southern breakfast and great lunch offerings (and it’s a bakery!). Halsa has the best Crispy Kale and Brussels Sprout tacos (seriously excellent, and I’m not even a vegetarian). You can pick up a sandwich at The General Store to enjoy on a bench in the woods (and you can get your ice cream fix there as well).

Stop by Minro Studio, a spare Scandinavian style coffee shop with the best Matcha Latte outside of New York (told to me by a New Yorker who travels. A lot.) You’ll also find beautiful pottery (and sign up to take a pottery class). That’s why it is called Minro Studio.

Another great coffee shop, Birdhouse Coffee Room, has two of the friendliest shopowners in Serenbe. Tell Steve and Gabby hello from me as you enjoy one of their rotating coffee specials created from beans Steve roasts himself. They will be providing our coffee and tea while we gather in the barn.

Want to pick up an organic snack (and purchase some non-toxic household products while being educated about the products offered)? Stop in Allchemy: a Biophilic Farmacy, a shop whose philosophy is: Begin The Change You Wish To See In The World. April and Tony will take good care of you (and you’ll get to hear April’s story about pivoting and creating a meaningful life during our retreat).

Care to indulge in beverages? Bamboo Juices offers raw organic fresh pressed juices (and they can be delivered free in the Atlanta area or shipped to wherever you call home).

Adult beverages can be purchased at The Wine Shop at Serenbe (self-explanatory—but you can also enjoy the weekend wine flights during our Saturday break or, better yet, wait until Sunday afternoon ;). Another type of adult beverage can be purchased at Soberish (for the non-alcoholic happy hour beverage).

You can find all of these food offerings in a single web page if you need a quick comparison.

And don’t ask why I’m such an expert on the food scene in Serenbe…

In addition to Jemma’s pop-up shop across from the Serenbe Showhouse Tour, there are lots of opportunities to purchase a little something for a friend, and two little somethings for yourself (I’m not new to this rodeo!).

Check out this directory for a list to keep at your fingertips, but I’ll let you in on a few of my favorites.

I am never disappointed in The Consignment Shop, and “somehow” take home something new to me on every visit. Sharing the space is a home and lifestyle shop called Resource.

Native Bloom is a florist, garden shop, and keeper of treasures. A place to find the kind of items that become the details in your home that make you smile.

Just down the street, Native Bloom owner, Melissa, and her mother have opened The Collective. A beautiful collection of furniture, original art, vintage clothing, and your favorite finds.

Be sure to stop in at Allchemy, a Biophili Farmacy. This home, health, and wellness shop sells a curated selection of non-toxic products from independently owned brands. Here is something you might not guess, but their prices beat the markup major outlets charge for the same products. Say hello to April and Tony who will give you a tour and educate you on your purchases (and you will get to know more about April at the retreat).

There are so many great places to shop, you will want to spend extra time to explore them all (refer back to the list I mentioned so you don’t miss any). And when you do, don’t forget to stop at the most charming bookstore outside of Atlanta, Hills and Hamlets Book Shop.

There are many ways to enjoy Serenbe beyond the retreat programming, from walking and shopping to exploring the surrounding countryside. Serenbe is a place of discovery.

Choose what sounds appealing, or choose to do very little. Both are perfectly good ways to spend your free time.

Check out the Serenbe events page for some ideas, and be sure to ask locals what they recommend.

Note that the retreat and the last weekend of the Serenbe Showhouse Tour coincides. You can catch it if you arrive early on Friday, (or even Thursday) or linger longer on Sunday. And be sure to check out Jemma’s pop-up shop across the street for your next favorite find. She is open during the hours of the showhouse.

Serenbe is often described as a wellness community. And while we know it's so much more than that, there are some great places to indulge in a little extra care.

Whether you're arriving early, lingering a little longer, or simply treating yourself, take a look at some local offerings.

TheSkinAddikt Esthetics Studio is a local option for customized facials and skincare treatments. I know you’ll enjoy Rachel, the owner, as much as I do. Ask me how much I love my skin after her microneedlng service. But no need to trust me, you can trust her to consult with you and make recommendations. The best thing, she never tries to upsell, she just works with your skin and your needs. By the way, tell her I said hi. I think she is the Steel Magnolias of Serenbe.

The Spa at Serenbe is a luxurious choice for massages, facials, body treatments, reflexology, and sauna and steam room experiences. Spending extra time to enjoy the calming space after a treatment is another way to care even more for yourself.

Creek Retreat offers a different approach to wellness, with HydraFacials, advanced skincare, and a variety of innovative body and recovery treatments. They receive very good reviews from my neighborhood friends (which is even better than a google review—though they are rated 5 out of 5 if you are wondering).

Contact any one of these providers when you are adding a little something extra to your experience in Serenbe.

When I tell people about why I love Serenbe ,the people who make the community what it is always tops my list.

I admit that I originally thought Serenbe was a gated community where people keep to themselves and had an air of superiority. Boy, was I wrong! Instead, I found a village of friends and neighbors who self-select to live in a community focused on wellness (both mental and physical), caring for the earth, enjoying beautiful architecture, choosing to spend time with neighbors, and eating foods directly from our local farms.

You may find yourself talking with folks on the trails, a server, bartender, shop owner, artist, or someone else who has made Serenbe home. Find out what they love about the place. Let someone recommend something you might not have discovered on your own. And don’t forget to ask: “What’s your Serenbe Story?” They’ll know exactly what you mean. And every person will have a different answer.

A local writer, Gina Kawalek, writes about living in Serenbe, the surrounding Chattahoochee Hills area, and play (yes, play!). I highly recommend reading or listening to: What It's Actually Like to Live in Serenbe, Georgia (From a Local)

Meet Some of My Favorite People

Some of my favorite people to meet in Serenbe aren’t residents at all. They’re the servers and bartenders who give Serenbe its wonderful welcoming atmosphere. They’re the fabric of Serenbe, which originated from the hospitality industry, and they often have some of the best Serenbe stories to tell.

Start your day at Birdhouse Coffee Room where our friends Steve and Gabby will create your favorite morning brew from the beans Steve roasts himself (they will be our suppliers of coffee and tea at the barn each morning). They also host events like story-time, crafts, bingo, and Sunday morning’s quiet book club.

The Hill

Tony and Sheena are behind the bar. Ask Tony for a joke, and be sure to check out Sheena’s eye shadow du jour.

Victoria and Zoë wander between The Hill and Austin’s. Zoë’s hair is the bomb, and you can’t help but be happy after talking with the infectious Victoria. If you happen to run into Gavin, ask how his training is going. He’ll soon be a firefighter, and we’re all proud of him, even though Tony gives him some serious trash talk.

And if you can catch him, look for Joe hosting Sunday brunch. You’ll recognize the elegant man with the silver hair.

Austin’s Cocktailery and Kitchen

With her unmistakable vintage-inspired presence, Cedar will be behind the bar. Ask her for a Penicillin and tell her Jamie sent you.

If you’re lucky enough to be seated at the table of our beloved Clay, ask him what to order. Better yet, let him choose for you. And don’t be surprised if his choice includes the caviar service.

If you spot Kee behind the bar, be sure to give her a wink.

The Farmhouse

I hope you run into Leah, and if you do, please tell her “Heeeey” from me (using your best Southern drawl).

Sitting at the bar? Ask Savannah what movies she’s been in (as a stunt double!) and request Rachel’s Old Cuban.

You may even get a visit from Chef Nic as he checks on the guests. He will be the one creating our lovely chef’s tasting meal as we gather around the table Friday evening.

Pop into The Skin Addikt to say hi to Rachel and ask her why my skin looks so much better after microneedling.

Want to really geek out about Serene? There is so much more you can discover about. Here are some links that I have gotten lost in:

Serenbe Stories is a podcast covering the dream, the ideology, and the realization. It covers architecture and design (absolutely fascinating to understand how this is more than a planned community), biophilic living, and interviews residents and shop owners to learn how so many diverse people have come together to call this little village in rural Georgia home.

New to biophilia? It is a Greek word that translates to “love of life.” In Serenbe it means: the “natural, deep-seated urge humans have to connect with nature and other living things.” So committed to biophilia that Serenbe is the birthplace and home of the Biophilic Institute.‍ ‍Interested in what Forbes has to say about Serenbe’s Biophilic Design? You can read it here.

Lest you think Serenbe wants to keep all of this to themselves, Serenbe’s founder, Steve Nygren, has written a book sharing how anyone can adopt the lifestyle principles by starting in their own backyard. Aptly named Start in Your Own Backyard. Atlanta Magazine wrote about Steve’s philosphy for building a better neighborhood. You can read it here.

Perhaps you’d like even more ways to get lost in information about Serebe. Good news, Serenbe has a Substack and a blog with a lot of extras (so I don’t need to write them all here!).

Just need a little more time away?

There are many more experiences to enjoy in Serenbe and the surrounding Chattahoochee Hills countryside. I hope your stay allows for a little extra time before or after our weekend together. If not, here is your invitation to return.

Now that I’ve shared some of my favorite ways to experience Serenbe, here are some tips for enjoying the rest of the Chattahoochee Hills area. You can drive the Chatt Hills Barn Quilt Trail, ride your bike on the Silk Sheets, or take your bike to the trails of the Dirty Sheets,

In case I’ve missed anything, additional Serenbe activities can be found here and here.

And Chattahoochee ideas can be found here, here, and here. And for one of my favorite recommendations in the surrounding area, which is an unexpected pleasure, check out the Chatt Hills Barn Quilt Trail. The drive through Chattahoochee Hills will take you through tree canopied roads, past beautiful pastures, and narrow unpaved paths that will make you feel like you are in the English countryside.