Where-to-Live: Dunwoody, Georgia

We start our tour today with a link to Dunwoody’s natural past. Here is the Dunwoody Nature Center, a “living lab that is environmentally sustainable, inclusive and accessible to all”. Beginning in 1975 as a part of America’s Bicentennial Celebration, Dunwoody Park is a non-profit organization established by a group of citizens aiming to inspire the love of nature.

Still cultivating environmental understanding today, the Nature Center offers a variety of programs and classes that educate and motivate the public to conserve the environment around them, while conserving the park itself at the same time!

Now we are gonna head south on Roberts.

Up ahead on our right is the Dunwoody Hall shopping center, which features a variety of restaurants and stores as well as a Publix supermarket. A perfect stop for any household needs or daily cravings!

Speaking of cravings, just across the street is Dunwoody’s Mellow Mushroom pizza restaurant! A unique and hip eatery that’s been serving the city for 20 years, Dunwoody locals have been coming to the establishment for its amazing pizza, cocktails, craft beer selection and more! Head over with your furry friend and have a slice on their dog-friendly patio whenever you get the chance!

A little cluster of culture lies just across Mt. Vernon road in the shape of the North Dekalb Cultural Arts Center and the Dunwoody Public Library!

The Cultural Center is a unique multi-arts complex that offers classes, events, and art displays for all to enjoy! Come by and see one of the many high-quality productions that come through its theatre!

In the shadow of the Cultural Arts Center is a little quieter of a destination, but considering its main use, that’s a good thing! The Dunwoody Public Library, though, is just as much a pillar of culture and community that the Cultural Arts Center is! Offering not just books, but classes, events, and various other resources and services! Head on by later and check out their selection!

As we turn onto Ashford Dunwoody Road we are now beginning to approach what is the commercial center of Dunwoody. Several shopping centers, like Perimeter Village coming up on your left, are located in this area and are home to a huge variety of shopping, eating and fitness options like Fogo de Chao, Crunch Fitness Perimeter, Walmart, Target, and more! Whether your needs are furniture or a great plate of sushi, this part of the Perimeter is sure to please even your most eccentric tastes!

Speaking of satisfying tastes, a couple of the nicer restaurants in Dunwoody surround the approaching Perimeter Mall.

Seasons 52 is a highly respected restaurant and national chain that offers a variety of dining options for those interested in something on the lighter side! Combining fresh, healthy ingredients, sommelier-chosen wines, and a casually sophisticated atmosphere, Seasons 52 is classy yet chill, and the perfect location for an early afternoon respite.

Another high quality Dunwoody restaurant, McKendrick's Steakhouse is a can’t-go-wrong spot for a perfect cut of beef. With its stellar reputation as Atlanta’s steakhouse preceding it, the white tablecloths and business casual dress code at Mckendrick’s offer an elevated dining experience.

Finally, the crown jewel of Dunwoody’s commercial center, the Perimeter Mall is the epicenter of all these restaurants and stores! Not able to find quite what you’ve been looking for just yet? Well, the second largest shopping mall in the entire state of Georgia is bound to house the shopping and dining options you desire! Anchored by Dillard’s, Nordstrom, Von Maur, and Macy’s, and supplemented by an on-grounds Cheesecake Factory, these are just a few of the outlets offered at Perimeter Mall!

Now, all this shopping might have given you a bit of consumerism whiplash, so our next stop is a little quieter!

Lit with a smattering of lights during the holiday season, Gorla Ravinia park is nestled in between a couple of Perimeter buildings, offering an oasis in this urban sprawl! Spend some time reflecting on all your purchases or walk off that juicy steak along one of the paved paths that wind through the park.

Head on by later, take a seat on one of the park’s many benches, and just listen to the modest creek and waterfall as they trickle into the collecting pond at the park’s base. Seriously, this place is a true hidden gem!

As we follow 285, we distance ourselves from the commercial center of Dunwoody, and move into a more residential area. Aim for exit 30, and then turn left onto Chamblee Dunwoody Road.

As soon as we cross the overpass above 285, we immediately enter another, much smaller commercial center! Georgetown Shopping Center offers an efficient selection of eats and grocery options, from the all-important Kroger, to Vino Venue and Farm Burger Dunwoody!

As we continue along Chumblee Dunwoody, we pass by the Dunwoody Green neighborhood, and Georgetown Park within! Georgetown park is a perfect place for the kids, complete with a state-of-the-art playground with plenty of shaded and sunny spaces for fun activities!

As we wind down our tour, our final stop should allow for you to sit back and relax, or, if you’re still energized, a place for limitless fun!

Brook Run Park is an expansive, 100-plus acre wooded park that offers a variety of recreation spaces activities. Recently revitalized, Brook Run is Dunwoody’s largest park and features a large children’s playground, a two mile, multi-use loop trail, skate and dog parks, community event pavilions, recreation fields and more!

Feeling daring? TreeTop Quest, the park’s self-guided obstacle course that features 50 obstacles and 12 ziplines that provide a safe and fun experience for everyone!

Head on over for Food Truck Thursdays in the summer, and reflect on and enjoy the great tastes and sounds of Metro Atlanta!

And just like that, our tour of Dunwoody, Georgia is complete. I hope you had just as much fun as I did on this adventure! Join us again soon! Until then, so long and happy touring!