Home Sweet Home School
appen grocery
Pinot's Palette
appen dec 2010

Plenty to do in Forsyth County, but where's downtown?



COLUMNISTS
SBA 504 Loans and Commercial Real Estate Could Be a Good Fit
Jun 17 2013
The effects of the financial crisis of 2008-2009 rippled throughout the U....
COLUMNISTS
Inventories rise nationally, locally...not so much
Jun 20 2013
Price appreciation is occurring around the country, and here locally, for several reasons....
LETTERS
Untitled
Jun 10 2013
Preventing skin cancer Now that summer is upon us, it’s the perfect time to focus on sun safety and ...
COLUMNISTS
The North Fulton Curmudgeon: Franklin’s wit, wisdom fresh today
Jun 10 2013
A word of warning to those who look for those tame words usually found under the byline of that simpering ...
Recent
North Fulton remembers Sept. 11
Roswell arose early to honor the martyrs of Sept. 11. The service began at 8:30 in the morning at the ...
Recent
Trilogy Trolley Crawl
Roswell's 2011 Trilogy Trolley Crawl of the three historic houses featured fun from around Europe Aug. ...
Recent
Park Place Opening
Residents turn out for the opening of Park Place at Newtown Park. Photos by DENNIS ZHOU/ STAFF...
Recent
MIlton Celebrates Earth Day
MILTON, Ga. - It was a bright blue blustery day, perfect to celebrate all things natural with Milton's ...
October 22, 2012
My wife and I moved to Cumming four years ago from Miami and via Savannah. One thing we could not figure out at first was where downtown Cumming was located.

Whenever we had out-of-town visitors, we showed them the parks, Lake Lanier, shopping at the Avenue Forsyth or Vickery Village.

Then we go here and there in the community to hit up local shops and dining locations, but we avoid downtown Cumming, because it really has little to offer.

When a new courthouse is completed on Main Street in downtown Cumming in the next few years, the aggregation of government offices may be plenty for some to call it a downtown, but this community will continue to lack a public space.

Some have been irked, and I hear this one a lot, by the large jail expansion, calling it an eyesore.

While a downtown visitors' center seems completed near the Dairy Queen, it's unclear when it will be operating and what it will promote.

Our local theater, the Cumming Playhouse, is a gem, but hidden behind a lackluster strip mall.

Forsyth County may be lacking a sense of community and the only central location we call downtown has been overlooked or completely lost in planning.

Most downtowns in neighboring communities benefit from a nearby college.

Athens and Dahlonega come to mind, while others are planned out, like Alpharetta, historic Roswell, Buford, Woodstock, Norcross or Suwanee.

All these places offer a central place to do things.

On the other hand, our county is a place defined mainly by the Avenue Forsyth.

The shops, in walking distance of each other, make the development a talking point, a meeting place for the community.

It's no wonder that exit 13 off Ga. 400 has become a destination for dining and shopping.

Vickery Village has a glimpse of hope. Although in a hidden location, the west Forsyth community is also a fast growing region and as the economy recovers, I believe this area will blossom to what it was intended. We recently reported how Rick Tanner's Bar and Grill plans to open a brewery here and put Forsyth on the beer map.

Beer does tend to bring people together, especially if it's good, which I'm sure this will be.

Would you want Forsyth to thrive and be cool and hip and have plenty of things for residents to do? What do you think will make a great community? Where should our downtown be?

Email me at aldo@forsythherald.com and I'll print your thoughts next week.

printPrint
emailEmail Link
CommentFeedback
shareShare

Tags: Community & Outreach

READER COMMENTS Submission
When posting feedback please be respectful. Be nice. :
* required value
Your Name*

Town*

Email (not shown on website)*

Subject*

Comment*

Verification*
Identify the animal




Coldwell Banker
Atlanta Fine Homes
Appen - NorthsideWoman promo
Appen - Free Publicity
ELECTRIC ANYTHING
We do any and all electric services including fans, surge protectors, new construction, rehab old electric. Licensed, bonded, realiable, local, and many references. $30 OFF WITH MENTION of this ad (minimum $200). Call 678-250-4470.
RECENT CLASSIFIEDS
Antiques

Antiques

June 17, 2013 | 07:51 PM
Kingsbury Chicago Piano, »
Furniture

Oak Tables for Sale

June 15, 2013 | 02:23 PM
Solid Oak End tables (2), »
Furniture

Kitchen Table and Chairs

June 15, 2013 | 09:05 AM
Kitchen Table and four swivel »

Title Club
appen dec 2010 Duplicate