Remove ImagesAlpharetta named one of 'friendliest town' by Forbes
Ranked as no. 7 nationally
December 21, 2012
Crowds routinely pack Alpharetta's downtown for events, such as the Taste of Alpharetta.
The list of 15 great towns was compiled by Nextdoor.com, a neighborhood social networking site based in San Francisco. 500 towns were considered with populations between 5,500 and 150,000. They were ranked based on four criteria – percentage of owner-occupied homes, crime rate, charitable giving and percentage of college graduates.
In their writeup, Forbes noted that Alpharetta throws many events throughout the year and called it the "city of celebration."
For Mayor David Belle Isle, the ranking was a pleasant surprise
"We think of ourselves as friendly anyway but our efforts to generate an interest downtown played a role," he said. "We have so much excitement and energy going on in the city."
With the annual Christmas tree lighting, the largest Tastefest in the southeast, the Georgia-Florida tailgate, and numerous other small events downtown, Alpharetta residents have seen plenty of activity in 2012.
"These events do create opportunities for communities, families and neighbors to come together," Belle Isle said. "Everybody wants the amenities of a large town and the quaintness of a small town. That gives value beyond geography. Those are things people get excited about."