Could You Live Off-Grid?
A back-to-nature rural community created 15 years ago by a couple who dreamed of living off-grid is thriving.
Serenbe, in the idyllic pastoral setting of Chattahoochee Hill country, south of Atlanta, is the brainchild of Steve and Marie Nygren, who decided that escaping the rat-race for a simpler life needn’t be the stuff of fancy.
Residents living in the revolutionary green utopia, which was designed by architect Dr Phil Tabb, now recycle their water, live off fruit and vegetables grown on a 25-acre organic farm and walk as much as possible via a network of inter-connecting trails.
Some 600 people are currently living happily in the experimental community, with the four hamlets boasting a school, shops and cafes – all with well-being and green living at their core.
The community was designed by Steve and Marie Nygren and is hidden amid 1,000 acres of natural forest landscape just south of Atlanta in the United States.
Homes – which are heated and cooled with ground-sourced heat pumps – were built into the landscape to minimize the impact on the land.
Manicured lawns are not allowed and fresh food is a natural asset with a 25-acre organic farm.
There is also a seasonal Saturday farmers market and edible landscaping along paths and sidewalk.
The water system is eco friendly and vegetated wetland treats all the wastewater.
There are currently three restaurants, eight retailers, a gym, a day spa and a school on site. They are all connected by walking trails.
A spokesman for the village said: ‘Each of Serenbe’s four hamlets have complementary commercial centers focused on the elements of a well-lived life – arts for inspiration, agriculture for nourishment, health for wellbeing and education for awareness.
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