For more than 20 years, CNN Money magazine has compiled a list of the Top 50 Best Places to Live and Suwanee Ga. made the list in 2013, ranking at No. 33. In fact, Suwanee was the highest-ranked city in Georgia with Evans ranking at No. 43 and Peachtree City ranking at No. 48. With its distinctive parks, crowd-pleasing events and vibrant Town Center, it is no wonder Suwanee was once again recognized as one of the best in the nation.
To compile the list of America’s Best Places to Live, Money focused on more than 1,300 towns with populations of 10,000 to 50,000, considering median family income, home values, education, crime scores, community spirit and quality-of-life factors such as healthcare, arts and leisure.
This is not the first time Suwanee Ga. has made the list, ranking No. 10 in 2007 and No. 37 two years later. In 2013, Suwanee was recognized by Family Circle magazine as one of the nation’s 10 Best Towns for Families and last year, Kiplinger.com ranked Suwanee as the third best city to raise children.
So why is Suwanee such a special place to live? For one thing, there is something for everyone in Suwanee. From first-time buyers to families to active adults, Suwanee offers Gwinnett County real estate for all walks of life, and the Suwanee Town Center is where neighbors become friends with community events, fantastic shopping and delicious dining available.
Experience the Southern Charm of Suwanee
Known for its distinctive parks and crowd-pleasing events, Suwanee is an exceptional Georgia city located just 30 minutes from Atlanta. Suwanee has been recognized on several occasions as one of the best places to live nationwide. Built on community-focused values, Suwanee is a forward-thinking, inclusive town that possesses a unique charm its citizens cherish.
Suwanee is widely known for its commitment to preserve natural open spaces, establish recreation opportunities and enhance existing parks. The city has incredible local attractions including community events, fantastic shopping and delicious dining that add to its appeal and provide plenty of fun for all residents and visitors!
Here is a list of all the staple local attractions that make up the spectacular City of Suwanee:
Suwanee Town Center
The well-known, symbolic heart of the community is the downtown Suwanee Town Center, which serves as an economic, social and cultural hub. With its signature 10-acre urban-style park, Suwanee Town Center is a testament to the city’s voter-approved initiative to create more open spaces and parks within the area. The Town Center also acts as a physical embodiment of the vision for Suwanee with its inviting atmosphere, lively energy, aesthetic appeal and widespread community allure.
This award-winning location of more than 63 acres features open greenspace areas, three connecting walkways, the largest interactive fountain in Gwinnett County and a performance stage with a 1,000-seat amphitheater is a popular gathering place that provides a space for many events including concerts, festivals, 5k runs, theatrical performances and much more! To celebrate the vibrant community, the town also holds an annual Suwanee Fest at the Town Center which often attracts large crowds of up to 40,000.
Local Parks in Suwanee Ga
The Suwanee Greenway
For a taste of the outdoors, visit the Suwanee Greenway, a signature Gwinnett County trail of four miles that explores wooded areas, wetlands and wildlife habitat. This multipurpose trail is one of several that were preserved and extended due to the City of Suwanee’s open space initiative.
Connecting nearly 400 acres of parkland, this outdoor haven is a gorgeous must-visit attraction within Suwanee featuring beautiful scenery that provides a lovely spot for a refreshing stroll. This area also connects to the Town Center for those who enjoy a day of energetic outdoor activity followed by a visit to the town’s vivacious downtown area.
One of the area’s most popular trails, the Greenway offers a variety of trailheads with varied route lengths that make an exciting assortment of adventure options. Whether you’re looking for a place to go for a run, take a quiet walk, play a lively game of frisbee or ride a bike through a paved trail, the Suwanee Greenway is an amazing attraction!
George Pierce Park
The largest city park in Suwanee, George Pierce Park is a popular outdoor fitness destination, perfect for runners and walkers who enjoy nature views to accompany their activity. The park features a wide set of amenities including a community recreation center with a senior recreation wing, indoor walking track, several sports fields, playground, pavilions, various trails and the Ivy Creek Greenway.
The Ivy Creek Greenway is a standout attraction within the park that features a stunning pond and convenient benches along the trail, as well as charming woodsy picnic areas throughout. This 2.5-trail has a winding path with boardwalks and paved trails that lead through wildlife and waterfowl-filled wetland. Despite its shorter distance, this trail also links back to the Suwanee Greenway for those who desire to take a combined longer route.
Sims Lake Park
Among the local favorite parks in Suwanee is Sims Lake Park, which contains wonderful walking trails, a quaint pavilion with picnic tables and an interactive children’s playground. This park provides a great place to take the whole family for an afternoon of fun!
Centered within this 62-acre park is a beautiful seven-acre lake bordered by a 0.5-mile looped trail. Paved trails within Sims Lake Park wander through scenic woods and fields for a breathtaking walk through nature. Throughout the park, visitors can also discover scattered modern art sculptures that make a remarkable addition to the park’s picturesque environment. As a way to engage Suwanee residents with nature, Sims Lake Park also showcases a Time Lapse Photo Project, which allows visitors to take photos of the area to be included in a series of photos displaying sequential time-lapse.
For a peaceful excursion, Sims Lake Park is the ideal place to visit filled with shaded paths and benches for resting along the way. Although this park is a bit more intimate, it has plenty of appeal to offer its visitors!
Local Attractions in Suwanee Ga
Suwanee Farmers Market
For the freshest fruits and vegetables in the area, the Suwanee Farmers Market is a great place to visit that also supports the local community. Located at Town Center Park, the Farmers Market boasts a convenient location at the heart of the community.
Open on Tuesdays and Saturdays almost year-round excluding October, the Suwanee Farmers Market offers in-season produce, herbs and plants, free-range eggs, meat, baked goods, fresh flowers and jams. With wonderful produce grown by friendly vendors, the Farmers Market is an event that aptly reflects the Suwanee values promoting community and inclusion.
Everett’s Music Barn
A great place to find amazing local talent every Saturday night, Everett’s Music Barn is a local gem that regularly hosts music jam sessions, open to all talent, centered around bluegrass, gospel and country stylings. This venue has hosted a great variety of artists from national touring bands to local bands with incredible talent.
Created by the members of the Everett Family, the barn has a heartfelt history built on family roots and a deep passion for bluegrass music. As a signature performance, the Everett Family Band plays every night to start off the performances as bluegrass lovers sit in church pews to enjoy the tunes of the night. Positive energy, friendly locals and wonderful acoustics make up this homey music venue in Suwanee. Everett’s Music Barn is a family-oriented location that also prohibits smoking and drinking to create a wholesome atmosphere that is a great place to bring friends or the whole family!
Movie Tavern Horizon Village
With updated health and safety measures, Suwanee residents have the opportunity to experience the magic of the movies again at the Movie Tavern Horizon Village. This location is set apart with its incredibly comfortable leather recliners that can fully recline, reserved seating for ultimate convenience and premium large format screens for a moviegoing experience that is truly exceptional!
For a special night at the cinema, the Movie Tavern offers in-theatre meals with a complete menu of chef-prepared selections accompanied by first-run movies. Whether you’d like to enjoy casual drinks and appetizers before or after your movie at the theater lounge or have dinner and a show, you can always have the top-tier cinema visit of your choosing.
The theater also hosts several discounted movie times including $5 Tuesdays, $6 student Thursdays, $6 Early Bird movies before 11 a.m. and $6 Young at Heart Fridays for seniors aged 60 and over!
Bear’s Best
When it comes to golf, there’s no better place to visit than Bear’s Best, featured on Golfweek’s ‘Best Courses You Can Play in Georgia’ and Golf Magazine’s ‘Top 10 Courses You Can Play in America.’ With the help of professional golfer Jack Nicklaus, who selected the best 18 holes compiled from a wide variety of worldwide courses, Bear’s Best has become a top-ranking golf course nationwide.
This public hotspot offers a memorable golfing experience where golfers can play within a lavish private club for the cost of a daily fee. At Bear’s Best, golfers enjoy an incredible game, an exceptional course and a top-notch staff to assist throughout the game. With the great variety of holes throughout the course, Bear’s Best is an amazing place for golfers of all skill levels to take a swing!
Open for all business and social gatherings as well as events, Bear’s Best is an affordable yet extraordinary place to find a golf getaway!
Main Event Entertainment
An amazing day of fun and entertainment can be found at Main Event Entertainment, the best place in town for the whole family! This location has a number of exciting features including bowling, multi-level laser tag, a pool hall, an arcade gallery with the latest interactive video games and more!
Main Event also offers casual dining options with delicious appetizer-style choices to share such as wings, loaded nachos or pizza. For adults, the venue offers craft beers and custom cocktails unique to Main Event that can be enjoyed at the bar while watching big-screen TVs.
Main Event Entertainment is well-known for hosting fun-filled events for all ages and groups including birthday parties, school events, school field trips, corporate events and adult social celebrations. For epic fun and an incredible variety of exhilarating games to choose from, Main Event Entertainment is a fantastic spot in Suwanee to visit!
Suwanee American Craft Beer Festival returns on June 26, 2021, at Suwanee Town Center Park. This year, Suwanee Beer Fest celebrates its 10th anniversary and is planning to return bigger and better than ever! A new summer date also brings with it a new theme and festival-goers are encouraged to dress in their best Red, White and Blue gear.
General Admission entry includes unlimited samples of 350+ craft beers, live music, festival games such as cornhole, giant Jenga, giant beer pong, axe throwing and Xtreme Airballs, a Social Lounge tent, food trucks, local artists and vendors. The Georgia Beer Garden will also return, featuring some of our favorite homegrown Peach State breweries. There will also be seltzers, ciders and wine samples available at the festival! Bon Jovi tribute band Slippery When Wet will headline the festival, taking the stage at 3 p.m.
This event is 21 and over only. Tickets are $55 and available at SuwaneeBeerFest.com.
Breweries
Monkey Wrench Brewing
Founded in 2011, Monkey Wrench Brewing is a distinctive homegrown business with innovative brewing techniques and award-winning craft brews. This brewery is known for its off-the-wall liquid experiments that push the limits of your typical brews and “wrench it up a notch.”
The Monkey Wrench taproom provides an inviting atmosphere with an approachable staff that the locals love! The brewery features a rotation of local food trucks as well as live music events, lively outdoor games and other exciting happenings. Within the brewery’s vast space, visitors find great bar seating accompanied by a large brewing hall with new brews where the brewing production occurs. With indoor and outdoor seating and an incredible selection, this spot is perfect for comfortably enjoying new brews and catching up with friends while social distancing!
StillFire Brewing
Across the street from Town Center lies StillFire Brewing, a 20-barrel brewery and taproom with a wide selection of beers ranging from IPAs to traditional styles, stouts and sours. This brewery also conveniently includes a To-Go walkup window that allows visitors to purchase a brew and carry it to-go thanks to the Town Center open container policy. This community-driven local hotspot possesses a top-notch environment with personable staff, a wraparound bar and amazing indoor and outdoor seating!
Winner of bronze medals at the 2020 U.S. Open Beer Championship, StillFire has carefully curated craft beers with creative, fun flavors. Born out of the inspiration to allow passions to catch flame, StillFire Brewing is a unique spot committed to developing groundbreaking quality beers.
Restaurants in Suwanee Ga
Ippolito’s
Ippolito’s is a lovely local Italian restaurant, well-loved among the residents of Suwanee Ga. for its casual atmosphere and delightful classic Italian dishes. The restaurant also boasts a great location conveniently near Town Center for those who’d like to dine and enjoy local entertainment after their meal.
The menu offers a variety of Italian items such as chicken parmigiana, lobster ravioli, veal Francese, flatbread pizzas, calzones and more. For all wine lovers, Ippolito’s provides a wide selection of wines to taste along with some fantastic desserts!
Taqueria Los Hermanos
Voted the No. 1 Mexican restaurant in metro Atlanta by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Taqueria Los Hermanos is a highly-rated gem in the Suwanee Ga. area for its amazing Mexican cuisine and its unparalleled staff service. Opened by three brothers who aimed to create a comfortable environment where guests could experience the authentic food of their culture, Taqueria Los Hermanos is an incredible place to immerse yourself in delicious Mexican recipes. The menu has a variety of nachos, quesadillas, tacos, burritos, fajitas and seafood specialties, as well as premium margaritas.
Suwanee Ga. is a great place to live, work and play. Let us know your Suwanee Ga. favorites, and click here if you are interested in a new Suwanee home.