East Cobb - Marietta, GA Area Guide

The area known today as Cumberland has developed immensely over the past few years, but the neighborhood doesn't have a long history. Cumberland consisted mostly of farmland and was technically part of neighboring historic Vinings. In 1973, Cumberland Galleria Mall opened and quickly Cumberland became its own neighborhood. Soon after the mall was developed, hotels, retail strips and the Cobb Galleria Centre all established themselves in the Cumberland district, and this once barren area outside Atlanta became its own unique neighborhood with its own personality.

One of the biggest additions to the region was the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Visit this venue to see big name acts, operas and local plays. This massive theatre helps bring Broadway-style performances to the area all year long. The Atlanta Opera and the Atlanta Ballet both call this venue home, making it convenient for residents looking to take in some of the best cultural offerings of this area.

While the area does not have any of its own museums, this edge city neighbors historic Vinings, one of the region's oldest neighborhoods. Here plenty of local plaques and small museums help paint the history of the Cobb County region and the development of the city of Atlanta. Located just minutes from the Galleria Mall you can find the Vinings Historic Preservation Society, where residents can learn more about early life in this now heavily commercialized Atlanta suburb.

Popular chain restaurants and locally-owned, southern-style restaurants offer something for every taste in the Cumberland area. The Cumberland/Galleria name stems from the neighborhood's main attraction, the Cumberland Mall, and you can find most of the area's dining establishments, especially the larger chains, at this mall and its surrounding campus. Ray's on the River provides its guests with a waterfront dining experience. Located on the winding Chattahoochee River, this restaurant features fresh seafood and specializes in steaks. For a real treat, visit Ray's all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch for what many consider the best breakfast buffet in the area. Residents looking for a dining experience that mixes the rustic nature of Georgia with the fine dining of downtown Atlanta can travel to Canoe. This restaurant, also located along the Chattahoochee River, has a full-service bar as well as a fire pit and dining tables outside during the warmer months. Arrive early to get a seat outside, or enjoy the views from indoors thanks to the all-glass exterior of the restaurant. Just make sure to save room for dessert. This restaurant makes a popcorn ice cream sundae that you won't find anywhere else in Georgia. After dinner, be sure to catch a show at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. From sports events to ballets, this modern venue is an Atlanta favorite -- and it will be in your backyard when you rent a Cumberland/Galleria apartment. This premier performance venue not only is the go-to place for Broadway shows, concerts, the opera, and comedy -- it also hosts private events, including wedding receptions and galas.

Cobb Parkway flows right through the center of the Cumberland/Galleria neighborhood and offers access to the city of Atlanta, as well as to the neighboring towns of Marietta and Kennesaw. Travel by car tends to be quick and easy, thanks to two major interstates that cross through this neighborhood. Two of the biggest expressways in the area intersect right in Cumberland. Hop on 75 to go right to downtown Atlanta, or take the 285 loop around the outskirts of the city. MARTA serves the area through several park and ride stops as well as a bus station located next to the mall. The MARTA train also makes a stop at the Cumberland/Galleria Mall as part of the train’s Red and Gold lines. Cabs are plentiful, and the car service Uber serves this area and other regions of Atlanta. However, when calling cars in Cumberland and most of Atlanta, keep the city’s heavy traffic in mind.

The Cumberland area contains a few scattered parks with playgrounds. Down Cobb Parkway, you'll find a public park with running trails that lead through the woods and surrounds the campus of Life University. Residents of Cumberland are looking forward to a big change in the near future. The Atlanta Braves, the city’s professional baseball team, plans to move its stadium from downtown to the Cumberland neighborhood. When completed, surrounding parks and greenery are expected to be part of the stadium’s new campus.

Along the Chattahoochee River, there are several free parks available to the public, including the Cumberland Riverfront Park that also acts as a popular river stop for floating. This relaxing activity, which entails sitting in rubber tubes and floating down the Chattahoochee River, remains quite popular in Atlanta, especially in the Cumberland area, thanks to its close access to the river. This park has a dock for easy access in and out of the river, as well as surrounding picnic tables and greenery for those looking to take in the surrounding nature of the Georgia landscape or watch the floaters drift by.

Life in Cumberland carries with it an average cost-of-living, but as the area grows, more luxury buyers are settling in this region. The overall cost of food and entertainment in the area remains on a par with and often lower than neighboring Atlanta proper.

An average home costs about $233,000, higher than the state average. However, homes that are located closer to the river and around the mall and shopping region typically cost more. The median rents are also slightly higher than those of the surrounding Atlanta Metro area at about $1200 per month.

The shopping scene in Cumberland is almost completely centered around the Cumberland Mall. Here you can shop some of the biggest, most trusted brands available. Department stores such as Macy's flank big-name retailers such as DSW while other smaller, locally-owned stores round out the choices. Check out Initiators Gift Shop for unique stationery, one-of-a-kind jewelry, and natural body products.

Just down the street, residents can grab the latest best-selling book at Barnes and Noble or visit the home furnishing store Pier 1 for all their household needs. For the essentials and groceries, Target and Publix are just seconds away from the main area of town.

For a more boutique shopping experience, head around the corner to the Vinings Jubilee. This outdoor shopping mall has some big-name stores such as Ann Taylor and Francesca's as well as locally-owned clothing stores, pet stores, and baby shops. With its beautiful outdoor campus and unique selection of stores, this shopping destination has something for everyone.