Hampton Hall Alpharetta, GA

Before high-profile Atlanta real estate firm Spratlin Associates began developing Hampton Hall in 1965, the area was known as a summer cottage community for Atlantans, as well as home to the Brookhaven Country Club. For decades, the region was known as North Atlanta.

The community sits near Oglethorpe University's Museum of Art and its theater scene, which includes year-round productions by the Georgia Shakespeare Company.

Hampton Hall's surrounding city, Brookhaven, continues to be the state's newest municipality, having been formed as a result of a voter-approved referendum in 2012. Annual events in the neighborhood include the Brookhaven Chili Cook-Off and Brookhaven Beer Fest.

One of the more popular establishments on Brookhaven's dining scene, Haven Restaurant and Bar serves what many regard as the best brunch in town. Located in the city's culinary heart on Dresden Drive, the restaurant features indoor and patio seating, allowing diners to sip mimosas and enjoy their frittatas in the sun. Locals often order the beignets.

For lunch, Hampton Hall residents tend to favor the Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub, thanks to its fried chicken and steak and blue cheese salad. The after-work crowd knows to order martinis, a drink Kaleidoscope staff make exceedingly well.

Town Brookhaven, a mixed-use district, is filled with dining options, including Bua Thai and Sushi, the Flying Biscuit Cafe, Lucky's Burger & Brew, Marble Slab Creamery, Moe's Southwest Grill, Newk's Express Cafe, Olde Blind Dog Irish Pub, Olive Bistro, and There Restaurant & Bar. Town Brookhaven restaurants and cafes are within easy walking distance of multiple retail shops, banks, and salons.

Hampton Hall residents looking for some nightlife don't have far to go, with upscale Whiskey Blue in nearby Buckhead. The lounge's glass elevator, art deco interior and rooftop patio distinguish it from the average sports bar, while its signature cocktails ensure those who check it out come back for more. Regulars often order spicy tacos to go with their drinks.

Known for the tree stump in the middle of its bar, the Righteous Room serves drinks in a friendly atmosphere. As the evening wears on, customers begin ordering food with their drink rounds, often going for the turkey melt and onion rings.

Hampton Hall's location puts it within minutes of the center of Brookhaven as well as Atlanta, either by driving on Interstate 85 or taking a Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority bus from the Brookhaven MARTA station.

Brookhaven also features access to Interstate 285 and to Buckhead and Chamblee via Peachtree Road.

The Hampton Hall community and Brookhaven are bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly, with plentiful sidewalks and bicycle lanes. Brookhaven is served by a number of private cab companies as well as Uber, which operates out of Atlanta.

The Hampton Hall Swim and Tennis Club features family-friendly facilities, including a pool with a water slide and diving board and an outdoor covered pavilion with a gas grill. The club building exists in a landscaped and forested environment near the Silver Lake dam.

The community is also within a short distance of Brookhaven Park, a county-owned facility with a playground, multi-use courts, an off-leash dog area, a picnic area and trails. Other area parks include Ashford Park with its basketball and tennis courts and playground and Blackburn Park, which features tennis and basketball courts, soccer fields, trails and picnic areas. Also in the neighborhood, residents head to Briarwood Park for its tennis courts, recreation center, swimming pool and playground and to Lynwood Park to enjoy its swimming pool, basketball and tennis courts, gymnasium and playground. When you want a beautiful walk, check out the two-mile nature trail at Murphey Candler Park, which also holds a pool, lake, and picnic pavilions.

The cost of living in the North Atlanta region, which includes Brookhaven and Hampton Hall, runs slightly more than 36 percent higher than the average cost of living in the U.S.

Gas runs about 2 percent lower than the national average cost for gasoline, and the round-trip fare for a ride on the MARTA bus line from Brookhaven to Atlanta runs $5. The average cost of a six-pack of domestic beer in Atlanta is $8.89, slightly more than 3 percent higher than the average cost of a domestic six-pack nationwide.

Brookhaven provides Hampton Hall residents with ample shopping opportunities, from the 54-acre Town Brookhaven mixed-use district to the Northeast Plaza strip mall.

Town Brookhaven bills itself as a pedestrian-friendly urban village, in part because it hosts 700 luxury apartments in addition to its plentiful shopping and dining options. The district presents regular events, often holiday-themed, to encourage prospective shoppers to visit.

In addition, the Brookhaven area is home to a wide variety of independently owned boutiques, many of which are located on Dresden Street. Collage Boutique, for example, features jewelry, clothing and accessories ranging from contemporary to sophisticated. Both local and out-of-area artists fashion the jewelry offered for sale there.

Devonshire Home and Garden serves as another boutique-style shop. Its inventory includes faux and live flower arrangements, soaps, body lotions, candles and furniture.

From late spring through late fall, the Brookhaven Farmers Market sets up in downtown Brookhaven. Vendors sell handmade cheeses, baked goods, prepared foods, home-grown vegetables and fruits, jams and jellies and other items at the popular market. Locals and visitors attend to shop and to watch cooking demonstrations.