🌻 SERENBE
A Biophilic Wellness Utopia.
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Quote of the Day: “Having a purpose and knowing exactly what your values are will add additional years to your life. ” –Dan Buettner
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🌻 PLACE: SERENBE
Serenity is a place called Serenbe.
By Christina Chao
When we drove with the windows down along the winding roads of the beautiful countryside of Chattahoochee Hills, I saw the sun dance with the trees welcoming us to a new place we would call home for the weekend. About 30-45 minutes from South Atlanta, there exists a Utopian wellness town called Serenbe, “a 1,000+ acre biophilic and sustainable living community built around core values: health for wellness, arts for inspiration, agriculture for nourishment, and education for awareness and a large helping of play for joy.”
The ethos of the community is to protect our beautiful land while extending our lives with healthier choices, all of course serves as a gentle reminder to slow down from the hustle and bustle of city life. Atlanta has always been an underrated city in my opinion, but now has become a coveted destination with the development of Serenbe, an exclusive wellness community nestled in the countryside. I felt like I was in the Hamptons of the South, but with less chaos, and more balance and peace.
Serenbe is an amalgamation of “serene” and “be”— a place where you can find serenity and peace, and be with yourself and nature. Founder Steven Nygern developed this community roughly 20 years ago, and has since brought together about 600 people who reside in Serenbe’s 350 homes, with plans to develop even further (ex. a luxury senior home is currently in development). Nygren, a successful Atlanta restaurateur and real estate developer, developed Serenbe to be a natural community with hamlets that organize the development of each village.
Fun Fact- Nygren has worked with planners to preserve “70 percent of the natural land while 30 percent would be filled with neighborhoods of homes, shops, restaurants, schools, medical offices, and the like.”
As a biophilic development, Serenbe leads with 12 planning and design elements to achieve four keys to saving the planet: personal wellbeing, community engagement, national security, and global balance. Each hamlet is inspired by sustainable elements and English village design with mixes of luxury townhouses, single-family homes, a few apartments with shops attached, organic farm-to-table restaurants, and long forest trails connecting to the 25-acre organic farm, horse stables… and more amenities to come. My favorite hamlet was Modo, a neighborhood focused on health and healing, whose motto is “to live in balance" - with a luxurious day spa, yoga studio, gym, cycling studio and many other wonderful active offerings.
Serenbe has four farm-to-table restaurants, and “one can stop by The General Store to find local and specialty grocery items, grab a juice at Bamboo Juices, or head to The Wine Shop for a distinct curation of fine wine from around the globe.” For the restaurants, we dined at Halsa, The Farmhouse, and The Hill, all of which gave our taste buds a rich experience, while filling out stomachs with homegrown food, fresh off the farm. Reservations are required so be sure to book in advance.
“Serenbe is a life away from the city and in proximity to nature provides a fresh start and a better existence.”
Visiting Serenbe was an exciting experience, especially for a city dweller like myself. The luxury of services and retailers served as reminders of a previous life like the design services, golf carts used as transportation, unique art galleries, a regional theatre, culinary workshops and festivals, boutique shopping, wellness services and trail riding, visiting artists in residence with classes, dinners and talks, and more. Other upscale amenities like The Spa, a Montessori school, and a small Whole Foods-esque grocery on site, would make any city transplant feel at home.
My favorite experience (aside from bonding with the horses), was the Spa at Serenbe. I absolutely LOVED the Spa — which offered a range of services like reflexology, couples massage, Swedish massage, an infrared sauna and steam room, and a relaxation room. Celebrating my Swedish friend Amanda’s bachelorette, I had obviously chose the Swedish massage — one of the best I’ve ever had. My knots were completely gone, and my energy was redistributed throughout my body like I’ve never felt before. It was unreal how magical this massage was, and I loved the products like WildSmith, OSEA, Laurel. Oh, and the mimosa at the end was a nice touch too.
Highly recommend coming to Serenbe, whether you’re celebrating something or just wanting to getaway and rebalance, this gem is a must-visit. Serenbe has won numerous awards including the Urban Land Institute Inaugural Sustainability Award, the Atlanta Regional Commission “Development of Excellence“ and EarthCraft named Serenbe the “Development of the Year.” CHECK IN HERE.
🌻 PERSON: STEVEN NYGREN
Founder of Serenbe
“I think risk-taking is vital to accomplishing any goal or dream, no matter what career path you’re on. When I first envisioned Serenbe as a new model of how to live, to develop with the environment rather than against it, I had a deep background in hospitality and was a very naive developer, so most people thought I was completely crazy. Because of my naivety I did not accept the rut practices that had settled into the residential development community over the past decades. If I had not asked the hard questions of why, Serenbe wouldn’t be the global model it is today – with over 30+ retail businesses, 4 restaurants, wellness services and over 750 residents and growing clustered on 30% of the land with easy access to the green space. We are a global model of how to build communities that sets people first; our values are to connect those people to nature and each other.” -Steven Nygren, Founder of Serenbe (quote pulled from Shoutout Atlanta)
🌻 PRODUCT: WILDSMITH SKIN
Luxury skincare inspired by the botanicals and plants of our Earth.
Move over Molton Brown, there is a new luxury hand wash and lotion in town. These exquisitely formulated and expertly crafted hand and body products from the UK are inspired by the plants and botanicals found in the grounds that surround The Bothy by Wildsmith at Heckfield Place. Fragranced with Linden, Roman Chamomile and Cedarwood to sharpen the senses. The collection is featured at the Serenbe Spa and adds an elegant touch to your experience. Highly recommend. BUY HERE.
🧘 WELLNESS WEDNESDAY
Your wellness fix in all dimensions.
💪 PHYSICAL: Join one of these beginner-friendly goat yoga classes on a NY farm. Fun themed classes, goat yoga & wine, and sunset goat yoga & cocktails. It’ll be grrrrreat and you can goat about it later.
💗 EMOTIONAL: The Sporty and Rich Wellness Book is 240 pages of interviews, articles and essays on health, skin, nutrition, fitness and more.
📚 MENTAL: From the bestselling author of Cultish and host of the podcast Sounds Like a Cult, this book is a delicious blend of cultural criticism and personal narrative that explores our cognitive biases and the power, disadvantages, and highlights of magical thinking.
🙏 SPIRITUAL: Extend your life with these secrets from “The Blue Zones” by Dan Buettner. There are 9 lessons in the book for living longer, from the people who have lived the longest.
😎 SOCIAL: Join Female Founder House for Wellness Day on May 11th in NYC. This event will offer a new way to network, have fun and unleash from a fast-paced life, all while elevating one’s health in a wellness experience that will leave you feeling energized, healthier and uplifted.
🌎 ENVIRONMENTAL: Saving Gracie needs your help saving the lives of 50+ rescue animals. By donating, you provide them with healthy hay and grain, clean and fresh water, 'Gold Standard' medical care, and upkeep and maintenance of pastures and facilities on Gracie's Farm. DONATE HERE.
Interested in curated luxury event(s), fundraising, brand/influencer partnerships, or growth consulting? Email auraswellcollective@gmail.com.
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