Georgia's Innovation Crescent

Living in the Crescent

The Innovation Crescent offers a wide variety of lifestyle choices to satisfy the needs of a diverse range of people, from students to top corporate executives.

The metro Atlanta region ranks among the top 10 most affordable places to live well (Fortune Small Business, 2007), and has been voted #1 for best cities for married couples with kids (Kiplinger Magazine, 2007) and best cities for relocating singles (Mobility Magazine, 2007). Money Magazine ranked the town of Suwanee 10th in a list of 100 Best Places to Live in 2007 and Buford was the 3rd Best Place to Live and Launch a Business in the U.S. according to Fortune Small Business (2008). Family Circle recognized Kennesaw for its quality of life in 2007.

Atlanta, and its surrounding metro area, serves as the center of culture, sports and activities. With six professional sports teams and numerous museums, restaurants and attractions, the Atlanta region compares favorably with other large metropolitan areas throughout the nation.

But it's more than the Atlanta region that draws people to the area. Communities with their own unique personalities can be found in the Innovation Crescent, including thriving “edge cities,” college towns, historic districts and small towns surrounded by rolling horse farms. From urban to the suburban and beyond, these communities offer Southern charm, modern amenities and friendly neighbors.

Georgia's outstanding livability makes doing business here a pleasure and gives companies a distinct advantage in attracting and keeping quality employees. From an affordable cost of living and outstanding health care systems to unmatched cultural and natural offerings, Georgia offers a variety of resources that make the state a great place to live, work and play.

Learn more at www.Georgia.org.

Affordable
Lower taxes and a lower cost of living enable you to do more with the money you make and maintain a higher standard of living. Home prices, energy rates and office space all index below national averages for comparable areas of the country.

For companies that establish regional or national headquarters here, this translates into a happier and more productive workforce whose families also benefit from what Georgia has to offer.

Health care
Throughout the Innovation Crescent, Georgians can find world-class medical and dental care in large and small communities. The Atlanta region's health care systems offer some of the most advanced care and facilities in the Southeast and nationwide. Georgia's outstanding medical schools include Emory University, Morehouse School of Medicine, Mercer Medical School and Medical College of Georgia.

Recreation
The Innovation Crescent offers unlimited recreational and cultural opportunities for enthusiasts of boating, camping, fishing, golf, hiking, picnicking, swimming, tennis or just relaxing.

A temperate climate allows for comfortable exploration of many of these destinations year-round. Average summer temperatures are between 73 and 82 degrees. In winter, mean temperatures are between 51 and 56 degrees.

For more information about each community’s recreational areas, please see each community’s listing here.

Sports
If joining the crowd in celebration of world-class sporting events sounds like fun, Georgia boasts four professional teams, including the Braves (MLB), Falcons (NFL), Hawks (NBA) and Thrashers (NHL). The Georgia Force, an arena football team, the Atlanta Silverbacks, a well-followed men’s soccer team, and the new WNBA team, the Atlanta Dream, and other athletic organizations around the state offer many opportunities to cheer on a local team, no matter what the sport.

Georgia, and metro Atlanta, also have a long history of hosting premier sporting events. In the spring, there's The Masters – arguably the most prestigious event in professional golf. Or take in the Tour de Georgia cycling race, the Masters Water Ski and Wakeboard Tournament along with several major PGA and LPGA championships. In recent years, Georgia was also selected to host two Super Bowls, men's and women's NCAA Final Fours, Major League Baseball and NBA basketball all-star games, the U.S. Figure Skating National Championship, regional college football and basketball tournaments and several major auto races.

In addition, the Crescent is home to some of the greatest college sports teams in the nation. From the Georgia Bulldogs to the Georgia State Panthers to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, the Innovation Crescent offers competitive sports teams to rally behind and support with pride!

To take part in the competition, Georgia has 262 public golf courses as well as the largest amateur tennis organization in the country, the Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association (ALTA).

Arts
The Innovation Crescent is also a true center for the arts. Atlanta ranks 3rd in the United States in music production, has two resident ballet companies, a symphony orchestra that has won more GRAMMYs than any other U.S. symphony, several permanent theater groups, an opera company and the leading art museum in the Southeast – the High Museum of Art.