NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE WEEK: Briers North'Friendships come easy' in DeKalb communityPatricia McConnon - For the Journal-Constitution In the cusp of north Dunwoody is a friendly little cloistered neighborhood, Briers North. With just two streets, this close-knit community of Victorian homes off Tilly Mill Road can easily show off its details, designed with a love of gingerbread. Duane Brownlow developed the community of cluster homes on half-acre lots 18 years ago after building Briers subdivision, thought to be one of metro Atlanta's first cluster developments, in Stone Mountain in 1978. It, too, borrowed from historical styles. Joe and Debra Bowen became Briers North's first homeowners --- sealing the deal with a handshake in 1986. "Duane was just that kind of fella. You knew he was worth his word and he would deliver on everything he agreed to," Joe said. Why have the Bowens stayed? One reason is that "as a cluster community, you see your neighbors at the mailbox or taking out the trash, so friendships come easy," Joe said. That may be how a tradition started 11 years ago --- and grew and grew and grew into a Halloween extravaganza that this year was expected to draw a trick-or-treat crowd of 4,000 to this neighborhood of 62 homes. Look in the bushes, the trees, on the eves and in the windows and more to see what spooky and spooktacular decorations have been dreamed up. You just might spot animated ghoulish characters, spider webs, graves and a hand coming through the ground. Some go-getters even produce little shows for kids. But not just the kids get hooked. "It's actually great for the dads," says Frank O'Neill, who has lived in their home for 14 years with wife, Noreen. Of course, their kids --- Laura, 14, and Catherine, 10 --- get into the spirit, too. "Some of us dads take one or two days off from work and build the sets in a combined effort. It gets bigger and better every year, and we have a good time getting it ready. It's great fun." What about the rest of the year? Many residents like the neighborhood because it makes for an easy commute. "Access to Ga. 400, I-285 and surface streets like Peachtree Industrial offer lots of choices," O'Neill said. "My average commute to Norcross or downtown Atlanta is 20 minutes." Realtor Scotchie Cochran and his wife, Penny, always had an eye for Briers North. "It was in 1998 that Penny and I were living in a townhome apartment about a mile from Briers North," he said. "When we would go walking, we were drawn to Briers North. We were impressed with the friendly people and quaint atmosphere. "We knew that this was the place we wanted to live, but there were no homes for sale at that time," he said, "so we constructed a flier and put it in every mailbox. The flier stated that we loved the neighborhood and we wanted to live in Briers North. We asked that when anyone decided to sell their home, they should call us first before they listed the home with a real estate agent." The result, he said, was that "we received four calls from homeowners immediately, but all the homes we looked at were too large for only Penny and me. The homes in Briers North range from 1,675 square feet to 4,660 square feet." At last, they got lucky. "Finally, after a year and a half, we received a call from the owner of the smallest home in the neighborhood," he said, "and it had been our favorite home when we were walking and wishing a year and a half earlier. We bought the home, and our dreams came true. I am living here by choice and not by chance." The Cochrans may have the smallest home, but it comes with a great design. The three rooms on the main floor are open and can easily accommodate large family gatherings and parties. You enter a large parlor and can see into a formal dinning room and farmhouse kitchen. Three large bedrooms upstairs include a master suite with sitting room, fireplace and updated master bath with jetted tub. Contractor Jim Kelley and his wife, Robyn, have owned two homes in Briers North. They were among the subdivision's first residents. Then "we left for a while and just had to come back," he explained, adding that they have been in their current home for 13 years. Kelley cut his teeth in the business with Brownlow, building side by side with his friend as Briers North went up. "Duane was my mentor. He was the best. He had a vision and could see the finished project in his head before it was completed. He had a gift. I'm amazed I was able to learn with him." The Kelleys' 3,600-square-foot Victorian is a showpiece. The interior is a period match with the home's facade. Dark oak floors with diamond inlays, large cannonball banisters, and a fireplace hearth rescued from an old North Georgia hotel ready for the wrecking ball add to the feel. The home is just 13 years old, but it sets the mood for some time travel --- or at least a little daydreaming. For conversation, the kitchen with its French country decor and a big picture window help set a cozy mood. Although Brier North developer Brownlow died several years ago, he's not forgotten. His name still pops up often. This is no cookie-cutter neighborhood, as thousands will find tonight as they step into a world built with his eye for detail --- and a few extra twists and turns built in. History and civic groupsBriers North in Dunwoody was the brainchild of developer/master carpenter Duane Brownlow and was billed as one of the first cluster-home communities in metro Atlanta when the neighborhood opened in 1986. His first development, the Briers in Stone Mountain, opened in 1978. The son of a cabinetmaker, he became a carpenter's assistant at age 15. Briers North has no community clubhouse, pool or tennis courts, but residents can pay to join the Dunwoody Driving Club Swim and Tennis Association and use such facilities at nearby neighborhoods. There is a $500 initiation fee, with annual dues of $400. Residents of Briers North also can join the Briers North Landscaping Committee, with annual dues of $150, which help pay for neighborhood upkeep such as a spruced-up entrance. Neighbors jokingly call resident Jim Kelley their unofficial mayor. He keeps busy publishing their monthly newsletter and is busy year-round with neighborhood events, including the Halloween extravaganza. A quick lookHouseholds: 62 Housing trends in ZIP code 30360 Getting There - Briers North |