Talk of the Town - Springlake February 03 2001

The Springlake neighborhood in Northwest Buckhead is not quite suburban and not quite urban, and that is what most residents love about it. Anne Moore, who moved to Springlake from Chicago, says the mixture of city and suburbs is what first appealed to her. Resident and real estate agent Kristi Lucas and her husband spent two years looking for the prefect house before finally settling on their bungalow here. “Springlake is the total package,” says Lucas. “It has it all, the houses, the location and the school.”
For many Springlake residents, the proximity to Morris Brandon Elementary School is a real selling point. Morris Brandon, located on Howell Mill Road, consistently has some of the highest student test scores in the city. According to Lucas, young families seek homes in Springlake so that their children can attend the neighborhood school. “The PTA is very strong,” says Lucas. “Morris Brandon is like a private school; parents are very involved.”
Springlake residents are dedicated to their neighborhood and are often reluctant to relocate. Families, who once moved out when the second or third child arrived, have decided to stay. “When we first moved here people moved out when they had children,” says Moore, “but now everyone is staying.” The houses in Springlake, originally modest bungalows and early ranches, have grown to accommodate the expanding families. Lucas recently added a second story to her house. She says real estate prices in the neighborhood have risen so dramatically that families are finding it’s a better deal to make their existing house fit their needs. “Everyone is renovating,” says Lucas. “There are blue tarps everywhere.” It’s common to see a small house in disrepair torn down and a much larger one built in its place.
The strong civic association attracts new residents and keeps longtimers from leaving. Like many affluent neighborhoods, Springlake has organized a security patrol. The residents pay a fee for off-duty police to patrol the neighborhood and keep watch over the homes of traveling residents. Crime is not a problem in Springlake, but Moore thinks it helps to have a strong police presence on the streets.