Learn More About Suwanee, Georgia
About Suwannee Georgia:
Suwanee is a small city in Gwinnett County, Georgia in the greater Atlanta metropolitan area. Suwannee sits about 33 miles northeast of the Atlanta downtown core and has a population of approximately 18,000. This is a city which takes great pride in its proactive community approach to balancing recreation with economic development. The self-described town vision "live…work…play…shop" is evident in how the people here live their lives. This community lifestyle approach is one of the major reasons Suwanee was identified as one of the nation's 10 Best Towns for Families by Family Circle magazine.
Suwannee has a humid subtropical climate, typical for this part of the country. This means temperatures will average in the low 50’s in the winter months and reach the mid 90’s in the hotter, humid summer months.
At the heart of community living in Suwanee is their impressive public parks and recreation facilities. In 2002, the municipality launched its Open Space Initiative where they turned more than 300 acres into public park space and extended their multi-use trail system. The Open Space Initiative was divided up into four separate projects:
1. Town Center Park – Known as Suwanee’s ‘front yard’, this 10-acre swath of land serves as the community's primary gathering place for special events. Here you can walk your dog, go for a jog, or ride your bike. The amphitheater stage is used for concerts and other live performances and for those super hot days, you can splash around in the Big Splash Fountain.
2. PlayTown Suwanee– Described as ‘the park that mommy and daddy built’, this children’s super-playground is a shining example of community spirit put into action. Built entirely by 1,200 volunteers in 2004, this has all the playground amenities you would expect and then some.
3. Sims Lake Park – First opened in 2008, this park consists of a seven-acre lake with a looping trail surrounding it. This is perfect for dog walkers, runners, rollerbladers or cyclists.
4. Suwanee Creek Park – This park was left mostly as it was before the initiative. It serves as an ideal location for light recreation and family gatherings. It's also home to Suwanee's 18-hole disc golf course and the trailhead for the Suwanee Creek Greenway.
Just as important to Suwanee’s municipal identity is its historic Old Town District. This downtown revitalization project seeks to maintain some of the historic charm along with more modern amenities. Here you will find an outdoor pavilion, ideal for small community gatherings; an historic red caboose, and a charming office/retail area. These efforts earned the area accreditation from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street Program.
Suwanee has proactively sought to incorporate local art in its citywide beautification efforts. The Suwanee Public Art Initiative was launched with a specific mission to “support public art as a means of enhancing residents' quality of life as well as creating a colorful and unique sense of identity and place.” To this end, you will find incredible works of public art all throughout the city.
Schools in Suwannee are administered through the Gwinnett County School District. The district is the largest school system in Georgia, serving more than 178,000 students. Some of the highest rated schools in Suwannee are Suwanee Elementary School, North Gwinnett High School, Settles Bridge Elementary School, and Riverside Elementary School.
Suwannee has an incredible sense of community spirit and pride. It is therefore no surprise to discover the city was recognized as the third best place in America for raising families (Kiplinger, 2012), one of the nation's 10 Best Towns for Families (Family Circle magazine, 2013) and a City of Excellence (Georgia Municipal Association and Trend Magazine, 2003)
