Assignment 8: Brandon Collins

The Villages at Huntcrest is a gated community off Sugarloaf Parkway in Gwinnett County. The area is constantly buzzing with activity, and is less than a mile away from I-85 and the Arena at Gwinnett Center. The developer of the neighborhood is clearly going for a mixture of English charm with the manor-style houses, and urban sophistication, because the homes are reminiscent of larger homes found off Peachtree in Buckhead. It is interesting that the community is gated. On the one hand, I think it is a way for home owners in the community to "keep up" with the nearby Sugarloaf Country Club. On the other hand, it implies safety from both the interstate, and nearby Discover Mills Mall, which is a slightly lower-end regional shopping center that serves many different minorities in the area. The homes are clearly visible from the street, which indicates that the developer wanted them to be seen from the road. This is the complete opposite of the Sugarloaf Country Club which is the epitome of exclusivity. In fact, the gates of the Villages are not even noticeable until one reaches the entrance. There is both a sense of new money, and of sensibility. Sensibility because the houses and lots are smaller, and new money because the houses, although smaller, are modeled after older, larger homes found in Buckhead.