Rockledge is located very close to the Chattahoochee River, and offers guests direct access to the Chattahoochee National Preserve, which allows residents to connect with the great outdoors. So it is only fitting that Leslie Schlesinger Interiors carried the theme of connecting with nature throughout the amenities in the community.

The community’s impressive amenities include seven swimming pools, tennis courts, sand volleyball, 80-seat movie theater, playgrounds, running and biking trails and more. The 18,000 square foot clubhouse is surrounded by stone columns and stone flooring and natural wood siding along the exterior walkways, and a natural wood awning that provides shade and cover, but also lets in plenty of natural light. Leslie Schlesinger Interiors provided the perfect spot for residents to relax and enjoy the beauty of the outdoors with wide, reclining Adirondack chairs, outdoor fireplace, picnic tables, ceiling fans with overhead lighting and gas grills. The outside seating areas also include small, ambiance-enhancing touches like Asian-inspired carriage lanterns hanging from the exterior walkways.

The clubhouse includes a basketball court with a floor-to-ceiling Rockledge logo painted on one wall and an indoor walking/running track circles above the court. A state-of-the-art fitness center with floor-to-ceiling mirrors and wall-mounted flat screen televisions provides residents with dozens of cardio and weightlifting machines and a yoga/personal aerobics studio, which comes complete with hardwood floors, a floor-to-ceiling mirror, mats, towels and toning, exercise/fitness balls.

The clubhouse also includes meeting spaces, gathering places and a party room with billiards. Leslie Schlesinger Interiors finished the clubhouse with wood flooring, and warm, natural colors like browns and beiges used on the walls and in the furnishings (which themselves have a grand, but simple and natural feel, from the live plants to the handmade and vintage wooden furniture), accented by pops of warm reds, purples and oranges. Tree-trunk wooden side tables, handcrafted dark wood bar stools and the bold, floral print fabrics of the upholstery and rugs pay tribute to nature. The feeling of soft warmth is further provided by a stone fireplace, candlelit floor lanterns and lowered candle lighting over the pool table and the oversized 10-person meeting table (which is accompanied by 10 ultra-plush leather upholstered chairs). Supplemental seating can be found around every corner and woodframed oversized wall mirrors reflect the natural light and open up the space. All of these features are topped off with new, current accessories like contemporary furniture pieces, lighting and accessories, large, modern artwork and flat screen televisions.

Atlanta apartment industry

There was a time when homeownership was the American Dream and rentals were thought of as just a transitory option (like I just graduated from college and still eat ramen noodles every night for dinner, but enjoy being on my own). Then, the housing market crashed, seeming to solidify dream of owning a home with many inexpensive homes suddenly available.

With the housing market inundated with inexpensive homes, foreclosures and short sales after its crash, many in the apartment business were wondering what it meant for them (and at first, it wasn’t looking too good). But now, it seems that things are taking a turn for the better according to a Wall Street Journal article.

Among the companies reporting good news for the apartment industry is Atlanta-based Post Properties, Inc. The company asserts that the average occupancy rate is up from the previous year and now sits at 95.5 percent.

So, what’s fueling this comeback? Many potential homebuyers are finding that strict lending practices are keeping them from borrowing the money to buy one, and some just don’t want to make the purchase in today’s home market.

What do you think? Is the Atlanta market finally in favor of the apartment industry, or are you still hoping to take advantage of the housing market’s low prices?

Each trip is led by a CNC naturalist. Your guide will introduce you to the ecology of the river and explain the cultural and natural history of the Chattahoochee, all while you enjoy the peaceful setting.

Trips are scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays throughout August. You can choose to take a morning canoe ride on Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. Or, if you’d prefer you can take an evening trip on Saturday or Sunday at 6 p.m. Admission is $25 for CNC members and $30 for non-members.

For more information about taking a canoe trip down the Chattahoochee River, visit the Chattahoochee Nature Center website or call 770-992-2055.

In addition to enjoying the Chattahoochee Nature Preserve, residents of these pet-friendly apartments in Sandy Springs have access to many fun summer amenities including seven swimming pools, tennis courts and a sand volleyball court.

For more information about Rockledge, visit our website.

Rockledge still has two movies left for the month including a family friendly film and one for when you want a night away from the kids:

• Rango on Saturday, July 23 at noon
• Limitless on Thursday, July 28 at 7:30 p.m.

While you’re at the clubhouse, don’t forget to check out all of the other amenities including the party room with billiards table, indoor basketball court and running track, state-of-the-art fitness center and yoga studio.

And, when the weather finally begins to cool, take a hike on the Chattahoochee River Nature Trails or cookout on one of the community’s outdoor grills.

Do you want to take a tour of these homes or amenities? Rockledge would love to have you. For more information about Rockledge or to schedule your visit, check out the website.

Fletcher, the longtime sports agent for hundreds of sports legends like hometown favorite and Brave John Smoltz, will be the keynote speaker at the event.

Over her career, Fletcher has worked with hundreds of other NCAA basketball and football coaches, PGA and LPGA golfers, NBA coaches and many more Major League Baseball greats. She has also helped media personalities including Ernie Johnson, Jr., Joe Theisman, Roger Staubach and others.

At the dinner, Fletcher will give advice regarding building the necessary relationships to succeed in the business world. Fletcher’s first book, “Your Dream Job Game Plan – Five Tools for Becoming Your Own Career Agent,” was published in 2008 while her second book, “The Business of The Best,” will be published this fall. This new book will figuratively “show you the money” as Fletcher shares her secrets to maximizing human capital after working with the giants of the athletics world.

To see the event’s schedule or to learn more about Molly Fletcher, visit the Atlanta Apartment Association’s website.

The cities with the best rental climate generally have markets in which home prices have fallen substantially. Though it is apartments that are widely accepted as rentals, it is estimated by HomeVestors of America Inc. that 14 percent of America’s single-family homes are maintained as rental properties.

From January through May, about half of all home closings in Atlanta were under $100,000, and a further 23 percent were under $50,000, as reported by Steve Palm of Smart Numbers. Because home prices are below their previously seen average, these otherwise empty homes are easily turned into competitive rental properties. This is great news for those seeking to rent properties.

Out of 100 markets evaluated in the study by HomeVestors of America Inc., also known as the “We Buy Ugly Houses” company, Atlanta took the No. 16 rank for the best rental property market. Atlanta has a 1.5 percent risk-return premium whereas the average seen across the nation is 5.3 percent.

The top 10 spots went to:

1. Las Vegas
2. Detroit
3. Warren, Mich.
4. Orlando, Fla.
5. Bakersfield, Calif.
6. Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla.
7. Phoenix
8. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
9. Rochester, N.Y.
10. Stockton, Calif.

For more information, visit the HomeVestors website.

The development, called “77 12th Street,” is to be a 22-story apartment tower located at 12th Street and Crescent Avenue. This tower is being designed by local Atlanta architects Rule Joy Trammell + Rubio LLC.

Upon completion, the new tower of high rise homes will be located across from Ri Ra, an Irish pub in the Midtown area.

In a recent interview with Atlanta Business Chronicle, Steve Selig, the president of Selig Entreprises, has dubbed the Midtown area the perfect place for such an apartment project due to its location in the heart of Atlanta, traffic grid, park, arts and educational opportunities.

In terms of Atlanta real estate, the midtown area has not seen development of a substantial new tower since the 2002 Metropolis project built by Wood Partners LLC and Novare Group Inc. Daniel Corp. and Selig Enterprises Inc. actually pushed this project to the top of its priority list after deciding to hold off on a project that would have created a new tower of offices in the Atlanta area.

As reported by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, other developers are currently building in or looking to move into the Midtown area of Atlanta as well.

Additionally, Oliver McMillan, Novare’s founder Jim Borders, Preserve Properties LLC and John Draper all have apartment projects at various stages in the works. Finger Cos. is also rumored to be investigating the Atlanta area to add a luxury Atlanta apartments community of its own.

Has news of these soon-to-be and rumored luxury apartments coming to the Atlanta area changed your housing plans? Which project are you most eager to tour? Go read the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s article and come back to let us know!

Rockledge is home to an 80-seat movie theater in its luxury community clubhouse. The June movie schedule offers a variety of films, and the schedule includes:

• Just Go With it on Thursday, June 16 at 7:30 p.m.
• Hall Pass on Thursday, June 23 at 7:30 p.m.
• Gnomeo and Juliet on Saturday, June 25 at noon
• The Roommate on Thursday, June 30 at 7:30 p.m.

Seating is limited so you must get there early to secure your place!

Don’t live at Rockledge? You can schedule a tour of the community’s amazing amenities by visiting the website or contacting the leasing center at 770-955-2513.

If we didn’t already “have you at hello,” consider this:

Over her career, Fletcher has worked with hundreds of other NCAA basketball and football coaches, PGA and LPGA golfers, NBA coaches and many more Major League Baseball greats. She has also helped media personalities including Ernie Johnson, Jr., Joe Theisman, Roger Staubach and others.

Fletcher’s 2008 book, “Your Dream Job Game Plan – Five Tools for Becoming Your Own Career Agent,” is a strategic guide to build and maintain relationships necessary in the business world. Fletcher will release her second book, “The Business of The Best,” this coming fall. The book will figuratively “show you the money” as Fletcher shares her secrets to maximizing human capital after working with the giants of the athletics world.

Anyone interested in attending this event is encouraged to register early. Interested participants may register with a credit card online at the Atlanta Apartment Association’s website or by fax before the July 21 deadline. For a full schedule of the event, to register or for more information on Molly Fletcher, visit the Atlanta Apartment Association’s website.

The Marietta Square Farmer’s Market is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon and Sundays from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. from now until Nov. 20 and features more than 60 vendors. It’s a great way to get out and support your local growers and farmers as well as promote sustainability in your own backyard.

Not to mention the fact that the farmer’s market is located less than 10 minutes from the luxury apartments at Rockledge, making it a convenient location for your next shopping trip.

To find out more about the Marietta Square Farmer’s Market, visit the website.

While you’re at the farmer’s market, make sure to pick up some veggies to throw on the grill. Rockledge has several outdoor grills so that residents can whip up a delicious meal. You can even make a whole day out of it by visiting one of the community’s seven swimming pools after you’re done eating. At Rockledge, you’re weekend activity options are limitless.

For more information about Rockledge, visit the website.