Sandy Springs Real Estate

Sandy Springs

Sandy Springs sits in Fulton County along the Chattahoochee River, which forms its northern and western edge, with Roswell to the north, Atlanta's Buckhead neighborhood to the south, and DeKalb County across the river to the east. GA-400 runs the length of the city north to south, and Interstate 285 crosses its southern portion. From SRA Signature Realty's office in Tucker, reaching Sandy Springs generally means taking I-285 West around the top of the perimeter to GA-400 or the Roswell Road exit, a drive that spans the northern arc of metro Atlanta from the northeast side to the north-central suburbs.

From Watering Stop to Contract City

The community takes its name from a sandy natural spring that served as a stopping point for travelers as far back as the early 1800s, first for Creek and Cherokee residents and later for the settlers who followed. For more than a century afterward, Sandy Springs remained a crossroads community in unincorporated Fulton County, growing steadily as Atlanta's suburbs expanded north after World War II. In 1966, an attempt by Atlanta to annex the area prompted residents to organize, and Eva Galambos led a campaign for independent cityhood that stretched across four decades. Voters approved incorporation in June 2005 by an overwhelming margin, and Galambos became the new city's first mayor. Sandy Springs drew national attention for the model it adopted to get up and running quickly, contracting out most municipal services to private companies in its early years before gradually shifting many functions back to city staff over the following decade.

From Farmhouses to High-Rises

Sandy Springs' building stock reflects its long transition from rural crossroads to dense suburb. Heritage Sandy Springs maintains the Williams-Payne House at its Heritage Green campus, a nineteenth-century farmhouse that stands as one of the community's oldest surviving structures and a reminder of the area's agricultural past. Elsewhere, ranch and split-level homes from the mid-twentieth century fill neighborhoods closer to the river, while the area along GA-400 and around City Springs has filled in with condominiums, apartments, and townhomes built over the past two decades. The Concourse Office Park, anchored by its twin "King and Queen" towers visible from GA-400, remains one of the more recognizable pieces of the city's skyline.

The Chattahoochee and Its Green Spaces

The Chattahoochee River shapes much of daily life in Sandy Springs. The Island Ford unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area offers river access and trails along the wider national park unit that follows the river through the metro area. Upriver, Morgan Falls Dam, completed in 1904 to generate electricity for Atlanta's streetcar system, backs up the Chattahoochee into Bull Sluice Lake; Morgan Falls Overlook Park sits along its banks and is a popular put-in for paddlers. Nearby, Big Trees Forest Preserve protects roughly thirty acres of old-growth forest, with walking trails following part of the old Bull Sluice Railroad bed once used to haul materials for the dam's construction. Abernathy Greenway Park, closer to the city's core, adds another stretch of walking paths and green space within easy reach of City Springs.

City Springs and Restaurant Row

Sandy Springs built its first true downtown from scratch. City Springs opened in May 2018 along Roswell Road, combining City Hall, the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center and its Byers Theatre, restaurants, shops, and a central lawn known as City Green that hosts concerts and a Saturday farmers market. A short drive up Roswell Road leads into what the city has branded Restaurant Row, a stretch of independent restaurants running for miles through the heart of Sandy Springs. Together, the two give the city a walkable center that didn't exist before incorporation.

• Catch a performance at the Byers Theatre in City Springs


• Paddle or fish Bull Sluice Lake near Morgan Falls Overlook Park


• Walk the old-growth trails at Big Trees Forest Preserve


• Sample restaurants along Roswell Road's Restaurant Row


• Visit the Williams-Payne House at Heritage Green

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Sandy Springs located relative to Atlanta?

Sandy Springs sits just north of Atlanta's Buckhead neighborhood, bordered by the Chattahoochee River to the north and west, Roswell farther north, and DeKalb County across the river to the east.

What is City Springs?

City Springs is the mixed-use downtown Sandy Springs built along Roswell Road, opened in 2018, combining City Hall, the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center, restaurants, shops, and a central green space called City Green.

When did Sandy Springs become its own city?

Sandy Springs incorporated in June 2005 after a decades-long campaign led by Eva Galambos, who became the city's first mayor, following an earlier annexation attempt by Atlanta in 1966 that first spurred residents to organize.

Is Sandy Springs close to the Chattahoochee River?

Yes. The river forms the city's northern and western boundary, and the Island Ford unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Morgan Falls Overlook Park, and Big Trees Forest Preserve all sit along or near it.

What kinds of homes are typical in Sandy Springs?

The city includes mid-century ranch and split-level homes in neighborhoods near the river, along with newer condominiums, apartments, and townhomes concentrated around City Springs and the GA-400 corridor.

What is Restaurant Row?

Restaurant Row is the informal name for the long stretch of independent restaurants along Roswell Road running through Sandy Springs, a corridor the city has promoted as one of its main dining destinations.