The sun rises first in Atlanta in
East lake
East Lake is a historic neighborhood on Atlanta’s east side (in DeKalb County) and the city’s easternmost neighborhood. It’s best known for East Lake Golf Club—Bobby Jones’ home course and, since 2004, the permanent host of the PGA TOUR’s Tour Championship—which dates to 1904.
Beyond golf, East Lake is often cited as a model for community revitalization led by the East Lake Foundation (founded 1995) and partners; the work spans housing, education, and neighborhood amenities and inspired the national Purpose Built Communities network.
"No Limits on Imagination"
Fayetteville
Fayetteville, GA is the county seat of Fayette County, about 20–22 miles south of downtown Atlanta. Founded in 1823 and named—like the county—for the Marquis de Lafayette, it anchors a fast-growing south-metro corridor while keeping a classic courthouse-square identity. The Old Fayette County Courthouse (built 1825) still presides over downtown and is noted as Georgia’s oldest surviving county courthouse; its tower was added in 1888, and the building later served civic uses after a 1965 renovation.
In recent years the city’s profile has risen with the expansion of Trilith Studios—a 700-acre production campus used for major film and TV projects—and the adjacent Town at Trilith, a mixed-use community that’s become a regional creative hub with housing, dining, and hospitality (including the Trilith Guesthouse hotel).
“City of Granite”
lithonia
Lithonia, GA—whose name comes from the Greek for “city of stone”—is a small, historic city in eastern DeKalb County on Atlanta’s east side. Incorporated in 1856, it grew from a crossroads hamlet into a granite-quarry town served by the Georgia Railroad; the area’s distinctive Lithonia granite supplied projects across the country and shaped the look of the community’s buildings and streets. Today, Lithonia is one of the gateways to the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area, a landscape of monadnocks, old quarries, and rail-trails just off I-20. The city counted 2,662 residents in the 2020 Census and retains a compact, walkable downtown recognized for its heritage.
"Pride in Old and New,"
Duluth
Duluth, GA sits in northeastern metro Atlanta (Gwinnett County) and blends a historic railroad core with a diverse, fast-growing community. Incorporated in 1906, Duluth made history in 1922 by electing Alice Harrell Strickland, widely noted as Georgia’s first female mayor. Today the city anchors major regional venues at the Gas South District—a 118-acre campus with a 13,000-seat arena, theater, convention center, and year-round events—while its walkable downtown, parks, and small-business scene keep a close-knit feel. Recent population estimates place Duluth at just over 33,000 residents, with a notably international mix.