Smyrna offers small-town charm, family-friendly community, and top amenities, all just minutes from Atlanta and the world’s busiest airport.
Atlanta is a big, bustling city. It’s the kind of place where if you move away for a few years and return, you’ll find some old standbys, but you’ll also be surrounded by new, new, new.
In the 2000s, the city expanded north, where huge growth took over Forsyth, Fulton, and Gwinnett counties, as well as east into DeKalb County. Meanwhile, northwest of Atlanta, Cobb County began its own expansion.
Marietta and Kennesaw in Cobb quickly grew into popular places to raise families, and then Smyrna—whose biggest claim to fame up to that point was being the place Julia Roberts grew up—took off.
Sitting just 10 miles northwest of Atlanta, Smyrna draws people who don’t want to live in the thick of the city or the overdeveloped suburbs but appreciate having easy access to all the city offers.
And it also draws so-called Delta Families—those who are affiliated in one way or another with the airline whose biggest hub is located here in Atlanta. Living in Smyrna, you can be downtown seeing a show at the Fox Theatre or stepping into the security line at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in just 30 minutes, and that’s nothing to scoff at in a city known for its traffic jams.
But make no mistake, Smyrna, nicknamed the “Jonquil City” after the bright yellow flowers that cover the landscape, offers so much more than close proximity to downtown Atlanta and the major highways that will take you anywhere. It’s a town with its own unique, small-town vibe.
As the locals say, Smyrna is quiet without being boring, safe without being secluded, and lively without being crowded. It feels like the kind of place where you can raise a family and live your whole life without feeling like you’re missing out on anything. And it really deserves a spot on any list of Georgia’s best small towns.
Things to do in Smyrna and Cobb County
So what can you do when in Smyrna? Well, there’s always something to keep you busy whether you enjoy the outdoors, appreciate small-town charm, or love to cheer on your favorite team.
Hit the Smyrna and Cobb County trails
If you prefer the outdoors to the gym when it comes to breaking a sweat, Smyrna has you covered. In the city limits alone, you can enjoy about 15 miles of trails, but a stone’s throw away, you have access to the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, with 25 miles of scenic loops that follow the river, and one of the county’s most impressive attractions, the Silver Comet Trail.
The Silver Comet Trail
The former rail path of the Silver Comet train, the now-rail trail is 61.5 miles long and stretches from the Mavell Road Trailhead in Smyrna through three Georgia counties, extending all the way to the Georgia/Alabama state line.
But you don’t have to stop there. You can keep going another 33 miles into Alabama as the Silver Comet Trail transitions into Chief Ladiga Trail until your journey ends in Anniston. It all starts in Smyrna, and it’s a huge draw for cyclists, runners, and walkers who enjoy the shaded tree canopies, the Historic Covered Bridge over Nickajack Creek, ruins from former mills, and local wildlife.
North Cooper Lake Park
If mountain biking is your middle name, you owe it to yourself to check out North Cooper Lake Park. With multiple wooded trails suitable for everyone from beginners to advanced riders and a dedicated skills area to hone your endos and bar spins, you can spend hours here before you put your feet back on the ground.
If you’re bringing along your protegees, lead them over to the kids’ obstacle course, where they will also find a shallow concrete bowl with three berms for endless rides.
Challenge yourself to level up by practicing on the slopestyle courses and following trails through “rock gardens” that challenge your balance and control.
Find the small-town charm
At the heart of the Jonquil City is Smyrna Market Village where residents meet up with friends and gather for fun community events. The local government sponsors activities throughout the year, so the town is always filled with vitality and laughter.
You might stumble upon a lively concert on a Friday night or join a College Football Saturday event where every restaurant and bar airs the biggest games.
The most popular Smyrna Market Village event is the Smyrna Market held every Sunday from May through October. Sixty vendors peddle everything from local honey to handmade gifts, along with international foods and baked goods that will fuel up your day. You can even preview the vendors so you can plan out your shopping route.
Turn a Braves game into a party
Smyrna is so close to Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves, that you feel like you can reach out and catch a fly without ever leaving your house.
But you’ll want to see all the action in person because no one knows how to keep the crowd happy quite like the folks at Truist Park. The Atlanta Braves, in first place in the National League East Division at the time of writing, are worth seeing all on their own. After all, who doesn’t love cheering on a winning team, then watching as the sky explodes with celebratory fireworks?
And Truist is a beautiful ballpark with tons of reasons to get up and stretch your legs a bit. Built in the center of a larger entertainment complex called The Battery Atlanta, the entire venue offers fun at every turn.
At The Battery Atlanta, you’ll find a variety of boutique shops; an escape room; game-centric stops where you can bowl, bull-ride, or sing karaoke; places to eat and drink to your heart’s content; and family concerts and movie nights on the green.
The Braves may only play for a season, but there’s so much to do at The Battery that you can enjoy it year-round.
Get your food and drink on in Smyrna
I can vouch for the restaurant and bar scenes in Smyrna, and let’s put it this way, it’s good enough that you might be tempted to avoid the city all together.
The best breakfast in town is in Smyrna Market Village at Good Kitchen. Everything on the menu is gluten-, sugar-, and seed oil-free, yet every dish tastes positively decadent. Piping hot brews come from beans roasted at the local East Pole Coffee and the organic fresh press juices are the best you’ll ever taste.
For lunch, grab a seat at Zeke’s Kitchen and Bar and say “Wi!” (that’s yes, to the uninitiated) to the Haitian-American fare that will whisk you away to the island. Try the plantain nachos and the Haitian sandwich with pork and brisket, and wash it all down with a margarita.
Stop in Stout Brothers or Stillfire Brewing for mid-day refreshment of the hops variety, and try the local craft beers that have put both of these establishments on the map.
And finish off a fantastic day in Smyrna at Muss & Turner’s, where you can enjoy some excellent trout alongside side dishes of southern pimento cheese and labneh or a pickle plate. Sweeten the deal with a giant, warm and gooey chocolate chip cookie big enough for four.
It’s fair to say that Smyrna is booming, and for good reason. So avoid the risk of serious FOMO and spend a day or more discovering this town just outside the perimeter.
