There’s good reason why the City of Chamblee’s motto is “Community Feel and Global Appeal.” Located only 14 miles northeast of Downtown Atlanta, this DeKalb County gem is enjoying a remarkable renaissance as of late, which has allowed it to become one of the metro area’s most dynamic and sought-after cities. While Chamblee has always been renowned for its distinctiveness, it has recently found itself in the spotlight as DeKalb’s fastest-growing city and a multicultural mecca for those who want to live in a truly diverse community with notable international flair and a unique quality of life.

“Chamblee’s spirit is creative, fresh, progressive, vibrant, diverse, authentic and beautiful,” says Brittney Lindsay, community engagement manager for the City of Chamblee. “It is one of the most diverse cities in Georgia, and everyone is welcome. This is the place to be right now.”

A Continental Crossroads

Atlanta may have an impressive and well-deserved reputation as an international city, but Chamblee also has drawn a preponderance of the metro area’s immigrant community, creating a spectacular patchwork of cultures that co-exist in a way that most large regions simply cannot duplicate. And those wonderful cultures are on proud display in a variety of locations throughout the city.

To start, Chamblee is home to a stretch of the seven-mile-long Buford Highway International Corridor, known locally as BuHi. Along this thoroughfare are some of the area’s finest authentic and diverse dining options. Local residents and visitors can pick up Soboro bread at a Korean bakery, have oxtail for lunch at a nearby Dominican restaurant and enjoy Chinese dim sum just down the street for dinner. As many people note, dining in Chamblee is like having an invitation to sit at the world’s table. There’s nothing else like it in the metro area.

Of course, the city’s more than 30,000 residents also have access to Atlanta Chinatown Mall, located in the heart of Downtown Chamblee. The 55,000-square-foot venue, which opened in 1988 and has become a local mainstay, serves as the cultural center for the growing Chinese-American population in and around DeKalb County. An array of tenants comprise the mall, with specialty stores, an Asian supermarket, an herbal medicine shop and much more. Chinatown Mall also is known for its incredible food court and the delicious ethnic cuisine found there, which represents the many provinces of China.

Plaza Fiesta is another can’t-miss locale. Nearly 300 stores can be found in this vibrant and welcoming 350,000-square-foot indoor Latin retail center, which draws 4.4 million visitors per year. Walking through the venue is like strolling through a Central American street market, with everything from fashion and housewares to one-of-a-kind items crafted by village artisans available for purchase. And for the kids, Plaza Fiesta boasts the largest indoor playground in Georgia.

A Happening Town

Even beyond its international appeal, Chamblee is a bona fide hot spot and one of the metro area’s most coveted intown locations. In addition to being easily accessible via its own MARTA station, Chamblee is home to DeKalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK), the second largest airport in Georgia behind Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. It also boasts top-quality residential options for everyone from young families to single professionals, a bustling business community that also includes one of the metro area’s top television and film production areas and a burgeoning local entertainment scene that rivals anything in neighboring cities both inside and outside the perimeter.

In the center of it all is Downtown Chamblee, a walkable urban area featuring charming shops and a host of acclaimed restaurants, including Bluetop (for distinct local fare), Hopstix (an award-winning brewery with an Indonesian-inspired street food menu) and Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, among many others. The downtown area also presents a variety of popular annual events, such as the Summer Concert Series, the Taste of Chamblee and the Holiday Hoopla. What’s more, Downtown Chamblee is adjacent to the Chamblee Rail Trail, a multi-use path that snakes through the city’s residential and commercial districts and features the city’s largest park, Keswick Park, at its north end. In fact, Chamblee is home to ten beautiful parks, including Arrow Creek Park, a new addition that includes a dedicated dog park and a multi-use field.

With so much available, it’s no wonder why businesses of all sizes have flocked to Chamblee, which is becoming known for its unique sense of entrepreneurship and optimism. Companies and organizations in an array of industries—from hospitals and universities to management and transportation firms—have chosen Chamblee as their home base. And one of the most recognizable institutions is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which has a campus located just off of Buford Highway. As a whole, the local business community is thriving, and it shows no signs of slowing down.

For people who come for a visit to those who choose to stay for a lifetime, Chamblee offers the best of all possible worlds. This hot city with a cool vibe is as surprising as it is refreshing, with so much to see and do every day of the week. You don’t have to go far to feel like a citizen of the world when you’re right around the corner from home. There’s nothing else like it, and there’s nowhere else you’ll want to be.

For more information, visit chambleega.gov or discoverdekalb.com.