We asked Gretchen Roberts, executive director of the Brookhaven Arts Alliance, to share the best of her community with our readers.

Why I Love Brookhaven

I have lived in Brookhaven for 15 years but many people were raised here or have returned to begin their careers and families. I was originally attracted to its beautiful neighborhoods, massive oak trees and its proximity to” all things convenient. What I would find through growing the Brookhaven Arts Alliance (BAA) is how beautiful the people are in Brookhaven. Over the last eight years, the BAA has hosted 16 events and we still have the same volunteers. It’s just amazing to me the amount of time people are willing to give of themselves in such a busy world. Besides supporting our locally owned businesses, Brookhaven has united on behalf of our schools, parks and are committed to growing our community in a smart way.  Our community is creative, smart, philanthropic and flat out friendly.

What to Do

Take a walk, run or stroll through historic Capitol City neighborhood and catch a movie at the new chef driven CinaBistro (cobbcinebistro.com) in Town Brookhaven. See a production by Georgia Shakespeare (gashakespeare.org) at the Conant Arts Center on the campus of Oglethorpe University. Georgia Shakespeare has created thoughtful, bold and passionate interpretations of a diverse body of work rooted in Shakespeare and branching out to embrace the best writers and ideas of all eras. While you’re on campus, also visit the Oglethorpe University Museum of Art (museum.oglethorpe.edu), which has an impressive permanent collection of fine art and curated exhibitions from artists from around the world.

Where to Eat

Terra Terrior (terragrille.com) has the best patio dining and big selection of wine. The Cup Gourmet Cup Cake (thecupgourmet.com) has Valenza- Butternut Gnocchi to die for! Kaleidoscope (k-pub.com) has global comfort food, a fabulous Sunday brunch with live music in the evenings.

Where to Shop

Davonshire Home and Garden (davonshire.com) has gifts, accessories and original art, while The Mercantile (blog.mercantileatlanta.com) has custom furniture, case pieces, seating, tables, lighting, beds, original art and decorative accents. Lila Boutique (facebook.com/Lila-Boutique) features cutting edge fashions with common sense prices. For your pets, check out City Dog Market (citydogmarket.com), which has is the best affordable source for all natural/organic pet provisions.

Coming Up

Atlanta Celebrates Photography (acpinfo.org) exhibit On Edge – Beyond Editorial at the Brookhaven Gallery Sept. 23 – Oct. 28 and, of course, the 8^th annual Brookhaven Arts Festival (brookhavenartsalliance.com) on Oct. 15-16.