The Orchards of Central Park

The Orchards of Central Park is a 160-home, 55+ active adult community in Cumming, Georgia, developed by The Orchards Group — one of metro Atlanta's most established active-adult builders with more than 2,500 homes delivered across its portfolio since 1998. Built between 2020 and 2024, the community is now completely sold out and trades only on the resale market, which has created a steady, tight-knit community of homeowners who chose this neighborhood for the specific combination of low-maintenance living and walkable access to one of Forsyth County's largest public parks. The community offers three distinct housing types: The Cottages (detached single-family ranch homes from roughly 1,900 to 2,450 square feet with 3 bedrooms, screened porch or sunroom options, and two-car garages), Southern Heritage Ranch Condominiums (attached ranch condos starting around 1,540-1,640 square feet with options for upstairs guest/flex suites or walk-up storage), and Master on Main Villas. Homes feature the Orchards Group hallmarks of open-concept layouts, stepless entries, and extra-wide doorways designed specifically for aging-in-place comfort. Sizes across all product types range from about 1,540 to 4,762 square feet, with resale pricing in the mid-$400Ks to mid-$600Ks. Social life centers on a well-appointed clubhouse anchored by a vaulted Grand Room with fireplace and flat-screen TV, a gourmet demonstration/prep kitchen, a fitness center, dedicated card and game room, ballroom/multi-purpose space, a smaller sitting room for intimate gatherings, and locker-style restrooms for pool use. Outside, a saltwater pool and outdoor patio anchor the amenity area. The homeowner association describes itself as a very social group with activities every weekday plus a signature special event each month — TGIF potluck gatherings, holiday celebrations, luncheons, and interest groups are regular fixtures. The community's signature feature is its direct, private sidewalk connection to Cumming's Central Park — no driving required. Central Park is a major Forsyth County municipal park featuring a recreation center with instructional classes, pickleball courts, tennis courts, walking and biking trails, athletic fields, and a children's playground, effectively extending residents' amenity footprint well beyond what a 160-home community could provide on its own. (Pickleball, tennis, and trail amenities are accessed through the public park rather than being privately owned by the HOA.) Governance runs through two separate HOAs: one covering the single-family Cottages at approximately $26/month (low because homeowners handle more of their own exteriors), and a second covering the Ranch Condominiums and Master on Main Villas at up to $345/month that bundles in exterior paint, roof replacement, weekly landscaping (mowing, edging, fertilization, weed control, pine straw), annual termite bond, trash removal, and exterior building/fire/liability insurance. Forsyth County adds a meaningful financial sweetener: residents 62+ are exempt from the school-tax portion of property taxes, and that exemption expands at age 65, which can represent several thousand dollars in annual savings for retirees. Location is a core selling point. The community sits a quarter-mile off GA-400 Exit 17 (Keith Bridge Road/Hwy 306), putting downtown Cumming, Cumming Town Center, and a full lineup of grocery and big-box shopping within a 5-10 minute drive. Downtown Atlanta and Hartsfield-Jackson International are roughly an hour to 90 minutes south via GA-400. Lake Lanier, with its boating, beaches, and waterpark, is about six miles away — a significant lifestyle perk for residents who want water recreation without owning lakefront property.