Serenbe Stories
Serenbe Media Network
Serenbe Stories is a podcast about making an impact, building a better life, and the extraordinary power of nature and community. Hear from founder Steve Nygren about Serenbe’s unlikely origins and from the many residents, artists, environmentalists, and thought leaders who have influenced the community’s development over the years. Join us as we share stories and conversations that capture the essence of this extraordinary place.
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Top 10 Serenbe Stories Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Serenbe Stories episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Serenbe Stories for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Serenbe Stories episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Building A Community From Scratch
Serenbe Stories
10/14/19 • 58 min
Steve Nygren dives into how to actually begin the build process when you're starting from nothing. He knew he had to save his backyard and had worked with his neighbors to go to the state to make the laws work for Chattahoochee Hills, but he didn't yet know he was going to create the Serenbe community. That realization was never a moment, but rather over a gradual course of time.
Questions Answered
How do you build a neighborhood from scratch?
If not you, who? If not now, when?
When did Steve Nygren realize he was actually going to build a neighborhood to save his land?
How did Phill Tabb get involved in Serenbe?
Did Steve get to include everything he wanted to in Serenbe?
Why were granite curbs so difficult to get?
What goes into putting something like power into a new community?
How do we reduce our energy demands so we're not using up our resources?
How does EarthCraft differ from LEED certification?
What is a Gabion bridge?
Why do third-world countries have more environmentally-friendly stormwater routing than the United States?
Where does stormwater go?
People + Organizations Mentioned
Serenbe Stories is a podcast about making an impact, building a better life, and the extraordinary power of nature and community. Follow Serenbe on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Finding the Farmhouse, Reconnecting to Nature
Serenbe Stories
09/16/19 • 33 min
Sometimes the groove we’re in is actually a rut. That’s how Steve Nygren describes his feelings when he decided to step off the corporate treadmill and make the move to Chattahoochee Hill Country. Before Serenbe’s homes, shops, restaurants and events, there was the discovery of open, rolling hills and a 1904 farmhouse. In this episode, Steve Nygren shares about his family’s life in Atlanta and the value shift that brought them to the country full time. Steve also discusses opening a bed & breakfast, now known as The Inn at Serenbe, during the 1996 Olympics.
Questions Answered
What did a typical day, week, or month look like for you and your family living in the heart of the city in Atlanta, Georgia?
What made you move to Serenbe full time?
What are your days like in Serenbe?
What influenced you to turn the farmhouse into a bed and breakfast?
What did Richard Louv’s book “Last Child In The Woods” mean to you?
People + Organizations Mentioned
Georgia Preservation Newsletter, Historic Register
Marie Nygren
Margaret Lupo
Serenbe Stories is a podcast about making an impact, building a better life, and the extraordinary power of nature and community. Follow Serenbe on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Step Inside Serenbe’s Annual Designer Showhouse with Elizabeth Ralls & Lauren Iverson
Serenbe Stories
09/18/23 • 31 min
Since 2014, Serenbe has partnered with Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Magazine for our annual designer Showhouse. Every year, a selection of Atlanta’s top interior designers take over a new home within the community and we open up the space for tours. For the past ten years, every home has been absolutely breathtaking - and the best part? Each one is completely different from the last. Our guests today, Elizabeth Ralls and Lauren Iverson, have been absolutely central to this exciting annual event and partnership. Elizabeth is the former Editor-In-Chief of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles and currently serves as the magazine’s publisher. Lauren started out as the Managing Editor and Brand Specialist before taking over the Editor-In-Chief role.
In this episode, Steve and I chat with Elizabeth and Lauren about the early days of the Serenbe Showhouse, reminisce on our favorite homes of years past, and give our listeners a sneak peak of our 10th Annual Showhouse, which opens for tours on September 29th.
You can purchase tickets to our Toast & Tour Preview Party on September 28th or for Showhouse Tours starting on September 29th through October 22nd.
Show Notes
- Serenbe Showhouse Toast & Tour Preview Party September 28th
- Showhouse Tours September 29th - October 22nd
- About the Serenbe Showhouse
- Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles
- Atlanta Holiday Home
- Southeastern Designer Showhouse
- Art Over Dinner Featuring Thomas Jackson September 29th
- Thomas Jackson Gallery Opening September 30th
- Tertulia Music, Wine, and Design October 6th
- Serenbe Planning & Design
Key Words: Design, Interior Design, Interior Designers, Architecture, Showhome, Showhouse, Serenbe, Magazine, Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Magazine, Atlanta Homes, Lifestyle, Stylish Living
Serenbe Stories is a podcast about making an impact, building a better life, and the extraordinary power of nature and community. Follow Serenbe on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Dinner Parties And Peach Cobbler
Serenbe Stories
09/30/19 • 44 min
Steve Nygren knew he had to protect the land that was his backyard, but he didn't yet know what that looked like. Always the hospitality man, Steve brought his neighbors together over dinners and homemade desserts to create the Chattahoochee Hill Country Alliance, which started the process of determining what everyone wanted and what their best option was for preservation and development.
Questions Answered
What was going on globally, nationally in 2000?
When you knew you were going to build Serenbe, what kind of rules did you have to change?
How did you implement the 70-30 Development Rule?
How did you approve rezoning, development and preservation plans when Fulton County's approval departments were all separate and didn't make determinations based on other departments' needs?
What was the Public Works Department against the Chatt Hills development plan?
How does this environmentally-friendly way of developing allow for more housing than traditional sprawl division?
What does clustered development mean for the future?
Why was it important to incorporate Transfer Development Rights? How do they work?
People + Organizations Mentioned
Quinn Nygren
Atlanta Public Works Department
Chattahoochee Hill Country Alliance
Environmental Council of the States
Fulton County Economic Development
Fulton County Planning Department
Serenbe Stories is a podcast about making an impact, building a better life, and the extraordinary power of nature and community. Follow Serenbe on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
03/16/20 • 44 min
When Dennis Creech started Southface, energy wasn't even a part of the environmental conversation. He knew it would be one of the most significant issues our society would face, and in this episode he talks about the positive effects of green building and how Atlanta is leading the nation in reducing energy and water demand. Dennis also tells us about the Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design on Georgia Tech's campus, and how it's changing the global conversation on conservation.
Definitions, People + Organizations Mentioned
Green Prints
Ray C. Anderson
Rocky Mountain Institute
1996 Summer Olympics
Energy Star Certification
EarthCraft
LEED
Homebuilders Association
Howie Frumpkin
Bosch NetZero House
Agnes Scott College
Emory University
GA Tech
U.S. Department of Energy Better Buildings Challenge
Split Incentive- Split incentives are a barrier to the deployment of energy efficiency measures in buildings. Split incentives occur when those responsible for paying energy bills (the tenant) are not the same entity as those making the capital investment decisions (the landlord or building owner).
Living Building- A living building generates all of its own energy, captures and treats its water, and operates cleanly and efficiently in harmony with nature.
Net Positive- A business standard aiming to provide restorative and positive impacts on people, planet, and society.
Equity in Building Design- Diversity in design and consideration in public spaces including restrooms, private activity spaces for nursing mothers and safe public spaces for school-aged children.
Kendeda Fund
Kendeda Building
Southface
Serenbe Stories is a podcast about making an impact, building a better life, and the extraordinary power of nature and community. Follow Serenbe on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Captain Planet, Climate Change, and Laura Turner Seydel
Serenbe Stories
10/26/20 • 70 min
Today we're talking with one of the planet's most avid environmental advocates, Laura Turner Seydel. Laura works with and supports organizations that address urgent challenges affecting the health, functionality, and vitality of our life support system: Our air, water, land, food, biodiversity, and climate. She co-founded Chattahoochee Riverkeeper to help protect Georgians' drinking water, as well as Mothers & Others for Clean Air, which works to improve air quality for at-risk populations.
Laura also serves on the boards for Children & Nature Network helping children realize the benefits of exposure to nature, Project Drawdown, which focuses on the top scalable solutions to address global warming, the United Nations Foundation, the Nuclear Threat Initiative, and she is the Chair of the Captain Planet Foundation and Director of the Turner Foundation.
In this episode, we talk about how her father, Ted Turner, instilled a love for the environment in her at an early age and how she's continued that legacy with her own children. She also tells us about what she's doing to teach all children about the environment and inspiring them to be Planeteers, and how we should all be coming together to to save our one and only home, Earth.
Mentioned In The Episode
Chattahoochee Riverkeeper
Sally Bethea
The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau
17 Goals of Sustainable Development of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
EcoSense for Living
Jennie Garlington
Serenbe Stories is a podcast about making an impact, building a better life, and the extraordinary power of nature and community. Follow Serenbe on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Pro Bike Repair: The (Unofficial) Serenbe Welcome Center
Serenbe Stories
06/19/23 • 29 min
Glen Slater grew up riding bikes everywhere and later worked in a bike shop in college, where he realized that his interest in building and machinery connected nicely with his love of cycling. He opened his own shop, Pro Bike Repair, in 2012 and moved it to Serenbe in 2019. In the intervening years, PBR has become the unofficial Welcome center due to its location in the Crossroads, just past the Serenbe entrance, and its laid-back, easygoing feel. So laid-back in fact, that it's not uncommon to see residents and visitors alike head into the bike shop with beer, a glass of wine, and even a charcuterie board ready to unwind and hang out.
We also have a very special guest co-host for this conversation. We’re joined today by Micah Adler, the COO of Serenbe Real Estate, husband of Steve’s middle daughter Kara, and a pretty avid cyclist in his own right. In this interview, Micah and Monica chat with Glen about the bike scene in Serenbe, the many ways people choose to hit the trails and roads in Chatt Hills, and his love for a good pair of jean shorts.
Show Notes
- Serenbe Events Calendar
- Pro Bike Repair
- Hamlin’s Big Wheels Keep Turning with Stacy Simmonds (Serenbe Stories)
- Handup Cycling Gloves & Apparel
- SCOTT Electric Bikes
- SURLY Bikes
- Belgian Waffle Ride: North Carolina
Key Words: Biking, Cycling, BMX, Bike, Pro Bike Repair, E-Bike, Community, Serenbe, Placemaking, Intentional Community, New Urbanism, Retail, Shop
Serenbe Stories is a podcast about making an impact, building a better life, and the extraordinary power of nature and community. Follow Serenbe on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
George Cohen’s Road to Recovery & Serenbe
Serenbe Stories
11/06/23 • 24 min
George Cohen was just starting out in the mortgage business in 2013 when a family friend connected him with Serenbe Real Estate. However, his journey to becoming a full-fledged resident didn't happen overnight. It was a few years later, after overcoming personal challenges and embracing sobriety, that George immediately connected with key members of the community who played a pivotal role on his road to recovery.
In the years since, it’s safe to say that George has become so much more than Serenbe Real Estate’s preferred lender. He’s a staple of the community, who you’re likely to bump into when he’s out walking the dog, co-captaining one of our sports leagues, or playing guitar in everyone’s favorite local band. And in true Serenbe fashion, George and his wife Katrina have moved homes multiple times within the community. In this episode, we’re joined once again by guest co-host Micah Adler to explore George’s path to Serenbe, unveil the origin stories of nicknames like El Toro and Dickie Robes, and hear why he loves working with new clients who are so excited to move here.
Show Notes
Key Words: Mortgage, Mortgage Lender, Sober, Sobriety, Recovery, Athletics, Community Sports, Band, Local Band, Guitar, Serenbe, Serenbe Real Estate, Community, Biophilia
Serenbe Stories is a podcast about making an impact, building a better life, and the extraordinary power of nature and community. Follow Serenbe on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Children Need Nature to Thrive with Sarah Milligan-Toffler
Serenbe Stories
09/27/21 • 45 min
Hi Everyone, welcome back to Serenbe Stories. Today we're bringing you an episode from my podcast Biophilic Solutions, because it features one of Serenbe's residents, Sarah Milligan-Toffler. Sarah is the President and CEO of the Children and Nature Network, an organization created by Richard Louv, that reconnects kids and families with nature. In this episode, Sarah, my co-host Jennifer Walsh, and I discuss nature’s impact on brain development in early childhood, ways that we might reimagine the traditional schoolyard, and the historic barriers that have prevented underserved communities from enjoying nature’s benefits. We also dive into the tools that city officials and engaged citizens alike can use to advocate for the rights of all children have local and safe access to the outdoors.
Enjoy this special interview with our neighbor Sarah.
Show Notes:
- About the Children & Nature Network
- Urban Nature: Promoting Nature in Cities, Children & Nature Network
- Creating Systems Level Change in Cities: A Toolkit, Children & Nature Network
- Advancing Equity in Children’s Connections to Nature, Cities Connecting Children to Nature (Children & Nature Network + National League of Cities)
- The Urgent Case for Green Schoolyards During and After Covid-19, by Sarah Milligan-Toffler and Richard Louv
- To Build a Healthier City, Atlanta is Opening its Schoolyards to Everyone, by Monica Humphries (Nationwell)
- Policy Spotlight: Georgia Creates Outdoor Learning Committee (National Caucus of Environmental Legislation)
- How the City of Grand Rapids Became a Leader in Connecting Children to Nature, by Alejandra Pallais (National League of Cities)
- We’re Here, You Just Don’t See Us, by Latria Graham (Outside)
- Register for Sum of Us: A Conversation with Heather McGee and Dr. Gail Christopher, presented by the Children & Nature Network (June 10, 2021 at 1:00pm).
Serenbe Stories is a podcast about making an impact, building a better life, and the extraordinary power of nature and community. Follow Serenbe on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Keeping Up with Collin & Sydney Jones
Serenbe Stories
05/13/24 • 38 min
Over 6 years ago, Collin and Sydney Jones moved with their two young boys from Roswell, Georgia. It was a surprise weekend away for Collin that turned into a home purchase 9 days later. During that weekend, they happened upon a party at the Grange Green, discovered golf cart charcuterie and met a family who encouraged them to tour homes while that family watched their son. Serenbe turned out to be the community they didn’t know they needed. In today’s episode, Steve Nygren and I catch up with the Jones and we not only do we find out what they do for a living, Collin is the President of Westwood One, the largest audio network in America and Sydney is a neonatal and pediatric nurse practitioner at Emory - we also learn that Sydney is becoming a bird watcher, how the resident soccer team has been life changing for Collin and we try to solve the mystery of where did their namesake Halsa cocktail go? Oh, and listen until the end for a bonus story on how Collins' neighbors saved him while on a business trip.
Show Notes
HGTV Green Home
Richard Louv
Westwood One
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
Halsa
Nigel’s Serenbe
Birds of Serenbe
Giff Beaton & Serenbe Stories Episode
Cicada Broods in Georgia
Serenbe Real Estate
Serenbe Stories is a podcast about making an impact, building a better life, and the extraordinary power of nature and community. Follow Serenbe on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
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FAQ
How many episodes does Serenbe Stories have?
Serenbe Stories currently has 138 episodes available.
What topics does Serenbe Stories cover?
The podcast is about Society & Culture, Real Estate, Entrepreneurship, Community, Wellness, Development, Podcasts, Agriculture, Health, Arts, Business, Sustainability and Food.
What is the most popular episode on Serenbe Stories?
The episode title 'Movement in Nature & Rich Soil with Artist Kristine Mays' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Serenbe Stories?
The average episode length on Serenbe Stories is 38 minutes.
How often are episodes of Serenbe Stories released?
Episodes of Serenbe Stories are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of Serenbe Stories?
The first episode of Serenbe Stories was released on Aug 30, 2019.
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