The Dacula city planner, Joey Murphy stated recently that the planning department in Dacula issued more commercial development permits during the last week of April than Gwinnett County did for the entire month. “We’re getting a good balance of commercial and residential development in the city now,” Murphy was quoted as saying.

This record is indicative of recent growth seen in and around the city, including the Town Center development and other areas in the Hamilton Mill area as well.

The increase in permits shows that while the country may be in a downturn in the residential and commercial market, that real estate is a local product and some areas are actually seeing increases rather than decreases in sales and building.

For more information regarding any of these projects or if you are considering opening a business in the coming year, we are here to help you find your required space needs. Call us at 678-279-4717 or email mhermes@diamonddwellings.com

Diamond Dwellings joined with a solid group of area business leaders to build The Hamilton Mill Business Directory. This new website (it’s actually a “wiki”) is now an open resource for all business people in the area.

You can list your company on the site for free, we just ask that you provide a link back to the directory from your website (if you have one). For more details, check out HamiltonMillBusiness.info

Hey Hamilton Mill, have you been to Helen Ga. lately? This past weekend my wife Carmen and I decided to take our kids, Logan, Madeline and McClain along with one of our three dogs “Stitch” with us on a drive to find something fun to do. We really did not have a destination in mind when we got into the car but we knew we were going to find a place to go hiking.

Once we were in the car we decided to start heading towards the North Georgia mountains. We had not been up in the Helen area in years and we made the choice to head that way and see what we find. After an hour in the car we pulled into Helen and decided to make a pit stop. Helen is tucked in the Blue Ridge mountains on the Chattahoochee River. This quaint little town is fashioned after a alpine village and boasts over 200 stores and restaurants. The village has cobblestone alley ways, old world type “Castles” as my kids called them and lots of interesting shops and restaurants to visit.

Helen has a interesting history which is linked to the Cherokee Indians and has Indian burial grounds and loads of history for all ages. In the early 20th century the early settlers mined for gold and cut timber to make their living.

During the summer, Helen is a bustling town that tourists can participate in numerous outdoor activities such as tubing on the river, golf, horse back riding, hiking, mountain biking, fishing and more.

After lunch at a local restaurant (we talked the kids of of Wendy’s) we loaded back up in the car and headed to Unicoi State Park for a hike. We ended up on a 2.6 mile trail that wound through the woods and was a nice short hike for the family. Stitch the dog, was in his element and at one point got so excited that he dragged one of our kids down a small slope on her belly. Overall we had a great day trip to the mountains and would encourage anyone looking for a good day trip give the Helen area a try.

We’ve found a fantastic new option for birthday parties near Hamilton Mill. My oldest is turning 6 in a few days and we were struggling with plans for the party. Low and behold, just as we were about to hire a magician and rent a “bounce house,” we found out about the Young Chef’s Academy. For about the same price as booking a child’s party at a jumping venue, you can book a Chef’s Party. The kids create, cook and consume their own masterpieces! The package is complete with chef hats, party favors, cake cutting/serving; they will even send out the invitations for you – that’s what I call convenient. The Academy also offers cooking classes for your aspiring chef! Who knows, you may have a Wolfgang Puck, Alton Brown, Bobby Flay or Gordon Ramsay ready to emerge in your very own home. They have multiple locations in Gwinnett County, very close to Hamilton Mill. Visit them at: www.youngchefsacademy.com. The Young Chef’s Academy provides a fresh alternative for your next birthday or kid’s event.

Big Apple Bagels® has fabulous fresh bagels, muffins, and cream cheese. They offer a casual & comfortable atmosphere where you can order to-go or stay for a meal. They have a wide assortment of breakfast and lunch items, treats, and beverages. This Big Apple location features their own Brewster’s® Coffee brand brewed coffee and specialty drinks. They also have awesome smoothies! They are open Monday thru Friday from 6am to 6pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 7am to 3pm. Call them @ 770.904.6101 or send email to bigapple@hamiltonmilldwellings.com Just click on the picture to see more details. The street address is 3685 Braselton Hwy, Dacula, Ga. 30019

Hamilton Mill Tennis just held their 2nd annual Tennis Extravaganza. This special event raised funds for non-budgeted improvements to the tennis facility. We had 64 players, and over 100 total participants on October 20th. The tennis event was sponsored by Diamond Dwellings and Prince Tennis. Players were divided into 8 “countries” and many sported the colors for their country. Italy was the grand champion, defeating Austrailia in the finals. Food was provided by Antonetta’s, Asian Cafe, Chili’s, Dos Copas, and Log Cabin BBQ. Special thanks to Karen Foley (Simply Tastefully) for the delicious appetizers and munchies. Funds raised will be used for additional shade on court and at spectator areas, and for an online reservation system. The winning team also won a case of tennis balls from Diamond Dwellings!