What Brookhaven is actually like
Brookhaven has an unusual civic history: the area was originally incorporated as the city of North Atlanta in 1924, dissolved in 1965, and only reestablished — under its current name — after a 2012 referendum. It's a compact city, about 12 square miles, directly northeast of Atlanta in DeKalb County. The historic Brookhaven neighborhood at its core still reflects its early-20th-century roots, with pre-war architecture around the Capital City Country Club and the Peachtree Golf Club, founded by Bobby Jones.
Alongside that older core, Town Brookhaven — a 600,000-square-foot mixed-use development — and Murphey Candler Park's 135 acres give the city a modern commercial and recreational center. The Buford Highway corridor running through Brookhaven is home to one of metro Atlanta's largest concentrations of immigrant-owned restaurants and markets, a genuinely different character from the golf-course neighborhoods just a few minutes away. The Peachtree Creek Greenway, a paved trail ultimately planned to run more than 12 miles across four cities, has its first stretch open through Brookhaven, with the next phase funded and in design. Like Dunwoody and Sandy Springs, Brookhaven ran on inherited DeKalb County zoning rules for its first several years before adopting its own code in 2018; the city also requires every HOA, civic association, and condo association within its limits to register current leadership contacts with the city each year.
Listings in Brookhaven
Getting around
Brookhaven has its own MARTA rail station, Brookhaven/Oglethorpe (Gold Line), with Medical Center and Dunwoody stations on the Red Line also nearby — one of the more transit-connected cities on this list.
Brookhaven FAQ
Is Brookhaven GA part of Atlanta?
No — it's its own city in DeKalb County, directly northeast of Atlanta, reincorporated in 2012 after nearly 50 years as unincorporated county land.
Is Brookhaven GA on MARTA?
Yes — it has its own station, Brookhaven/Oglethorpe on the Gold Line, plus nearby access to Medical Center and Dunwoody stations.
What is Brookhaven GA known for?
Its Buford Highway food corridor, Town Brookhaven mixed-use development, and historic golf-course neighborhoods including the Capital City Country Club area.