The City Reader - Suburban Sprawl

Home to many gorgeous beaches, esteemed golf courses, and delightful dining locations, St. Simons Island is called by many the perfect vacation destination. However many others, including myself, are lucky enough to call this marvelous place home. Located directly in the center of the island is the neighborhood that I grew up in, Harrison Pointe. An array of fresh green lawns, occupied by elegant houses, littered with towering oak trees, this neighborhood adequately captures the beauty of St. Simons Island. Much of the neighborhood’s beauty also derives from the fact that every house is unique in its architectural structure, unlike the cookie-cutter houses that typically result from sprawl. It is a rather small neighborhood of 60 to 70 houses, and is predominantly occupied by middle to upper-middle class whites of all ages. The relative smallness of the neighborhood gives the residents a sense of closeness to one another. It would not be uncommon to drive through the neighborhood and see various people out in their yards talking amongst each other, or to see a gang of children running from yard to yard enjoying the afternoon. The neighborhood’s prime central location also made it extremely convenient. Not a five minute walk away was the Sea Island Plaza, home to various clothing shops, restaurants, a grocery store, and even a movie theater. Any other place you needed to get to on St. Simons was a short bike ride or car ride away. There is not a single road on St. Simons Island that is larger than two lanes, and no matter where you live on the island, you’re never too far away from daily necessities. Unlike the neighborhoods Sarah and Kevin grew up in, my neighborhood and the numerous other communities that make up St. Simons Island are truly the embodiment of the “traditional neighborhood.” All of the numerous attractions and points of interest, and the convenience that resulted from closeness of these locations, as well as the relationships that developed from feeling of closeness within the communities made growing up on St. Simons Island an extremely gratifying experience.

-Blake Bauer

Here's a video I found that shows many points of interest as well as much of the natural landscape of St. Simons Island.