Town Center Commons
Closed725 Ernest W Barrett Pkwy NW, Kennesaw, GA 30144
Area Description
Kennesaw is a city in Cobb County, Georgia, United States, located in the greater Atlanta metropolitan area. Known from its original settlement in the 1830s until 1887 as Big Shanty, it became Kennesaw under its 1887 charter and has a total area of 9.5 square miles. It had a population of 29,783 according to the 2010 census. The city is perhaps best known nationally today for its mandatory gun-possession ordinance. Kennesaw is located in northwestern Cobb County, bordered by the city of Acworth to the northwest. Kennesaw Mountain is located southeast of the city limits in the battlefield park. Its summit is the highest point in the Atlanta metro area, at an elevation of 1,808 feet above sea level. The city was renamed for the mountain. U.S. Route 41 and State Route 3 pass through the city as Cobb Parkway, leading southeast 7 miles to Marietta and northwest 17 miles to Cartersville. Interstate 75 passes just northeast of the city limits, with access from exits 269, 271, and 273. Via I-75, downtown Atlanta is 27 miles to the southeast, and Chattanooga, Tennessee is 94 miles northwest. Several festivals are held annually. Every April the annual Big Shanty Festival displays over 200 arts and crafts booths along with 20 food booths downtown. Over 60,000 people from around North Georgia attend the festival.Kennesaw State University is located within the city and is part of the University System of Georgia. The City’s approximately 32,000 residents enjoy Kennesaw as a great place to live, learn, work and play. The City’s combination of small-town charm and big city amenities provides access to excellent educational resources, first-rate parks, greenspaces, public buildings, and athletic facilities, high quality and affordable recreation programs, safe, well-maintained neighborhoods and central business district. Kennesaw takes great pride in protecting and managing its historical and cultural resources for future generations. Attractions include the Smithsonian affiliated Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History, Smith-Gilbert Gardens, and improved public areas and renovated buildings with delightfully eclectic shops and restaurants. Kennesaw is also home to the Kennesaw Skatepark, a 40,000 SF all-concrete skatepark that consists of a Street League Skateboarding Foundation Certified Skate Plaza, flow course and bowl. On January 22, 2019, the Kennesaw City Council approved a new entertainment district for downtown Kennesaw. Visitors to the district can order beer, wine, and mixed drinks to go and can carry them as they walk around the district, which includes the East Park District, a $240 million investment for 55 acres of townhomes, retail shops, restaurants, a park and a three-store hotel to be completed by 2022.