Thousands of people pass within a few hundred yards of Sherwood Forest every day on the Downtown Connector, and most of them have no idea it is there. That is exactly what its residents like about it. Sherwood Forest is a small, wooded neighborhood next to Ansley Park, minutes from Midtown and Buckhead, with no storefronts, no grand entrance and very little through traffic.
It also does not come up for sale often. Here is what I tell buyers who discover it.
Where It Is
Sherwood Forest sits just north of Midtown. Ansley Park borders it to the south and east, and the Downtown Connector runs along its northwest edge, with Brookwood Hills on the other side. The location is the quiet advantage: you are a short drive from Midtown offices, Piedmont Park and the Buckhead corridor, but the streets themselves feel far removed from all of it.
A Little History
The neighborhood was developed in the late 1940s by Haas and Dodd, who marketed it as amply restricted with lots of half an acre to more than an acre. The street names come from the 1938 film The Adventures of Robin Hood, which is why residents live on Robin Hood Road, Friar Tuck Road and Lady Marian Lane. The neighborhood has around 200 homes.
The Homes
Sherwood Forest is not a single architectural style. You will find postwar ranches, traditional homes, renovations that have reworked an original house and newer construction. What ties them together is the setting: homes set back from narrow, winding streets under mature hardwoods and layered landscaping. It reads more like a wooded retreat than an intown grid.
Because lots are larger than most intown neighborhoods, the older ranch homes here attract renovation and rebuild interest. If you are weighing that route, my piece on whether to renovate or rebuild walks through the decision.
What Homes Cost
Sherwood Forest has become one of the more expensive intown neighborhoods outside Buckhead, with recent sales above $3 million and well-prepared homes selling quickly, sometimes over asking. With roughly 200 homes and low turnover, inventory at any given moment is thin. Many of the best opportunities here are the ones you hear about before they are listed.
Community
The Sherwood Forest Civic Association is active, and the neighborhood maintains Magnolia Island, a small community garden with benches and a Little Free Library. Halloween here is a genuine neighborhood event. For a neighborhood this central, it has an unusually close-knit feel.
Who It Suits
Sherwood Forest suits buyers who want privacy and trees without giving up an intown commute. It is a strong alternative for buyers priced into Ansley Park who want a larger lot, or buyers looking at Buckhead who want to be closer to Midtown. Compare it with its neighbors in my guides to Ansley Park and Brookwood Hills, and see more on Sherwood Forest itself.
FAQ
Where is Sherwood Forest in Atlanta?
Sherwood Forest is an intown neighborhood just north of Midtown, bordered by Ansley Park to the south and east and the Downtown Connector to the northwest.
Why are Sherwood Forest’s streets named after Robin Hood?
The developers named the streets after characters from the 1938 film The Adventures of Robin Hood, which gives the neighborhood names like Friar Tuck Road and Lady Marian Lane.
How many homes are in Sherwood Forest?
The neighborhood has roughly 200 homes, which is one reason listings are infrequent.
Is Sherwood Forest part of Ansley Park?
No. It is a separate neighborhood with its own civic association, though the two share a border and are often mentioned together.
