Standing along a mountain’s ridge or on the sands of a quiet beach is an opportunity to take a quiet moment, breathe easy, and feel the calming influence of the surroundings. For most people, the moment comes and goes, and the hustle of everyday life returns as soon as they turn around.

But when Developer John Atkinson walks a trail or surveys a stretch of coastline, he sees possibilities. He envisions homes where those quiet moments last for hours. He pictures backyards where the air is always soothing. And he sees communities where life is calm thanks to the beauty of the surroundings—and some careful planning.

Finding the right place to make those precious moments last a lifetime is what creating the perfect lifestyle is all about. And for John Atkinson, it’s a passion.

A lifetime of experience.

John’s affinity for the mountains blossomed during his years at Appalachian State University. A native of Winston-Salem, NC, he taught political science for five years. John began his real estate career as a salesman and broker in 1973. Before long he was developing single-family homes and apartment complexes in Rockingham County.

But John’s future was on the coast. It was there, on Oak Island, that he had his first vision of quiet community living in a magnificent setting. After partnering with a friend in 1984, John began the construction of 16 beach homes at Oak Island and developing that area’s first condominiums—Oak Island Beach Villas.

Building on opportunities.

In 1992, John began his work at St. James Plantation, a community of homes, shops, and three stunning golf courses on the North Carolina coast. “It’s just a feeling I had,” says John of his first visit to the St. James location. “I could look around and visualize a finished community.”

Now a municipality with 2,500 residents and more than 4,000 acres under development, St. James delivers the promise of the perfect lifestyle. Today the development is the fastest growing residential community on the East Coast.

John credits the success of St. James to good luck, great

timing, sound management, and effective marketing. “But the most important thing,” he says, “is that we always deliver more than we promise.”

At home in the mountains.

Although still involved at St. James Plantation, these days John spends most of his time in the Blue Ridge Mountains where he lives. It was here, on the top of Bent Mountain, that John explored an old golf course and discovered Stoneridge. “The first time I saw it I could see this beautiful community,” says John. “When you think of a mountain home, you think of building along the side of the mountain. At Stoneridge, you can build right on top”

But, the perfect lifestyle simply can’t be built. “The beauty of the mountains, the wind and sun on your face, the stars at night. These are the amenities that mean the most,” says John. “You can look out your window at something so amazing, and know that it will always be there.”

“I think about the people who love the mountains—really love them. This is the place for them.” That’s the feeling John Atkinson has always started with. He looks for the quiet moments. The open air. The calm of the surroundings. And captures them for a lifetime.