Ansley Park has a way of drawing people in with its leafy streets, historic charm, and cultural heartbeat. For Clair Clark, that pull came after moving from North Carolina to Atlanta 11 years ago. Though it took her seven years to discover Ansley Park, she now knows without a doubt—it’s the best place to be. 

“It’s a neighborhood of parks and greenways tucked beneath the tall buildings and cultural offerings of Midtown, There’s nowhere else quite like it.”

Growing up in North Carolina as one of five children, family has always been central to Clair. Her siblings remain close, with her sister living nearby in Atlanta and her brothers spread across Washington, D.C., Greensboro, and Southern Pines, NC.  

Her educational path wove together creativity and business. After graduating from Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia, she studied arts applications and business at NC State University, before pursuing interior architecture and design at the Corcoran College of Art and Design in Washington, D.C. Along the way, she earned her LEED AP for Commercial Interiors and her appraisal license from NYU.

Real estate came naturally to Clair, beginning in Southern Pines, NC, with Clark Properties, a firm specializing in luxury equestrian and golf properties and affiliated with Sotheby’s. Today, she is proud to call Dorsey Alston home. 

“My values align with those of the company. It is where agents, clients and families are top priority. Their business has been built on focusing on all the things that really matter and that is something I am privileged to experience on a daily basis.” 

Recently, she partnered with friend and colleague Margaux Espy Hockin, an Atlanta native, to continue offering a boutique, client-focused experience.

Holidays are family affairs. With the clan now too large for one home, three houses on Bald Head Island are rented each Thanksgiving — days spent biking, playing tennis, walking on the beach, and gathering for lively family dinners.

Closer to home, Clair’s sister Sally and husband Trey live in Buckhead, along with their children Phen, Clark, and Evy. A beloved tradition is monthly one-on-one outings with each niece and nephew—whether baking cookies, watching movies, or exploring the Beltline. Through these connections, Clair also became involved with the Jabez Project, a grassroots group providing after-school activities and support for children, including a fun Fall Festival and Christmas party each year.

When asked about favorite neighborhood spots, Clair doesn’t hesitate: “All the parks. The trees and topography make walking here – wonderful.” She loves being right on the Beltline and within strolling distance of the Botanical Gardens, Piedmont Park, the High Museum, where she is a frequent visitor and member and on occasion the Symphony. 

“I don’t know anywhere else in the country where you find this blend of neighborhood beauty and vibrant culture.”

Clair’s home is shared with two loyal pups—Matisse, a strong-willed miniature dachshund, and Gus, an Irish black lab with a big personality. Gus, once a beloved companion to her late father, made the move from North Carolina three years ago. 

“We always joked that Gus had more friends in Southern Pines than the rest of us combined,” she laughs.

Art has been a lifelong love—ever since Clair won a national PTA art contest in first grade. Today, she paints in her Atlanta studio, with Gus and Matisse curled up nearby. Running keeps her balanced, often logging six miles a day, while travel fuels her spirit—whether studying photography in Tuscany, exploring Montana each summer, or simply soaking up new experiences wherever she can.

Since moving to Ansley Park, Clair has embraced neighborhood traditions like the Ansley Park Tour of Homes, Art in the Park, and the magical Garden Lights displays. With so much happening this fall, she is excited to continue being part of the vibrant, welcoming community that makes Ansley Park feel like home.