When Hollywood and neighborhoods collide. In Senoia, Georgia, a quiet new neighborhood became the backdrop for one of TV’s most famous post-apocalyptic strongholds: Alexandria from The Walking Dead. Behind its towering steel walls, actors battled hordes of zombies—but outside those walls, the real fight was between homeowners and Hollywood.
So what’s the story? The studio wasn’t just filming there—it was the developer. They built this beautiful, upscale neighborhood rooted in New Urbanism, designed for walkability, charm, and community. But there was a catch. Hidden in the fine print, the studio reserved the right to turn part of the neighborhood into a full-blown movie set—complete with a post-apocalyptic backdrop.
At first, that might not sound like a big deal—until you realize what that meant for the residents. The HOA gave the studio legal immunity to build an eerie, cinematic wasteland right next door: a massive steel wall topped with barbed wire, weathered facades made to look abandoned, and all the makings of a fictional apocalypse… playing out in someone’s actual backyard.
Residents here discovered that living in a film set isn’t all red carpets and glamour. Explosions rattled windows at midnight. Spotlights turned bedrooms into daylight. Road closures meant families sometimes had to wait for a director’s cue just to cross the street. And that looming “Alexandria wall”? Locals called it an eyesore, a fortress that boxed them in as much as it kept fictional zombies out. How’d you like that in your back- (or front-) yard?
Some homeowners embraced the fame (and the tourism dollars that poured into town). Others felt like extras trapped in someone else’s story. By the time the wall finally came down, relief mixed with nostalgia—a reminder that in real estate, as in horror shows, boundaries matter.
My thought: because sometimes the scariest part of living near zombies isn’t the undead… it’s the fine print in your HOA.
Photo courtesy of ExploreGeorgia.org where hey, you can setup a tour of the famous TV set (just don't tell the neighbors)!
Photo courtesy of Pinterest user "Fin28 Inc."
Photo courtesy of Reddit user "thewalkingdead".
