SENOIA, Ga. — Unlike so many recession-weary towns, Senoia has a bustling Main Street. Dozens of new stores have opened, including a sushi bar, an antiques vendor and an Irish pub. City Hall has been repainted with money from the soaring tax revenues.

The reason? Filmmaking.

This is the quaint, small town that plays a quaint, small town on television and in the movies. Hollywood filmmakers come here when they need a Mayberry backdrop or a row of mom-and-pop storefronts. The community of 3,300 people, 25 miles south of Atlanta, has been the site of 24 shows and movies, from current hits like “The Walking Dead” and “Drop Dead Diva” to Southern classics like “Fried Green Tomatoes” and “Driving Miss Daisy.”

With film crews bringing in money and publicity, Senoia (pronounced sen-OY) has avoided the empty downtowns and shrinking tax bases that plague many rural towns. The population has nearly doubled since 2000. Property tax revenues have risen even though the city has lowered its tax rate and the fact that Georgia, over all, has among the nation’s highest foreclosure rate.