holy SH#T. moving to athens, ga in a month. . .

[vanguard]

so my wife got an offer for grad school we can't refuse at UGA in athens. i've always loved the east coast, and the "idea" of the south - but i am losing my mind! any athens folks, or people who've spent time there wanna chime in?

i'm excited to be leaving utah because:

-i hate snow/cold winters
-it's too dry
-too many mormons (nothing against mormons, really, just hard to be such a minority)

talk to me!

[Roku]

Yup went to UGA, lived in Athens for 4 years. It's a great city, lots of good music, food and stuff to do. I lived on the East side for most of the time. It's a little less congested, and closer to downtown. Not many Momons, but plenty of hipsters if that's your thing. But your also close to the countryside. But all and a FABULOUS place to live. You'll love it, be excited. Your're also an hour or so from Atlanta. That's a world class huge city, so lots there too.

[Roku]

Oh and keep your eyes peeled. You'll see/maybe meet Widesread Panic, also REM members, also Drive By Truckers. At least I met them!

[vanguard]

REM is my favorite band of all time. i'm not gonna lie, that partially influenced our decision. creepy and irrational? yes.

[Tim Armstrong]

An old bandmate of mine lives and works there, and he and his wife and kids just plain love it.

Tim

[tele_pathic]

Van, where in Utah are you? I'm in St. George. I think if you can't live in Texas, Athens, GA, might be the next best thing.

[Roku]

Then eat at Weaver D's. It's slogan is "automatic for the people." it's a little meat and three restaurant that REM ate at all the time. Liked it enough to honor it with that album, no lie. I lived right up the the road from it. I keep saying it but the restaurants will blow your mind. Not expensive and good!!

[scantron81]

Athens is a great town for singles, families and kids. I've been here for 12 years. Came for school, never left. Eastside has cheaper rent but you miss the whole Athens experience. On the whole rent is cheaper than the national average for desirable places. Athens is big enough to not be small but still a small city. Drive for 7 minutes in any direction and you're likely to be surrounded by pastures and cattle.
There are 97 bars in the downtown district which doesn't take up as much room as your standard shopping mall.
Summer is the best time to be here musically if you're looking to meet people and start new projects. If you're downtown on a regular basis (around the 40 Watt) you'll run into Patterson Hood, Dave Schools, Michael Stipe (on occasion), and Mike Mills. Everyone is down to earth and even the rock stars are regular old people. I've found myself having a conversation with Stipe without even realizing who I was talking to :) I've also managed to bump into J. Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.) and Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth).

Weather: It's hot as balls in the Summer but there are multiple public swimming pools spread across town in the various parks as well as the Legion pool and the pools at the YMCA. The river is also available for canoe trips. Botanical Gardens are here too. It snows maybe 2-3 times a year with less than 13" accumulation at most for the big snow each year (didn't get it this year).

I really suggest living off of Prince Ave, Milledge Ave, Boulevard, 5 Points if you want to get the Athens experience and be near campus. Oh and Campus is MASSIVE. Learn the bus routes.

[Guitarzan]

I am a UGA grad as well. It's the best college town I've ever seen. I can remember being happy to graduate and leave, I must have been out of my mind.

A lot of people from the west that move here don't like it in GA, it's very different, or even Athens. As a case in point, I recently spoke with a girl from AZ that moved over there because her friend was in grad school there. She didn't like Athens at all. No one can decide that or answer in advance whether you will.

Real Estate--Athens has the university and a bunch of gubmint research jobs, and Caterpillar announced a large plant. Real estate is not cheap to purchase there compared to other cities in GA that size, demand is different and restrictions on growth are different. That is only an issue if you own now and need to buy to replace it. There is plenty of rental property there.

Oconee Co. is the place now if you have kids and need a public school system. I was friends with locals in college and they had a lot to say about the Athens-Clarke schools (Clarke Central and Cedar Shoals). Apparently, things have gotten worse, and Oconee (county seat Watkinsville) has boomed with residential development. I have several relatives on the west side in the Bogart area. They have lived there happily for years, but they are a good distance from campus and downtown.

There is a lot to do there, whether in town or in the country. It is and has been a big music town for 30+ years. Beer is cheap, and so is the food (compared to Atlanta and most other large towns).

The campus has always been big, and has gotten bigger. Parking has always been a problem, and it's gotten worse. They've even cut freshman rights on auto parking. The campus has a bus system, and it can be difficult to make the far reaches of campus and reach the next class on time.

I believe that crime is worse there now in town and near campus than when I was there. I would not walk around later after dark alone like I did back them.

The student body is more serious now than it was back years ago. The advent of the lottery and HOPE scholarship program raised the stakes and parents got more interested in grades, and pressure on students to make grades increased. I believe that the bars still close at midnight on Sat/Sun under local ordinance. BUT I would still try to avoid living next door to a group of undergrads if I could, they have a tendency to stay up late and party at the most inopportune times.

To what school/program has she been admitted?

[scantron81]

Originally Posted by Roku

Then eat at Weaver D's. It's slogan is "automatic for the people." it's a little meat and three restaurant that REM ate at all the time. Liked it enough to honor it with that album, no lie. I lived right up the the road from it. I keep saying it but the restaurants will blow your mind. Not expensive and good!!

Weaver D's has gone downhill. It's more like cafeteria food these days. But Do eat there as a WalMart (our third) is about to be built there.

[Toto'sDad]

Go to Staples and purchase a large box of question marks. Everything that anyone says in the south ends with a question mark. I'm goin' over yonder? He's comin' over here? They're gettin' married? She's pregnant? He's the daddy? She's the momma? The last is especially significant, careful study will reveal the phenomenon in it's entirety.

[scantron81]

^

[waparker4]

Learn the phrase "bless your little heart". It is semantically meaningless but can be anything from a nice or empathic, to demeaning thing to say to someone

Athens is a very cool town. Hanging out downtown is very fun. There are lots of cool shops and good eats at good watering holes. & of course a very famous music scene.

[rsclosson]

Be advised: "He needed killin'." is a valid legal defense here in the South.

[Roku]

Let's not let this turn into a a list of Southern stereotypes...

[vanguard]

you guys have me stoked! we're looking to rent, and would really prefer a house (as apposed to a loft/condo/apt). we need an area that is fairly safe and quiet. i'm a teacher, so i need to be near some jr/high schools. prefer rural(ish) to urban. . .

[stephent2]

My son lives, works and plays music in Athens, it's a lovely little place, sleepy southern town as they used to say. You should enjoy, get ready for a hot summer.

[waparker4]

The remainder of Clarke/Oconee county that isn't Athens is pretty rural. I have some family friends that live in Watkinsville.

[Brad Pittiful]

i wouldve loved to be in athens GA in the late 70s early 80s...b52s...rem...man that wouldve been cool!

[SamClemons]

Athens is a pretty nice town. College town. Friend of mine owns the Zaxby's there.