Road Trip Edition 2024: Athens, Ga. | Cover Stories

If there is such a thing as an archetypal college town, it is probably Athens, Georgia. Located about an hour east and slightly north of Atlanta, Athens is culturally closely associated with the University of Georgia, one of the oldest public universities in the country. UGA’s athletic programs, particularly football, are widely known (except among fans of Auburn and other SEC rivals). The college has also played a large role in the city’s rich arts scene; among other things, these communities have produced respected and influential musicians, including The B-52s, REM, Pylon, Drive-By Truckers, and Of Montreal.

It makes sense to plan a visit to the “Classic City” around a big game if that’s what you’re interested in, or to see a show at a venerable venue like 40 Watt Club or the Georgia Theatre. That’s especially true considering the five-hour-plus drive is the very limit of what you can comfortably do on a road trip. On a quiet weekend, I got the sense that much of what’s thriving in Athens is made by Athenians, for Athenians — but is also easily accessible. It was a refreshing change from back home in Nashville, where it seems the business of luring tourism with our hospitality has created an outer layer of the city that newcomers have to work their way through before they can really begin to get to know us.

Remain

My wife and I have rented a cozy, well-equipped apartment via Airbnb above a family’s detached garage in New Citya well-established neighborhood north of downtown Athens. It is one of several neighborhoods in the city that have their own character and a collection of restaurants, bars and other attractions; a few others are Normal city And Five points. (Yes, they have one too.) The rides between these neighborhoods or downtown and back are generally straightforward and short, and it was a nice thing to stay where the locals just live and go about their business.

However, there are numerous accommodation options: both hotel chains and several boutique hotels if you prefer something a little more luxurious. Hotel Indigo Athens is walking distance from almost everything you want to do downtown, while Rivet house is away from the hustle and bustle but still less than 10 minutes by car from the area.

Do

If you are planning a visit, have a friend in FlagpoleAthens alternative weekly newspaper — its Athens Travel Guide is an invaluable source of recommendations. My decision to book our trip for the weekend after the 4th of July was not the wisest, as several highly recommended places were closed for the summer break. We will have to come back for Condor Chocolate, Independent baking company., Paloma Park And Weaver D’s delicious delicatessen (Soul food restaurant owned by restaurateur Dexter Weaver, whose slogan “Automatic for the People” became the title of REM’s 1992 album).

We still had so many options for great food and drink that we barely scratched the surface. We felt at home on the bar side Flicker Theatre & Barwhere we were lucky enough to chat with locals who kindly gave us a ton of pro tips. (Among them: many bars will serve you half a shot if you order “a howdy.”) Hidden gem in Newtown also had a fun and relaxed atmosphere as well as a delicious carrot juice and rum mix called Wittle Wascal. Biscuits and gravy at Mama’s boy hit the point; Cookie basketa breakfast counter in a Chevron gas station was also great, although we missed the gravy-dipped pork tenderloin sandwich we were looking forward to. Trapeze Pub has Flagpole The most popular French fries and rock-hard sandwiches, including a spicy chicken affair called Carolina Dip. In addition to excellent beers and cocktails, Five Points offers The Royal Farmer has a selection of English pub food, and if there is a football match on, you can probably watch it there. We kept it casual, but if we wanted a fancy, Mediterranean restaurant The National and Thai spot Puma Yu’s – whose chef and co-founder Pete Amadhanirundr was nominated for a James Beard Award this year – are just some of the possibilities.

For music lovers: The aforementioned 40 Watt and Flicker have been staples of the Athens music scene for decades and are just steps away from each other. Even in this dry season for shows, they kept the local scene busy: Flicker had a metal show and 40 Watt hosted a tape release party for a hardcore band. Among a number of other venues, there is the Athens Music Walk of Fame and two great record stores downtown. Wuxtry Recordsnear campus, is famous for employing Dangermouse and members of REM and has its sister department for comics and collectibles Bizarro Wuxtry above. Low Yo-Yo Stuffnext to Flicker, has a much smaller shop, but its crates are chock full of gems. Need more REM? The decaying railroad scaffolding in Sandra Lee Phipps’ photo on the back of her debut LP Murmurs was rebuilt and integrated into the city’s green space system; it is a quiet place for a break and a beautiful photo opportunity.

And there is much, much more. In addition to several art galleries, there is also the city-run Lyndon House Art Centre displays a wealth of local and regional art. A highlight of Lyndon House’s summer exhibitions is Cupola: A collaborationa musically animated sculpture featuring works by UGA art students. Like Nashville’s popular Belcourt, cinema is part of an indie theater group Art House Convergence; show your Belcourt membership card and enjoy similar discounts and benefits as at home.

On the way to or from the city you can take a short trip to The State Botanical Garden of Georgia. Although walking through the grounds in July was sweaty, looking at the lush, sprawling gardens and walking through the trees along the Middle Oconee River were just the thing for our farewell.