ARTICLES, LINKS, & VIDEOS ABOUT ATHENS, GA
From Forbes: "America’s Best Cities to Visit by Car "
Athens, GA
Information by Rough Guides
The small and very likeable city of ATHENS, almost seventy miles northeast of Atlanta, is home to the 30,000-plus students of the University of Georgia, and has a liberal feel – and city government – unusual for the South. The compact downtown area north of the campus is alive with book and record stores, clubs, bars, restaurants and cafés; Broad Street in particular is lined with sidewalk tables. It has achieved world fame in recent years as the home of rock groups REM and the B-52s.
Pilgrims drawn by the REM connection will want to head straight for the original home of the Automatic for the People slogan – Weaver D's soul-food café, well within walking distance east of downtown at 1016 E Broad St (tel 706/353-7797). Unaffected by its new sideline in memorabilia, it continues to serve its delicious southern fried chicken and vegetables on molded styrofoam plates. The band started out playing at the 40 Watt Club, originally housed at 171 College Ave but now resurrected in its third, and by far its largest, premises at 285 W Washington St (tel 706/549-7871), and half-owned by Barrie Buck, wife of guitarist Peter. Athens Music Factory, 420 E Clayton (tel 706/353-8869), holds a weekly open mic and puts on a "Battle of the Bands" contest each summer, while Caledonia Lounge, 256 W Clayton St (tel 706/549-5577), is where you can hear new sounds from up-and-coming bands. You'll find information on all music events in the free weekly Flagpole.
Athens, Georgia Details
From: Best Boomer Towns
Home to The University of Georgia – the area offers lots of activities, including symphonies at the performing arts center, sporting events, road shows, Broadway productions, and well-known guest speakers. A four season climate, lower costs and a college campus attract retirees to this vibrant Georgia town.
The spotlight of the city is the college – which is in the center of town, drawing students internationally and providing a global environment.
The charming town is filled with restaurants, clubs, galleries, newsstands, coffee shops, and Weaver D’s, known for its collard greens and as the unofficial lunch spot of rock legends REM. Long a musical hub, Athens boasts a vibrant music scene that began gaining international recognition in the late 70’s. Bands such as REM and the B-52’s rose to the top during the 80’s as other bands perfected their talents in area clubs.
Athens allows easy access for weekend getaways, either to mountains or the beaches. In addition, the area has a military base, Navy Supply Corps School, with a commissary and exchange.
Videos of Athens, Georgia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cNnKRoxock
Sales Tax
7% (state 4%, city and county 3%), groceries are exempt.
Income Exemptions
For residents age 62 and older, retirement income up to $15,000 is not taxed. Up to $4000 of earned income can be included in the $15,000. There is no tax on Social Security, interest on US obligations or railroad retirement income.
Estate Tax
Georgia does not levy estate tax on inheritances resulting from deaths after Jan. 1, 2005.
Property Tax
Property is taxed on assessed value, which is defined as 40 percent of the fair market value. Thus, the assessed value of a $150,000 house is $60,000 and the tax rate of $33.05 per $1000 of assessed value produces taxes of $1983, without exemptions. You’ll find more details on
http://www.athensclarkecounty.com/tc.
Personal Property Tax: Household property is not normally taxable. Automobiles are taxed on the assessed value, which is defined as 40% of the fair market value. Thus, the assessed value of a $30,000 vehicle is $12,000, and the property tax rate of .03305 totals taxes of $397.
Homestead Exemption
There is an exemption of $10,000 off the assessed value. Therefore, on a $150,000 house, the net assessed value is $50,000. Its actual taxes are $1653.
Religion
The Athens area has more than 86 houses of worship representing 17 denominations, including Protestant, Catholic, Jewish and Islamic.
Education
The community is home to the University of Georgia and satellite campuses of Gainesville College, Piedmont College, Old Dominion University and Athens Technical College. Affiliated with Elderhostel, Learning in Retirement (LIR) in Athens (http://www.geron.uga.edu/lir) from September through may offers daytime courses such as strength training, medieval and renaissance papacy, French bistro cooking and computer skills/ LIR year round offers bridge, quilting and conversational French plus summer activities and a travel/study program with day trips.
Health
The area has 157 physicians, 42 dentists and 2 hospitals, St. Mary’s hospital with 196 beds and Athens regional medical center with 319 beds. Athens has 3 immediate care facilities, four outpatient surgery clinics, there mental health centers, 5 rehabilitation centers and 4 nursing homes.
Further Details
706-357-4430
800-653-0603
http://www.visitathensga.com
- Population: 108,222
- Cost of Living: Lower than average.
- Rain: 49.7 inches
- Snow: Less than 1 inch
- January High: 52 - January Low: 32
- July High: 90 - July Low: 69
Best Boomer Towns - Town Blogs
America’s Best Cities to Visit by Car, but when you arrive may Hand you a Bike!
Written by Hank Bailey, from Athens, Georgia on Aug 06, 2009
You might have noticed that my posts were absent last month. Well I am happy to say that all of the lobbying I did to Forbes paid off again! It is usually me and Donald Trump trying to volley our interests forward each year! In the month of July, Forbes came out with a piece entitled, “Best American towns to visit by car.” Athens, GA was one of the few and the proud to be included in this list. They point out what we already knew of course that we have a thriving culture and music scene, hence the nickname, “the Classic City,” and they say Athens is “chock full of coffee shops and bars suitable for late nights and philosophizing.”
They point out what we already knew of course that we have a thriving culture and music scene, hence the nickname, “the Classic City,” and they say Athens is “chock full of coffee shops and bars suitable for late nights and philosophizing.” What is interesting is that they comment on the fact that we have a thriving “bike” culture which I think testifies to an active lifestyle as well as a desire to live “green.” You can find the column at
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31493051/ns/travel-destinations.
A couple of upcoming events of note;
The Athens Clarke Heritage Foundation is sponsoring a guided tours celebrating Athens-Clarke County's designation as one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's 2009 Dozen Distinctive Destinations.
For more information please go to their website at http://www.achfonline.org.
The Athens Habitat for Humanity’s Birthday Bash http://www.athenshabitat.com
For 21 years serving the local community! Finally today, let me mention that when you look over the list of things to do around Athens right now they are consumed with the outdoors. From stargazing with the Athens Astronomical Association to going down a sleepy stream on a raft, tube, or kayak, to taking a full moon hike at night, our parks seem to be busy right now 24/7!
Come Visit Athens, GA and you will find that the “Bubble City” of Goodness has been waiting on you!