Athens (Georgia)

By plane

• Athens-Ben Epps Airport

  phone: +1 706 613-3420
  address: 1010 Ben Epps Drive
  Was the first airport in Georgia and was named for Georgia's first aviator, Ben T. Epps Sr., who opened the airport in 1917. Charter, and private flights are available. Commercial service is no longer available.

By bus

• Groome Transportation. Service to Athens several times daily from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. $34 one-way or $63 round-trip.
• Megabus. Service from Atlanta, Columbia, Fayetteville, Charlotte, Durham, Richmond, and Washington, D.C. Mondays through Saturdays, buses stop at the Athens Multi-Modal Transportation Center (775 E Broad St); on Sundays, buses stop at the East Campus Parking Deck on the University of Georgia campus.

By taxi

• United Taxi Cab, 1121 Mlk Jr Parkway, +1 706 549-0808.
• Your Cab CO, 714 Oglethorpe Avenue, +1 706 546-5844.

By limousine

• Bulldog Limousine, Airport and door-to-door service, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, +1 706 613-5206, Email: bulldoglimo@aol.com, .
• Embassy Limousine Service, Inc., +1 706 227-3255, .
• Stephens Limousine Service, Inc., 2375 West Broad Street, +1 706 353-6002.
• The Limousine Co., LLC, +1 706 548-8546, .

By bus

Athens Transit offers several routes for $1.60/ride, but not on Sunday. Many routes are hourly.
The UGA Bus lines offer very frequent service between campus, downtown, and Milledge Ave.

By Walking

This is a very pedestrian friendly city (if you stay out of the suburbs).

• Double Barreled CannonCorner of College and Hancock (outside City Hall). What better way to defeat the Yanks than to give it to them with both barrels! This cannon was designed to shoot twin cannonballs connected by a chain. The designers didn't take into account the impossibility of synchronization, and the cannon was never used. Free.

• The Tree That Owns ItselfCorner of Dearing and Finley. Colonel W.H. Jackson willed a tree on this spot to itself many years ago. The original tree fell over in 1942; this is its son. Free.

• University of Georgia North Campus, South of Broad Street downtown. Stroll the grounds of America's oldest state-chartered university. Of particular interest are the Arch, Demosthenian and Phi Kappa Halls, the Chapel, Old College, and the Library.

• Georgia Bulldogs

  phone: +1 706 542-1231
  address: Butts–Mehre Heritage Hall (ticket office)
  University of Georgia sports, fielding teams in 21 NCAA Division I sports (9 men's, 12 women's) in the Southeastern Conference. By far the biggest sport on campus is football, with over 90,000 fans packing Sanford Stadium to cheer on their "Dawgs". Georgia also boasts nationally competitive teams in a wide variety of sports—everything from basketball, baseball, and softball to women's gymnastics, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, and more.

• Georgia Museum of Natural History

  phone: +1 706-542-1663
  address: 101 Cedar Street

• Georgia Museum of Art

  phone: +1 706 542-4662
  address: 90 Carlton Street
  On the University of Georgia's south campus, the Georgia Museum of Art offers a small, permanent collection focused on American painting as well as Wednesday night film screenings and other traveling exhibits.

• Ciné

  address: 234 W. Hancock Avenue
  Ciné is a two-screen, independent and non-profit art house movie theater which opened in downtown Athens in April 2007.

• Athica

  address: 160 Tracy Street
  Conceived of as an 'alternative art space,' the Athens Institute for Contemporary Art is dedicated to exhibiting challenging, provocative and innovative contemporary art in a non-commercial setting, solely for the cultural enrichment of the Northeast Georgia community.
• Walking Tour. Take either the Downtown Athens Walking Tour or the Athens Music History Tour. Both start from the Athens Welcome Center at 280 East Dougherty Street, +1 706 353-1820.

• Terrapin Brewery TourW-Sa 5:30PM-7:30PM, live music and tours are free. Or for $10 get a Terrapin pint glass and 8 tickets to try sample pours of what's on draft.

• Georgia Botanical Gardens

  address: 2450 S. Milledge Aveune
  This 313-acre preserve features 5 miles of trails that wind to the garden’s farthest boundaries, a stunning 3-story tropical conservatory, and themed gardens showcasing native and international flora. Special events and programs are held year-round. The Garden has been named an Important Birding Area by the Georgia Audobon Society. Also on the grounds: the lovely Day Chapel and the headquarters of the Garden Club of Georgia. Gift shop, gallery, and Café Trumps at the Garden.

• Athens Welcome Center - Classic City Tours

  address: 280 E. Dougherty St.
  In the historic Church-Waddel-Brumby House, and considered the oldest surviving residence in Athens, this Federal-Style house museum and welcome center underwent a restoration that features authentic period decor and furnishings. Pick up brochures, maps, expert advice; plus guided, self-guided, or audio tours of Athens.

• Visitor Center at the University of Georgia

  address: 400 River Rd

Hike

There are many hiking trails around the Athens area, as well as parks and other outdoor recreation centers.

• The above named Botanical Gardens contains 4 miles of trails along the Oconee River.
• There is the beautiful Athens Greenway that goes through parks and by the river, from the UGA Campus all the way up to:

• Sandy Creek Nature CenterHas an interpretive center, more than 4 miles of trails, including some handicap accessible trails.

• Cook's Trail: Linking the nature center to sandy creek park, this primitive trail travels through wetlands, across many boardwalks, about 4 miles.

• Sandy Creek ParkA lake, and a trail around that, and other fun things to do.

• The Birchmore TrailThis 1-mile trail is found on Gran Ellen between S Milledge and Lumpkin St, near Memorial Park. It includes a granite shoal creek, plenty of trees, and an Athens landmark stone wall.

• UGA Intramural Fields / Oconee Forest: With plenty of sports fields in the front, a lake in the middle, and acres of forest with trails behind.

• J & J Flea Market

  phone: +1 706-613-2410
  address: 11661 Commerce Rd
  Visit Georgia's largest flea market for a taste of the bazaar.

• Jittery Joe's Coffee Roasters

  address: 780 East Broad Street
  Try the many exotic blends of Athens' own local coffee roasters.

• Agora

  address: 260 W. Clayton St
  Vintage and antiques.

• Toula's

  address: 225 W. Clayton St
  Upscale home accessories.

• Georgia Square Mall

  address: 3700 Atlanta Highway

• Tyche's Games

  address: 1056 S. Lumpkin St
  Specialty games store dealing with board games, card games and roleplaying games. Also anime rentals and anime/manga related items.

The epicenter of Athens culinary and bar scene is Downtown. This area is roughly defined by Broad Street in the South and Dougherty Street (which becomes Prince Avenue) in the North. The majority of restaurants will be located in this area, just north of UGA's campus.
There is also a small collection of restaurants, bars and stores centered around the area called "Five Points", where Milledge Avenue and Lumpkin Street intersect.
Normaltown is a neighborhood near Athens Regional Medical Center (corner of Oglethorpe and Prince) with a half dozen restaurants and shops. There is a strong Hispanic presence.
The normal American chain restaurants are scattered throughout Athens, with concentrations of them around the Beechwood Shopping Center (at the intersection of Baxter Street and Alps Road), near the Georgia Square Mall (at the intersection of Athen's circumnavigating perimeter highway, Loop 10 and the Atlanta Highway), and finally at the College Station Shopping Center (near the corner of Barnnett Shoals Road and College Station Road).

• Five & Ten

  address: 1635 S. Lumpkin Street
  Dinner: Su-Th 5:30PM-10PM, F-Sa 5:30PM-11PM, Brunch: Su 10:30AM-2:30PM. One of the finest southeastern restaurants is located in the Five Points neighborhood of Athens. There are not too many places in Georgia that serve sweetbreads in the first place, but Hugh Acheson shows his respect for place by serving them atop a grits custard.
• The National Started by the acclaimed chef at Five and Ten, the National offers inventive Tapas style dining. Next door to Cine, sample wine, cheese and meats before catching a movie.

• Mama's Boy

  address: 197 Oak Street
  For a twist on Southern diner food, check out Mama's Boy. The crispy Buttermilk Fried Chicken Breast is served with a creamy bacon gravy. It is so good that you will sop it up with one of their dense, rich biscuits.
• The Last Resort, 184 W. Clayton (Downtown). $12+. A diverse menu of newer takes on traditional southern classics is supplemented by daily soup, quiche, fish and pasta specials. Though the Last Resort is a great choice for dinner, it is perhaps the best Lunch spot in Athens. The Fried Green Tomato sandwich topped with Vidalia-bacon salad dressing is a lunchtime favorite, while the praline chicken provides an excellent sweet yet savory dinner. The wide array of cakes and pies are also of local fame and should certainly be sampled by visitors.
• DePalma's An Athens institution that offers traditional (if unspectacular) Italian fare. Try the stuffed mushrooms for an appetizer followed by mix and match pasta of your choosing. The calzones and pizza are also good. A good choice for a group, the waiters and waitresses will keep the wine flowing.
• Weaver D's 1016 E. Broad. Meat and three vegetables, made famous by REM.
• The Taco Stand 247 E. Broad. Quick Mexican that is thoroughly Athens. Less quirky than it once was, but still a great dive. Try their speciality, the Fried Chicken Tacos. There's also another branch at 670 N. Milledge and 2270 Barnett Shoals.

• The Grit

  address: 199 Prince Ave
  A few dishes of many cuisines: Indian, Italian, Mexican, and Middle Eastern, along with soups, salads, sandwiches, and many homemade desserts. Fully vegetarian with many vegan options.

• White Tiger

  address: 217 Hiawassee Ave
• Cali-N-Tito's A swanky mixture of Cuban and South American food, they have great sandwiches and other options. Their lunch special is a great deal, with a side and a drink. For drinks, they have good sweet tea or Coke. If you want beer or wine, you have to bring your own, this restaurant is BYOB. 1427 Lumpkin Street, this restaurant is located near the area called "Five Points".

One of the great drinking cities in the South, there are some truly great bars in Athens. Athens is a great place to waste away in a state of bachanallia . Some of the best bars are:

• The 40 Watt Club

  address: 285 W. Washington Street

• The Georgia Theatre

  address: 215 N. Lumpkin Street
  The Georgia Theatre is a premier music venue. The theatre is on the Athens Music History Walking Tour which is sponsored by the Athens Convention and Visitors Bureau. 18+ only/ID required. The theatre burned down in June 2009 and reopened in August 2011 with a rooftop bar.

• The Manhattan

  address: 337 North Hull Street
  Athens. This dive is a place for grad students and professors to hang out at. Their drinks are generally fairly cheap and the conversation and decor fairly trendy. The decorations look like they all came from random buys at a thrift store, and several pictures of MLK and JKF hang on the wall as a tribute to the liberal leanings of the proprietors. Try the signature drink which is Maker's Mark and Blenheim's spicy ginger ale. Also, they provide free popcorn in the corner.

• The Max Canada

  address: 243 W. Washington Street
  Formerly Room 13 and before that it was called The Engine Room. Bar room atmosphere with pool tables, darts, video games and pinball machines.
• Nowhere Bar is a popular spot for pool players, yet large enough to accommodate their less recreational friends who simply desire a place to drink. The jukebox tends to alternate between classic rock favorites and Widespread Panic.
• Georgia Bar A dive if one existed in Athens. While unassuming on the outside, it has a certain charm that only grunginess and cheap beer can provide.
• The Pub at Gameday Popular with students eager to avoid the Spring Break type atmosphere at "Bourbon Street" and "Generals." A large and accessible bar, multiple televisions and wood paneling has ensured Gameday's status within the Athens social scene.
• Allgood Usually attracts a different crowd than the townies, fratboys, and the freshmen. The greatest aspect is the outdoor patio bar in back of the second story. Though the bar is large, it is a tad narrow, so overcrowding can be a problem.
• The Globe A pub offering draft Belgium beers, English Ales and an extensive wine list that tends to attract an older, slightly more sophisticated crowd than nearby establishments. Tables, couches and rocking chairs makes this a good place for those who seek to rediscover the lost art of conversation or simply enjoy quality beer. Voted one of the best bars in America by Esquire Magazine in 2010.
• Normal Bar A local bar in Normaltown (on Prince near Oglethorpe) that attracts a neighborhood crowd. Go out back and sit by the fire pits with your dog.

• Trappeze Pub

  address: 269 Washington St
  Trappeze has over 30 beers on tap and well over 200 on their bottle menu. Trappeze doesn't sell any low-end domestic beers, such as Budweiser but does maintain an otherwise full bar and an extensive wine list. The food list is no less impressive with an interesting and delicious twist on typical pub-fare.

• Inoko Japanese Steakhouse

  address: 161 Alps Rd
  Hibachi Restaurant that's been around since 1991. The restaurant is not fancy but you get a ton of food that is delicious for a reasonable price.

• America's Best Inn

  address: 2715 Atlanta Highway

• Microtel Inn & Suites

  phone: +1 706 548-5676
  address: 1050 Ultimate Drive

• Best Western Athens

  address: 170 N Milledge Avenue

• Courtyard Athens Downtown

  address: 166 North Finley Street

• Holiday Inn

  address: 197 E. Broad St

• Holiday Inn Express

  address: 513 West Broad Street

• Hilton Garden Inn

  address: 390 E. Washington Street

• Hampton Inn

  phone: +1 706 548-8268
  address: 2220 W. Broad Street

• Bulldog Inn

  address: 1225 Commerce Rd

• Foundry Park Inn and Spa

  address: 295 E. Dougherty St

• Country Inn & Suites

  address: 236 Old Epps Bridge Rd.
  4-story atrium, heated indoor pool and whirlpool, fitness center, daily deluxe complimentary breakfast. All rooms are suites with 32" flat screen TV, microwave, refrigerator, iron/ironing board, hairdryer, coffee maker, and pull-out sofa bed.

• The Georgia Center

  address: 1197 South Lumpkin St
  The Georgia Center for Continuing Education is a residential conference center and hotel on the campus of the University of Georgia in Athens.

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