Athens, the Classic City
Location
The University of Georgia is located in the cozy university town of
Athens,
known as the Classic City because of its name and its neoclassical
architecture. Athens is located 65 miles northeast of Atlanta in the
forested piedmont of northern Georgia. Athens and Clarke County have
a combined population of 88,000. The area is within a two-hour drive
of the north Georgia waterfalls, lakes and mountains, and within four
to five hours of Atlantic coast resorts. The immediate surrounding
area is largely agricultural and some of the small towns around Athens
are quite rural.
Music
Although Athens has rural origins and still has a comfortable, small-town
atmosphere, the presence of the University has transformed the city
into an extremely lively town, one of the cultural centers of the
New South. Most noticeable is the extraordinary amount of
live music played in venues around town. Bands associated
with Athens include R.E.M.
and the B-52's.
The Athens music scene caters to a variety of musical tastes.
The UGA Performing
Arts Center brings to Athens world-class fine arts programming.
Flagpole
magazine reports arts and entertainment news and events and is a
good guide to what is happening in Athens.
Culture
In addition to the music scene, an active artistic community in
Athens regularly exhibits in the local galleries; major works are
regularly shown in the Georgia
Museum of Art on campus. The town also has an active community
theater and a community orchestra, in addition to about twenty cinema
screens, including the University's Tate
Center, which shows an interesting diversity of old and recent
movies. The
Classic Center offers several events and activities like Broadway
shows, concerts and ballets. The
State Botanical Garden is located in Athens and is open to the
public and has nature trails and classes on topics like tree identification
and butterfly gardening.
Downtown Athens
Downtown
Athens is located directly across the street from campus and
is a popular place to spend time. There are many cafes, restaurants,
clothing shops, bookstores and music clubs. Holiday parades,
festivals and concerts are held throughout the year in downtown
Athens.
Sports
The University of Georgia has several athletic
teams. The gymnastics, swimming/diving, and men's tennis
teams are among the top college athletic teams in the nation.
Students can purchase tickets for these events at a discounted cost,
and some events are free to students. Each spring Athens hosts
the Twilight Criterium, an exciting professional bicycle race in
the downtown area.
Climate
The weather
in Athens is very pleasant. Average highs range from 89.6°F
in July to 51.6°F in January. Average lows range from
69.5°F in July to 32.0°F in January
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