Athens in the Springtime; A College Town, but also a “Classic City”

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Written by Hank Bailey, from Athens, Georgia on Mar 01, 2009

My training and passions are in real estate and delving into numbers. While I would love to tell you about how according to Zillow, mortgage rates in the top 20 states they track are lowest in Georgia (4.96% last week), and how real estate in Athens is a stable holding in one’s portfolio due to the University of Georgia and our fabulous hospital systems locally, on this sunny morning I would rather look outside the window and gaze at the blooming Dogwoods (we call them Dawgwoods in Athens), and Azaleas blooming as I look forward to this day and perfect 70 degree temperatures that make up a spring in our area. Perfect for working in the yard, golf, or some activity with the kids or grandkids!

By the way, youth soccer leagues have just started and there are roughly 1000 kids playing anywhere from U-6 to U-18 soccer in the Athens suburbs of Oconee County with another 1500 playing baseball. The UGA Baseball team is having their best start ever, currently ranked #5 in the season. As I have mentioned in previous posts, you can go to a highly competitive college baseball game in Athens and it won’t cause you to have to tap into your 401-k to afford to attend the game and get a hotdog.

Athens is also close enough to run down to Augusta, as my oldest son and I did this week, and attend the Masters. Some people pay big bucks to stay in Augusta during Masters week. I believe it only took us about 90 minutes to run down to Augusta. On the way back we stopped at Reynolds Plantation and Lake Oconee and played a quick 9 holes before it got dark.

One thing we history buffs enjoy is a trip down the Georgia Antebellum Trail. Check it out at http://www.atpilgrimage.org. It covers seven cities that the “scoundrel” Gen. Sherman didn’t burn his infamous march to the sea. From Athens to Watkinsville, then down to Madison, which happens to have been looked at as the most “aristocratic” down between Charleston and New Orleans back in the days of the carriage routes. It then carries you down to Eatonton, Milledgeville, and then toward Macon. Now if you are not in to history all that much, there is beautiful architecture from the 1800’s as well as a large variety of shopping and dining opportunities.

Well in the end, I can’t personally say Sherman was too much of a scoundrel. After all, and to the chagrin of my family, my own Great-Great Grandfather was a Lieutenant in his cavalry.

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