Athens, GA: The Place to Be!

Article and Photos By Alicia Mayfield M&M Staffer

While being home to more than 30, 000 college students, Athens, Ga. has become home to the best music, food, and entertainment for University of Georgia students.

As the host for more than 130 Duke TIPsters plus staff, downtown Athens has provided Duke TIPsters various ways to eat, shop, and enjoy life as a “college student” while still being a kid at heart.

Athens was originally a trading settlement called ‘Cedar Shoals’ during the late 1700s. After the University of Georgia was founded, built and settled, Athens became a city on August 24, 1872. During the World War II, Athens was home to one of only five naval preflight schools in the nation. Being a college town involves having a great music scene. Some of the most famous venues were the Morton Theater and the Georgia Theatre.

The Morton Theatre was founded in 1910 by Monroe Bowers Morton, a prominent African American business owner. This theatre was home to famous performers such as Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. Although the building was closed because of a failed inspection, the city took over and reopened the theatre in 1993 and is currently open today.

Georgia Theatre is another famous music venue located in downtown Athens. The theatre is located in an old cinema and was opened as a musical theatre in 1978. The Theatre has hosted bands such as The Police and Sea Level. Until recently the building had been opened, but a recent fire has destroyed the inside of the building so only the frame still stands.

With all of the music of Athens, there are also great restaurants to choose from. A favorite of the Duke TIPsters is “The Last Resort.” The cute, chic restaurant has amazing food and even better cheesecake and desserts that will have you wanting more and more.Originally, “The Last Resort” opened as a night club in 1966. One of the hippest music scenes back in the day, The Last Resort was a popular place for performers such as Reverend Pearly Brown, Steve Goodman, and Jimmy Buffet.After closing for a decade, current owners Melissa Clegg and Jamshad Zarneger and a bunch of their friends have revived the building, turning the stylish night club into an excellent restaurant.Some of the menu includes roasted duck pasta, chicken carbonara, fire cracker fillet, and various assortments of soups and salads. The Last Resort is known exclusively for their desserts. The many flavors of cakes and cheesecakes makes any night to The Last Resort an event to look forward to.

Another popular place for the TIPsters to go is the various shops and boutiques that are located in downtown Athens. A favorite for the Duke TIPsters is the smoothie shop, “Planet Smoothie”. It was founded in 1995 by Martin Sprock and is one of the top smoothie concepts in the world. Planet Smoothie has currently 125 locations and has been a great place to hang out for TIPsters when they get the chance to travel downtown.

Hailey Gilman, a third year TIPster commented about her favorite part of downtown“I really enjoyed the smoothie shop and I liked that downtown Athens is really contained and in one spot.”

Katie Eisel, another TIPster also said that downtown has a lot of character. It has a bunch of old stores and new stores and Katie also likes the Bulldogs that are on every corner.

“I also love the strawberry banana smoothies,” she said.

Now, other than being home for UGA students and families, Athens has a great music scene and excellent restaurants and bars to choose from. Whether you’re touring the campus or just a regular citizen there is always something to do in Athens.