Athens, Georgia

Athens is a small college town located a little over an hour’s drive from Atlanta. Being home to both the Georgia Museum of Art and Georgia Theatre, it has a rich music and arts scene, and boasts strong associations to several noteworthy bands, including R.E.M., of Montreal, and Neutral Milk Hotel. Athens hosts a free annual music and arts festival (Athfest), has a lively craft beer scene, and features a number of award winning restaurants. For those interested in the outdoors, the Piedmont region is teeming with rivers, lakes, and forests, most of which offer hiking, kayaking, fishing, and cycling opportunities. Nearby attractions include the Appalachian Trail (the longest hiking-only trail in the world), the coastal city of Savannah which is famous for its Victorian-era architecture, and the Chattahoochee Oconee National Forest. The University of Georgia (UGA) has a very competitive sports program, and as such there are many high level college sports played in and around Athens. Perhaps most notably, UGA is home to the Georgia Bulldogs football team (2021 and 2022 back-to-back national champions) who play their home games in front of 90,000 fans at Sanford Stadium. From a practical perspective, cost of living is almost 10% below the national average, the average commute time is only 20 minutes, and the conveniently located Atlanta airport provides access to over 225 domestic and international destinations.