Moving to Athens Ga? Things to Know Part IV

If you like posts like this and want to see more of what I am up to, check out Classic City Guide, your home for Athens Georgia culture and real estate.

Yet another installment of the things you want to know about our wonderful city. As I read over this post, I realize there is so much more in Athens, Georgia, that these posts can become quite habit-forming.

Forecast Calls for Thunderstorms Every Afternoon During the Summer. It doesn't always happen, but the weather person seems to err on the side of caution. They are correct a lot of the time though. Some of the best thunderstorms I've ever witnessed were here in Athens. They are more fun to watch when you don't own a home, especially after you log a couple personal instances of knowing folks whose houses got nailed.

You Will See Litter. No question about it, folks around here litter more than in other areas of the country, and Athens has a seedier side by some accounts. It's kind of sad to see it, but you can do your part to keep ATH beautiful. As far as seedy goes, I told you in an earlier post that my goal is to be honest. I will also honestly say that I lived in some areas of California that were a little too crisp and perfect, and I think those places were a little out of sync with reality, and ATH is much preferable.

Lots of People Telecommute from Athens. This seems to be a trend around here. Folks move here from out of state, get a nice house in a nice area of town and settle in to a very cool lifestyle.

Strangers Talk to One Another. It is not out of loneliness, just friendliness. Don't be shy. Put yourself out there and you won't be rebuffed like you would be elsewhere. It's a habit forming need for more and more, and you will grow to thrive in this kind of environment. The good news is that most strangers you meet around here are pretty darn brilliant and interesting.

Dinner Parties Abound. Professional, intelligent, travel-savvy residents who love to cook and converse. What could possibly be a better evening?

While Athens is Home to Some Truly Brilliant People, it is also Home to Folks who will Awe You with their Stupidity. Two words come to mind as I write this: Crime Blotter. Featured once on NPR's This American Life, the Athens Banner Herald Crime Blotter reads like no other. A woman knocks her husband out with a potato; a guest is busted by his host trying to have relations with the family dog; a woman reports her leather jacket was stolen when she went to buy crack at an abandoned house. All three stories are true and just come to mind. The blotter serves it up everyday in its own cheeky way, and while it is humorous to read at times, you have to stop and remind yourself that while you are at a red light, the guy behind you may have recently been in the blotter. Perhaps this is really just the stuff of the human drama writ large because it is such a small town. More than likely the cops in NYC could shame our blotter, I'm sure.

This is a Small Town. Yes, it feels big at times, but it is tiny. If you don't like constantly seeing people you know, this might not be the town for you. I personally like it. Word to the wise: If you are the kind of person that lashes out at people at Lowe's, demands the royal treatment every where you go, or is just generally a stick in the mud, don't move here unless you like being known as that kind of person.

This Town Talks. And as well it should when you are mean spirited or a crooked business person. The corollary is also true: Faster than folks will point out a rapscallion, they will point out the best people that Athens has to offer. Be the latter person , and your life will be better than you could ever imagine.

Winters are Usually Wetter than other Seasons, and You Don't Necessarily have to Put Up Your Summer Clothes in Storage. There is always that little stretch where the weather feels fall like and don't be surprised if you are Christmas shopping in a t-shirt downtown.

Man, I could keep going. More Later...

JP