Mold Remediation in Athens, GA

I like to pass the time on drives back to my college town by devising an itinerary based entirely on where I plan to eat and what I plan to do. No matter the purpose behind the trip to Athens, Georgia, whether a football-rival meeting between the hedges or a visit to a former professor's class, my focus is always the things that make it the most unique college town in the South, many of which are apart from school and football.

I start out by visualizing a map of the city. Punctuated by intersections I once crossed often, the streets easily link together in my mind to form a packed itinerary for a short trip. Here are the 15 best things to do in Athens, Georgia, for the perfect weekend in one of the South's best college towns.

Fun Things To Do

With well over 100 bars, restaurants, and shops hugging the small and walkable city-style blocks, Athens' historic downtown is more alive on an average Monday than many towns are on a Saturday night. Daylight hours see UGA college students filing in and out of various cafes, as locals pop into shops like Archer Paper Goods (a stationery lover's heaven).

Step inside Wuxtry Records for instant nostalgia. It's the oldest still-operating record store in Georgia, and the small store on East Clayton Street downtown is still packed with crates of vinyl records. Lead guitarist Peter Buck of Athen's most famous band R.E.M. even worked there for a short time.

After taking the University of Georgia's exit, I'm led to the familiar intersection of Lumpkin Street, Milledge Avenue, and Milledge Circle. This crossroads is the heart of the historic Five Points area, and that means the first stop is Condor Chocolates for a homemade pick-me-up. Influenced by their mother's Ecuadorean roots, brothers Nick and Peter Dale launched their first location on Lumpkin Street to make their chocolate confections. Their selection of artisanal truffles, bars, and other delights is vast, but their sipping chocolate and affogato are my go-to indulgences.

condorchocolates.com, multiple locations

Once the sun goes down, innocent errands turn into late-night shenanigans. Spontaneous souls could end up dancing at the pop-up silent disco wearing big glowing headphones next to dozens of strangers; watching an indie film at Ciné, a nonprofit art house opened in an old tire-recap building; or sipping at the bar of Manhattan Cafe next to someone reading a Cormac McCarthy novel while others sway in the back corner next to the tattered jukebox with handwritten track cards.

Since Athens is home to many famous bands, including R.E.M, The B-52's, the Indigo Girls, Widespread Panic, and Drive-By Truckers, you'll find many historic music haunts like the 40 Watt Club and the Georgia Theatre, and you're bound to be able to catch a concert going on in those venues, as well as many others, throughout the weekend. You can also visit the rooftop of the Georgia Theatre for cocktails, snacks, great views of downtown, and occasionally late-night DJ sets.

On off-season Saturdays, the Athens Farmers Market at Bishop Park is bustling. I might snag a sip of Juju from The Plate Sale. Splitting time between Athens and Atlanta, Shyretha and Michael Sheats have made a name for themselves in the food and farming industries of North Georgia. If you can make it to a Plate Sale pop-up dinner, you won't regret it.

Located at the corner of Dearing and Finley Streets downtown, "The Tree That Owns Itself" is a local quirk respected even by the local government. (Go read the plaque.) According to a legend first printed in the local newspaper, in the late 1800s a previous owner of the tree's surrounding land left a will that deeded the tree possession of itself and all the land within eight feet of its trunk. Today’s tree is actually a “junior," as the original giant oak, estimated around 400 years old, fell over in the mid-1900s.

PHOTO: Robbie Caponetto The State Botanical Garden of Georgia. PHOTO:

Robbie Caponetto

The State Botanical Garden of Georgia, covering more than 300 acres, is actually located in Athens, and it's the perfect place to take stroll, enjoy the blooms and greenery, and explore the extracurricular exhibits, including a children's area and winter lights display.

botgarden.uga.edu, 2450 S Milledge Ave, Athens, GA 30605

Partnered with the University of Georgia, this museum is both an academic museum and, since 1982, the official art museum of the state of Georgia. Find a variety of art mediums to explore, from historical works to modern-day delights. Plus, you can reserve tickets for free admission!

georgiamuseum.org, 90 Carlton St, Athens, GA 30602

Where to Eat and Drink

Last Resort Grill celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2022, and the downtown restaurant is still serving up local favorites that have garnered it “number one” for many. Some of its most-ordered dishes include its popular praline chicken, fried green tomatoes, and anything from its impressive dessert case.

Venture to West Hancock Avenue for dinner at The National. Although the globally inspired menu changes to reflect the seasonal bounty of northeast Georgia farmers, you’ll never be disappointed. Amongst the Mediterranean-inspired dishes, the vegetable plate is a unique standout.

The next day, I love taking an early outing to Independent Baking Company for a croissant or cinnamony Morning Roll. Right next to the famous five-point intersection, locals line up for fresh loaves, coffee, and pastries to go. I'll head toward campus via Lumpkin Street for lunch on the patio at Cali-N-Tito's. The beloved BYOB, Latin-Caribbean-inspired cafe is in a prime spot within walking distance of South Campus and tailgates alike.

The first-come, first-served bar at The National. PHOTO: Robbie Caponetto The colorful Venus Fly Trap cocktail from The National. PHOTO: Robbie Caponetto

Depending on my hotel check-in time, I may scoot a few doors down to one of the newer kids on the Five Points block. The Expat, situated in a quaint 1930s cottage, features a menu of Italian favorites, and the cleverly crafted cocktail list and friendly neighborhood service keep me coming back. The Royal Peasant, a British-style pub, is a great spot to catch a game or relax on the patio with their Bits and Bobs, like baba ghanoush or house-made chips and garlic oil.

At the end of the day, I venture back downtown to West Hancock Avenue for a drink at Creature Comforts Brewing Co., featuring the famed Tropicália IPA. The beer in question is a citrusy little number with hoppy notes. Due to production constraints, it garnered a cult following—borderline mania—when it was first released in 2014 and was even featured in box-office success Avengers: Endgame. And it still remains the most popular brew in town.

Creature Comforts Brewery. PHOTO: Robbie Caponetto Creature Comforts Brewery. PHOTO: Robbie Caponetto

creaturecomfortsbeer.com, 271 W Hancock Ave, Athens, GA 30601

Afterward, I head to the Boulevard District, home to Maepole and White Tiger Gourmet, two off-the-beaten-path lunch places. Maepole, known for its plant-forward and gluten-free menu, lets you choose a base (like mashed sweet potatoes or quinoa), a protein, two sides, and a sauce. It approaches Southern food in a healthy, wholesome way.

White Tiger is my pick for barbecue and burgers, but the vegetarian offerings are impressive too. It's housed in a 100-year-old building that once served as a grocery store, so the charm goes far beyond the smoked meats. I finish out the night at Seabear Oyster Bar, where a dozen bivalves on the half shell are best accompanied by seasoned oyster crackers.

White Tiger Gourmet. PHOTO: Robbie Caponetto The Bacon Cheddar Burger from White Tiger Gourmet. PHOTO: Robbie Caponetto

Located adjacent to downtown Athens, Normaltown is where you'll find the townies. The old-school strip of storefronts is now frequented by the impossibly cool. Bars here—The Old Pal, Hi-Lo Lounge, and Normal Bar—are the grown-up, hipper version of those downtown.

If it's Sunday, I'll mosey over to Food for the Soul for lunch. This eatery makes some of the best fried chicken and slow-cooked vegetables outside of Atlanta. For more fried chicken, head to iconic Athens spot Weaver D's. The owner's tagline "Automatic for the People!" later became the album title for one of R.E.M.'s most famed records.

With both my belly and my mind full from memories of a weekend well spent, I hunker down for my journey home. But if "Old Lady Luck" is on my side, it won't be long until I return, because there's one thing all Dawgs know: All roads lead to Athens.

See the South's Best College Town winners here

Here is the 2024 Georgia football schedule. Get the opponents, game times, TV information and more right here.

The Bulldogs were perfect last year until a 27-24 loss to Alabama in the 2023 SEC Championship, knocking the defending national champions out of the College Football Playoff.

2024 Georgia football schedule, updated each week with scores, TV networks and times:

Click or tap here to see the latest SEC football standings.

Keep track of where the Bulldogs fall in the national rankings here.

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The Bulldogs were perfect until their matchup with Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.

Here is Georgia's complete 2023 schedule.

The 2024-25 season marks the first 12-team playoff in the College Football Playoff era.

The CFP national championship will air on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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Here are the official college football passing touchdown leaders in FBS history.

Check out the 2024 Alabama Crimson Tide's football schedule. This will be updated all season long for game times, TV channels and scores.

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In an initiative that could be expanded, Athens-Clarke County (ACC), Ga., northeast of Atlanta, has tapped Ad Astra’s technology to improve voter access.

Elections staff nationwide are increasingly leveraging technology to improve voter accessibility, an area that has challenged officials for more than a decade. Now, the advance of language translation technology presents new opportunities for access to civic participation.

A Flourish chart

Charlotte Sosebee, ACC’s director of elections and voter registration, said community engagement to increase voter turnout was one of the county’s strategic goals, so staff did outreach to encourage election participation. Now, for the first time, the November election will see Spanish language access for voters, made possible through a partnership with Ad Astra and a decision by the ACC Board of Elections.

“It’s helping the limited English proficient (LEP) voters feel included in our government and our electoral process,” Sosebee said. “And it’s going to bring unity, and I think, respect of cultural backgrounds.”

The county, she said, is eager to see the impact on voter turnout from the new option to select Spanish on the ballot marking device. Offering Spanish language ballot access is not a mandate for the county, but rather a voluntary decision. Ad Astra was chosen from the state’s approved translation vendors, enabling the county to jump into defining the project's scope rather than starting with a request for proposal process.

The project required staff to commit extra time to ensuring the Spanish language translation was clear and accurate, Sosebee said, and she visited the election center in person with a linguist, who helped proof the ballot and signage.

As the nation becomes more diverse, so does the state of Georgia and the counties within it, the director said: “And so it’s crucial that we ensure that everyone can participate in the [electoral] process.”

The ACC Board of Elections has informed county election officials this work may expand to include other languages in the future.

Sosebee advised other government entities looking to expand language access to be open-minded about the process and learn from other counties and states that are moving towards multilingual ballots and other accessible voting processes.

“You want to start looking at your state demographics, because that right there is going to give you an idea of what type of language that you need to start preparing for,” she said. “Be proactive.”

Language access technology is not limited to language translation, Ad Astra founder and CEO Elena Petrova said. She described the company, which started its work in the government sector, as a “one-stop solution for any language access and multilingual communication.” This covers a range of solutions including translation, interpretation, different hearing services, and other language needs governments might have to better communicate with constituents.

Petrova said that for government, the most significant barrier in meeting language needs is budget constraints, especially since COVID-19 pandemic recovery efforts have required significant financial investment. However, she emphasized that Title VI explicitly prohibits discrimination based on national origin.

“We do not have a state language, and no matter where we come from, we have to have equal access to information,” she said, emphasizing more than 350 languages are spoken in the U.S.

Governments can access data through Ad Astra platforms about demographic information, Petrova said, to inform community planning and budgeting.

A significant number of Americans are LEP — 8 percent of people age 5 or older living in the U.S., according to analysis of the 2021 American Community Survey. Petrova underlined the importance of these individuals having the same information as the rest of the population when it comes to elections; and she noted that helping government improve communications will make them more successful in their missions to serve constituents.

With the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, Petrova said she expects AI-powered language access solutions to become increasingly popular. AI is an important tool, she said, but to effectively use it to serve communities, a human relationship powered by trust is critical.

Tags:

Election TechAccessibilityLocal GovernmentGovernment ExperienceArtificial Intelligence

Julia Edinger

Julia Edinger is a staff writer for Government Technology. She has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Toledo and has since worked in publishing and media. She's currently located in Southern California.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.—A Georgia football win Saturday will keep the No. 2 Bulldogs season chugging along.

A Florida upset as a more than two-touchdown underdog would breathe new life into Billy Napier’s three season-run in Gainesville.

The annual rivalry game—shown nationally this time on ABC—returns to EverBank Stadium with half the seats designated for Bulldog fans and the other half to Gators fans.

“I’d probably say it’s personal,” Georgia senior wide receiver Arian Smith said. “You already know it’s going to be a physical game so obviously it feels like a good win when we come out of there and our fans are right there cheering for us and you see the other side clearing out.”

Two Georgia secondary starters, safety Dan Jackson and nickel back Joenel Aguero, are set to sit out the first half as suspensions for targeting calls in the second half at Texas.

That is expected to push KJ Bolden, the 5-star freshman safety from Buford, into the starting lineup.

“The biggest thing for him is to realize you’ve been doing it for a while,” safety Malaki Starks said. “A start is a start however you look at it. He’s been playing really good ball this year and he just needs to go out there and be himself. …He’s a such a great athlete. He wants it so bad. I have no doubt he can go out there and do his thing.

2:29 p.m. Mike Bobo, Russ Callaway catching up

Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo was on the field just now chatting with Florida tight ends coach and co-offensive coordinator Russ Callaway, son of Neil Callaway who Bobo worked under when he first was on Mark Richt's coaching staff. Callaway is an Oconee County graduate.

2:12 p.m. Jordan Hall, Tate Ratledge Georgia gameday availability report update

Georgia offensive guard Tate Ratledge (ankle) and defensive lineman Jordan Hall (legs) have been upgraded from probably to no longer listed on the final SEC availability report. So they are at least available to play.

2:07 p.m. NFL scouts on hand for Georgia-Florida

In a game in an NFL stadium, representatives from nine NFL teams are credentialed. They include the Panthers, Bears, Cowboys, Jaguars (easy trip), Rams, Dolphins, Patriots, Jets and Commanders.

1:13 p.m. Tate Ratledge a game captain on day he's likely to return

Georgia offensive guard Tate Ratledge is one of four game captains as he looks like he'll be available to return after missing four games with a high ankle injury. The other captains are Carson Beck in his return to his hometown of Jacksonville, Chad Chambliss and CJ Allen.

Coach Kirby Smart said of Ratledge on the SEC Network this morning: “We’re hoping he’ll be able to play at least in some role.”

1:02 p.m. Kirby Smart on missing Dan Jackson for the first half

On a video interview with the SEC Network's SEC Nation show Saturday morning, Kirby Smart addressed not having Dan Jackson for the first half due to the targeting suspension.

“Dan is a critical piece man," Smart said. "He keeps everybody on the same page, he communicates across the board. He and Malaki have been best buddies for three years now. We’re going to be without him for a half. The good news is we’ve played KJ Bolden, a young, really talented player all year. He’s rotated and played a lot of football. In our mind, he’s a starter so we’re repping to plug and play a guy who’s played a lot of snaps.”

12:46 p.m. Your referee for Georgia-Florida

In case you are wondering, Matt Loeffler isn't the referee today. It's Daniel Gautreaux. Loeffler, who headed the crew for Georgia-Texas with the controversial reverse pass interference call, did not work a game last week, but the SEC did not say that was because of any discipline.

Georgia vs Florida score updates

This section will be updated when the game begins

Georgia vs Florida time today

What channel is Georgia vs Florida game on today?

NOTE: Georgia vs. Florida will be broadcast nationally on ABC. Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit will call the game from the booth at EverBank Stadium, with Holly Rowe reporting from the sidelines. Streaming options for the game include ESPN+. (Subscription needed) and FUBO, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.

Georgia vs Florida history

Georgia vs Florida predictions

Georgia 34, Florida 20

The Gators three losses have all come against College Football Playoff contenders Miami, Tennessee and Texas A&M, but its best win is probably Kentucky. Georgia is 14th in the SEC in rushing at 130.3 yards per game but former Gator Trevor Etienne is coming off a three touchdown game at Texas and the offensive line could be back to full strength.

Georgia vs Florida betting odds

Game lines and odds from BetMGM as of Saturday:

Georgia vs Florida injury updates

Georgia: OG Tate Ratledge (ankle, probable), ILB Smael Mondon (foot, out) DL Jordan Hall (legs, probable), RB Roderick Robinson (toe, out), RB Branson Robinson (foot, out), DL Joseph Jonah-Ajonye (lower extremity, out), WR Anthony Evans (undisclosed, out).

Florida: WR Eugene Wilson (hip, out), DB Ja'Keem Jackson (undisclosed, out), DB Jason Marshall Jr. (shoulder, out), QB Graham Mertz (knee, out), DB Asa Turner (undisclosed, out), WR Khaleil Jackson (knee, out), OL Devon Manuel (knee, out), OL Roderick Kearney (undisclosed, out), DL Jamari Lyons (ankle, out), RB Montrell Johnson Jr. (knee, questionable), OL Damieon George Jr. (undisclosed, questionable), RB Treyaun Webb (undisclosed, out).

Georgia vs. Florida weather update

The forecast calls for party cloudy skies with a high temperature of 81 degrees and dropping to 74 near the end of the game, according to weather.com.

Georgia football 2024 schedule

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Florida football 2024 schedule

Georgia football news

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Athens was quickly returning to normal Saturday in the wake of damage caused by Hurricane Helene, a major storm event that made a path of flood waters and severe winds over Georgia Thursday and Friday morning.

The Classic City and neighboring towns fared much better than cities in south Georgia, the Augusta area and the northeast Georgia mountains.

The University of Georgia reported Saturday that there was no significant damage to buildings on campus. Classes were closed last Thursday and Friday, but normal operations will begin on Monday. UGA buses are already back in operation on Friday.

“We are fortunate that Athens did not experience more significant damage during the storm and our thoughts are with those around the state and Southeast who were more deeply impacted by Hurricane Helene,” a UGA announcement stated.

Weather Outlook:Helene finally moves through Georgia, but other storms out in the tropics. What to know

Outside the campus, the major power line failure occurred on the northern section of the Athens Perimeter where a downed high voltage power line closed the highway for hours before the line was replaced.

The Georgia EMC, a association for electric membership corporations across the state, reported Saturday that 435,000 customers lost power due to the storm, but by Saturday morning this number was reduced to 334,000.

Much of the power outages were due to the damage caused to high-voltage transmission lines, which have to be replaced before electricity can run through lines servicing homes, according to its statement

Athens is in the EMC metro section of its service areas and it reported that about 540 customers in this wide area remained without power. Thousands of outages remain in south and southeast Georgia along with counties in far northeast Georgia.

Jackson EMC, which has customers in 10 counties, reported outages that include 46 in Clarke, 443 in Jackson, 351 in Madison, 201 in Banks, and three in Oglethorpe. Many of those were expected to be corrected Saturday.

Jackson EMC also reported that hundreds of workers from EMC groups outside Georgia are in the state assisting with the restoration work.

The EMC also reminded residents dealing with fallen trees to know that some could still have live power lines that would be deadly.

Also, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources reported Saturday that its wardens were deployed to help with the removal of trees off roadways throughout the state. The crews are using chainsaws and heavy equipment to clear roads.

The Georgia Power outage map shows that about noon Saturday that only 12 outages remained in Athens-Clarke County.