Athens vs. Talahassee/Fayetteville/Ashville

[southernbagz]

From the Athens Banner- Herald 6/5/2009




The FBI has confirmed what Athens residents and police already knew - that almost every type of crime is on the rise here.
More people were the victims of robbery, burglary or car break-ins last year than in 2007 for a hodgepodge of reasons - a deep recession, as well as perennial problems like drug abuse, poverty and high-school dropouts - that make for revolving jailhouse doors, according to officials...


Most types of crime up | News | OnlineAthens.com

[Shagbark Hickory]

Originally Posted by itsajourney

Why would I???? You already know--everything....

Nope, didn't take it personally--I'm the only one that referred to Raleigh--so you weren't addressing my post---as an intelligent human being I realize that.

PS-I didn't realize that the OP was looking for a "quaint, charming, New England college town". In that case, none of the above fit. They are not the least bit like a quaint, charming, New England college town--and yes, I've spent a lot of time in the real New England--Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Some people throw in Rhode Island too--Others put that in the Mid-Atlantic.

PSS-OOPS--I forgot to include LIBERAL in all of the above...

And if you weren't referring to me then why did you include the statement about "but they obviously don't live there anymore." Communication was only my major in college with journalism being my minor...guess I'm the one really confused here????

If you want to avoid skirmishes on internet message boards, it helps to read the posts.

[itsajourney]

Originally Posted by Shagbark Hickory

If you want to avoid skirmishes on internet message boards, it helps to read the posts.

ok Shagbark--this is going to be the last time I am going to address you--cause in most every post you make you are always trying to stir the pot.

I had to about the time it takes you to get to the beach on another post where you went back and forth with someone the same way you are doing with me. By the way, I would rather be riding with the other person to the beach--cause you would be taking some detours that aren't exactly the quickest way to get there.

Ditto to you on your own advice--no where in the ORIGINAL POST does OP state he is looking for NEW ENGLAND. Nor does he use all of the adjectives of which you have added in trying to interpret what it is you think he wants. He is looking for southern towns.

In a nutshell, take your time in reading the posts so that an intelligent response can be offered. Don't try telling people they said things they didn't. Don't make assumptions about why people do things when your really don't know. The best way to avoid "skirmishes" is to stop adding fuel to the fire.

So, no matter what you say in response to this, which you will be compelled to do (if you don't, it will only be because of this comment), I will not spend 1 more second dealing with the pettiness of this.

THE LAST WORD IS YOURS IF YOU CARE TO HAVE IT...

Have a great day!!!

PS Just so you know, when I said none of the above would fit--that would mean Tallahassee, Athens, Asheville, Fayetteville.

[FFG3]

It wasn't detours but more of "going around your elbow to get to your a$$"

don't pay attention to this poster. Obvioulsy very ignorant. =[-

[Shagbark Hickory]

Originally Posted by itsajourney

I had to about the time it takes you to get to the beach on another post where you went back and forth with someone the same way you are doing with me.

That was yet another person with selective reading. Read before handing out the insults.

Originally Posted by itsajourney

In a nutshell, take your time in reading the posts so that an intelligent response can be offered. Don't try telling people they said things they didn't.

Look who's talking.

I thought your initial reply was actually quite helpful. I was going to compliment you on that even though you turned out to be really mean. I hope we never cross paths on this forum ever again. You really know how to hurt people.

[Ollie1946]

i actually live in athens. i urge you to do a search on this site and you will find a number of previous posts concerning athens. no need to repeat them here. as i have suggested to others who are interested in athens, i would recommend you check into auburn, al; chapel hill, nc and clemson, sc. athens does have some serious issues right now especially with crime. it isn't atlanta to be sure, but it is bothersome especially for woman out alone even in broad daylight.

i would actually give greenville, sc a good look as well. its downtown is really nice and there are a number of condos downtown and lofts. it also has some good eating places and fairly close access to the sc coast as well as into the western nc mountains. greenville is a couple of hours from athens and 30 minutes or less from clemson. in other words, you should be able to get to all the acc bb you want.

it is a buyer's market in athens right now for homes. but that means should you decide that athens wasn't the right move, then you are in the same fix as current sellers and that isn't good.

you might try looking in the boulevard area (street) off prince ave for the older homes you seek. it is pricey but nothing like ca. i would just say to you that when you buy and old house you get an old house.

again, do the search for more information.

cheers.

[jwgraves2]

Originally Posted by Shagbark Hickory

Athens is actually quite far from the BEACH. About 6 hours drive Charleston or There are no direct interstates so it takes a while. The coastline in Georgia is marshes and is not accessible. When people in metro atlanta want to go to the beach they normally go to the florida panhandle beaches which is about 4-5 hours by car.

This fails to consider Hilton Head Island. I was born and raised in Hilton Head and graduated from The University of Georgia in Athens. Mapquest says the trip will take you just under 5 hours; I routinely made it in just over 4 going through Augusta. Once you know the route, it's better that you don't go through interstates as it's woods and farms. (Athens-78 to I-20, to North Augusta xt 1, through the Savannah River Site, to Estill, SC, Hwy 321 to Hardeeville, to Hwy 278 Bluffton/Hilton Head.) Not sure if Lakes will suffice, but there is Lake Hartwell near Athens. FYI-Asheville is about 4hrs 20 mins to Isle of Palms...a great beach town in Charleston, SC.

Hilton Head has fishing, kayaking, surfing, boating, sailing and a beautiful, deep beach that millions flock to every year.

Athens is great and so is Asheville. Athens has the added advantage of being near Atlanta for easy air travel, culture, etc. I'd visit both though...check Montford in Asheville and Five Points in Athens for areas that suit your architectural preferences.

Best of luck.

[jwgraves2]

Originally Posted by Shagbark Hickory

I am not familiar with the demographics of athens but it is not that sophisiticated of a place and is not what I would consider charming then again I struggle to recall being in a college town that was.. From what I gather it is primarily people that work for the university or in industries supported by the university e.g. pizza parlors.

These boards are nothing more than a collection of people's opinions; this one seems to offer one that is somewhat self-contradictory. In my view, college towns offer the most sophistication pound-for-pound precisely because of the people who work for the university. Who are those people? Among the most educated people in the world. There are four PhDs on my in-laws' block in Athens with specialties ranging from Poultry Science to Southeast Asian Anthropology. There is always something happening in Athens, like Pick-up Rugby or the Summer Film Series at the Museum of Art. I think (again, opinion) the statement "not that sophisiticated of a place and is not what I would consider charming then again I struggle to recall being in a college town that was" is reckless given the OPs stated preferences. I would say that if the OP is to live in a town with <100k population and wants maximum sophistication, charm and architecture, he should start with college towns.

[Ollie1946]

i am quite familiar with athens. our demographics are damaging the "sophistication" image with over 25% of the population below the poverty level; large amount of public housing; panhandlers downtown, rising crime rate and i mean RISING, seedy/run down buildings on all the routes into town, signs that give you a headache, a university that hires north korean architects to design (monstrosities), a high school dropout rate that hovers at 50%, congestion, cars choking the roads and so it goes. it is 2 hours minimum to the atlanta airport. that is just the travel time IF there are no traffic jams in atlanta (hahahahahahaaha).

it amazes me that athens is portrayed as, or thought of as, some sort of paradise for easy living, cheap living and community spirit. it is like anywhere else. you might make some friends, but you might be lonely too and alone. you might well be a victim of a crime (we have plenty of that). you might find a job, but likely you will not.

athens is just athens with a large (too large) university. the university is the 1000 pound gorilla. it is devouring the city/county. it is the economy. it does provide a venue for concerts ($$$$) and sports (forget football tickets). but it is still a busy, smaller, congested, air polluted, crime affected town.

now let the naysaying begin. but know that my wife is a native athenian and i have lived here off and on since 1969.

[staywarm2]

Athens Downtown

I'm no Athens expert, but we did spend an evening walking all the streets in Athens "downtown" last year. All 5-6 streets. It was during the Jan. Univ. break and it was DEAD! There were few nice shops and hardly any restaurants that weren't student oriented. I wasn't impressed at all. Compare it to Greenville, SC with it's nice restaurants and bars and lovely waterfall.