$30M student housing project heads to downtown Athens (Savannah: apartment complexes, crime)

[Airforceguy]

$30M student housing project heads to downtown Athens
$30M student housing project heads to downtown Athens | Online Athens

[Newsboy]

Whatever happened to just shacking up with a bunch of buds in a cheap rundown off-campus apartment?! That's what we always did!

[Ollie1946]

Athens has ordinances against bunches living in a single dwelling. They enforce parking limits in single family dwellings. That's one reason. Another is, there are not all that many "cheap, rundown" dwellings. Much of Athens has been gentrified with people (many former students) living in Athens doing whatever work they can find to remain here. The music scene remains huge and growing. It is a young person's paradise in the entertainment sense. I think there is a Peter Pan thing about this---never growing up. Perhaps another reason is that around 60% (perhaps more now) of the UGA student body is female. If there are struggling students ($$$$) you don't sense it. What I do fear is that many of them are on student loans and we have all read how that deal is working out for the past several years of graduates.

Athens is routinely listed as a desirable place to live to include for retirees. What you rarely hear is that our poverty level is some 30% of the population; crime continues to grow; there is some gang activity (mainly hispanic). Still, the university anchors the town and the economy. I think the median price for homes here is around 160K. Even older neighborhoods remain in pretty good condition. Younger people are buying the older homes and fixing them up. Athens always has a dynamic feel to it.

We now have the UGA Health Science Center here having taken over the old Navy Supply Corps School property. So now there is a medical school here and other attendant medical professional schools. We have 2 highly rated medical centers and loads of physicians, dentists and veterinarians.

It isn't a perfect place, but it beats most I think. Comes as no surprise that there will be another upscale apartment facility here. It will be filled up as soon as it is completed. There are still students whose parents have money.

Cheers.

[Newsboy]

OMG I love Athens ... even more than I love Savannah! Every time I go back, the memories of good times and old friends flood the soul and the atmosphere makes you so glad to be alive --- even on a quiet day when classes aren't in session and the Dawgs aren't playing. It absolutely is one of the most incredible little cities on the planet. You're fortunate to live there! I probably would if I could, though constantly being reminded of how old I am would be a downer LOL!

[brenn21]

Well I assume this will get filled up w/students quickly... hopefully the street-level retail fills in too. I'm still happy to see a movie theater getting built on Epps Bridge, hopefully it'll be a nice place.

[City Guy997S]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

Whatever happened to just shacking up with a bunch of buds in a cheap rundown off-campus apartment?! That's what we always did!

WSJ had an article Friday titled "Resort Living Comes To Campus" and it outlined how many kids have to step down in living standards after graduation!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...134362564.html

[Ollie1946]

More students will live in and very near town. There will be more vacant apartment complexes further out; these will get thugged up. Markets are markets. Cause and effect.

[dichloromethane]

I have to admit, amongst the expansive growth of UGA and Athens in the recent years I'd probably focus more on the increased research expenditure and quality of students more I would the student lifestyle.

But this place is a palace! If I had an infinity pool when I was in school...