About Athens, GA

Athens is an amazing city with so much to offer you during your residency. It is a city bustling with life, from its downtown energy to the rural farmlands. Whether you are looking for a busy downtown scene, outdoor activities in nature, or an abundance of sports events, Athens is a place you will love to call home.
 

Athens is a vibrant college town, home to the University of Georgia, America’s first state-chartered university and the birthplace of the American public higher education system. At the heart of Athens is a downtown packed with live music venues, bars, restaurants and eclectic shops.

Live music has been a staple in the Athens social scene since the late 70s. The Athens music sound has exploded and given rise to countless famous bands, such as R.E.M., The B-52’s, Drive-By Truckers and Widespread Panic, who have all gone on to achieve international acclaim. Live music is always thriving in Athens, with regular performances at venues throughout the city, such as the Georgia Theatre, The Foundry, The Classic Center and the 40 Watt Club.

If live music isn’t your idea of a good time on a Friday night, fear not, Athens is also home to an eclectic array of casual and fine-dining restaurants. A food scene truly created with "a little something for everyone" in mind. Available cuisines range from traditional Soul Food to Nuevo Southern and branch out into an exciting range of food from around the globe; Thai, Indian, Korean, Latin American and Mediterranean are only a few of the cultural foods available throughout the Classic City. For the fans of craft beer, Athens has an abundance of it. Breweries such as Terrapin Beer Co., Creature Comforts, Southern Brewing, Akademia and Athentic Brewing offer a wide range of craft beers to choose from and outdoor space to hang out with friends.

Many areas in Athens provide a venue to walk, run, bike, skate, picnic, kayak, fish and hike. The State Botanical Garden of Georgia, Sandy Creek Park, Oconee Rivers Greenway, Bishop Park and UGA Intramural Trails are just a few of the places you can go in Athens to get fresh air. Beyond the city limits, there are many hiking trails within an hour's drive that provide beautiful scenes of the Georgia Blue Ridge mountains.

Athens, GA, will satisfy you with its rich history, endless restaurants and bars, variety of outdoor activities, museums, passionate sports scene and more. If you choose the Piedmont Athens Regional for your residency, you can be sure that your life outside of the hospital will be filled with rich experiences and memories that will last a lifetime.

Many words can be used to describe the Classic City –Athens: vibrant, picturesque and most importantly, unique. Yes, it’s a small college town, but it is full of life. Small in terms of not having to drive long distances to get to your destination, which I believe is essential during residency when all you want in the morning is to sleep for a few more minutes and in the evening to get home as soon as possible. Ever since I came here, there have always been fun activities during the week and definitely over the weekends, including live music and one-of-a-kind local eats that you can never get enough of. Also, for those interested in art and culture like me, Athens can fulfill this interest with its beautiful Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia. And whenever you miss the big city, then Atlanta is only an hour and 15 minutes away, an easy and smooth drive.” 

- Huda Al-Bahadili, MD,  Graduate

Athens Accolades

• "25 Best College Towns and Cities," Travel + Leisure, September 9, 2022
• "12 Best Places to Travel in October 2022," Travel + Leisure, August 22, 2022
• "16 Actually Cool Things to Do in Athens, Georgia," Thrillist.com, March 28, 2022
• "South's Best College Town", Southern Living, March 8, 2022
• Discover USA Series, Budget Traveler, February 11, 2022
• "30 Most Charming Small Town Downtowns in America," HGTV, February 8, 2022
• "10 Best Places for a Cycling Vacation," Lonely Planet, January 19, 2022
• Georgia's "Best Trips of the Year," Explore Georgia
• "The Coolest City to Visit in Each State," The Discoverer, December 2021
• "The Most Underrated Travel Destinations in the U.S." HuffPost, November 18, 2021
• Best Cities in the US for Craft Beers and Brews" (Athens is #15), Fodors.com, November 2021
• "College Football's 25 Best Tailgates in 2021" (UGA is #5), 247sports.com, August 18, 2021
• "Best Cheap Vacations in the US," University Magazine (Canada), August 4, 2021
• Best Places to Retire in 2019,” Forbes, April 23, 2019
• “9 Georgia Getaways Perfect for a Girls’ Trip,” Southern Living, April 2019
• 40 Watt Club, “10 Best Small Music Venues in the US,” Uproxx, April 3, 2019
• “6 Best Southern Destinations for Art Lovers,” This is My South, April 2019
• Terrapin Brewery, “MLB Ballpark Beer Guide,” Sports Illustrated, March 2019
• “25 Best Romantic Getaways for Couples,” Vacation Idea, March 2019
• “Coolest City to Visit in Each State,” The Discoverer Blog, February 2019
• “Best college football tailgate locations for 2019,” #3, 247sports.com, August 17, 2019
• “Stunning alternative cities you’ve never thought of visiting but really should,” BestTravelTale.com, August 7, 2019
• UGA is #1 “Greatest Mascot in College Football History,” Sports Illustrated, August 12, 2019
• “College Football’s Greatest College Towns,” #2, Sports Illustrated, August 12, 2019
• 15 Under-the-Radar Places to Visit Before they get Popular, CheatSheet, June 19, 2019
• Thor drinks Creature Comforts! How a local Athens craft beer ended up in Avengers: End Game
• “‘Avengers: End Game’ gives Athens, Georgia craft beer some screen time,” USA Today,  May 8, 2019
• Thor and an IPA: How Craft Beer Caught Marvel’s Attention, CraftBeer.com, May 1, 2019
• How Creature Comforts Beer Scored That Starring Role in ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ EldridgeATL.com, April 30, 2019
• How Creature Comforts Became Thor’s Beer of Choice in Avengers: Endgame, AtlantaMagazine.com, May 1, 2019