Tuesday, October 23, 2012

SxSE: Athens, GA


Photo by Josh Hallett flickr.com
Our next stop on our South by Southeast virtual road trip is Athens, Georgia, the home of the Georgia Bulldogs.

♦ Athens is the 9th closest SEC town to Columbia, 734 miles away (606 air miles).  Georgia is in the SEC East Division.

♦ There is an active Atlanta/Georgia Chapter of the Mizzou Alumni Association

Fun Facts about Athens, GA:
♦ A person from CoMo wandering around Athens, GA, may excused if they jump to the conclusion that everyone at UGA loves Sparky's Ice Cream.    Alas, no, but they do love their Uga.

♦ The SEC Guide to Georgia's Home Turf provides an overview of the best food and fun spots in Athens:
You have to go ring the Chapel Bell. Walk by and take a picture by the Arch, but DO NOT walk under it. Only UGA Alumni get that privilege. Walk on the bridge on Sanford Drive right in front of the stadium. BEAUTIFUL sight of the stadium. Go enjoy a drink at Broad Street Bar and grab some pizza at Your Pie. It is THE best. Walk up and down Milledge Avenue (Greek Row). Some of the nicest Greek houses you'll see in the country (especially the KD house, it is HUGE). If you like tennis, hit up the Dan Magill Tennis Complex for Bulldog match and explore the NCAA Tennis Hall of Fame! The Butts-Mehre building is also extremely nice.

R.E.M.
Distinguished UGA alums
♦ There are 5 Chik-fil-a locations in Athens

HolyTurf.com's SEC Bucket List: Athens
# 46 Downtown Athens: On the other side of the legendary Arch is Downtown Athens. “DT,” as many students refer to downtown, represents lots of things for lots of people.

There are plenty of coffee shops for the morning route to class or work. Restaurants are at every turn for a great lunch. And, of course, there is a nightlife which includes 96 bars and a few great music venues. Music and art are coddled and bred on the streets of downtown Athens. The B52s, REM, and Widespread Panic all got their starts in Athens. The 40 Watt and the newly rebuilt Georgia Theatre are probably the two most famous music venues in Athens.

#61 Georgia Arch: Located on the University of Georgia’s historic North Campus is one of the most recognizable symbolic figures and literal landmarks in the state of Georgia. The UGA Arch is located on Broad Street and is the main entrance to the campus. The iron structure helps separate campus and downtown Athens. It was installed in the 1850′s when the front of campus was enclosed with an iron fence. Meaning, the Arch was initially installed with two iron gates within it, but those were removed shortly thereafter.

Legend has it that if a freshman walks directly under the Arch, they will never graduate from the University. That phobia to this day still haunts undergraduates. After graduation, there is always a line from the Arch of new alumni seeking to finally walk under the hallowed structure. The stairs around the Arch are indicative of students’ fear to walk under it. The stairs under the Arch are pristine and appear in incredible condition. However, the stairs to the outside are trodden and worn from generations of students navigating around the Arch to avoid prevention from graduating.
Georgia Arch
Photo by Jonathan Hinkle flickr.com




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