Augusta-Richmond County, Georgia SperlingViews

Downtown Augusta is about 20 to 30 years behind other downtowns. It's an extensive area with lots of historic properties like Savannah or Charleston, but don't expect to find a boom in office/retail or loft/condo projects -- not yet anyway. The general public seems to have turned its back on the area and only random festivals at the commons park or "First Friday" draw crowds. A much-touted riverfront condo project is plagued with lead and aresenic poison. There's a decent-sized homeless population downtown and neighbohoods to the south, east, and west each have some unkept areas and suffer from impoverishment.

Downtown aside, the service sector seems to be thriving in Augusta with virtually everything along Washington Rd (I-20 area) or Bobby Jones Exwy (I-520). I read a lot of postings about herrendous traffic and road rage in some cities, but I've witnessed none of that here. I drive both interstates everyday and only see traffic back up when there's an accident. Crazy fast drivers are few and far between.

Government is the major employer the area with Fort Gordon, Medical College of Georgia, Savannah River Site (nuclear research), and the school districts. You would think the area would be a hotbed for high-tech companies, but I don't see much of that here. The area is still transforming from the old manufacturing and textile industries and the lack of a large research university doesn't help things (although Augusta State is growing).

Overall Augusta was a great move for me. Everything is convenient and the city is stress-free. I would look at the area if you are considering the Southeast. It's not a "trendy" place like Raleigh, but has a bright, long-term future.

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You Get What You Pay For - 1/3/2013

I guess if there is one positive thing to say about Augusta is that it is very affordable. Housing in incredibly cheap... but beware.. you get what you pay for. There is a reason why Augusta is so cheap: people don't want to live there! It's the basic principle of economics: supply and demand. In fact, despite the cheap prices, the population of Augusta has been stagnant for nearly 20 years. Maybe this is why: 1. Crime is very high. For a medium sized city, the crime in Augusta rivals that of much bigger cities and certain parts of town appear to have been completely taken over by gangs. 2. Schools are awful. If you have to live in Augusta, you better be able to afford private school (so you see even though housing is cheap, you pay in other ways). There are a few magnet schools which are touted by all of the local so-called leaders, but they are not representative of the system as a whole, and getting into one is like winning the lottery, and even they are average at best. 3. Extreme Boredom. Augusta is the kind of place where entertainment is hanging out at the local mall. That is about all there is to do for young people, or go to the movies, and even when it comes to that you have subpar theaters to choose from. The downtown area looks like a ghost town and their Riverwalk is rundown and frequented by thugs and criminals. 4. Ghetto. Ghetto. Ghetto. These three words best describe most of Augusta. It's like the whole town just gave up on itself decades ago. They try to spruce up for the once a year Masters tournament.. but even that is a half-hearted attempt confined to areas right around the golf course. Other areas of town resemble third world conditions. When a house catches fire in Augusta, it is just allowed to sit there and rot for years until it eventually caves in on itself. And you see this all of town. 5. Dysfunctional Government. Basically idiots are in charge of the place. Most of them cannot even speak correct intelligible English. Racial politics rule. I have never seen a city so racially divided in my life.It's like they are still fighting the civil war down there. 6. Incompetence Galore. You can forget getting good service at any restaurant or retail store or anywhere else in Augusta for that matter. The awful education system, coupled with a general lazy attitude has resulted in a culture of extreme incompetence. After living in Augusta for 3 years, I dont think we once had a meal out at a restaurant that was not screwed up in some way. 7. Crude and Rude Locals. Forget Southern Hospitality, most Augustans are crude and rude and do not know how to behave in public. Think of an entire town of 200,000 populated by the Honey Boo Boo family. You cannot go see a movie in Augusta without it being interrupted by an extra soundtrack. We attended several concerts and invariably they were disrupted by a drunk redneck getting into a fight or just yelling and being obnoxious. 8. Cultural wasteland. If you are looking for Culture in Augusta.. look elsewhere. I could go on.. but I think you get the picture. Like I said, Augusta is a cheap place to live, but just remember that you get what you pay for.[read more...]

the whole state sucks they are living back in days - 2/28/2012

i lived seven years in georgia it was the most awful seven years of my life.everything about gerorgia is has true has the nose on your face. the state sucks. racizm flocks the towns of grovetown, augusta and harlem. the crime is so bad you can go your door without protection in your hand or pocket.the heat is a other factor hhhhhhhhhhhhooooooooooooootttttttttttttttt in the summer and dusty and dirty in the winter. if you are looking for a nice place to live move ot denver,colorado. the weather is better and the people are much more modern and down to earth there is also alot more attractions in colorado than georiga.[read more...]

Show me the way out! - 2/17/2011

In 12/08 I had the opportunity to relocate from my home to what I lovingly call "DISgusta" Georgia. I have never made a worse mistake in my life and cannot wait too escape. The socio-economic climate here is absolutely terrible. It seems in many ways they are still fighting the civil war. There are two classes of people here, the very rich and everybody else. And there is A LOT more everybody else. Unemployment is sky rocketing here and subsequently so is the crime rate. The town is filthy and littered with run down and abandoned buildings, factories, homes, and schools. The level of education here is...well let's just say far less then adequate. The streets are in terrible condition and traffic patterns are not conducive to allowing quick conveyence by any means. The general attitude of the populace seems to be 'When I hold out my hand, you put something in it because you owe me." I was unfortunately unable to do much research prior to moving here. I came for a short visit too find a home and get things going. I was rushed and only saw what I came here to see. Within 2 months I knew I had really made a major error. Of course if you visit the web site for the city you will be impressed by the seemingly picturesque charm. Don't be fooled, it is a lure to suck you in, they need a constant supply of new money and tax dollars coming in to replace those that are leaving in droves. This place is like a vampire sucking the life right out of any unfortunate souls that happen to cross it's path. Beware! Stay away! I myself am leaving ASAP and if Tiger Woods were to call me and offer me a free luxury trip to come see him play the master's, I will certainly decline. When I leave I will not return ever.[read more...]

looking to relocate - 1/8/2010

Want to move to the georgia area. We are interested[read more...]

Good economy and quality of life - 12/30/2009

Augusta has good job growth and is quite diversified in the employment area. Manufacturing, medical, professional, service, etc. The good ol' boy politics of years ago are basically gone, thanks to a few key elections recently. Good housing value, too. Like every city in the USA, there are negative people who love to comment. And, as everyone knows, negative people do the majority of web posting. I've read Sperling's reviews on plenty of cities, and the majority of the comments in those cities are negative, too. Augusta is a good place, and the overwhelming majority of us here like it a lot.[read more...]

Ah the local flavor, scent and bacterial infection - 10/8/2009

Augusta is generally called Disgusta by most people 45 and younger. If the U.S. economy was better I would move away in the time it took to pack and fill up on petrol. Crime? The only thing secure here is my job. Education? Ask the cops; no one knows the alphabet. The cops? Remember to duck. The Governmant in general? Keep bribe money handy and you'll be OK. Now, the mayor (2009) is actually pretty amazing. Too bad he can't impeach everyone else in government, import some people who can't be bought and are as well balanced and unbiased as Deke is and the government would be pretty nice. Climate? If you like to swim, the 150% humidity would be great for you. State and Federal comissions claim the humidity is only about 100%. . . Golf? It's like the humidity and if you don't play, like the deal with the cops, remember to duck.[read more...]

Augusta is booming with growth. - 8/1/2009

Augusta is a booming city and metro area. Tons of new retail since 2007. Alot of construction projects going on downtown. Downtown is becoming a trendy place to live. Several cultural amenities like the Miller theatre. Being added to downtown Augusta. Augusta is the fastest growing metro outside of Atlanta. Great and fast growing suburbs. Big suburbs Evans, Martinez, North Augsuta, and Martinez. Smaller suburbs Hephzibah, Thomson, Edgefield, Waynesboro, Grovetown, and Belvedere.[read more...]

Meh - 4/26/2009

If you like mild winter, hot, hot summers, and good ol' boy politics around town, then this is your place. Housing is fairly cheap and if you like drinking, there are plenty of bars downtown. There's a lot of "separation" - you know where the "types" of people live, and it's not just by neighborhood. Eh, it's okay.[read more...]

New jobs here - 2/12/2009

Augusta is a growing city, with more than 9000 new jobs in the past two years. Automatic Data Processing is about to hire another 500+ people, and just finished their new office building in Augusta. New restaurants and shopping, a downtown that is thriving, etc.[read more...]

We got out as soon as we could - 10/1/2008

We were actually looking forward to the move to Augusta, but living there completely changed our mind. The biggest complaint I have is the public school system. It is horrible! Yes there are a couple of magnet schools that apparently are highly rated, but because the remainder of the schools are so atrocious, there is a long waiting list to get into these magnet schools, believe me, we tried. Then you have all the disciplinary problems, major gang fights almost every week, and teachers that are so unqualified that they were probably rejected from Wal-Mart. TRhe curriculum was about 2 years behind what our kids were used to.. pathetic doesn't begin to describe it. Then the city itself is nothing spectacular. It's mostly nothing but suburban sprawl. You have the nicer suburbs on the westside and the ghetto suburbs on the east and southside. Augusta has a lot of ghetto areas.. about 2/3rds of the city is "ghetto". There are few things for families and children to do. There ios a shopping mall, and that's about it. The dopwntown is pretty run down. It seems like they are making an effort to clean it up, but we didn;t notice anything down there worth visiting on a regular basis. It doesn't seem safe at night, very little lighting, and not a lot of people. Augusta could be a nice city, but we got the impression that people there just don't care. As soon as a job offer became available elsewhere, we got out.[read more...]

Mixed feelings - 9/3/2008

I have lived here for 16 years. Yes, there are people who are missing teeth, and who are uneducated. Yes, there are extremely religious conservatives who want to push their own agenda. No, I didn't want to move here when my spouse received his job offer. However, Augusta has grown on me. I have seen the downtown change for the better. There are new restaurants, bars and coffeeshops that didn't exist in 1992. Of course, we still have those chain restaurants on Washington Road (which could be called "Bun Row.") But we are getting more and more experimental cuisine. Unfortunately, sometimes they don't last long, because it does seem that most folks want Applebee's and the like. There are several small theatre groups in Augusta, and we have several Choral societies and a ballet and orchestra. We have a history museum and an art museum. And yes, Atlanta is 2+ hours away via one of the most boring roads in the country, I-20. But Columbia, SC is only 1 hour away, and as a capital city with a university has much to offer in the way of arts events. I wish the schools in Richmond County were better. However, we do have one of the nation's top middle/high schools: Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School. (Check it out if you don't believe me!) Columbia County has a better tax base, and newer schools, but it is being overrun with strip malls. The houses in Columbia county are more expensive, for the most part. We live in Richmond County, and our child attends a magnet Elementary/Middle school, with which we are mostly pleased about. What I would tell anyone is is considering moving here is this: One has to find there own community within the bigger picture. So whether that is a religious community, a Country Club community, or a Gay or Lesbian community, we have it all! Once we were able to connect with people through our Episcopal church, we began to feel more at home. I do run into ignorant, uneducated, toothless people occasionally(and BTW, those characteristics are not synonymous,)but you know what? I've run into those kinds of people everywhere, in large and small cities! Just because Georgia has a reputation of ignorance doesn't mean that ignorance abounds everywhere. Do I want to retire here? Probably not, because my heart is in North Carolina. But for now, it's okay. We supplement our child's education with trips to other places, cultural events, and books. We have friends here that I would be sad to leave. So give Augusta/Richmond County a shot, or Columbia County for that matter. Find your niche and make a life![read more...]

where i live - 8/17/2008

i'm originally from GA, but i live in germany.  i've been here for 3 years.  it's too cold!  i need to be back in that good old southern climate![read more...]

Augusta is a good place - 3/28/2008

The new jobs being created in Augusta is unbelieveable. Automatic Data Processing with 1000 jobs, T-Mobile with 800 jobs and so forth. Augusta is no longer the divisive city it once was. The new mayor and new commission are doing great. New baseball stadium is being planned for the riverfront, a new town center at Augusta Mall added a bunch of new stores, there is a new terminal at the Augusta Airport. You can fly only to Atlanta or Charlotte from Augusta, but the prices are...many times...more reasonable than other airports. I just flew to St Louis from Augusta for $212. It was $279 from Atlanta, $289 from Charlotte, and $412 from Columbia.[read more...]

Augusta/Martinez, GA - 1/5/2008

I have lived in the Augusta/Martinez are since the year 2001 and I have to say it has been a nice experience from the begining. Martinez is not very big, with Augusta and Evans right next door. There is not a big difference between these cities, so you will not notice when you have crossed from one city to the other. I have to say there is not much to do in the Martinez/Augusta/Evans area. There are many restaurants, two main movie theaters, and a "dollar" theater with old movies (in case you missed watching a movie on the big screen and it is already out of the "regular" theaters.) The fun comes from going out to clubs/bars/cafes at night. You can also go to Downtown Augusta every first friday of the month along with many more people, when many restaurants and bussinesses are open late. There are events such as "Christmas Made in the South" and "Border Bash" where many people go to set up tents and sell crafts or see bands play music along the Savannah river. Traffic is not horrible, unless there are road constructions, which has been going on lately to make traffic even better in the future. Most stores are within 10-15 miles, I'd say. There is no long drives to go to church, the mall, school etc. unless you want to go to the beach. There is a small airport from which you can go to Atlanta, and Charlottle mainly. What I've done is fly from Augusta to Atlanta or Charlotte and from there take another flight to a different city. Crime rate is pretty low. People leave convertible cars outside stores with the tops down all the time. You won't hear many news about crime related activities on tv. Then again, every city has its "bad" sections and Augusta is not without these. I also have to say I had a good experience in school, even though I went to a private high school, though I went on to college in Augusta. It should go without saying that Augusta is home to the Masters golf tournament and, for those that can afford the tickets, going to watch the golfers play is a nice/fun experience. During this week traffic is actually pretty bad, but most schools take this week as their spring break. Winters are not particularly cold in Augusta, with rare chances of snow but a few ice storms here and there. The summers are pretty hot and humid, though. To summarize, Augusta is a very nice city to live in, with history and nice people all around it. You won't die from having too much fun, but many things make up for this.[read more...]

Not Impressed - 10/21/2007

We found Augusta to be a very dirty and boring city. The downtown is really run down with few businesses or people. There are alot of derelict buildings everywhere. There are few good paying jobs..unless you work at a hospital. The city is overall very bland and lacks the Southern charm you find in places like Savannah and Charleston..we couldn't even find a really good Southern restaurant in Augusta, nearly everything is a chain. The people seemed very uneducated and uncultured.[read more...]

Miserable City - 10/21/2007

My husband had a choice between taking a job in Augusta or Greenville, SC.. so we extensively researched both places and visited both cities. It was not even close. Greenville has so much more going for it than Augusta. The first thing we noticed about Augusta was how run down it looked..a lot of abandoned, boarded up buildings, trash everywhere, overgrown vacant lots. The place just looked depressed. We investigated the downtown and it was virtually empty of people. There were a few antique shops here and there and a few restaurants, but you hardly saw anyone walking around. Downtown Greenville on the other hand was bustling with activity with lots of restaurants and shops, and tons of people. Walking in downtown Greenville put you in a good mood; walking in downtown Augusta made you need to take an anti-depressant. It didn't take us long to come to the conclusion that we wanted no part of living in Augusta. I will say that the riverfront in Augusta was impressive, but there were no people.. it might as well have been on Mars.[read more...]

BYPASS! - 8/20/2007

Augusta, has nothing going for it. Crime and Poverty everywhere in Augusta. Unemployment rate is high. Racism still is very evident, even among same races...I have never seen so many over weight, gaped mouthed missing teeth ppl in one area. Cars on the roads are beat up, or nothing that stands out. There are only 2-3 main streets(Wasington Rd, Wrightsboro, Bobby Jones) that take you to everything from N. Augusta(which is small and coutry) to S. Augusta/Inwhich is called Hephzibah- i know this ia America, not the Mid East but..( which is desolate and ghetto), to Martinez, and Evans which is growing true, but is all centered from one main road and not mention these 2 cities are not very big. Augusta is 2 hrs away from ATL..The weather is extremely hot and humid- like PHX weather, but never dry...Warm winters.. A whole city built of greed, racism, fakes, etc... The dwn twn is one street that is like 8 blocks long and then you have some rr tracks. Building condemmed, and outdated..and a few stripclubs...one mall(they have just built an extension too an outside plaza type setting...there are alot of churches, and car lots. ppl look at you if you have any type of tech bckgd, or ent creds like you just got off the short bus..they cant handle enterprising ideas, or suggestions, too much to handle..ppl here think that the world beats around Augusta LOL!!! the radio stations here are even more of a reminder you dont want to be here- the dj's are country and talk too damn much about stupid stuff..a celeb comes to the station and the idiots there are acting like they have never been through civilization..its so stupid and ghetto...even the top 40 statio her they just got lik 2 yrs ago the continuously play the same stuff, and...i can't speak anymore on it- i am getting a headache just tinking about it, and like a M.Vick when he goes to prison I will be awaiting the day I leave theA.U.G as they say, or to be politically correct CSRA, and get back to a real city where life is at, and so from on this you can visit if you want to!!!! ps MAsters here is ridiculously whack!!!, oh and they have a first friday dwntwn that hardly anyone goes too!!! and another thing the police mess with ppl so bad here Augusta, and MArtinez/Evans that at leats 85% of ppl here have been detained from misdeameanors to felonies...the schools are bad, slow in what they are teaching...[read more...]

Just can't get there... - 5/13/2007

The metro Augusta area continues to find reasons of not raising the quality of the city. The retail growth has been out in Columbia County but again stalled and new projects have been "indefinitely postponed". According to my wife, "there is no clothes or shoe shopping here - and Atlanta is 2 hours away". There are only 3 good quality restaurants - unless you count the many chains. But there are 14 different fried chicken places. The city can be an embarrasement to The Masters. Washington Road is full of cheap hotels and fast food places. The politics in town are rehashing the same problems as 30 years ago - even with a young and vibrant new mayor, it's the same "black versus white" it has always been. There are a few black leaders who must find it very good for their ego's to promote the discourse. And while I'm a black man who has lived here most of his life, it's terrible to see the city rot away like this.[read more...]

Ross S is totally wrong about Augusta - 2/23/2007

Unfortunately, there are some people who feel an urge to vent, and Ross S bashed Augusta. The truth is simple. Augusta has seen substantial growth and progress in recent years, including major improvements to downtown, a new town center shopping area, a new data processing center (ADP) announcing 1,000 new jobs in Augusta, a political system that is progressing forward under the leadership of a young and enthusiastic mayor, and so many more exciting things. New retail growth is unprecedented. Excellent new jobs, good paying jobs, are being created. Sure, there is more that needs to be done. Ross S exaggerates about the manufacturing odors, and the problems during Masters Week. Hopefully, he will find Houston more to his liking when he moves back.[read more...]

Augusta has much to offer; part 2 - 1/1/2007

Downtown Augusta is about 20 to 30 years behind other downtowns. It's an extensive area with lots of historic properties like Savannah or Charleston, but don't expect to find a boom in office/retail or loft/condo projects -- not yet anyway. The general public seems to have turned its back on the area and only random festivals at the commons park or "First Friday" draw crowds. A much-touted riverfront condo project is plagued with lead and aresenic poison. There's a decent-sized homeless population downtown and neighbohoods to the south, east, and west each have some unkept areas and suffer from impoverishment. Downtown aside, the service sector seems to be thriving in Augusta with virtually everything along Washington Rd (I-20 area) or Bobby Jones Exwy (I-520). I read a lot of postings about herrendous traffic and road rage in some cities, but I've witnessed none of that here. I drive both interstates everyday and only see traffic back up when there's an accident. Crazy fast drivers are few and far between. Government is the major employer the area with Fort Gordon, Medical College of Georgia, Savannah River Site (nuclear research), and the school districts. You would think the area would be a hotbed for high-tech companies, but I don't see much of that here. The area is still transforming from the old manufacturing and textile industries and the lack of a large research university doesn't help things (although Augusta State is growing). Overall Augusta was a great move for me. Everything is convenient and the city is stress-free. I would look at the area if you are considering the Southeast. It's not a "trendy" place like Raleigh, but has a bright, long-term future.[read more...]