SperlingViews - Athens-Clarke_County, Georgia

I lived in Athens for 11 years and now live nearby in Atlanta. I have fond memories and would happy to move back, but for the New Yorker asking about diversity, I say look elsewhere. There's a lot in Athens, but not the kind you're talking about. Athens has strengths all its own--music, restaurants, arts, different kinds of people--but they are things that have little or nothing to do with what people from the northeast often ascribe to "cultural diversity." Many of the New Yorker-types I've met in Athens and Atlanta don't celebrate the diversity a place like Athens offers because they tend to lump all "white" culture together and see just two relevant culture categories: white and non-white. The fact is, though, it's not that simple. Just moving to the South could involve interesting cultural diversity issues for anyone from outside the area. But the "white" culture they think they know because they watched "Forrest Gump," "My Cousin Vinny" and "Dukes of Hazard." Bubba is easy to reject, and they do. My hunch is that someone who asks a question like that, well-intended though they may be, won't be happy there. Try Atlanta. Friend, just the fact that you wondered reveals what you think: because Athens is in the South, it probably isn't diverse or even tolerant.[read more...]

I am a native New Yorker - I've lived in NY all of my life (32 yo) And I am tired of the snow and ice. I am ready for sun and warth for most if not all of the year. I am also wondering how diversity plays in role in this town. I am used to being surrounded by a healthy mix of different cultures, and a safe happy place. What are the chances that Athens, GA will be able to offer me what I am looking for? (I'm not sure how accurate this charts are on the site.)[read more...]

Athens is home to the University of Georgia and brings in all the accompanying cultural diversity that you would usually find only in a large city. Athens remains a smaller town in NE Georgia. It is also a musical center, where many young bands get their start in the local clubs and go on to stardom (sometimes). Athens has spawned R.E.M., the B52s, Indigo Girls, to name a few. All types of music is popular here, from classical to bluegrass to old-time country.[read more...]