Reviews & Comments
Augusta, GA
re: You Get What You Pay For -
2/12/2017While there is some truth to Arron Davies's review, there are an equal number of unsubstantiated claims. Augusta is not even on the list of 50 top mid size cities for crime, and Augusta CSRA is the second largest city in Georgia. Our city government is completely ineffective and racial divides do leave our city stagnating.
While the Richmond county schools are BAD, there are three magnet public schools that rival the best in the country. Also, the Columbia County schools are excellent.
The poverty in zip codes 30901 and 30906 are extreme and I would say this is where the "ghettos" are located.
As to culture, Augusta has two ballet companies, a symphony, a chamber orchestra and three local theater groups. Apart from the Masters in April, we have equestrian events (nearby Aiken and Thompson included) a yearly futurity, a weekend Arts council event in September and a week long arts event fashioned after Charleston's Spoletto festival called "Westabou." Augusta has a growing downtown scene with lots of great live music, art galleries and restaurants. We have a Saturday Market on Broad, we have several museums, including the Morris Musum of Art which houses the largest collection of southern art in the world. It seems as though anybody looking for something to could find lots going on, apart from the mall.
Augusta offers excellent medical care. University hospital is one of the best in Georgia. We also have a VA hospital, including one of the only VA inpatient psychiatric residential hospitals on the east coast. We also house the medical college of Georgia, training Doctors, Dentists and nurses as well as other allied health professions. Augusta University offer excellent undergraduate programs and several masters programs at extremely affordable tuition rates. We house a historic black college, an excellent technical college and several community colleges.
We have Fort Gordon, a large military base specializing in communications. We have a baseball team and had a hockey team. The hockey team left due to lack of interest.
We have lots of beautiful gold courses, a tennis center and an aquatics center. There are cycling groups, rowing clubs, and many fitness centers. We have a great public library system, story times for the little ones, up to date computers for students.
We have multiple church preschools, a children's choral, children's art classes at museums, great parks and rec centers.
There really is plenty to do!
Augusta has beautiful weather. The summers are hot (hello, it's the south) but the fall and spring are magnificent and winter is mild.
There are all kinds of people in augusta, including some rude and some arrogant. In Summerville, there are many beautiful, historic homes. There is also a country club, very selective and quite snobbish/clannish. There's a joke that says when you visit Atlanta, they'll ask you where you work. When you visit Savannah, they'll ask you what you drink. When you visit augusta, they'll ask you your grandmother's maiden name. In Summerville, that is true. Next, though, they'll ask you what you drink.
There is a wealth of spirituality and churches in Augusta. Probably, something for everyone and many Christian Augustans spend Sunday morning and Wednesday evening in church. There also Mosques, Temples and a Unitarian church.
Most likely due to Fort Gordon and the Savannah River Site, we enjoy a very cosmopolitan population. Lots of cultures represented. Lots of good, ethic food as well.
Augusta is a city I am proud to call home. I have lots of friends, good doctors, and keep busy working and playing year round. I feel safe living here. I love the weather. I like the (non existent) traffic. (And I go to the mall, at most 4 times a year. I enjoy shopping local)
We need to work on our government and our schools. I think most cities would say the same. But Augusta is surely worth a look.