Athens...Georgia (not Greece)

Athens is the home of University of Georgia and only about an hour and a half drive from Atlanta. It's a small college town surrounded by rural-soon-to-be-suburbs area, but it has more creative types per square mile than Atlanta. Also, you can't beat the prices. Almost all of the shops and restaurants are college-budget friendly.

Athens is really known for its great music scene.
There's always a concert or music festival going on.

During our trip to Athens, we ate dinner at Five Star Day. It's famous for brunch, but the stuffed meatloaf, homemade mash potatoes and collard greens did not disappoint. Great southern comfort food without the greasiness.

Young, Foxy & Free is a free publication I picked up at a local coffee shop (there are plenty of those in Athens). I wish there was a magazine like this in Atlanta. It has everything: local fashion, events and places.

Flagpole is a great resource for Athens' music scene. It's available at a lot of music stores in Atlanta, but I usually don't pick it up since I'm rarely in Athens. Nevertheless, it's a great publication and just further proof that Athens can hold its own against Atlanta.