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Ready For You
S o, here you are in Athens, GA. Maybe you're new to town.
Maybe you've been here a few years. Maybe you've been here
for more than a few years. Maybe you're just here for a short
visit, or maybe you're here to stay for a while. Maybe you've
been through here before, or maybe you haven't. Who knows?
Maybe your plan is to be here forever.
Whoever you are, and whatever you're doing here, Flagpoles
got a totally free gathering-together of Athens know-how that
you ought to get to know: The Flagpole Guide to Athens. As of this
week, this year's Guide (our 16th!) is up on our website and out on
the streets—-more than 20,000 copies of it, and they'll be replen
ished throughout the year at distribution points—so it's time to
get your hands on one and put it to use.
and make use of its abundant resources—even if you don't go to
school or work there. Just visiting? The Guide has a complete list
of places to stay if you and/ or yours are swinging through town.
It's On-line, Too!
The on-line version of the Guide to Athens—at www.flagpole.
com/Guide—gives you everything that the hard copy does and
more, like shopping info and expanded restaurant and bar listings.
If you know what you're looking for and don't feel like leafing
through, just go to the on-line directory, where you can make your
On the Scene
The Guide introduces you to all of Athens' mul
tiple, various and interconnected scenes. Need a
primer on where to find live music in town? It's here.
Want to know where to see some art? Not a problem.
How about theatre, film, dance and performance
arts—trapeze, anyone? We've got you covered. The
Guide also lets you know how to just get out of the
house and have a good time, no matter what part
of town you're in. There's a full list of Athens parks,
with some of our favorites highlighted.
You read right: this year's is Flagpoles 16th Guide
to Athens. We've been putting it out for all these
years because we want to give you a way to get
to know this town and everything it has to offer.
Inevitably, the Guide serves as a primer on "alterna
tive Athens"—the lifestyles, the art, the music, the
scene and the energy that Flagpole Magazine seeks
to document and support. And one good thing about
the Guide is that it shows all that to newcomers as
soon as they get here (while keeping long-time locals
in the know, too). It's fun to hear stories from folks
who decided they were going to move here, and sent
off to the town's official promoters for information
about the place. We're honored that our Guide is
always included, and we're glad when Athens immi
grants report back that it woke them up as to what
to expect here.
A special feature in this year's Guide to Athens
gives you the story behind the sights to be seen—
both usual and unusual—in and around Athens.
Yeah, we know: within a few hours of being here,.
you've already heard about the double-barreled can
non, you've heard about the Tree That Owns Itself,
and if one more person tells you to drive out into the country just
to see some damn Iron Horse in a corn field... but have you seen
the giant sloth? We didn't think so. Check it out.
Where to Eat, What to Do
Perhaps best of all, the Guide includes a comprehensive listing
of Athens bars and restaurants. Whether you're craving fish tacos,
Brunswick stew, a vegan brunch, a Salvadoran supper, a strong
drink, a cold beer or just dessert, we'll help you find it. Worried
you won't fit in at the bar your blind date wants to meet up at?
Scope it out beforehand in our listings. The Guide's listings con
tain a short but useful description of just about every restaurant
and bar in Athens, Watkinsville and Hull.
Now, how do you get where the Guide tells you to go? Don't
worry: it's got maps included. It also answers the questions that
are bound to come up in the course of getting out and about: Why
the metal railings at the sidewalk cafes? What's with those cameras
mounted on phone poles all over downtown? Where can I smoke?
When can I drink? Which way's the river? Which way's Atlanta?
Does that "no parking" sign mean business?
And if you've just moved to town, it'll outline for you the nuts
and bolts of living here (you know: the way things work), tell
you how to get around town, and point you toward information
sources and local media. Plus, there's a primer on Athens' local
government, and some tips on how to navigate the UGA campus—
Yours to Use
The Guide works best when used in conjunction with the weekly
Flagpole. Just to take one example: say you're reading through the
paper over lunch, and you read that one of those innovative, ex
perimental multimedia band-performance-art conglomerates you've
been hearing so much about is playing at some club tomorrow
night. Great! But there's one hang-up: Where is the place? If you're
too cool to ask your friends, it's not a problem. Just look in the
• Guide's list of venues, and nobody'll ever know the difference.
So grab a copy, or bookmark it on your browser, and keep your
Guide at the ready. There are lots of ways to get to know this
town. The Flagpole Guide to Athens gets you started on all of them.
own customizable search to find what you crave. Need a coffee
house that takes credit cards and is open 24 hours? Punch it in,
and you'll be rewarded. Coming soon: maps! Tell it where you're at
along with your search terms, and it'll show you the joints that are
in your part of town. Finally: a way to settle roommate arguments
about which Taco Stand, Barberitos or Jittery Joe's is closest to
the house.
The on-line Guide also features enhanced restaurant and bar
listings for some establishments, with menus and photos to let you
know more about where you're going. Coming soon—and more of
these will be added throughout the year—are business-generated
listings that give you a guide to shopping and services in Athens.
Your Back-To-School Trailhead!
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