Looking for something to do in Athens? As a UGA student myself, I understand that busy academic and social schedules can make you feel like you’re stuck in the same routine.
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Athens is home to shops, restaurants and activities that are waiting to be explored. With so many options to choose from, it can be overwhelming to decide how to spend your limited free time. To help you get started, we’ve compiled this list of things to do as a student in Athens.
Top 15 Best Things to Do in Athens, GA
Social
1. Creature Comforts Brewery
Photo Courtesy of Creature Comforts Brewing Company.
Address: 271 W Hancock Avenue
Creature Comforts, brewer of Thor’s beer of choice in Avengers: End Game, is the perfect place to explore craft beers and enjoy live music. The brewery offers tours free of charge to visitors upon request. With community in mind, Creature Comforts hosts the Athens Farmers Market on their patio every Wednesday afternoon, so make sure to stop by for local produce and food trucks!
2. Georgia Theatre
Address: 215 N Lumpkin Street
Aside from lively concerts, the historic Georgia Theatre offers UGA football viewing parties on game days for fans looking to beat the Georgia heat. Home to one of Athens’ only rooftops, this is the perfect spot for happy hour or dinner with friends.
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3. Starland Bowling
Photo Courtesy of Starland Lanes and Lounge.
Address: 145 E Clayton Street
Starland Lanes is a hidden gem of downtown Athens. Recently renovated to include bowling lanes, this lounge has quickly become a student favorite. Enjoy specialty cocktails on the patio or at one of two indoor bars in this two-story space.
4. Ciné
Photo Courtesy of Ciné.
Address: 234 W Hancock Avenue
Located in downtown Athens, Ciné is a restored historic venue equipped with two cinemas, a bar, and event space. This non-profit arthouse has showtimes everyday, as well as monthly art exhibits benefitting the Athens Films Art Institute. Cine is perfect for a cloudy Sunday or a night of romance, as it was voted Best Date Spot by The Red & Black, a student-run newspaper.
5. 40 Watt Club
Photo Courtesy of 40 Watt Club.
Address: 285 W Washington Street
Spend a weekend night at one of the 40 Watt Club’s casual concerts. This standing-room venue offers a full-service bar, seating and eye-catching decor. Dance the night away while bands and solo acts perform your favorites under the colored lights.
6. ARTini’s
Photo Courtesy of ARTini’s.
Address: 337 Prince Avenue
Grab your roommates and go on a whim, or plan a surprise party at ARTini’s. This sassy art lounge offers instructor-led painting classes with pre-selected designs. While unleashing your inner Picasso, take a look at the drink menu for a glass of wine to toast your artistry!
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Restaurants
7. ADD Drug Lunch Counter
Photo Courtesy of ADD Drug.
Address: 1695 S Lumpkin Street
Feel right at home at Athens’ favorite lunch counter, ADD Drug. Located in Five Points, the ADD Drug lunch counter has been in business for over 60 years! Grab a homemade milkshake on a sunny day or stop in for lunch with friends after a walk down Milledge.
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8. Paloma Park
Photo Courtesy of Paloma Park.
Address: 235 W Washington Street
Paloma Park’s bar-top seating, tapas-style menu, and specialty cocktails make for a great atmosphere any day of the week. The real fun happens outside in the beer garden. Watch the Dawgs on the jumbotron, or stop by for one of many live performances hosted at this social hub.
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9. El Barrio
Address: 1331 S Milledge Avenue
El Barrio, located in Five Points, is a casual lunch or dinner favorite. This taco spot offers both frozen and on-the-rocks specialty margaritas to be enjoyed inside, on the covered patio, or on the lawn while paying putt-putt.
Read Next: The 8 Best Spots for Happy Hour near The University of Georgia
10. The Last Resort
Photo Courtesy of Visit Athens.
Address: 174 W Clayton Street
Originally a music club, The Last Resort is now an Athens staple for southern cuisine. Featuring locally-sourced ingredients, The Last Resort is a representation of Georgia’s traditional comfort foods. The option to sit outside always stands, as their beer and wine garden offers heat lamps and private greenhouses during the winter months!
Read Next: The 15 Best Restaurants in Athens, GA
Coffee
11. Hendershot’s Athens
Address: 237 Prince Avenue
Hendershot’s, offering house-roasted and brewed coffee drinks, is the perfect study spot for students looking to get away from campus. This coffee shop features work from local artists, and turns into a bar on the weekends with open mic nights, concerts, comedy shows, and more.
12. Bitty and Beau’s Coffee
Photo Courtesy of Visit Athens.
Address: 1540 S Lumpkin Street
If you are looking for a pick-me-up, Bitty and Beau’s is the coffee shop for you! Employing individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the owners of this shop have dedicated their lives to “making the world a better place” for those with disabilities. If you are looking for a study spot, they have both inside and outside seating.
13. 1000 Faces
Photo Courtesy of 1000 Faces.
Address: 510 N Thomas Street
Try coffee from all over the world at 1000 Faces. Aside from being a great place to relax and focus, this coffee shop’s mission is to connect coffee producers more directly to consumers. Conveniently located downtown, stop by in between classes or to cram for that midterm!
Read Next: Top 7 Coffee Shops Near UGA
Shopping
14. Downtown Athens Shops
Downtown Athens is populated with many shops, here are a few student favorites! For women’s shopping, there are dozens of options in this area. Fabrik, Heery’s, Impeccable Pig, and Dukes Clothier are local favorites! Additionally, Onward Reserve, High Country Outfitters and Kempt make for great options if you are searching for menswear. Agora Vintage and Dynamite hold thrifters’’ hearts. These are just a handful of the options in downtown Athens – we invite you to explore this area and find your favorites!
15. Five Points Shops
Photo Courtesy of the UGA Grady News.
Shopping in Five Points is the perfect afternoon activity. With the Avid Bookshop and antique shop, Appointments at Five, exploring this area is time well spent!
We hope this list gives some insight into some of the many activities in Athens for students. If you have any questions, or would like to learn about off-campus living in Athens, please contact the Rambler leasing team!
