Downtown Athens
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Athens-Clarke County
Take What You Need, Give What You Can: Inside Athens’ Really Really Free Market
On a sunny Saturday afternoon in downtown Athens, many can be found shopping in outdoor markets. New clothes for a party, new toys for a pet, spending money on items that may or may not end up in a landfill. On the second Saturday of every month, however, Reese Pope…
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Athens-Clarke County
Motherflower: One Man’s Journey with Sanitation, Recovery and Community
On any given night, throngs of Panhellenic partiers, townies, visitors and people experiencing homelessness inhabit the sidewalks of Downtown Athens. Their presence leaves an impact as refuse inevitably litters the streets and paths telling tales of the night before. The issue is exacerbated during community events, football games and changing…
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Athens-Clarke County
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Athens-Clarke County
On 50th Anniversary, Lay Park Playground Faces Possible Changes
City officials and residents are split over a redevelopment plan of 295 E. Dougherty Street, where supporters expressed excitement for new parking, student housing and urbanization while others warned the project may disrupt community services, limit access to Lay Park Community Center and overlook housing needs. Lay Park Community Center…
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Athens-Clarke County
How a Local Boutique is Redefining Fashion, Promoting Sustainability
Community is a boutique located in Athens that uses existing materials to redesign clothing and support sustainable fashion. It also addresses local textile waste produced by the fast-fashion industry and is trying to promote their business model to younger generations. The growing business of the fast-fashion industry, which is a…
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Athens-Clarke County
Athens Mayor, Commission Discuss $7 Million Downtown Athens Project
A $7 million renovation for Downtown Athens, coming in the winter of 2026, is still being discussed by the city’s mayor and commissioners. For decades, Athens residents have debated what to do with College Square. According to David Lynn, director of planning and outreach, the idea of closing the square…
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Athens-Clarke County
‘Jam in the Streets’ A Rebrand for Jam for Cam Annual Cancer Fundraising Event
Athens, get ready to jam. The streets of Downtown Athens will come alive this Saturday with Milky Chance and more as local bands headline a fundraising event called Jam in the Streets, formerly known as Jam for Cam. Watch the video above or and more information on the festival…
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Environment
Community Store: Reducing Textile Waste with Fashionable Pieces
Clothing and textile waste are one of the most significant sources of pollution worldwide, nationally and in Northeast Georgia. While it might be hard to imagine, there is an estimated total of 92 million tonnes of textile waste generated globally each year. In Georgia alone, textiles make up the seventh-largest…
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Athens-Clarke County
College Square Plaza Redevelopment and UGA’s North Campus Connection
On a sunny afternoon in Athens, students and residents gather at the College Square Plaza to eat lunch, work on their laptops or visit with friends. People fill the picnic tables that are scattered throughout the space. The plaza is a central hub in downtown Athens. It has become a…
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Athens-Clarke County
New Market Entices Athens Neighborhood
When Kristen Hindes opened Birdies in November 2023, she wasn’t expecting drivers to park off-site to see her market based on a word in the window — sandwiches — but they did. Birdies, a newly opened specialty market owned by Kirsten Hindes, lies at the intersection of Prince Avenue and…