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Posted: 4/17/2024 7:56:49 PM EDT
I have a phone screening for a job in Athens. Would it be a good city to settle down and raise a family in?
Link Posted: 4/17/2024 8:43:10 PM EDT
[#1]
Define good?

Athens and Clarke County are a unified city-county government, and its local governing authority (county commission) has avowed communists elected to it.  Think of it as the Seattle of Georgia.  

The surrounding counties are much more conservative, and Oconee is very nice.  Each of them are a short commute into Athens.
Link Posted: 4/17/2024 8:54:58 PM EDT
[#2]
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Quoted:
Define good?

Athens and Clarke County are a unified city-county government, and its local governing authority (county commission) has avowed communists elected to it.  Think of it as the Seattle of Georgia.  

The surrounding counties are much more conservative, and Oconee is very nice.  Each of them are a short commute into Athens.
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By good, I mean low crime. The crime statistics are pretty high for Athens but I’m interested in anecdotal experience from people who live there

Watkinsville looks pretty green.

Link Posted: 4/17/2024 9:19:59 PM EDT
[#3]
I am in Watkinsville.  We moved here in 2014.  We love the area, but if we were looking now, we would probably not be able to afford to buy as property prices here are insane right now.

There are some nice areas in Athens, but you would want to avoid some areas for sure.  A lot of it is being re-vitalized and cleaned up, but crime stats don't lie.
Athens is also a sanctuary city even though they denied that after the recent murder of a college student by an illegal.

Watkinsville/Oconee County is close to downtown ~10 minutes
Winterville/Ogelthorpe County is close as well.  
Barrow county outside of the city limits of Winder would be about 25 minutes or so depending on traffic.

We chose Oconee because of the public school system which is top notch.
Link Posted: 4/17/2024 9:26:07 PM EDT
[#4]
I would trust JLW’s observations on the Athens-Clark County area. The comparison to Seattle is not wrong.
The area has a lot of services for the urban campers, mental health sufferers and the mental issues caused by drug abuse and because of those services there is a sizable population in the area. Much like Atlanta or Seattle.
I’m in Walton County, not bad on the Eastside of the county (the Oconee Co. side) but Loganville on the westside is very congested for the area the county.
I would look hard at Oconee or Morgan County.
Link Posted: 4/17/2024 9:55:05 PM EDT
[#5]
Thanks for the input. It’s just a phone screen, but I’m glad to know there are options.
Link Posted: 4/18/2024 8:50:57 AM EDT
[#6]
When I moved here in 2014 I came here and asked and wasn’t steered wrong. You can trust the crime info from JLW and 7mm. They are reputable sources if you get my drift.

Any more questions don’t hesitate to ask if interview goes well and things proceed.
Link Posted: 4/18/2024 11:03:25 AM EDT
[#7]
Link Posted: 4/18/2024 12:47:11 PM EDT
[#8]
I'm on the board of the local gun club so I'm in the area quite a bit and most of my more conservative friends who are residents already have moved or are looking to move out of Athens Clarke County. It's still a fun place to go eat out and shop but no way would I live there. As others have said it isn't that hard to avoid bad areas of town and if you aren't a drunken college kid you'll likely avoid any trouble. I haven't kept up much on local schools and RE prices but if Oconee County is out of the budget, I'd look at the Nicholson area. Not much there but it's a straight shot to Athens in 10-20 minutes depending on what side of town you need to hit.

ETA: If you get the job hit me up, I can run you through what it takes to be a member.

https://athensrifleclub.com/

Link Posted: 4/18/2024 6:00:25 PM EDT
[#9]
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Quoted:

By good, I mean low crime. The crime statistics are pretty high for Athens but I'm interested in anecdotal experience from people who live there

Watkinsville looks pretty green.

View Quote

I've been a cop working both Clarke and Oconee for 25 years including 12 years as the chief deputy in Oconee.

While there are some nice areas in Clarke County, I would not live there willingly.  I'll cite two examples of what I referenced above.  First, during the recession several years ago, they had a debate over building feral cat sanctuaries at a time when they were also debating laying off workers.  They have a local ordinance requiring that one percent of the budget for any public building project must be dedicated to funding public art.  During that same recession, they upheld said local ordinance to fund public art in the jail that was under construction at the time.

Oconee, on the other hand, has very few areas where I wouldn't live.

There are selective areas of each surrounding county in which I would reside.


Link Posted: 4/18/2024 7:16:20 PM EDT
[#10]
Quoted:
I'm on the board of the local gun club so I'm in the area quite a bit and most of my more conservative friends who are residents already have moved or are looking to move out of Athens Clarke County. It's still a fun place to go eat out and shop but no way would I live there. As others have said it isn't that hard to avoid bad areas of town and if you aren't a drunken college kid you'll likely avoid any trouble. I haven't kept up much on local schools and RE prices but if Oconee County is out of the budget, I'd look at the Nicholson area. Not much there but it's a straight shot to Athens in 10-20 minutes depending on what side of town you need to hit.

ETA: If you get the job hit me up, I can run you through what it takes to be a member.

https://athensrifleclub.com/

View Quote

I appreciate the offer. Do they have a long rifle range?
Quoted:

I've been a cop working both Clarke and Oconee for 25 years including 12 years as the chief deputy in Oconee.

While there are some nice areas in Clarke County, I would not live there willingly.  I'll cite two examples of what I referenced above.  First, during the recession several years ago, they had a debate over building feral cat sanctuaries at a time when they were also debating laying off workers.  They have a local ordinance requiring that one percent of the budget for any public building project must be dedicated to funding public art.  During that same recession, they upheld said local ordinance to fund public art in the jail that was under construction at the time.

Oconee, on the other hand, has very few areas where I wouldn't live.

There are selective areas of each surrounding county in which I would reside.


View Quote

I wouldn’t be working for the city, so I wouldn’t need to interact much with corrupt local government types.

I live in Iowa City now, so I’m accustomed to living in a liberal college town in an otherwise conservative state. At least here, the long-term consequences of liberal policies have not yet come to fruition. You don’t see any organized retail theft or “wildin.” I have a house near the city center and have accidentally left my door unlocked or completely open with no issues.
Link Posted: 4/18/2024 8:14:12 PM EDT
[#11]
200 yard rifle range
15 and 50 yard pistol range
30x40 action bay
5 Stand
Trap&skeet
Link Posted: 4/18/2024 9:02:51 PM EDT
[#12]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
I'm on the board of the local gun club so I'm in the area quite a bit and most of my more conservative friends who are residents already have moved or are looking to move out of Athens Clarke County. It's still a fun place to go eat out and shop but no way would I live there. As others have said it isn't that hard to avoid bad areas of town and if you aren't a drunken college kid you'll likely avoid any trouble. I haven't kept up much on local schools and RE prices but if Oconee County is out of the budget, I'd look at the Nicholson area. Not much there but it's a straight shot to Athens in 10-20 minutes depending on what side of town you need to hit.

ETA: If you get the job hit me up, I can run you through what it takes to be a member.

https://athensrifleclub.com/

View Quote



Do you allow full auto by chance?
Link Posted: 4/18/2024 9:22:53 PM EDT
[#13]
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Quoted:



Do you allow full auto by chance?
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Unfortunately not and no 50bmg.
Link Posted: 4/19/2024 11:08:30 AM EDT
[#14]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:

I appreciate the offer. Do they have a long rifle range?

I wouldn’t be working for the city, so I wouldn’t need to interact much with corrupt local government types.

I live in Iowa City now, so I’m accustomed to living in a liberal college town in an otherwise conservative state. At least here, the long-term consequences of liberal policies have not yet come to fruition. You don’t see any organized retail theft or “wildin.” I have a house near the city center and have accidentally left my door unlocked or completely open with no issues.
View Quote


I got bad news.  If you work/live anywhere around corrupt local government, you have to deal with corrupt local government.
Link Posted: 4/19/2024 12:00:55 PM EDT
[#15]
I’ve been in the Athens area for 37 years.  Look outside Athens- Clarke County.  Oglethorpe to the east,is rural with limited amenities.  Oconee to the south is expensive and while claiming a good school system has a drug problem just like other school systems.  Walton to the west is getting encroachment from Atlanta.  Jackson County on the north also has Atlanta growth. There is no perfect place anymore.

I was on the board of the Athens Rifle Club for almost 30 years and can attest that is a great local club!  If you need a place to shoot full-auto I have a 300 yard range at my home in Morgan County south of Athens.  

Morgan County is showing signs of sprawl too.  

All that to say, it is still a good area of the state, in a very 2a friendly state.  

I was in banking in Athens for 30 years so let me know if you need more info on the area.
Link Posted: 4/21/2024 11:45:21 AM EDT
[#16]
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Quoted:


I wouldn't be working for the city, so I wouldn't need to interact much with corrupt local government types.


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Who do you think is taxing you?  Who do you think will be passing local ordinances?
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