I want to go to the Ga Guidestones, Wife Unit wants to stay in Athens.  What should I know?  Is it a communist shithole, or is it decent?  Areas to avoid?  Points of interest?

Apparently there is a retro game store in a mall there, so that makes 2 things I would find cool.

Thank you!

I wasn't in that part of town in 2002, but I'd imagine Georgia Square Mall has remained unchanged since then.

It's a timewarp

If beer is your thing, both Terrapin and Creature Comforts breweries are in downtown Athens, less than 5 mins from one another.

Georgia Square mall isn't much of a mall any longer.  Most stores are closed and the parking lot is damn near empty every day.  Not sure what still in there.

definitely worth the time.

Anywhere near UGA is good to go as far as hotels. There's a Holiday Inn and Best Western within walking distance of downtown. Lots of restaurants and bars/pubs downtown.  You will see homeless and panhandlers but for the most part it's pretty safe.

Lol, I bet that is where the retro game store is.  In Chatanooga there is a CM games in an older mall, not the one off 75.  Will report back once we exfil.  If you like older games and of Magic / other card games then you can spend some money there.  A couple weekends ago I picked up an NES, TMNT1, Bubble Bouble, Castlvania.  Since then I got Ninja Gaiden and FF1.  Been actually playing FF1 since I started with FF7.

Thanks.

The SpringHill Suites on Daniells Bridge Road has an Athens address, but it is actually in Oconee County.  It's a 10-15 minute drive from there into downtown Athens if you want to do that scene.

I like the old school games as well.  I really wish I had an Atari 2600.  Those super old schools games are just simple fun.  New games look cool but they've gotten too complicated for me to enjoy playing.

I've got a SNES in a box somewhere.  I may see if I can hook it up and play.  I only have two games though lol.  I think it's Chessmaster and Super Black Bass.  I can work on my brain power and my fishing skills at least.

At the corner of Finley Street and Dearing Street there is a tree that owns itself. I always thought it was really cool when I went to UGA and would sometimes end up parking nearby. If the Guidestones interest you that may as well.

As far as the rest of the city I'll say this, I graduated over 10 years ago and have not been back lol.

Compared to CM Games the Retro store that was in Athens is small and did not have much stuff, had to find a couple specifically card shops for Magic cards.  That said I picked up Zelda 1, Castlvania 2, and Karate Champ (it was like $5 so no biggie there).

It was kinda funny when we turned off the road to go to the guidestones there was no one there, but a guy pulled in before us, then there was grandparents with grandkids that pulled up a couple minutes after us.  It was odd that the field around it was grown up pasture land, then here is the manicured lawn around the stones.  It was interesting and fairly bit.  I did not know there was a time capsule next to it. We were lucky that all rain held off till we were on the main highway back to Athens, however is was pouring later around 4 when we decided to go and find a couple card shops.  

In the city proper my Wife discovered the double barreled cannon, we went and took a look at it, which was rather neat.

It was too rainy to go to the botanical gardens, which once I found out it was free I actually wanted to go to.

Thanks all.

I should have clarified:

The DECOR remains unchanged since 2002

There's a computer place in there that has all kinds of stuff. Little asian lady runs it and it looks more like her storage unit than an actual store but she's had some stuff in stock that I'd otherwise have had to wait on in the mail

A headline just across my news feed...

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But it could happen anywhere??

There are definitely some neighborhoods to avoid in Athens, especially at night. The places where those butt up to areas where college kids roam are also sketchy. During the day not nearly as much. I'd bet on that happening on the east side. The then fiancé had a place that was okay when she moved in about 8 years ago turn to complete trash in the matter of a few years because all of the renters went section 8. It got to the point where people where dealing openly in the street and you would hear gunshots in the backyard where they are testing out their new gun. That is honestly what prompted me to buy a house so she could move out of the area.