Athens Rankings and Accolades
We Athenians are loyal and passionate about our city. But don't take our word for it. See what others are saying about us, then be sure to plan a visit to come see for yourself!
- Ranked A "Top 25 Arts Destination" among midsized cities (#9) - AmericanStyle Magazine, June 2008 (ranked each year since 2002)
- "Best Small Places for Business and Careers" (#13), Forbes, March 2008.
- One of America's 50 Greenest Cities (#33), Popular Science, February 2008.
- Georgia's second safest city, according to the 14th annual "City Crime Rankings," CQ Press (a unit of Congressional Quarterly), November 2007
- The Globe named one of the Best Bars in America by Esquire magazine, October 2007.
- Five & Ten, named "Restaurant of the Year" by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 2007
- One of five 'great college towns," Kiplinger's Personal Finance special Retirement Planning 2007 issue, "Attractions of a College Town," Fall 2007
- "Top 10 Most Popular Retirement Towns," Topretirements.com, August 2007
- 40 Watt Club and The Melting Point, named "Top 40 Music Venues in America," Paste magazine, May 2007
- Cosmopolitan magazine's online 100 Hot City Guide
- Athens and AthFest recommended in 1,000 Places to See in the U.S.A. and Canada Before You Die, by Patricia Schultz
- Athens, Georgia: one of Lucky magazine's five greatest unsung shopping locations
- Readers' Choice Award - ConventionSouth, December 2006
- Southeast Tourism Society Top 20 Event - AthFest, June 2005, June 2006, and June 2007; Robert Osborne's Classic Film Festival, March 2006 & March 2007
- "Best College Town for Retirees" - Kiplinger's Personal Finance, Nov. 2006
- Ranked second safest city in Georgia, 136th safest in the country - Morgan Quitno Press, October 2006 (crime statistics analysis of cities with 75,000 or more people)
- Ranked #2 "Best Long Weekend Escape" - GO, AirTran InFlight Magazine, October 2006
- "Best Place to Recapture Your Youth" - Fortune magazine, June 26, 2006
- Ranked #1 Small City for Relocating Families, 2005 and 2006, Worldwide Employee Relocation Council
- Athens Ranks 34th Nationally in Quality-of-Life by 'Cities Ranked & Rated' at BestPlaces.net.
- Best Veg-Friendly City Award (#9 in Small City category), GoVeg.com, March 2006
- UGA's Ramsey Student Center for Physical Activities, #1 college fitness center, CosmoGIRL! Magazine, Oct. 2005
- Top Five "Best Places to Retire 2005," Money magazine, Oct. 11, 2005
- One of seven "Cool Cities," Kiplinger's Personal Finance, Oct. 2005
- "Five Star Knowledge Worker Metro," Expansion Management, May 2005
- "Top Small U.S. Metro Area," 2005's Best Cities for Relocating Families (study commissioned by Worldwide Employee Relocation Council, www.primacy.com)
- "50 Best Places to Live" -Men's Journal, Ranked 49 in May 2004, 30th in May 2005
- Ranked 11th in "Southern Metro Business Climate Index" - Southern Business & Development Magazine, Summer 2004
- Athens is "Live Music Central." - The New York Times, 5/10/02
- Top Ten "Great College Towns" - The Princeton Review, 2002
- Hugh Acheson, one of America's "Top 10 Best New Chefs" - Food & Wine
Magazine - July 2002 - "Best Places to Retire" - Where to Retire - Winter, 1996; Spring, 2002
- "Best Places for Black Families to Live in America" - Family Digest - Jan. 2003
- "Best Places to Live and Work in America" -- Employment Review - June, 2002
- Georgia's "Most Enlightened City" - Utne Reader, April 1997
- One of America's "Top 15 Cities for Vegetarians" - Vegetarian Times - June, 1995
- "Top 12 Places to Retire in America" - Your Money magazine - August, 1999
- "The 100 Best Small Art Towns in America" (#81), John Villani, 1998
- UGA's Bulldog Mascot, Uga V: "Best Team Mascot" - Sports Illustrated - April, 1997
- "Best Student Recreation Center" - Sports Illustrated - April, 1997
- "Best Places to Live Now" - Top metropolitan area in Georgia, Money Magazine, 1991 and 1992
