Ben T. Epps built and flew his own planes, and in 1904 opened Athens’ first aviation shop. The first Epps-built airplane, built in 1907 was powered by a

two-cylinder Anzani engine of approximately 15 horsepower.

Athens-Ben Epps Airport is a base for corporate jets, charter services, and flying schools. Athens Airport is currently the busiest small commercial

airport in the state of Georgia with 104 flights a day.

Athens is rightly known as Georgia’s “Classic City.” Athens is a harmony of old and new: southern culture and ante-bellum mansions, contemporary art and

eclectic nightlife, a Victorian-era downtown teeming with funky shops and one of the South's most progressive culinary scenes.

Athens consistently ranks as among the nation's best towns for relocation and retirement. New residents are drawn to Athens by its moderate climate; convenience to Atlanta; top hospitals and medical care; plus the culture,

opportunity, and excitement a college town provides.

The University of Georgia offers the Georgia Museum of Art and the Georgia Museum of Natural History and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

program, which offers classes and lectures on everything from tai chi to Civil War history.

UGA sports including football, hockey, baseball, basketball, softball, swimming, gymnastics, golf, and more draw visitors from all over the

Southeast and beyond.

Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services maintains more than 2,000 acres of parks and facilities throughout the community, including a zoo, nature center,

a lake, water parks, dog parks, fields, and miles of greenway that extend through downtown for walking and biking..

The State Botanical Garden of Georgia, a 313-acre garden on the Middle Oconee River, serves as a cultural, educational and recreational facility.

Athens is also the center of a lively and diverse music scene. Locals hoping to catch the next R.E.M.—which, along with the B-52s and Widespread Panic, got its start in Athens—can check out up-and-coming bands at the 40 Watt Club

or the Georgia Theatre.

Events such as Athens Wine Weekend, Classic City Brew Fest, and AthFest are annually anticipated events that bring crowds from all over the Southeast.

From the famed Top Chef, our acclaimed chef Hugh Acheson has helped placed Athens as the culinary destination of the South and continues to

inspire more local gastronomic experiences.