Are Great Places to Visit Great Places to Live?
Are great places to visit great places to live? Anyone who knows me, knows that I travel. I love discovering charming little towns, walking among neighborhoods of beautiful homes, exploring shops, and eating great food. If you are relocating to Georgia, and specifically to Watkinsville or Athens, should you be looking at the same things that draw you in on a trip? Or, are there factors to consider that you might not think about in a quick visit?
Charm
Most of us want to live somewhere charming, perhaps picturing a Hallmark Movie set. What makes a place charming? Well maintained landscaping and buildings, unique shops, thriving restaurants, and green spaces come to mind and offer a real sense of community. In Watkinsville, I can go into Jittery Joe’s or Chops and Hops and I am guaranteed to know at least one person and most of the time half the people there. And, I didn’t grow up in Watkinsville but simply chose to get involved in the community. People want connection.
Affordability
When I travel, I often look up real estate listings. What does a home cost in charming Kennebunkport, Maine? About 2 times what a home costs here in Watkinsville. Few people have unlimited resources and we have to be able to afford our homes. Supply and demand often drive up the prices of those lovely vacation spots. I might be willing to spend the money to experience it over a long weekend, but it will be out of reach financially to live there.
Access
When possible I always take a back road over a highway, so I drive through many small Georgia communities. Many of these communities have streets of beautiful affordable historic homes and stately courthouse squares. The charm is there but an hour or more from any mid-sized town, there isn’t great access to jobs or healthcare or perhaps even good schools. Again, I might want to stop for an afternoon and stroll, but most of us wouldn’t choose to move there without access to the important basics of life.
I feel fortunate to live in Watkinsville which is becoming more charming every year as we add green spaces and improve our downtown. We have great schools with the award winning Oconee County School system. Being next to the University of Georgia and just outside metro Atlanta gives lots of economic development opportunities - as does the fantastic leadership of The Oconee County Chamber of Commerce. We have two large hospitals, St. Mary’s and Piedmont Athens Regional, and a medical school campus. There is still affordable housing in Watkinsville with a wide range of house and lot sizes. Smart growth and planning keeps traffic manageable. Watkinsville might not (yet) be a vacation destination, but it sure is a great place to live.
Learn more about Watkinsville in our local guide below.
Watkinsville Guide
Your guide to some of the best local restaurants, parks and other activities in Watkinsville and Oconee County.