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THE MUSE FOR BANDS LIKE R.E.M. AND THE B-52’S, ATHENS GEORGIA KEEPS THE BEAT ALIVE. BY ALLISON WEISS ENTREKIN

ATHENS, GEORGIA, is called the Classic City, but many a smitten visitor has deemed it the Perfect City. Located just an hour northeast of Atlanta, near the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Athens is a bit like a large city trapped in a small town’s body.

Its downtown is only five streets wide, but it teems with PhD students discussing politics over coffee, award-winning restaurants serving nouveau-Southern fare and on-the-rise musicians playing to sold-out crowds. Athens has something for just about everyone; it’s a college town that caters to more than just students, and though it is a magnet for hipsters, polo-shirt-wearing good ol’ boys love it, too. The drinks are cheap, the wireless internet free, the vibe lively. Athens really is close to perfection.

Besides being home to the University of Georgia, Athens’ greatest claim to fame is its music scene, which gave birth to bands like R.E.M., The B-52’s and Widespread Panic.

Rolling Stone has called Athens “the alpha and omega of the college music scene,” and with the city’s 30-plus music venues, it’s easy to see why.

Local band Of Montreal frequently plays at the 40 Watt Club (www.40watt. com), so named because its original location was lit by a single 40-watt light bulb. Just down the road, Georgia Theatre (www.georgiatheatre.com) lures big acts like David Allen Coe and Dave Matthews Band, and new patrons can’t help but gawk at this former movie theater’s dramatic Art Deco design.

The Melting Point (www.. meltingpointathens.com), a new music venue, is located inside one of Athens’ oldest buildings. With its multilevel, theater-style seating, eclectic headliners (Charlie Louvin’s 80th-birthday tour, anyone?) and popular Tuesday-night bluegrass shows, it is quickly emerging as an important and decidedly quirky voice in Athens’ vibrant music scene.

Visitors interested in the city’s musical history can take a self-guided walking tour of landmark concert halls and record stores, from the site of R.E.M.’s first-ever gig (held April 5, 1980, at a former Episcopal church) to the headquarters of Flagpole magazine, an acclaimed weekly that covers Athens’ music scene. On the tour (created by the magazine and the Athens Welcome Center, available at www.athenswelcomecenter. com), you’ll stop by Weaver D’s Delicious Fine Foods (706-353-7797), a humble soul-food joint whose slogan, “Automatic For The People,” inspired the title of R.E.M.’s 1992 quadruple-platinum album of the same name. You’ll also see Wuxtry Records (www.wuxtryrecords.com), a dinosaur of a music shop that has sold obscure music and publications since 1975. You’ll even get the chance to walk past Allen’s Hamburgers (706-353-6244), a decades-old joint where Athens’ musical pioneers ate burgers and wrote song lyrics back in the ’70s. (To sample some french fries, check out its new Hawthorne Avenue location.)

Speaking of eating, Athens is routinely (and rightfully) heralded for its restaurants, which many Atlantans consider well worth the drive. Athens’ grand dame is Five & Ten (www.fiveandten. com; 706-546-7300), which boasts the considerable talents of Chef Hugh Acheson, a 2007 James Beard Award finalist. The restaurant has earned a spot on many of Atlanta’s “top-restaurant” lists, despite the fact it’s an hour away. Set in a cozy building in the Five Points neighborhood, Five & Ten incorporates organic, locally grown ingredients into its seasonally driven menu, which Acheson calls a “merging [of] soul food and Old World cuisine.” Don’t miss entrées like the grilled Berkshire pork chop and the desserts (especially the banana-and-ice-cream parfait).

In downtown Athens, Last Resort Grill (www.lastresortgrill.com; 706-549-0810) is a local favorite, serving funky Southern dishes like Struggleville

Shrimp (shrimp sautéed with locally grown mustard seeds, radicchio and spinach, tossed with linguini). Once a bar and music club, it earned its name by drowning the sorrows of locals whose loan requests were rejected by the three finance companies down the street. Today, its dim lighting, wall murals painted by local artists and extensive wine list make it the ideal place for a date or fun night out with friends.

Also downtown is Harry Bissett’s New Orleans Café and Oyster Bar (www.. harrybissetts.net; 706-353-7065), which brings the bayou to Athens’ famed Broad Street. Enjoy the restaurant’s signature omelette (andouille, onions, peppers, cheddar and Creole sauce) for breakfast, a bowl of sherry-crab bisque for lunch and crawfish étouffée for dinner. Like any true New Orleans restaurant, this place is hopping late at night, with patrons crowding around the old-fashioned bar and leaning against the bay windows.

One of Athens’ most popular culinary newcomers is Farm 255 (www.. farm255.com; 706-549-4660), which serves locally farmed, sustainable foods in a casual, open setting. The Mojitos get almost as much attention as the food, and the outdoor stage hosts live bluegrass, jazz and frequent late-night dance parties.

Of course, no visit to Athens would be complete without a meal at The Grit (www.thegrit.com; 706-543-6592), a vegetarian restaurant even steak-lovers adore. Try the grilled-cheese smelt served with sliced tomato and honey-mustard dressing, and don’t miss the homemade blondies. As you leave, be sure to take note of the building’s upstairs windows—Michael Stipe’s independent film company, C-00, used to keep its offices there.

If staying the night, book a room at the Foundry Park Inn & Spa (www.. foundryparkinn. com; 706-549-7020), Athen’s only full-service luxury hotel. With a restaurant, state-of-the-art spa and location that’s walking distance from downtown, there’s no better place to hang your hat (and leave your car). An added bonus? The Melting Point is right on site.

After a trip to Athens, you’ll be daydreaming about Five & Ten’s homemade pimiento cheese and humming a B-52’s tune. And whether your hometown is large and bustling or small and quiet, you’ll find yourself longing to return to the Classic City that’s a little bit of both.

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