Normaltown

Normaltown is anything but normal, and that is exactly the point. Named for the State Normal School that once occupied the site now home to UGA's Health Sciences Campus, this neighborhood along Prince Avenue about a mile and a half from downtown has become the creative, independent heart of Athens' commercial life.

Prince Avenue is the spine. The stretch running through Normaltown is lined with the kind of businesses that define a city's character: Hendershot's (a coffee shop by day, cocktail bar and live music venue by night), Sips Espresso Cafe (perfectly pulled shots in a cozy space), Hi Lo Lounge (the neighborhood's favorite patio bar), and Normal Bar (the dive bar Normaltown deserves). Mama's Boy on Oak Street just off Prince turned Sunday brunch into a weekly pilgrimage. Marti's at Midday has been serving chicken salad and sandwiches from a 100 year old house for over two decades.

The Normaltown name has become shorthand for a particular Athens sensibility: independent, creative, slightly quirky, and deeply rooted in community. Normal Books specialized in discounted titles before closing in 2020. The Athens Farmers Market sets up at Bishop Park on Saturday mornings with local produce, crafts, and food vendors. Tribe Hair Company has built one of the highest rated salons in the city. The Old Pal mixes seasonal cocktails with a neighborhood bar warmth.

What makes Normaltown work is the balance between residential calm and commercial energy. The homes are mostly single family, the streets are walkable, and the businesses serve the people who actually live there rather than chasing the tourist or student dollar. It is the Athens neighborhood that people discover after they have been here a while, and it is often the one they never want to leave.