Athens, Ohio, United States

🇺🇸 Athens is a city and the county seat of Athens County, Ohio, United States. Athens is the home of Ohio University, a large public research university with an undergraduate and graduate enrolment of more than 21,000 students. Located along the Hocking River in the south-eastern part of Ohio. Athens is the principal city of the Athens, OH Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Athens is a qualified Tree City USA as recognised by the National Arbor Day Foundation.

Economy From the mid-1800s until the 1950s, coal and brick-making were major sources of employment in the county. They became a minor source after the best and most available coal had been extracted and cheaper brick-making became available outside the area. A former manufacturing company was the Midget Motors Corporation, makers of the small automobile, the King Midget.

Ohio University is the largest employer in Athens County. In addition to direct employment through the University, much of the local economy depends on tourism and events related to the University, through local restaurants, bars, stores and hotels. Manufacturing and technology related businesses, including Quidel Corporation (formerly Diagnostic Hybrids), Stewart-MacDonald, Sunpower, Mitchell Electronics, Fastenall, and Gorman-Redlich.

Since the 1970s Athens has earned a reputation as one of the more progressive (liberal) communities in Southeastern Ohio. That reputation includes Democratic political leaning, presence of some international communities, support for use of alternative energy, calling for 'smart growth' development, development of small farms emphasizing sustainable and organic-produced crops, and support for local businesses. The Athens Farmers Market is open year-round.

Court Street has a number of small to large student apartment buildings. Ohio University's main 'college green' entrance is located at Court & Union. The student centre (John Calhoun Baker University Center) is at one end of Court Street. Several Athens shopping areas are located outside the uptown area; the largest is on East State Street with a small mall, several shopping strip centres, large box stores, car dealerships, hotels/motels and many local and national sit-down / fast food restaurants. On the north side of town is Columbus Road area with some shopping, car dealer, motels, eateries and office buildings. On the south side, Richland Avenue has large student housing apartment complexes. West Union St. has a hospital complex, some student housing and the county fairgrounds. A large fire in Nov. 2014 damaged or destroyed six buildings on West Union (near Court St). The buildings housed businesses and upper floor student apartments, no one was hurt in the fire with one business reopened for business in early 2015 and rebuilding on the sites started in the summer of 2015.

Arts and culture Athens has a long musical tradition that includes local acts and events for touring musicians, performing at Ohio University and festivals in Athens. The folk song "Athens County" - words by Joe Dolce; music by Jonathan Edwards - refers to Athens, Ohio, where Edwards & Dolce attended college in the late 60s. Edwards went on to have a Number 2 hit song nationally with 'Sunshine' while Dolce moved to Australia and had an international Number 1 hit with Shaddap You Face. Dolce is now an established poet and essayist in Mebourne. Bands hailing from Athens include The Headstone Circus, The Snapdragons, Appalachian Death Ride, She Bears, Southeast Engine, The Ridges and the metal band Skeletonwitch. Athens native Steve Reis, a founder of the Columbus, Ohio-based band McGuffey Lane named his band after a street in Athens. In 1973, the Ohio Valley Summer Theater began a production called the Appalachian Green Parks Project. It featured music, dance, and theater derived from the Appalachian region. The group won the Governor's Award for Community Action, released an album of music, performed at the Sylvan Amphitheater in Washington, D.C., on July 4, 1974, made numerous television appearances, provided the soundtrack for an Ohio Department Of Natural Resources public service film titled Sweet Ohio, were designated as the official Bicentennial Touring Group for the state of Ohio, and were the subject of a documentary film during their four-year run. Two former members of the Appalachian Green Parks Project, Jim McGaw and Charlie Lewis began performing with Jimmy Prouty and went on to form the New Vinton County Frogwhompers Marching, Singing, Strumming and Plucking Society in 1976, which was to become one of the most popular groups to come out of the region in the 1970s. Several theater companies have operated in Athens over the years. Studio for Young Actors, aka Drama Club Youth Academy was a youth theater which operated from 2000 to approximately 2010. They performed both original and published plays and musicals featuring young actors. Their main venue was Stuart's Opera House in Nelsonville, Ohio They subsequently moved their performance venue to Arts/West a community arts space in Athens, Ohio, operated by the City of Athens. A University park on Richland Ave was designed by Athens' own Maya Lin.

Museums • Athens County Historical Society and Museum DBA The Southeast Ohio History Center: Historic items relating to life in Athens County • The Dairy Barn Arts Center: Contemporary arts and crafts. • Kennedy Museum of Art at Ohio University: Major collections include Southwest Native American textiles and jewelry. Contemporary prints. • Ohio Valley Museum of Discovery: Interactive children's center.