Georgia Bulldogs fan or not, Athens, Georgia, has quite a lot of charm to offer. In fact, travel experts at DK Eyewitness Travel recently named the small town one of America's 20 most overlooked cities.
To come up with the list of the nation’s most underrated cities, the company’s travel editors and writers came together with their picks after analyzing each city’s culture, restaurants, architecture and more.
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The most overlooked and underrated city in America is Madison, Wisconsin, according to experts.
Athens, Georgia, about an hour and a half from Atlanta, came in at No. 3 on the list for its musical edge, craft beer scene and, of course, UGA football fanaticism.
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Here’s what the experts had to say about the pick:
In the 1980s, Athens became one of the coolest college towns in the world thanks to home-grown bands such as R.E.M., the B-52s, and Widespread Panic. Today, live music venues 40 Watt Club and Georgia Theatre ensure it retains a musical edge.
The city’s Victorian-era downtown supports a flourishing craft-beer scene (led by the likes of Copper Creek Brewing), and students from the University of Georgia still supply the famous tailgate parties and fanatical support for the Georgia Bulldogs football team, making for a lively atmosphere.
» RELATED: Best late-night places to eat in Athens
Here are the most overlooked cities in the U.S., according to DK Eyewitness Travel:
1. Madison, Wisconsin
2. Sacramento, California
3. Athens, Georgia
4. Rochester, New York
5. Tucson, Arizona
6. Jacksonville, Florida
7. Santa Cruz, California
8. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
9. Galveston, Texas
10. Las Cruces, New Mexico
11. Worcester, Massachusetts
12. Mobile, Alabama
13. Greenville, South Carolina
14. Anchorage, Alaska
15. Olympia, Washington
16. Des Moines, Iowa
17. Missoula, Montana
18. Grand Rapids, Michigan
19. Springfield, Illinois
20. Sioux Falls, South Dakota
More on the ranking at traveldk.com.
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