ATHENS, Ala. — The city of Athens recently named as 1 of 7 of the most welcoming towns in Alabama by the World Atlas. Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks believes this is only the beginning for Athens as the city continues to grow and develop.
"[Recently] we were listed as one of the seven most welcoming, friendliest cities in the state of Alabama," he said. "We're growing, we're just bursting, it seems... It's a challenge, but a very fun time to be in this area."
Huntsville resident Gary Allen said it's the down-to-earth people in the community that makes his experience so pleasant when he comes to downtown Athens to shop. "I just get a warm, down-home feeling, small-town feeling. They've got a lot of nice stores here, real unique stores. I would suggest anybody to come over here and visit Athens."
For other downtown Athens shop owners like Pimentos' Teresa Brodie, this news comes as no surprise. "Athens is a very homey town. For example, every business on the square is owned by family, so we're small businesses around. And of course, you know, our customers are the most important thing to us because without them, we couldn't exist."
Downtown Athens Shop Trinity's store employee Addison Anderson agrees. "I think the community is really great. Everyone's just really friendly to each other," she said. "You run into somebody, they're always saying, hey, Merry Christmas, how are you? It's just a really good community to be in."