Business View Civil Municipal - Sept 2023

29 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 9 ATHENS , ALABAMA love the vibe we have here, as Garth said. One important thing is keeping that vibe and being able to attract younger people because we want our community to continue to flourish. The art boom and the music boom—these are things that attract young people here. These are things that people want: the livability of it. We have a huge art scene and also the trails we have here: the outdoor vibe. This adds hugely to the livability factor, and people are attracted to that.” Jimmar praised the City for teaming up with Athens State and receiving much grant money that facilitates the support of local entrepreneurs: budding business owners that want to expand and come out of their homes and be able to network and communicate with other owners of businesses to grow what she calls even larger “entrepreneurial ecosystems” located in Athens.