The Other Athens? You Mean, There's Another One?

The filming of Athens native James Pondsoldt's "The Spectacular Now" in Athens last year brought all sorts of folks to town. (There's a sneak peek fundraiser featuring the movie and Ponsoldt himself at Cine on Tuesday night.)

One of those in town was producer Andrew Lauren. He ate here, he drank here, he walked around, he soaked up the cool atmosphere. He talked about "The Other Athens" to Conde Nast Traveler's Daily Traveler.

And here's what the publication says:

“Athens is like an oasis of cool in the middle of nowhere.” That’s Athens, Georgia, and that’s according to producer Andrew Lauren, whose new film, The Spectacular Now, is a Say Anything–style love story set in the town (out Aug. 2). Amid fields 70 miles east of Atlanta, Athens is home to the University of Georgia and known for music—it spawned the B-52s and R.E.M.—but it’s got great food too: “It’s New York caliber,” Lauren says of places like Dawg Gone Good BBQ, which is the place for ribs (224 W. Hancock Ave.; 706-207-6562; entrées from $9). The best beer is brewed at Terrapin, which has a Frisbee lawn (265 Newton Bridge Rd.). “It was the perfect sweet, sophisticated town,” Lauren says.