“FootPrince and Palates” – Food and Walking Tour of Historic Prince Avenue

Prince Avenue's historic and eclectic character make it a popular local for innovative restauranteurs.

with Amy Andrews

Saturday, October 2 at 10:30 am

Prince Avenue is a foodies delight with one-of-a-kind cafes, bakeries, and bars that have become entwined with its character—whether housed in a historic building or adaptively renovating some of the more contemporary buildings to create a unique ambience. Share the inside scoop on the unique restaurants that call Prince Avenue home and enjoy mouth-watering samples from some of the best eateries “uptown” while we tour this historic corridor. Originally the Federal Road to the Indian Territory, Prince Avenue’s earliest existing homes date to the 1840s. Some of Athens’ and the state of Georgia’s most influential citizens lived here—among them Joseph Lumpkin, Henry Grady and Monroe “Pink” Morton. Home to architecturally-significant institutions like the State Normal School (1862), Emmanuel Episcopal Church (1899), and Fire Hall No. 2 (1901), Prince Avenue is also home to beloved Normaltown, one of Athens’ few true neighborhood business districts. A victim of the urban renewal mentality that swept through Athens in the 1950s and 60s, local history books are filled with photographs of the grand homes that are now gone. In the 1970s, students, artists, musicians and young professionals who craved the inexpensive rent, historic ambience and character of the Prince Avenue neighborhoods, moved in. A large number of them eventually bought homes here and have lent Prince Avenue an eclectic yet authentic new character that gracefully blends with the historic. This tour will last approximately three hours. Enough food tastings will be served that for most people lunch afterward will not be needed. Please let us know about any food restrictions when making your reservation; we will do our best to accommodate your specific needs.  Please note that there is an additional $15 fee for this tour to cover food costs. The tour is limited to 16 registrants.

Your tour guide:

Amy Andrews has lived in the Prince Avenue area for more than 25 years. Born in Akron, Ohio, she first came to Athens as a child to spend summers with her father and grew to love the architecture, culture and sense of place that imbued the city. She received her bachelor’s degree in French from the University of Georgia and became a realtor long enough to learn and explore the nooks and crannies of Athens, which only increased her appreciation of its historic neighborhoods. She is an administrative specialist in Finance and Administration at the University of Georgia, where she has worked for the last 17 years. She is a graduate of Leadership Athens and serves as co-chair of Citizens for Healthy Neighborhoods, a Normaltown citizens group. She is finishing her second term as a trustee of the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation and is a member of the Education Committee.