Spending next Fri/Sat in Athens, GA. Suggestions?

I’m taking my girlfriend with me on a trip to visit my family in and about Athens, GA.
We are night owls, and my family isn’t, so we’ll probably be hitting Athens for fun times in the evenings.
Suggestions on what do do and where to go?
We’re nerds, and my dear partner is a serious music fan.
Thanks in advance!

This is a single bump for the evening crowd.

I’ve never been there myself, but a lot of good music has come out of Athens, GA. I would assume that the club scene rocks.

First off, damn you for making me register after like 10,000 years of being a lurker.

Secondly, Athens is a GREAT town to visit from time to time and I highly suggest multiple trips.

If you want to plan out your trip, the Flagpole Magazine is the local “what to do” Rag.

I go to visit every now and again for old college/townie friends (townie being people that actually live there). I highly suggest going hungry and eating out a ton.

My favorites being:
The East-West Bistro is great, I used to work there, and it has a great bar later at night.
The Grit being a somewhat snobby but awesome veggie/vegan restaurant. I suggest the loaded nachos or the tofu giant house salad.
Five Star Day is a good cheap place for lunch/dinner but is usually spectacularly good.
Those are my favorite highlights, looking at google maps, I don’t recognize many other names.

Definitely park and stay downtown if you can afford it. That way you can eat, drink and party all night and every day and stay right over there. There are tons of cabs that will take you anywhere in Athens-Clarke (county and city are same thing) for about $10-$20.

There are tons of local shops in the downtown area. Tour the campus at least once and see if the University has any art/music/theater goings on those days.

Most people are cool and chill, but stay away from large groups of idiot young adults.

As I’m looking at a map, The State Botanical Gardens are good relaxing time. Also, if have a minute, tour down Milledge Avenue and gander at the sorority houses, they are usually very pretty (especially during spring) for the architecture and gardens (and yes sometimes for the young ladies in barely anything.)

I can spring for a hotel.
Probably get one a few blocks from downtown proper, as the one RIGHT downtown that I remember was booked solid months in advance.
I have no problem taking a cab…