Hype for the Future 78F: City of Athens, Ohio

Introduction

The City of Athens is located in the central portion of Athens County, Ohio, serving as the county seat and home to the oldest university in the State, currently a public university known as Ohio University, not to be confused with The Ohio State University in Columbus. While the Ohio State Buckeyes are located in Columbus, the Ohio Bobcats are located within the City of Athens.

Amenities

The vast majority of the City of Athens, Ohio, revolves around the campus of Ohio University, though there are other features throughout the city. ARTS/West is an art center located off campus on the western side of Athens, while the Kennedy Museum of Art is located southwest of the Hocking River and associated directly with campus. On the Saturday closest to Halloween every year, the Halloween in Athens Block Party is actually more than just a traditional block party, not just for the Ohio University community, but for college communities elsewhere in the State as well as the general population of Athens County as a whole.

On the eastern side of the City of Athens, the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau is heavily associated with the promotion of tourism throughout the region, while the central city is most notable as home to the Athens Armory and the Southeast Ohio History Center.

Hype for the Future 77Q: State Parks of Mid-Appalachian Ohio

Introduction

Located within the midst of Appalachian Ohio, the region south of the City of Logan in Hocking County and select surrounding counties is highly identified as a recreational area associated with the State. Of the state parks associated with the region, Hocking Hills is often identified as the most notable; however, additional state parks are also identified as influential to the greater community.

State Parks

To the south of Hocking Hills, the region also contains the Lake Hope and Lake Alma State Parks, both typically associated with Vinton County, though on opposite sides of the community known as McArthur. The Vinton Furnace State Forest is located to the east of Lake Alma and is often identified with the general region, with Route 50 to the north and Route 32 to the south.

Tar Hollow State Park, though located further from the community of Logan, is also deeply engrained with the Appalachian Ohio communities and area, while The Wilds represents a significant land area to the northeast often associated with natural and rural exhibitions in an environment with minimal infrastructural disruptions.