I go with how SD describes it pretty much. Except for that whole Shangri-La thing
And I might also question the "easy 1-hour drive" to the Atlanta 'burbs. I still know a good many people who refer to Athens as a city that "there's no good way to go into or out of".
On a more positive note, depending upon whether you prefer in-town vs suburban living, some of the surrounding counties have becoming pretty appealing for the "close-enough-but-not-in-the-middle-of- town" folks who work in Athens proper. Oconee County in particular, with above average homes & schools, plus some pretty good quality of life stuff just a short drive away in Athens.