In July 2001, I packed my Pontiac Sunfire coupe full of clothes and a few furnishings and shipped it from my hometown just north of Chicago to my new home in Augusta.
My license plate at the time read “IBDRMN5” (shorthand for “Ibdrummin” because of my love for all things percussion) but one of my new colleagues read it as “I be dorming” because it looked like I’d packed my entire college dorm into the car.
A few months earlier, I graduated from journalism school and was about to embark on my new career as a TV reporter at the former NBC 26 on Broad Street.
Augusta Business Daily publisher, Neil Gordon was the news director at the time, and he was giving me my shot to break into the TV business.
I’d never lived outside of the Midwest, let alone on my own in a strange, unfamiliar place.
Outside of The Masters, I didn’t know much about The Garden City prior to my arrival, and after growing up in Chicago and spending four years in a bustling college town, I wasn’t expecting much.
It didn’t take me long to appreciate it.
I was lucky to meet a vibrant group of young professionals, including some locals and transplants who worked at Kimberly Clark, John Deere, and at our competing TV stations.
We became fast friends and spent every weekend together. All of us were right out of college, single, and looking for a good time.
And we found no shortage of good times!
Back then, you could grab an espresso at “Metro Coffeehouse” for breakfast and share a beer there before dinner.
“Nacho Mama” was the spot for great burritos, “Bee’s Knees” the new locale for tapas, and you could bare your soul on the dance floor at “Soul Bar.” (Publisher’s Note: Bee’s Knees closed and was quickly replaced by another concept)
“Greene Streets” was the late-night destination for wannabe crooners, and “The Pizza Joint” was perfect for a greasy slice.
I recall spending “First Friday” roaming downtown with my friends, hopping from bar to bar, restaurant to restaurant.
Broad Street will always occupy a special place in my heart.
Not only was it the site of my first career stop, but it’s where I met my wife, then a student at MCG; a mutual friend set us up on a date at Metro.
We’re celebrating our 16th anniversary this year.
We’ve been back to Augusta a few times since we left in 2005.
Each time we show our kids our old haunts.
I’m amazed at how much the downtown landscape has changed.
The Convention Center is a prime example; on one recent stop through town, Ironman athletes had taken it over and we could barely find a place to park!
Azalea Investments’ President, Derek May recently told me about the downtown boom.
“We’re having the best year in the history of the hotel this year,” he told me.
When I visited recently for the Augusta Business Daily Expo, SRP Park across the River blew my mind!
It’s an amazing upgrade from the former Green Jacket Stadium my friends and I would frequent on many a “Thirsty Thursday.”
I also noticed several new businesses I’d never seen before in downtown Augusta, including Ubora Coffee.
After meeting co-founder, Phillip Weisner at the Expo and learning about his story and his excitement for the city, I had to check out his roastery, and I’m so glad I did!
I know I would have spent my mornings sipping coffee there had it existed during my time in the city.
When I left Augusta, the city’s first Starbucks had just opened on Washington Road, and it was big news!
(Publisher’s note—in the last 18 years, Starbucks has grown to 25 CSRA locations)
Today, they’re about as ubiquitous as Magnolia trees at the National, so it’s nice to see Phillip’s mom n’ pop coffee roastery not only surviving, but thriving!
I could hear the optimism in his voice, as he and his business partner prepare to launch a second, suburban location later this year.
I heard a similar optimism from other business owners I met at the Expo, and from those I’ve interviewed for Augusta Business Daily.
Augusta’s come a long way since I first arrived with my college dorm in tow.
It’s no longer a sleepy hamlet playing second fiddle to Atlanta; it’s become a destination.
