If you are considering a place to live, Athens blends classic small-town Southern charm and character with a high level of services — municipal, educational and recreational — within its 25,000 population.

The quality of life in Athens is one reason Niche.com gave the city the following rankings in 2016:

● No. 3 “Safest City in Alabama;”

● No. 14 for “Best Places in Alabama to Raise a Family;”

● No. 19 for “Best School Districts in Alabama.”

City Planner Mac Martin, who often extolls Athens’ many features, said he has noticed a number of benefits while working with the city. Here are just a few he mentioned in an email:

Building inspections

Athens requires both homes and businesses to ensure structural, fire and utilities safety.

“I take some comfort in knowing that building officials have inspected structures, including the home I live in to the businesses I frequent,” Martin said.

Zoning laws

Athens has rules about what can be built and where.

“This gives me a reasonable expectation of how land around my home is going to develop,” Martin said. “I always say this about living in an unincorporated portion of the county. The good news is, you can do anything with your property. The bad news is, your neighbor can do anything with their property.”

Services

Martin says the high level of both municipal and recreational service provided in Athens is another benefit. These include the Sportsplex and its ballfields, pavilion and other features.

“It’s nice having reliable and adequately funded services, from recreational facilities, to garbage pickup, to police and fire protection,” he said. “Speaking of fire protection, because of our fire department and the well-equipped stations and personnel we have, our homeowners insurance rates are lower within the city.”

Education

Athens City Schools offer its students various opportunities, including a solid K-12 education; Spark Academy, which brings Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) training to students in grade K-12; and Renaissance School, which offers a more personalized education — more challenges, more attention or more flexibility.