Happy Top Lodge & Rest

Forty-two feet above the Classic City, under the rusty gaze of a water tower & a rubber plant, this 1922 Southern Mill House stands still - but firm - in time. Once a rest house for train-hopping mill workers, each room of the historic duplex has been converted into an analog recording studio, vintage playground, & live/work space in close keeping with its past. Open any door, and there you will find a piano, the smell of wood & sage, & a vestigial glimpse of Americana that is uniquely Athens. Happytop is an emerging adaptive reuse neighborhood, which is a fancy way of saying Wild West. A mile from downtown Athens, along the tracks & a block from bustling Boulevard & Normaltown, it sits at the nexus of industry & Bohemia and is uniquely zoned to accommodate both a house and a business. Half 1920's cottage, half post dystopian gardenscape, it is an anomaly within an anomaly. A stone's throw from beloved local restaurants, breweries, & businesses, Happpytop offers a one of a kind juxtaposition of Classic City charm, historic southern scenery, & that old familiar feeling which can only be called 'home'. The house itself is older than most people on the planet; the stuff inside it is pretty old, too. If you combined the ages of everything, it would be over a thousand years old! It has wrinkles & scars & tattoos & the stories of a hundred souls etched into its walls. This isn't a run of the mill, made-for-TV-home-makeover, this is a pimp-my-ride-junkyard-style, fully functional art work whose flux & lean are essential components of its being. Like the mythic figure of struggle, Sisyphus, it pushes itself up against the mountain of time, breaking down and rebuilding over & over & again. It is a meditation on humility, contentment, & acceptance; it is savoring every toil for the sweet moments of repose that lie in the in-between. This is where you find the Muse & the Fool & the Sage. This is where you will find Happytop. * Historic Southern Mill House w/ a hundred year old heart of pine exterior * Renovated 97' School Bus apartment w/ wood stove, fridge, sink, & toaster * Secluded & spacious backyard featuring: - Fire pit, swing set, hammock, & bathroom - Boxing bag, gloves, & mitts, jump rope, & trampoline - Lots of sun, shade, & wildlife year round * Original hardwood floors and doors * 3 separate entrances * Ten foot ceilings * Real pianos in every room * Classic, Southern front porch * Newly remodeled kitchen and bathroom * Vintage stereo system & 6 speaker sets routed throughout the house * Eclectic record collection of all the hits * 1800's writing desk w/ typewriter, stationary, & telephone * Two 4-track cassette recorders w/ Reverberator & Rhythm Arranger * ‘73 Fender Twin, Hammond organ, drum set, PA, & microphones * Poker chips, dice, cards, & chess set * Warm, cozy lighting from an array of vintage lamps * Curated library of assorted reading & reference material * One-of-a-kind interior layout, design, & artwork