It's hard to imagine a more distinctly Southern place than Augusta, Georgia, situated on the banks of the Savannah River 150 miles east of Atlanta. Augusta is currently Georgia's second-fastest-growing city in terms of population and job growth. This prosperity has been fueled by the city's relatively low cost of living, high quality of life, skilled and educated workforce and business-friendly climate. And yet, the pace in Augusta simply isn't as frenetic as Atlanta. For one thing, Augusta is located close to the leisurely and genteel Savannah as well as to Charleston, S.C. Within an approximately two-and-a-half-hour drive from Augusta, you can relax on a beach or go hiking in the mountains.

In a sense, it's the best of all possible worlds - economic progress without the congestion, traffic and higher crime rates of a major metropolitan city. Augusta has all of the conveniences of any major city.

Businesses continue to relocate here in droves, and the city's growth shows no signs of slowing down, but at the same time, you never forget you're in the heart of the deep South. In the middle of this city are residential streets lined with antebellum mansions (former President Woodrow Wilson's boyhood home is here) and shaded by aging oak trees.

The Riverwalk Augusta invites a leisurely stroll. Quaint retail shops are staffed by clerks who remind you of the South's best quality: its warm hospitality.

At present, the fastest-growing sectors of Augusta's economy are the health care, industrial and service categories. Among the city's larger corporate residents are the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site (SRS), an organization that seeks to clean up the site while reducing nuclear risk to the area. To meet that objective, SRS provides environmental technology to other organizations working to clean up the site. A staggering number of corporations either have expanded or relocated to greater Augusta during the past few years, including Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Company, Delta Air Lines, AT&T, John Deere, Frigidaire Home Products and BellSouth.

The city's population is expected to swell to more than a half million residents by 2005. Those who call Augusta their home are predominantly skilled, well-educated and young. Hard at work on their way up the corporate ladder, they're moving into their first homes - and subsequently, move-up homes -- at a fairly early age. The National Association of Home Builders named Augusta the nation's most affordable housing market in the third quarter of 1998.

The city's year-round temperate weather has led to its nickname as the "Garden City"; everything seems to remain in full bloom here regardless of the time of year, adding to the Augusta's natural beauty. This friendly and usually warm climate has made Augusta a natural choice for one of the nation's premier sporting events, the annual Masters Tournament. Each spring, the Augusta National Golf Course welcomes players and fans from throughout the country, and the city's economy receives an additional boost from this sudden influx of traveling golf enthusiasts.

Some residents even open their private homes to accommodate Augusta's annual springtime visitors. And such devotion wouldn't exist in a city that wasn't so enamored with the sport of golf. It should come as no surprise that Augusta is the home of the state's number-one-rated public golf course, Jones Creek. Augusta also owns the bragging rights to the world's largest dragboat race, the Augusta Southern Nationals; and serves as the headquarters for the National Barrel Horse Association.

Of course, there's more to life than sports, and so a visit to Augusta will offer you opportunities to explore the region's rich history. Take a tour of former President Wilson's childhood residence, or visit the Cotton Exchange, constructed in 1886 to house cotton brokers, buyers and farmers, and which at one time was the world's second-largest cotton market.

City leaders led a revitalization effort in historic downtown Augusta, and their efforts have paid off. Broad Street, lined with restored buildings and historical monuments, cuts through the center of downtown Augusta.

Museums include the Morris Museum of Art, Fort Discovery and the Augusta-Richmond County Museum, one of the city's newest additions. The Imperial Theater, too, has been preserved to capture the essence of historic Augusta; and the theater continues to hold live performances throughout the year. And the previously mentioned Riverwalk is located within this district. Considered among the most beautiful of Augusta's scenic offerings, the Riverwalk contains retail shops and restaurants and other places of interest, all of them housed in renovated buildings. The very essence of historic downtown is captured in the annual Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival, which, in addition to the obvious arts, crafts, entertainment and food, includes boating and rowing competitions.

Augusta's location in the heart of the deep South is advantageous not only in terms of its mild weather and geographic variety, but also the warmth of its people and the strength of its economy. An extremely competitive cost of living - including housing -- is proving to be one of the most attractive selling points for Augusta. And the presence of a well-educated and skilled workforce has provided the impetus for a series of corporate expansions and relocations to the area. At the same time, Augusta residents share an unwavering commitment to preserving the best of their Southern heritage - most notably through the city's historic structures. These relics of the past now house the museums, the shops, the restaurants and the corporations all contributing to the city's thriving economy, all paving the way toward Augusta's promising future.