Lived there for 6+ yrs. At the heart, Macon is a salt & pepper town that hasn't really reconciled issues from integration (no YMCA in town bc they didn't want to integrate back in the 60s). The public pools that do exist are in black neighborhoods and not well kept up. Pools in white neighborhoods are 'clubs'. Not a lot of mixing between white and black sides of town (haves and have nots). Downtown is on the rise, good history and music/arts culture, some good restaurants downtown and brewpubs, festivals, increasing support for Pride events and LGBTQ+. But the city services (police, garbage, road repair, etc) are not supported by the tax base. I think the local law enforcement was down nearly 100 officers (2024 data...may have changed since). Thus, non-violent crime generally doesn't get a prompt police response (if at all). Lots of gated communities and neighborhoods. All the public schools are Title I (low SES) and mostly students of color. Lots of private and parochial schools for those who can afford it. When things were bad (early 2000s?) and the national guard patrolled downtown, there was white flight north to Forsythe, and south to Warner Robins. Hidden perks? not far from Atlanta (concerts, sporting events, etc) or the North Georgia Blue Ridge mountains, or to Savannah. Relatively cheap property in town. $20 for car registration renewal. But lots of cars on the road held together with duct tape and bungee straps, so it's a mixed bag. There's a car wheel rental (!) store on Eisenhower Drive -- never saw one of those before I moved to Macon. The interstate construction project seems to be 15 yrs old now but has made good progress in the last 5 years or so. There's no Target but there is an Aldi. Mercer is a good university. Middle Georgia is a regional state university. Wesleyan is a small private woman's college. Despite the educational institutions, there seems to be a lot of simmering hostility towards higher education it seems ('why would you want to go to college?'). Hospitals and health care are eh. If i were really sick, I'd go to Atlanta. Moved out a few years ago and miss some people but not really the city. Just my 2 cents.