The Five Points neighborhood of Athens, Georgia is more than an intersection. It is a place where several separate worlds of the town converge. College students, faculty, and permanent residents can all enjoy local restaurants and specialty shops in Five Points.

In the past few months, the neighborhood has seen several changes including the seasonal closing of el Barrio, the shift in ownership at Independent Baking Company and the shutdown of Earth Fare. It leaves community members wondering what will become of Five Points. Will local businesses be able to sustain themselves in a quickly changing neighborhood?

“Five Points used to be more local and family-focused, but unfortunately we are in a college town and we are being overrun by students, which isn't a bad thing, it's just totally changed the feel of Five Points,” said Brian Molloy, Owner of The Hub Bicycles in Five Points.

Five Points was not always the busy neighborhood it has become today. As niche businesses flocked to Five Points over the past decade, its popularity has grown. Several businesses credit their success to uniqueness and excellent customer service. Businesses in the neighborhood try to attract a variety of patrons and keep them coming back. This growth is good for business, but it has changed the demographics of the neighborhood.

Students have a stronger presence in Five Points now, but most businesses do not use any particular marketing strategies to attract them. The Five Points community welcomes students and locals alike, but they rely more on loyal, local customers. Even so, the neighborhood provides a sense of community for all who shop there.

“I think students like to step off campus and be a part of the community, and we want to appeal to all people,” said Peter Dale, co-owner of Condor Chocolates.

As people flock to Five Points to try delicious food, shop for books and buy bikes, there is some concern about managing the space and keeping the integrity of Five Points. It is important that the neighborhood is walkable because many of the storefronts depend on foot traffic due to lack of parking. Keeping the integrity of the neighborhood means that Five Points has a small-town feeling, even as the community grows.

“I see it when I go anywhere in Five Points; you go to the bakery and people know you, you go to Avid bookshop and people know you,” said Tina Eckard, the President of the Five Points Business Association. “It’s a sense of community and it’s small. I do like that it has remained that way.”

Although the closing of Earth Fare has not negatively impacted business in Five Points, many owners are ambivalent about what will move into the former grocery store next. Malloy has been petitioning Sprouts, an organic grocery store, to bring their business to Athens. Eckard, who remembers locals walking past her shop on the way to and from Earth Fare, also hopes something similar will fill the space.

“I feel like the landlord is going to be pretty picky about what goes in there,” said Eckard. “Before Earth Fare it was another grocery store, the building just lends itself to that.”

The future of local business in Five Points is unpredictable, but the mom and pop shops that give Five Points its flare claim they are not going anywhere, anytime soon. But, depending on what business replaces the empty former grocery store, the dynamics of Five Points could shift.

“I think Five Points is special in the sense that there will always be businesses here that are independently owned, and those businesses will support each other,” said Kevin Scollo, new Owner of Independent Baking Company. “I think that won’t change.”

Scollo is new to the Five Points neighborhood, but his bakery has long been a staple. Scollo acknowledges that even though some businesses are moving out of Five Points, many are moving in, and the community is welcoming to them.

Community support is essential for the success of local businesses in Five Points. For businesses to continue to bring quality, specialty goods to consumers, they must have customers.

Amy Baer, Founder of Shop Small Athens emphasizes the importance of shopping at places that help support her community on a deeper level. Her family frequents the shops in Five Points because they want to support local makers. Baer feels that shopping local ads a person to person engagement that big business can not match.

“I know that when I'm shopping locally, I have taken the time to get to know the makers, to meet some of the brick and mortar shop owners, and that changes the way that I engage my community in a very positive way because I feel invested in my community,” said Baer of shopping in Five Points.

Today, businesses in Five Points are navigating rising costs in a highly desirable neighborhood and customers are deciding where to spend their money. Even as businesses continue to come and go, locals hope the spirit of Five Points will remain.

Caitlin Phillips is a junior majoring in journalism at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia.