How does the outside view Greenville?

[Greenville]

BTW, the story they did about Greenville was ranked as the 4th most popular on their list of top 25 stories for 2008.

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/744/118/

Here is the main page. They have a lot of interesting info and studies of various cities.

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/section/8/118/

Great article from the Jacksonville paper about Greenville. That was a really good story, and the comments were enjoyable to read too.

This is a great example of how highrises aren't everything. We obviously want more tall buildings in Greenville, but it's great that we did not sacrifice the pedestrian experience just to build a few more highrises like Jacksonville. Articles like this illustrate the fact that our downtown runs circles around much larger downtowns, simply because we have addressed things on the human scale and made our core clean and walkable. Way to go, Greenville!

[gs3]

^^^ Great first hand info and written info.

Not very familiar with Jacksonville (other than some time spent in suburban office parks), but have always had a hard time feeling a "vibe" there. Could be "anyplace USA", IMO. The info above could explain this lack of a vibe.......no vibrant downtown / intown area.

[goodbye]

Al Black, who recently moved with his wife from Indiana to Newberry, wrote a most flattering review of downtown Greenville, published on the Readers' letters page (Feb. 25) of GreenvilleOnline.com. Definitely worth keeping a copy for yourself. He has a gift for using descriptive words to communicate what he has experienced here in person. His letter is titled, "Downtown was a scene from Renoir." Included among his pleasant description of that first downtown experience were the words, "a revelation," "a Renoir painting," "alive," "an oasis," "nature's perfection," "a community," and "a poem by Rumi."

[gs3]

^ Very flattering opinion of Greenville.

[goodbye]

Had friends in town this weekend from the Dayton, Ohio area. We spent time in downtown on Saturday evening (rain and all) and they absolutely raved about the city over and over again. As a result of the visit, they really want to live here. One of the men is even interested in finding an administrative position with the City because of the visit. They were able to see our quality of life for themselves and yet again it did not disappoint.

[GvilleSC]

I love it! Even in the rain...

[distortedlogic]

Was at a friends house earlier today and her family was visiting from Atlanta. They are from SE Asia, but have been in Atl for over 20 years now. Anyway, we started talking about this area, and they stated that it seemed "pretty quiet" around here and asked if there was anything to do. I mentioned there are a lot of outdoor opportunities as well as museums and parks, but I don't think my description left much of an impression. I don't know if they have ever been DT or not, but I realized that it is quite hard to "describe" to someone what there is to do and "raise any eyebrows" when they hail from much larger cities like an Atlanta. Greenville has somethings, like Falls Park and LIberty Bridge, that Atlanta does not, but I was kind of at a loss for describing what there "is to do" while thinking about how much more Atlanta has to do.

[Greenville]

Was at a friends house earlier today and her family was visiting from Atlanta. They are from SE Asia, but have been in Atl for over 20 years now. Anyway, we started talking about this area, and they stated that it seemed "pretty quiet" around here and asked if there was anything to do. I mentioned there are a lot of outdoor opportunities as well as museums and parks, but I don't think my description left much of an impression. I don't know if they have ever been DT or not, but I realized that it is quite hard to "describe" to someone what there is to do and "raise any eyebrows" when they hail from much larger cities like an Atlanta. Greenville has somethings, like Falls Park and LIberty Bridge, that Atlanta does not, but I was kind of at a loss for describing what there "is to do" while thinking about how much more Atlanta has to do.

There is plenty to do, but if someone is used to top level professional sports (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL), ultra high end shopping, or Six Flags then Greenville might seem "boring." The major difference, in my mind, is that Greenville might have one location of a chain (e.g., Ruth's Chris), whereas Atlanta will have three or four. For the most part, I don't think the difference in amenities is very different between the two. Obviously Greenville is much smaller in terms of land area and population, but it's also more affordable, more accessible, much cleaner, and significantly easier to navigate.

I LOVE big cities, but once I had lived in a couple I realized that it is one thing to visit a big city but a different experience entirely to live in one. I am so glad I have lived in large cities, and could certainly do it again. But on a day-to-day basis there isn't really much of a difference between a huge city and a mid-sized city like Greenville in terms of amenities. During the week, you spend most of your time at home, at work, or between the two. You occasionally buy groceries, eat at a restaurant, or have a doctor's appointment. There is really no difference between Atlanta and Greenville in this regard, as Greenville has big business, nice homes, plenty of restaurants, a wide variety of supermarkets (including Whole Foods, Earth Fare, Fresh Market, Bloom, etc.), and doctors in any medical specialty and subspecialty you can think of.

When the weekend rolls around, you still have museums, excellent theaters, and outdoor festivals. Access to the mountains is phenomenal. You have many coffee shops, good retail, national chains, etc. In other words, Greenville has 98% of the things anyone needs or wants in their daily lives. For the rare occasion when you want to catch a pro game or buy something from Armani, you can take a trip to Atlanta.

Greenville is a fun weekend destination, for sure. But in my opinion, Greenville really shines for those who choose to move there. The quality of life is so high, and perhaps that is difficult for the casual, non-detail oriented traveler to pick up on.

[gs3]

Was at a friends house earlier today and her family was visiting from Atlanta. They are from SE Asia, but have been in Atl for over 20 years now. Anyway, we started talking about this area, and they stated that it seemed "pretty quiet" around here and asked if there was anything to do. I mentioned there are a lot of outdoor opportunities as well as museums and parks, but I don't think my description left much of an impression. I don't know if they have ever been DT or not, but I realized that it is quite hard to "describe" to someone what there is to do and "raise any eyebrows" when they hail from much larger cities like an Atlanta. Greenville has somethings, like Falls Park and LIberty Bridge, that Atlanta does not, but I was kind of at a loss for describing what there "is to do" while thinking about how much more Atlanta has to do.

Print this list for use, next time you're at a loss:

- Rent bikes and tour downtown

- Go to a Drive game at Fluor Field

- Check out a play at Warehouse Theater

- Check out a play at Little Theater

- Check out a play at Centre Stage Theater

- Catch a concert at Peace Center

- Hang out and hear poetry / music at Coffee Underground

- Meet the locals and have a comfort lunch at Northgate Soda Shop

- Check out the area's history at the Upcountry History Museum

- Jog, rollerblade, or bike the greenway

- Grab a comfy chair and drink in the lobby of the Westin.....great for people watching.

- Have an outdoor lunch at any of the downtown restaurants.....more great people watching.

- Greenville Museum of Art

- The Children's Museum (when it opens)

- Spend hours in Mast browsing

- Do the Mice on Main hunt

- Tour the downtown statues

- Bob Jones Museum

- Moonlight Movies (if in season).

- Saturday Morning Market

- Take your dog to the dog park and meet other like minded people

- Greenville Zoo

- The new West End Movies space

- Do a free movie at the main library (popcorn served too)

- Check out a symphony concert at Furman

- Go white water rafting at one of the area rivers (Saluda is excellent for this)

- Bike Paris Mountain

- Paris Mountain State Park.....hike, bike, camp, play

- Check out SC's only real Dutch Brown Cafe....Addy's

- Shop Main Street / West End

- Shop August Street

- Do some suburban shopping Haywood and Greenridge

- Eat at SC's only Brazillian Steak House......Rio

- Tour the BMW Museum

- Attend the BMW Driving School

- Have martini's and nightlife at Blue Martini

- Listen to bands in Falls Park

- Tour the Liberty Bridge and take photos

- See Shakespeare in Falls Park

- Cafe and Then Some for an evening of laughter and UN-politically correct humor (all my friends from larger cities have loved this place).

- Do one of the wineries.....Victoria Valley, Crescent Valley, etc

- Have lunch at La Bastide

- Play golf at one of the numerous area courses

- Downtown Alive

- Main Street Jazz

- Do one of the numerous downtown festivals

- Do one of the numerous ethnic festivals....Greek Festival, Shalom Fest, Colombian Festival, Oktoberfest, etc, etc

- Shop at Red Ribbon and help those with AIDS

- Go to Caesars Head (for more fun, rent motorcycles and do the drive to Caesars Head at 70 MPH on the hairpins)

- Tour the apple farms during apple season.....pick apples.....have some great home-made pies.

- Do the Peach farms in peach season

- Outlet shop at Gaffney

- Spend a day boating on Lake Hartwell and enjoy thousands of islands (if you don't have access to a boat, rent one at Harbor Light Marina).

- Get wetsuits and go diving in the clear (but cold) waters of Lake Jocassee

- Stop by Whole Foods and pick up a tour guide of the area's numerous organic farms, then take a driving and tasting tour of the farms.

- Do a wine tasting at Northampton Wines

- Do a matinee movie at Camelot Theater for a more urban adult crowd

- Check out the Southern Living "green" showcase home at Furman

- Go hang-gliding.....check out one the area clubs.

- Take a day trip to Asheville.

- Grab your laptop and hang out in one of the downtown coffee shops

- Have true Peruvian food and Pisco Sours at Pisco Sour

- Spend the night dancing at The Castle with Drag Queens and Clemson boys.

- Buy tickets for one of the weekly charity type events.....Chocolate Soiree immediately comes to mind

- Have pizza at Pizza City and leave your marks on the walls, ceilings, etc.

- Attend a concert or event at Bi-Lo

- Let kids ride the train at Heritage Park or take in a concert at the Amphitheater (impressive and rivals any Amphitheater in the country).

- Do Freedom Weekend Aloft

- Spend a day or evening doing an art gallery tour in West End / Riverwalk

- Brunch at one of the numerous in the area (Embassy Suites has an excellent brunch)

- Play volleyball on the new sand court in Legacy Park at Verdae.....a beautiful spot, a beautiful day......take friends and a cooler of Mich Cactus & Lime.

- Hollywild Park for a drive through zoo adventure

- Go to the Beacon in Spartanburg

- Gay friends? Take them shopping at Out of Bounds for all things gay.

- Pick one of the numerous downtown spas and go have a spa day.

- Play carpet golf in McPherson Park off North Main

- Check out Michelin on Main

- Rent Vespas and do the city on Vespa.

- Do one of the local Latin clubs for serious fun....Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, Reggaeton......La Montana comes to mind

This is only a start, off the top of my head......

[GvilleSC]

I know that you can find walking, or driving tours online for the city. It might be nice if they'd place some bronzed feet/shoe prints in the sidewalk to guide people on some of the different tours (City Center, West End, Pettigru, Hampton-Pinckney, Heritage Green, etc). I've never seen this done, but I think it'd be a great way to get people off the beaten path to check out some of the churches, historic homes and neighborhoods, commercial buildings, museums, galleries, etc. Obviously too many would produce confusion, but I think the feet print inlaid in the concrete would be a guide (obviously marked with a name of the tour, or number). And, the production of similar plaques with names, dates, history, significance would be able to mark each "destination" or place of interest.

The great thing could be this: a common point could be established for tour info/brochures/etc, but the tours would not necessarily have a starting point. You could find the footprints on the ground and start an impromptu tour at any point along the route. Maybe different "prints" would designate different tours, with placement of the prints every 20' or so...?

I can imagine City Hall being the common point, with a Pettigru tour taking you up to North Main, down Coffee Street to Christ Church, through the cemetery (?), areas of interest in the Pettigru Historic district, and then back down McBee Ave OR to Springwood Cemetery, before hitting Main and heading South.

A West End tour would include the Peace Center/Wyche Pavilion, Falls Park, Furman University wall, up to Augusta St, Shoeless Joe's house, ballpark, down Main to the site of the Chicora campus, Riverplace, Swamp Rabbit, back to City Hall via River/Broad Streets.

Depending on how serious this were taken, you could even develop a way for the bicycles, segways, and vespas to navigate these routes (either by markings on the bike lanes or simple signage...

Just some ideas.

[goodbye]

...It might be nice if they'd place some bronzed feet/shoe prints in the sidewalk to guide people on some of the different tours...

Nice idea... Got me thinking that bare feet could lead visitors from Falls Park, City Hall, and/or Fluor Field to the Shoeless Joe Jackson museum.

[GvilleSC]

Nice idea... Got me thinking that bare feet could lead visitors from Falls Park, City Hall, and/or Fluor Field to the Shoeless Joe Jackson museum.

Very true. If nothing else, it could be a great way to get people walking from Heritage Green to Main Street and vice versa.

[gs3]

Good article from the Miami paper travel section, as regards Greenville. Greenville is listed as a weekend trip suggestion. The article says Greenville is a cross between Mayberry and Coconut Grove. I rather like that. The sweetness, polite attitude and simple charms of Mayberry, coupled with the intelligence, upscale restaurants, arts and urban vibe of Coconut Grove.

Article from the Miami Herald:

http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/q...ry/1034104.html

[gs3]

This is a "feel good" article from the Greenville News, but a good read. Genuine emotion from the couple that moved to Greenville from New York.

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20...ing++new+career

[goodbye]

A small comment in this article from The Houston Chronicle about Lucas Glover's US Open victory sheds light on the author's knowledge of our city.

...He

[GvilleSC]

I had family from Charlotte in town today. The one thing they felt obligated to do was go downtown. They said that when tell people in Charlotte that they grew up in Greenville, people rave about downtown, the river, the park, and atmosphere. Interestingly enough, they hadn't been back downtown in over 20 years. So, when people talk about how these things and how great a job Greenville has done, they have no first hand knowledge to share or compare. So, we went.

As expected they loved the transformation, activity, cleanliness, and experience. Several times they mentioned how the River and its surrounding developments reminded them of San Antonio's Riverwalk. They made constant comparisons to Charlotte's downtown activity and offerings, but kept mentioning that they never have a reason to visit Charlotte's urban core.

Anyway, it was a nice homecoming and great to hear people excited about downtown Greenville. Apparently Greenville has made quite a name for itself in the Queen City.

[Greenville]

This one isn't as flattering as others, but it is humorous! The person who cuts my hair in Charleston is in her mid-late 30s, and has lived in Charleston all of her life. I have known her for over a year, but she can never remember where I am from. I have told her several times that I am from Greenville, but she frequently asks and says, "You're from North Carolina, right?"

Last week, she mentioned a recent trip she and her family took to Gatlinburg. I said, "Oh, you drove near Greenville on your way." She said, "Is that in North Carolina?" I said, "No, Greenville is in South Carolina, in the Upstate. You drove very close to it when you went through Spartanburg on I-26." She said, "Oh, I was reading a book and not really paying attention."

I cannot understand how someone could live in South Carolina their ENTIRE life, and not even know where Greenville is - or at least know that it's in South Carolina! Thankfully, she cuts hair a lot better than she knows her state geography.

[GvilleSC]

You mean to tell me that there is LIFE past the Ashley and Cooper Rivers?!? Who knew??

[gs3]

This one isn't as flattering as others, but it is humorous! The person who cuts my hair in Charleston is in her mid-late 30s, and has lived in Charleston all of her life. I have known her for over a year, but she can never remember where I am from. I have told her several times that I am from Greenville, but she frequently asks and says, "You're from North Carolina, right?"

Last week, she mentioned a recent trip she and her family took to Gatlinburg. I said, "Oh, you drove near Greenville on your way." She said, "Is that in North Carolina?" I said, "No, Greenville is in South Carolina, in the Upstate. You drove very close to it when you went through Spartanburg on I-26." She said, "Oh, I was reading a book and not really paying attention."

I cannot understand how someone could live in South Carolina their ENTIRE life, and not even know where Greenville is - or at least know that it's in South Carolina! Thankfully, she cuts hair a lot better than she knows her state geography.

LOL.

I can believe....those "old Southern cities" like Charleston are a bit inward focused, IMO. The attitude your haircutter has is eerily similar to the attitude found in Mobile, Alabama. I met a couple of Mobilians in college who had never been to Birmingham (the largest city in the state) until they went to college in Tuscaloosa. Weird. New Orleans has a bit of that as well, and I would also assume Savannah residents are probably less traveled. Something about those seersucker/bowtie cities.....

[Greenville]

You mean to tell me that there is LIFE past the Ashley and Cooper Rivers?!? Who knew??

Ha ha! I know, who knew that life existed outside of Chahlston!

I can believe....those "old Southern cities" like Charleston are a bit inward focused, IMO. The attitude your haircutter has is eerily similar to the attitude found in Mobile, Alabama. I met a couple of Mobilians in college who had never been to Birmingham (the largest city in the state) until they went to college in Tuscaloosa. Weird. New Orleans has a bit of that as well, and I would also assume Savannah residents are probably less traveled. Something about those seersucker/bowtie cities.....

I think you are correct about the old Southern cities being especially inwardly focused. Perhaps it comes from generations past when they were more important than they are today (relative to their peers, anyway).

You are so right about seersucker and bowties! I had never seen so much of either until I moved to Charleston. You also see a huge amount of croakies, boat shoes, pastel shirts, shorter-than-normal khaki shorts, and Vineyard Vines clothes - and of course belts with the palmetto tree and crescent moon!

[gs3]

You also see a huge amount of croakies

Worn at night and in a restaurant is the worst!

[distortedlogic]

Was at a meeting this afternoon and sat in between two recent transplants. One just moved here from Atlanta with her husband. She had very nice things to say about Gville and said that a lot of people in Atl are looking to move away because of how congested it has become. She said a lot of people there are looking at Gville because "it has everything Atlanta has, just on a smaller scale." The other (soon to be) transplant is about to move from Northern Va and also talked about getting away from congestion, and said that DT and Falls park helped seal the deal for him. A lot of people are starting to hear about the upstate apparently so we shouldn't be surprised to see the growth continue (as long as it doesn't happen too fast ... ).

[GvilleSC]

GE's new commercial now features its Greenville operations!

It starts out with a guy asking for a wrench (in NJ, perhaps?), and during the passing process it's thrown threw a turbine and the caption at the bottom of the screen says: "Greenville, SC"!

Nice press!!

[Greenville]

GE's new commercial now features its Greenville operations!

It starts out with a guy asking for a wrench (in NJ, perhaps?), and during the passing process it's thrown threw a turbine and the caption at the bottom of the screen says: "Greenville, SC"!

Nice press!!

Love this! I look forward to seeing it!

[gs3]

A pretty glowing article from an Atlanta station, as regards Greenville, for a weekend destination for the Atlanta crowd:

http://www.wsbtv.com/sports/19977421/detail.html