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Greenville and Peer Cities


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From my travels, I've met plenty of people that have heard about Greenville (almost always positive), and if they haven't heard, I clue them in. :D Seriously though, you'd be shocked what the cycling scene has done for us. What the corporate travel into and out of Greenville has done for us. What one of the world's most famous golfers moving here has done. The list goes on. Greenville (Upstate / Western NC Mountains) is definitely on the radar, more so than most of those peers named.
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I think one thing that holds Greenville back from distinguishing itself is its name.

There are 32 Greenvilles in the country, including one in every southern state. That's to say nothing of the other "Green" cities like Greensboro.

In some respects though, it is not a bad thing to slide under the radar of many people. As it it is truly a rewarding place for those who know about it. And if someone is willing to simply avoid an area simply because they are ignorant of its charms and not willing to dig deeper, then maybe they aren't open-minded enough in the first place to help add to what Greenville has to offer.

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I think one thing that holds Greenville back from distinguishing itself is its name.

There are 32 Greenvilles in the country, including one in every southern state. That's to say nothing of the other "Green" cities like Greensboro.

In some respects though, it is not a bad thing to slide under the radar of many people. As it it is truly a rewarding place for those who know about it. And if someone is willing to simply avoid an area simply because they are ignorant of its charms and not willing to dig deeper, then maybe they aren't open-minded enough in the first place to help add to what Greenville has to offer.

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In some respects though, it is not a bad thing to slide under the radar of many people. As it it is truly a rewarding place for those who know about it. And if someone is willing to simply avoid an area simply because they are ignorant of its charms and not willing to dig deeper, then maybe they aren't open-minded enough in the first place to help add to what Greenville has to offer.
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Well I agree that the name "Greenville" may cause a little bit of a problem in that it is generally a common name for small (and rather "common" towns). And anyone who travels much is likely to recognize that most states have them, and they are mostly sleepy and uneventful. There would probably be no surprise that SC has one, but there would be no reason to suspect it provides anything to see or do. And as others have pointed out, people in other states would probably assume people were talking about the one in their state when the name is mentioned. Who knows, if our name was Pearis, SC, we might have a little more name recognition; but who knows.

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I agree with this about all cities. We're an intelligent society. A truely open minded person "seeks out"......therefore they would check out ALL cities on the internet.....leave no stone unturned. I do that looking for vacation spots. Check them ALL out.
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Well I agree that the name "Greenville" may cause a little bit of a problem in that it is generally a common name for small (and rather "common" towns). And anyone who travels much is likely to recognize that most states have them, and they are mostly sleepy and uneventful. There would probably be no surprise that SC has one, but there would be no reason to suspect it provides anything to see or do. And as others have pointed out, people in other states would probably assume people were talking about the one in their state when the name is mentioned. Who knows, if our name was Pearis, SC, we might have a little more name recognition; but who knows.
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I wouldn't say all that. If someone simply doesn't know what Greenville offers, how does that make them close-minded? I'm sure there are cities around the country that are nothing like I perceive them to be, but unless I have a reason to actually check them out, I won't--that's just natural, and I don't think close-mindedness has anything to do with it. The more Greenville puts itself out there, which it is starting to do, more and more people won't be "ignorant of its charms" and will want to check out the city for themselves.
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^I understand what you're saying. I was interpreting the term "ignorant" simply as being unaware and lacking knowledge of a certain place, not really having an unfounded bias against it. I find that when the latter is in place, you truly can be missing out on the good that a city has to offer--which is why I try to always find something I like about a city, even if generally it doesn't really appeal to me (e.g., Detroit).

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I agree completely, gsupstate. :thumbsup: After having spent very little time in Greenville recently, back in town today I have been soaking up the pleasant international cosmopolitan setting none of our peer cities can sufficiently claim. A friend and I stopped into one of our fine Main Street restaurants for lunch today, and were seated parallel to a wall on my right (I was facing the window overlooking Main Street). Directly ahead of me, a group of five men ranging in age from about the mid-20s to the 50s were speaking German and having a great time. They paused more than once for photos of themselves and various unique items around the restaurant. After heading outside, they sat around another table on the sidewalk watching all the pedestrians passing by and taking more photos of themselves and our beautiful Main Street. Directly behind my table, another group was speaking Indian and having a great time. After finishing our meal, my friend and I stepped out onto Main Street and immediately heard more German dialect (by different people than the earlier group). While walking down Main Street, guess what -- more German, and French as well this time. A little further along, we were stopped by a heavily-accented Chinese gentleman searching for an open Chinese restaurant in the vicinity (it can be difficult on a Sunday afternoon). After helping as best we could, we continued our stroll down toward the Reedy River and the West End. As you would expect, there were pedestrians literally everywhere around Downtown - adults and kids playing in the river and fountains, people walking their pets, & etc. - a totally normal sunny day in Greenville. We soon reached the plaza in front of City Hall and ran into another group of German-speaking visitors. They were discussing what to do this afternoon, and one of them was studying a Michelin visitors guide. (fortunately the outdoor kiosk was setup with an attendant to keep the supply of visitors guides flowing) They seemed to be having a wonderful time. While touring the breathtakingly beautiful Falls Park on the Reedy, we heard a few other languages I don't know (a mixture of European, South American, and Latin American perhaps). We then strolled on down Main Street deeper into the West End, stopping frequently to peep into windows of new shops and restaurants wherever possible. Before turning around, we stopped by the Teamstore for the Greenville Drive at West End Field, picking up a couple "gifts." On our way back, we were again stopped - this time by a German couple with backpacks, asking if we could tell them "where the Main Street is." They were very pleasant folks and thanked us for directing them up the road they were already on (we were at the South Main/Augusta/River Street intersection). Arriving at The Peace Center a bit early for the GSO concert, we decided to sit outside and wait awhile in the pleasant afternoon air. The concert was superb as always, and we heard several rave reviews from audience members nearby our seats. On our way back up Main Street, we overheard French, Scottish, Asian (unsure which language), and South American (unsure which particular nationality) dialect.

This evening we are having a party at another friend's home on a lake in Anderson County, so I must cease this small "journal entry" (personal account) and hope you enjoyed at least a small portion of it. It is so great to be back in the "City of Love!" :shades:

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You are definitely allowed to have your own opinions (:)), but I will tell you as someone who has lived here for multiple decades and still does live here, this is a very common experience in town. It has not always been the case, but the Greenville of today is very much a cosmopolitan place which has been noted by many others as well. The city is continually changing for the better and this experience is just one of the many that has evolved as a result of the change. :shades:

Edit: BTW, it is an invigorating feeling to be able to proudly proclaim such praise for a place and know without any doubts that your audience will still be overwhelmed by their own personal experience once they check it out. For the advancement of this fair city, such acclaim is definitely warranted by anyone who shares our passion. :D

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WOW. the hype on greenville contained in this post is astronomical. I don't believe greenville is as cosmopolitan as you claim, i don't believe that on a normal day i'll walk down main street and hear 10 different languages, sorry, but lets bring things down to earth for a second...
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It's a very accurate description by Skyliner. :thumbsup: It's one of the first things we noticed, when my partner and I visited here before moving. It's one of those secrets and shockers about Greenville. When people visit and see firsthand, it is one of the reasons they fall in love. Somewhere, in one of the threads here, is a post with photos about Greenville's Colombian (the country and citizens) Festival. We have one of the largest Colombian populations in the South. One of the largest per capita Indian populations. Due to BMW and Michelin, we have a large French and a large German population. We have both a French School and a German School. A very diverse Asian population (Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Filipino). The list and reasons go on and on and on.....a new Iranian restaurant opening downtown.....one of the few authentic Dutch brown cafes in the south......a French lesbian couple from the Alsace region scoping for a new restaurant location......Global Trade Center developed by local Chinese citizens......highest per capita investment by European corporations in the US in the Greenville area (facts can be found in Site Selection magazine).....a thriving Greek community........ a large Jewish community.......you name it. It's here. If you've been away from Greenville for a while or not ever visited, you'll be quite shocked.

I'll throw you another shocker here......you can go in Bi-Lo on Pelham (Eastside suburbs) any given evening and hear several multiple languages. You don't just have to be downtown.

One of the great secrets of Greenville and one of the reasons people love Greenville. Just facts....not boosterism. :thumbsup:

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Not at all overboard, I assure you. That was my accurate disclosure (in a nutshell) of precisely what occurred on that afternoon. You may find less delight in the simple things in life than I do, but please understand that if I could have written that narrative in a more eloquent manner it would have been done since such was my emotional admiration for the city elevated once again. I have been many places in the World where you expect to experience a high level of international diversity, and make no mistake, downtown Greenville, while not completely at that level yet, is growing in steadily in this regard. It is delightful to witness as one who nearly left for a much larger city not more than two decades ago. Today you couldn't offer enough incentive to lure me away. :tough::thumbsup:
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