Considering Relocating to Greenville.

[JCT]

Not that Columbia is a bastion of progressive thought, but I found Greenville to be the most conservative and judgemental place that I've ever seen and couldn't wait to flee there after finishing school. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I understand your point, but I think you could make the same argument about any place in the south. When I lived in midtown Atlanta, my neighborhood was very diverse. If someone had judged the city or region based on the views of residents of the northern suburbs they would have come up with a very different conclusion. From what I have seen, Greenville is the same way on a smaller scale. As a general rule, residents in the N. Main or Augusta Rd areas are probably going to welcome diversity more than their suburban counterparts.

[motonenterprises]

I grew up in Columbia and went to Furman U. in Greenville, and lived in Greenville while briefly attending graduate school at Clemson, so 4.5 years all told.

[motonenterprises]

Forgot to mention my wife is white and children mixed. No cross burning in the yard yet.

[vicupstate]

I am black and have lived here for a little more than a year now. Although it is mostly conservative here I have yet to experience the problems you mentioned. Where do you guys come up with this stuff? Also, I am very outspoken, a salesperson, and like to get my point across. I generally get through to people really well here. Maybe I am doing something different that makes them respect me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As someone who has lived here almost nine years and has lived elsewhere, here are my thoughts:

Greenville is indeed a VERY conservative area, no queston about it. A week-long reading of the letters to the editor will quickly reveal that. In local politics, only Republicans ever win county-wide (and most district) offices, even ones (such as clerk of court, probate judge, etc.) that have nothing to do with liberal or conservative. County residents voted down Sunday alcohol sales. No tax increase has ever been approved in a referendum. Even a one year, one-cent sales tax for parks and recreation was easily defeated.

Even the most minimal growth-planning or landscape requirements ordinances have been DOA. Fortunately, after the last election cycle, that part may start to change somewhat.

Also, in the city of Greenville proper, the conservative attitude is not nearly as stringent.

I find the issue of tolerance/acceptance/valuing diversity is very promenient in discussions about Greenville both in this forum and in interactions with fellow residents.

The days of burning crosses are indeed gone, fortunately. However, there is no question that there is a lack of sensitivity on the part of many local residents and the political leadership (ie Greenville County), to the issues, problems, and life experiences of those that are not like themselves.

For instance, not long after I moved here, the transit system ran into a funding shortage and was completely shut down for over a month. I'm sure Scott Case and the other Republicans on council didn't give a tinker's damn about the hardship this placed on the working class folks that depended on the bus to get them to and from their jobs. Why should they, after all those councilmen have nice cars to take them to work and shopping. Besides, bus riders don't vote in the Republican primary anyway. That episode was inexcuseable, and yet a very telling indictment of the men that run Greenville County.

About that same time, the county enacted it's so called "anti-gay resolution". Not long after that, the county withdrew it's financial support for the industrial development commission. It seems their board discouraged passage of the resolution, so their funding was eliminated.

The county's refusal to enact an MLK holiday is a yet another gigantic example of what I am referring to. I am not going to elevate my blood pressure by elaborating on the details, but it is a recent event, so most anyone can fill you in, if you missed it.

In terms of tolerance and acceptance, Greenville is behind it's peer cities, and it does hold back the city to some degree. Fortunately as the population has diversified with the arrival of more international companies, this is slowly changing.

[The_sandlapper]

I grew up in Columbia and went to Furman U. in Greenville, and lived in Greenville while briefly attending graduate school at Clemson, so 4.5 years all told.

[motonenterprises]

I don't have a problem living here in Greenville.

[goodbye]

All I can say is, if everyone sees the Greenville community in the same light as a couple of the previous posts suggested, then something is definitely wrong, because the facts regarding the steady, rapid growth here show a totally diferent picture. Some people just can't get over someone else having a different opinion than they have. I think it is quite obvious that Greenville is a great example of how a mixed community can learn to work together for the present and future success of everyone living there. Sure, there are problems that arise along the way, but you cannot tell me that this is anything uniquely different than any other city in the Southern U.S.

I am constantly hearing people commenting on how impressive the city is, and as far as sprawl goes, apparently people don't mind paying to live near the major suburban shopping corridors, so why should that always be looked on as a bad thing? Hey, newcomers are always welcome in Greenville, and I think they should have the right to choose where they want to live. Afterall, if they don't end up moving into this sprawling metropolis, then they'll end up in another sprawling metro somewhere else. But I don't think there's anything to worry about. Nothing is slowing people from moving here.

[motonenterprises]

You got that right! I meet out of towners every single day.

[Gviller]

You can find me several days a week from 5 till 6 at Tassy's Tavern on Main St.

Its close proximity to the Hyatt brings in almost everyone from out of town on business into the pub and I always find it interesting to get peoples opinions on the town.

Without exception the response has always been a sense of delighted surprise at the town and its charm. I have met several people whose only impression of Greenville before they got here was that Bob Jones was located here, and most are surprised that you can get a drink in the town.

To people who find themselves in the minority, due to lifestyle and culture I would like to further understand in what ways you have been made to feel disenfranchised. Was it everyday people being rude to you, or was it a lack of support from city leadership, or perhaps just a sense of isolation.

I enjoy working and living with people with all kinds of backgrounds and lifestyles, and I would say that me and most of the conservitive population are more than Tolerant of people differnet than us. However I dont feel that it is Tolerence that the disenfranichesed minority wants, I think they want a vibrant culture of their own in the community and they want the city and surrounding community to support that culture.

Whether it is the city's leadership responsibility to act in this function is up for debate, and whether or not supporting these cultures is benneficial to the city is up for debate. What is not up for debate is tolerence and respect for a person as an individual. I myself have never seen that violated in this town but that does not mean that it has and is not happening.

[motonenterprises]

I am black and married to a white woman. I have never felt disenfranchised. Plus I am a very outspoken and in sales, but I still haven't seen any problems. Maybe its because I don't let what others think of me bother me. If they don't like me or my ways thats their problem not mine.

[jarvismj]

The biggest sign of ignorance here that I've seen is with the suburbanites that have the "me first" mentality, you might have noticed that in traffic, at WalMart, in lines pretty much everywhere. The opposite mentality is more prevalent in the city of Greenville, again where you have a more liberal, center-left populus, and you can get a drink, even on a Sunday.

[gs3]

All I can say is, if everyone sees the Greenville community in the same light as a couple of the previous posts suggested, then something is definitely wrong, because the facts regarding the steady, rapid growth here show a totally diferent picture.  Some people just can't get over someone else having a different opinion than they have.  I think it is quite obvious that Greenville is a great example of how a mixed community can learn to work together for the present and future success of everyone living there.   Sure, there are problems that arise along the way, but you cannot tell me that this is anything uniquely different than any other city in the Southern U.S.

I am constantly hearing people commenting on how impressive the city is, and as far as sprawl goes, apparently people don't mind paying to live near the major suburban shopping corridors, so why should that always be looked on as a bad thing?  Hey, newcomers are always welcome in Greenville, and I think they should have the right to choose where they want to live.  Afterall, if they don't end up moving into this sprawling metropolis, then they'll end up in another sprawling metro somewhere else.  But I don't think there's anything to worry about.  Nothing is slowing people from moving here.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Like your post!

As a parterned gay man of 16 years, my partner and I feel very welcomed in GV. He is Jewish, I'm White. Our list of friends include a married couple (he's Thai, she's White), a lesbian couple (one is Black and one is Hispanic), single gays and straights of all races and economic backgrounds....we hang with all age groups.....

Greenville welcomes everyone, and does it well!

[JT Boy]

Like your post!

As a parterned gay man of 16 years, my partner and I feel very welcomed in GV.  He is Jewish, I'm White.  Our list of friends include a married couple (he's Thai, she's White), a lesbian couple (one is Black and one is Hispanic), single gays and straights of all races and economic backgrounds....we hang with all age groups.....

Greenville welcomes everyone, and does it well!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nice to hear that all sorts of folks have made good homes in Greenville and feel welcome there.

[goodbye]

Many people who haven't visited Greenville in several years just don't know what it is like anymore.

[WildWest]

I, too, am strongly considering relocating to Greenville. I'm from the Rocky Mountain states and have visited coastal SC and parts of NC in the last few years, including Asheville. (Have not actually been to GV yet.) My biggest concern at this point is the reputation of SC public schools (K-12) not being all that great. Have done research, but am hoping you all can give some insight as my wife and I have school age kids. On that same note, any particular areas/schools that are particularly good or bad?

[JCT]

The quality of public education was a big factor for me when relocating to Greenville this past summer. If you haven't already, look over the state school report cards at:

http://www.myscschools.com/reports/

and

http://news.greenvilleonline.com/communiti...1&grade_level=E

A few good elementary schools in Greenville county are Augusta Circle, Buena Vista, Pelham Road, and Oakview (more suburban than the others).

[btoy]

Greenville County Schools tend to be a few notches above others in the state. There are plenty of good schools in the area though some stand out more than others.

Elementary Schools:

Buana Vista & Brushy Creek are real good.

Middle Schools:

Northwood & Riverside Middle

Highschools:

Riverside High is best in the state, great academics and great athletics (3rd in nation in Baseball) Football team is horrible.

Eastside and Mauldin are good as well. I have also heard good things about JL Mann & Hilcrest

But I don't have kids so it may be better to listen to someone who does. I did go to some of those schools though.

[WildWest]

Wow. Good Info. I hadn't seen the report card. Very helpful. Apprecaite it.

[GvilleSC]

There are plenty of good schools in the city of Greenville, it's not only in the suburbs. I know for a fact that Blythe Academy, which is an elementary school, is great. They offer foreign languages to all of the students; french and spanish for right now. They have a partial immersion program that the students learn half of their subjects totally in either french or spanish. It is highly competitive for accaptance if you do not live in the attendance area. They have received such awards as some PTA thing- the parent involvement is huge the amount of logged hours of PTA volunteer work is amazing. Plus they are located in a brand new school that is beautiful!!!

As for middle schools, I'm not really sure, but JL Mann is a great inner city high school- They received the red carpet school award and are usually above the state averages for test scores and has received excellent for the past several years on their school report card!

[WildWest]

I'm glad you mentioned Blythe. I believe I've seen that, and Hughes middle(?) while looking at the MLS for homes and areas. Greenville Academy seems to be the high school in the area that I'm most intersted in so far. (Augusta Rd area-although I'm not familiar enough yet to know that for sure). Anything you might know about Greenville Academy?

[JCT]

I forgot to mention Blythe in my previous post, so I am glad some body else mentioned it. Both Blythe and Augusta Circle are great elementary schools close to downtown in the Augusta Road area. Both areas would be zoned for Hughes Middle and Greenville High. Hughes scored only average on the 04 report cards and Greenville high was scored as good, but if I am not mistaken, Hughes is a magnet school for science and technology. You can only tell so much by the report cards, so we visited a few of the elementary schools that we were considering before buying a house. We were impressed with all of the ones that I mentioned. The only one we ruled out was Oakview, because we don't really like newer suburban areas. I think it is great than in Greenville county you have both sububan and in-town options.

[goodbye]

Also I think it should be said that Greenville has a wide variety of very high-class private schools as well. I'm always reading about new accomplishments by students attending these.

Also the Greenville County School system owns Roper Mountain Science Center, an awesome educational outlet for students in the county. It has a planetarium, huge covex telescope, and even a really nice living history museum.

Roper Mountain Science Center Interactive Map

[WildWest]

I am pleasantly suprised to find out that the Greenville schools are much better than I originally thought. (based in part to the info you all have provided-thanks)

This was really a big hurdle in targeting GV. My wife and I are going to be there in mid June for a very quick look around. Any thoughts on the neighborhoods that fall within the Blythe, Augusta Circle Elementaries, Hughes and Stone(?) middle and Greenville HS? At this point, I think we will start with the public schools and work from there, as it looks like private school won't be a nessessity. From what I can tell, the Augusta Rd area might be a starting ground with older homes, not too suburban, good proximity to everything and reasonable purchase prices- at least compared to where I currently am).

[vicupstate]

I am pleasantly suprised to find out that the Greenville schools are much better than I originally thought.  (based in part to the info you all have provided-thanks)

This was really a big hurdle in targeting GV.  My wife and I are going to be there in mid June for a very quick look around.    Any thoughts on the neighborhoods that fall within the Blythe, Augusta Circle Elementaries, Hughes and Stone(?) middle and Greenville HS?  At this point, I think we will start with the public schools and work from there, as it looks like private school won't be a nessessity.  From what I can tell, the Augusta Rd area might be a starting ground with older homes, not too suburban, good proximity to everything and reasonable purchase prices- at least compared to where I currently am).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You might want to consider the North Main area. It is in Stone Elementary, which is a sought after school. I think it is in Gville High too, but I'm not positive on that.

Earle, Mountain View, Avondale, are some of the streets in that area. North Main itself is very nice, but has some traffic on it.

[RestedTraveler]

You might want to consider the North Main area.  It is in Stone Elementary, which is a sought after school.  I think it is in Gville High too, but I'm not positive on that.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm not 100% certain; however, I think this might be in Wade Hampton High School's domain.

But I'd have to agree - the North Main area is very, very nice. That's a beautiful part of town on North Main, north of Stone Avenue. There are a number of properties on the market in that area at the moment, too - which is unusual from what I've seen over the past few years.