What is It – Greenville, South Carolina is a small city of 73,000 people in the foothills of South Carolina which has emerged as an affordable and desirable place for people to live or visit in the past decade. National publications report that the Greenville metropolitan area has an excellent quality of life for residents and enough cultural attractions and community amenities to create a special getaway for couples and young people in the to enjoy when traveling in the southeast. I was able to visit Greenville on a recent trip to South Carolina and found it worthy of this adoration.

Four key elements appear to have contributed to the community’s success:

• The revitalization of the downtown area highlighted by the picturesque Reedy River Falls   and the ten block long Main Street shopping and entertainment district

• The transformation of the city’s economy from one based on textile mills to a regional business center featuring business enterprises with technology interests such as GE Energy, BMW, Michelin, Fluor, and IBM. 

• The proliferation of cultural venues, entertainment activities, and educational institutions. 

• Greenville’s proximity to Interstate 85 coupled with a temperate climate has encouraged people throughout the southeast to explore the city’s attractions. 

GREENVILLE HISTORY

Greenville was settled by a Virginia trader named Richard Pearis who acquired substantial acres of hunting lands from the Cherokee Indians around 1770. The settlement initially consisted of a plantation on the Reedy River along with a sawmill, trading post, stables, and a grist mill. Pearis chose the wrong side to back in the Revolutionary War, however, which led to the burning of the plantation by colonial patriots. Afterwards the state legislature named the county Greenville after General Nathaniel Green, and by early 19th century settlers had carved out a small community with a village, county courthouse, schools and churches, and a variety of mills and small manufacturing operations. Subsequent decades led to the establishment of vacation homes, boarding houses, and hotels in the area to serve visitors coming to the area for relaxation during the summer. This reputation led the Baptist Furman University to locate in Greenville and railroad service connected the city to other locates around the state.

Greenville avoided military action during the Civil War despite siding with the Confederacy. By the 1880s, the foundation for a modern city was laid as utility service, public schools, and a street railway was constructed. In addition, a growing number of cotton mills attracted new workers and more money to the small city. By the time of the First World War, Greenville proclaimed itself to be the “Textile Center of the South” and the downtown expanded to include a public hospital, YMCA, new hotels, and new neighborhoods. This taste of prosperity was not shared with black residents who frequently left town to seek a better life in the north. 

During the 20th century, the city fell into a gradual decline after the Great Depression and by the early 1980s, many stores, businesses and people had moved out of the downtown and Greenville’s old mill buildings were being abandoned or razed. It took years of planning, redevelopment, grant funding and community activism thereafter to develop a new vision for the riverfront area and downtown sections of the city. Slowly, the city attracted new construction and tenacious businesses which brought a sense of vibrancy to the core of Greenville. Greenville’s success now is contagious. Longstanding residents are proud of the city’s rising status and young people are moving to Greenville to seize job opportunities and enjoy the area’s outdoors lifestyle and cultural options.

THINGS TO DO

There are many things to do in and around Greenville for visitors seeking a two- or three-day stop in the city. Here are some of the most noteworthy ones:

Reedy River Falls and Park – One of the main attractions for visitors in Greenville is the picturesque Reedy River that runs through the center of the downtown and then drops thirty-two feet before flowing into a series of ponds below the falls. For years, a six-lane road crossed over the river and hid the falls from public view. Then in 2004, the city replaced the road with a curved 345-foot pedestrian bridge called the Liberty Bridge that allows people to view the river and the falls from above. This unusual structure is connected to both sides of the riverbank and a 32-acre park that includes walking and biking paths, benches, swings, and view corridors for the public to enjoy the river. What once had been the industrial backside of the downtown is now the centerpiece of the city. With this kind of attraction in place, cafes, bandshells and other amenities have followed in recent years.

Main Street Stores and Activities – The Main Street of Greenville has been described by the city as having an “unique blend of traditional Southern charm and undeniably cosmopolitan cool’ because of its “amazing collection of shops, restaurants and public art.” A walk through the area reveals comfortable coffeehouses, boutique shops, marquee retailers and art galleries. Whether you are walking on the east side of the river surrounded by office buildings and hotels or walking around the West End surrounded by renovated warehouses and brick buildings painted with murals, there are interesting things to see and places to stop. Food is an important part of the mix as the city has become a haven for foodies seeking an imaginative menu or a food truck stop with tasty sandwiches. Complementing the food is an assortment of twenty breweries.

Performance Culture and Festivals - The city of Greenville also has a performance culture with an abundance of theaters and other venues for entertainment and recreation. Greenville is also a city that loves to highlight local talent. The 2100 seat Peace Center is a formal concert hall that hosts Broadway touring shows and nationally known artists. Ten productions are scheduled for the current year including five brand new musicals. The Bon Secours Wellness Arena is the home ice for the city’s popular ice hockey team, but also serves as the venue for Disney on Ice, Monster Truck rallies and rap concerts. Seven other indoor and outdoor theaters and arenas present everything from children’s theater to comedy recitals and summer band concerts. 

Festivals and events are also a big part of Greenville’s culture. Three hundred large and small events are held each year in the city. Some examples include the Downtown Alive weekly band performance held in the Noma Square, a three-day art festival in May, an annual Scottish Bag Pipe Parade, a seasonal Saturday marketplace event with over one hundred local growers, an outdoor ice arena along Main Street for skaters in the winter, and an outdoor movie show at the Falls Park in the summer. 

When to Go – Greenville can be enjoyed year-round. Like many places, the best weather is in the spring and fall when temperatures are usually in the 60s or 70s. Summer can be hot for touring in July and August with high temperatures approaching 90 degrees, but winters are mild with only two days of snow each year and daytime temperatures in the fifties.

How to Get Here – Greenville is conveniently located off Interstate 85 which connects to major cities in the southeast such as Atlanta to the west and Charlotte, Raleigh, and Richmond to the east and north. The city has a decent airport with direct service on Southwest, American, Delta and United to over a dozen major cities. Some flights use the small planes of their regional carriers although Southwest flies its regular jets to the city from Baltimore and other locations.

Where to Stay – The downtown area offers premium and national hotel options for visitors including Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott products within walking distance of Reedy River Falls and Main Street. The most majestic is the new Grand Bohemian Lodge, an autograph collection Marriott luxury hotel adjacent to the Liberty Bridge, which has rooms and restaurants directly overlooking the falls and the whole downtown area.