How does the outside view Greenville?

[whitehourseview]

Greenville and Charleston did recieve some positive comments but I can't agree with them stating that Melbourne Australia, Brussels Belgium, and Lisbon Portugal are some of the most under-rated cities in the world. All of these cities recieve extensive press coverage.

Hard to say, depends on what they are under-rated in relation to. Tokyo, New York, London, Paris? Or St. Louis, Marseille, Perth and Victoria?

Ratings are hard, hard to tell what the relationship they are comparing them to is.

[Greenville]

Distortedlogic, you are too much....

At any rate, I ran across this blog on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's website about the Top 10 Most Underrated Destinations in the World as compiled by TripAdvisor.com. While Greenville didn't make the cut (at least you guys have something to aspire to ), many of the comments posted reflected positively on the city.

Thanks for posting this link, krazee. I never think of Greenville as a "great little town," but I guess when you live in Atlanta everything is small in comparison! Regardless, it is nice that some consider our city underrated and worthy of more press.

There is no way Charleston is underrated. If anything, I consider it overrated (it's a fine city, but I do not think it is worthy of the press and notoriety it receives).

[Greenviller]

Thanks for posting this link, krazee. I never think of Greenville as a "great little town," but I guess when you live in Atlanta everything is small in comparison! Regardless, it is nice that some consider our city underrated and worthy of more press.

There is no way Charleston is underrated. If anything, I consider it overrated (it's a fine city, but I do not think it is worthy of the press and notoriety it receives).

Hi All. I moved to Greenville from Seattle in June to take a job opportunity. I had never before heard of the city, and had to look at a map to even know what part of the state it was in. I came here in late May for my interview. I arrived on a Friday and left on Sunday (stayed at the Westin), by which time I was already sure I would move here. The folks at home seemed to be shocked, first that I would leave Seattle (a beautiful city) and secondly that I would move to the South.

Oddly, most seemed to think that South Carolina is full of hillbillies, and North Carolina is genteel. Has anyone else experienced this prejudice about North vs. South Carolina. Anyway, I'm here, and glad of it!

[adrockc2]

Oddly, most seemed to think that South Carolina is full of hillbillies, and North Carolina is genteel. Has anyone else experienced this prejudice about North vs. South Carolina. Anyway, I'm here, and glad of it!

Welcome to Urban Planet Greenviller. NC genteel? To me the very picture of southern genteelness would have to be Charleston, SC. I think people just assume the one further north is less hillbilly or in most cases they really do not even know the difference between the two.

[Greenville]

Hi All. I moved to Greenville from Seattle in June to take a job opportunity. I had never before heard of the city, and had to look at a map to even know what part of the state it was in. I came here in late May for my interview. I arrived on a Friday and left on Sunday (stayed at the Westin), by which time I was already sure I would move here. The folks at home seemed to be shocked, first that I would leave Seattle (a beautiful city) and secondly that I would move to the South.

Oddly, most seemed to think that South Carolina is full of hillbillies, and North Carolina is genteel. Has anyone else experienced this prejudice about North vs. South Carolina. Anyway, I'm here, and glad of it!

Hi, Greenviller! Welcome to UrbanPlanet! Thanks for sharing your story.

Based on my experiences, many people don't know the difference between NC and SC. In fact, I have heard plenty of people in the north just call it "Carolina" (as if the two are one state). Most have heard of Charlotte, Raleigh, Charleston, Hilton Head, and Myrtle Beach, and that's probably about it unless they have direct experience with the southeast.

How are you liking Greenville so far? Give us the good and bad from your perspective.

[krazeeboi]

Thanks for posting this link, krazee. I never think of Greenville as a "great little town," but I guess when you live in Atlanta everything is small in comparison! Regardless, it is nice that some consider our city underrated and worthy of more press.

There is no way Charleston is underrated. If anything, I consider it overrated (it's a fine city, but I do not think it is worthy of the press and notoriety it receives).

I agree; I don't think Charleston is underrated either (nor overrated ).

[krazeeboi]

Hi All. I moved to Greenville from Seattle in June to take a job opportunity. I had never before heard of the city, and had to look at a map to even know what part of the state it was in. I came here in late May for my interview. I arrived on a Friday and left on Sunday (stayed at the Westin), by which time I was already sure I would move here. The folks at home seemed to be shocked, first that I would leave Seattle (a beautiful city) and secondly that I would move to the South.

Oddly, most seemed to think that South Carolina is full of hillbillies, and North Carolina is genteel. Has anyone else experienced this prejudice about North vs. South Carolina. Anyway, I'm here, and glad of it!

Hi! Welcome to SC and to UrbanPlanet. I hope Greenville is treating you well.

I think the very first thread I started here on UP was about the differences in perception between NC and SC, particularly how we were viewed by NC'ers. You can check out that thread here. You can also check out this thread in the Greenville Coffee House; it discusses the same thing.

[goodbye]

Thought you all might like to see this: A photo of actors from the Broadway show 'The Producers' while in downtown Greenville on tour. The caption over the photo reads:

Some of the actors in the traveling production of the Broadway show "The Producers" walk past a downtown toy store. The actors say Greenville is one of the more vibrant and forward-thinking cities they

[gs3]

^ Love that comment!

Great find Skyliner!

[Greenville]

Here are a few comments from some of my classmates (all mid-20's) regarding Greenville. None are from Greenville, but went to school in Greenville or have visited:

"Greenville has a great downtown." (someone from Portugal who went to college in Columbia, but has visited Greenville several times)

"Greenville is really growing." (someone from Columbia, who spent 4 years in Greenville as a college student)

"There seems to be a lot of money in Greenville." (my roommate, who is from Columbia)

"I definitely want to live there after I am finished with school." (someone from Charleston, who has visited Greenville a few times)

"The city feels so clean and vibrant" (someone from Atlanta)

"There seems to be a lot of construction going on." (someone from Spartanburg)

"The new walking bridge is impressive." (someone from Charleston)

Greenville has come up in conversation a lot recently, and I made it a point to record these quotes. I have yet to come across a classmate who does not like Greenville. Some are unfamiliar with it, and thus have no opinion of it, but it seems like everyone I have spoken with who has visited Greenville has great things to say. In terms of reaching the young, successful, soon-to-be-professionals crowd, Greenville seems to be doing something right.

I doubt the responses were this glowing 20 years ago (or even 10). People are learning about Greenville, guys. And of the people in my class who are from Greenville, most already seem to be sold on the idea of returning to Greenville to practice medicine.

[gs3]

Here are a few comments from some of my classmates (all mid-20's) regarding Greenville. None are from Greenville, but went to school in Greenville or have visited:

"Greenville has a great downtown." (someone from Portugal who went to college in Columbia, but has visited Greenville several times)

"Greenville is really growing." (someone from Columbia, who spent 4 years in Greenville as a college student)

"There seems to be a lot of money in Greenville." (my roommate, who is from Columbia)

"I definitely want to live there after I am finished with school." (someone from Charleston, who has visited Greenville a few times)

"The city feels so clean and vibrant" (someone from Atlanta)

"There seems to be a lot of construction going on." (someone from Spartanburg)

"The new walking bridge is impressive." (someone from Charleston)

Greenville has come up in conversation a lot recently, and I made it a point to record these quotes. I have yet to come across a classmate who does not like Greenville. Some are unfamiliar with it, and thus have no opinion of it, but it seems like everyone I have spoken with who has visited Greenville has great things to say. In terms of reaching the young, successful, soon-to-be-professionals crowd, Greenville seems to be doing something right.

I doubt the responses were this glowing 20 years ago (or even 10). People are learning about Greenville, guys. And of the people in my class who are from Greenville, most already seem to be sold on the idea of returning to Greenville to practice medicine.

Great to hear!

Some of these compliments echo what my partner and I have heard when we have family or friends in town. All of our family members love Greenville, and these guys are from all over (San Fran, West Palm, Louisville, Nashville, Phoenix). Seems we always have somebody ready to take a trip to Greenville to visit. People love this place as a great little getaway!

In fact, our family members have all been so impressed by Greenville, that this year, many of them are receiving Greenville related Christmas / Chanukah presents.....G-Vegas t-shirts, Greenville Block t-shirts, Greenville Symphony holiday CD, Clemson blue cheese, etc.

[goodbye]

Thanks for posting those comments, Greenville! Gsupstate, you and your partner are to be commended for purchasing items to proudly proclaim this city's quality.

In the GreenvilleOnline.com article about SC population growth, there is a nice comment on how the Upstate has attracted more young professionals:

State demographer Mike MacFarlane said past trends show many choose the Upstate because of its economy and jobs and the coast for its retirement communities.

People who move to Upstate tend to be younger and in the labor force, he said.

[gs3]

Bump.

Skyliner, here is the thread you were looking for today.

[goodbye]

Doh!

Thanks, gsupstate!

Man, this site sure can be difficult to navigate at times.

[RestedTraveler]

This particular thread really should be over in the coffee house. You were probably searching there and not finding it, I suspect.

[Spartan]

^good call.

[nutkitty]

I dont know why anyone would really would hear of it outside of SC, NC, or GA. I can't think of one name of a city outside of SC that is Greenville's size. You don't really hear cities like Greenville mentioned much in California or NY

I agree. I lived in California for three years, and no one really heard of Greenville. Most of them were familiar with Charlotte, NC though. (fine by me, since I am from that area.)

What do people mean when they talk about a slow pace?

I agree. It feels very "slow" to me now that I've moved back. It IS hard to explain.

[Greenville]

I agree. It feels very "slow" to me now that I've moved back. It IS hard to explain.

A friend of mine from Los Angeles visited Greenville a couple of years ago, and the very first thing he commented on as we were driving down I-85 is "people sure to drive fast here."

I feel that the "slower pace of life" comments by people not from here are a result of expectation as much as anything. I acknowledge that the pace is not as fast in Greenville as it is in New York City, but it seems that many people who visit the South expect slow pace of life, friendly people, etc. This is much in the way that people who visit New York expect to encounter a lot of rude, inconsiderate, loud people. I didn't experience any of that when I went to NYC for the first time, but perhaps it was because I went with an open mind and not preconceived notions.

To me, Greenville's pace of life is similar to the pace I would expect of a metro area of Greenville's size found anywhere else in the country. Being in the South doesn't really have an effect on that.

[nutkitty]

A friend of mine from Los Angeles visited Greenville a couple of years ago, and the very first thing he commented on as we were driving down I-85 is "people sure to drive fast here."

LOL! That's because you're lucky to go over five miles per hour on the highway there (unless it is night time), and don't get me started on Sepulveda...

The ironic thing is that I wanted to move back to avoid some traffic, but since I live practically on Haywood, it takes me longer to get to the grocery store, etc. around here than it did in L.A. sometimes. That's saying a lot.

I feel that the "slower pace of life" comments by people not from here are a result of expectation as much as anything. I acknowledge that the pace is not as fast in Greenville as it is in New York City, but it seems that many people who visit the South expect slow pace of life, friendly people, etc. This is much in the way that people who visit New York expect to encounter a lot of rude, inconsiderate, loud people. I didn't experience any of that when I went to NYC for the first time, but perhaps it was because I went with an open mind and not preconceived notions.

I've lived in NC/SC for 24 years, so I'm not really speaking as an outsider when I say I notice the slower pace. It is just really noticeable after you've been somewhere like Los Angeles for three years, so I can see what they mean by it.

I agree with what you say about preconceived notions. I thought people in CA would be really uppity, etc... but they are incredibly polite. (unless you're driving... heh - if you don't go the SECOND the light turns green there, you're going to have people honking. It is actually understandable considering how congested the traffic gets though.)

You know, the sad thing is that the one thing I hate about moving back is that I've found the people that run the apartments where I live are very rude. You'd think a group of southern ladies would be nicer. In CA, the managers bent over backwards to make sure you were happy. At least I can solve this problem by moving to a new apartment soon.

[krazeeboi]

LOL! That's because you're lucky to go over five miles per hour on the highway there (unless it is night time), and don't get me started on Sepulveda...

LOL, I was going to say that same thing. Traffic in LA is "woof"! I know, I've ridden in it before.

I agree with what you say about preconceived notions. I thought people in CA would be really uppity, etc... but they are incredibly polite. (unless you're driving... heh - if you don't go the SECOND the light turns green there, you're going to have people honking. It is actually understandable considering how congested the traffic gets though.)

Again, I agree. The people I met out in LA were the nicest anywhere.

[Greenviller]

LOL, I was going to say that same thing. Traffic in LA is "woof"! I know, I've ridden in it before.

Again, I agree. The people I met out in LA were the nicest anywhere.

As a new guy in Greenville (via Seattle), I wanted to share with this group a message I sent home with my impression of Southern drivers. Though these impressions have truth in them, the message was meant to be humorous, so please don't take offense...

___________________________________________________________

Hey Y'all,

It's been some time since my last update from my Big Adventure. I was reading my last edition, and noticed that I seem to have painted a completely rosy picture of this place. While I like it here very much and we do have some wonderful features, maybe it's time to look a bit more realistically at the day to day.

NASCAR. People live and breathe car racing here. The number "3" is very popular, and it took me some time to learn that Dale Earnhardt's car was number 3. A consequence of this popularity appears to be that many of South Carolina's street drivers are pretty sure they are channeling Mr. Earnhardt, or are bent on driving in a manner that pays tribute to him.

How to Drive in South Carolina

Tailgate most of the time. Snuggle right up there behind the car in front of you, and even shift back and forth in the lane as if watching for an opportunity to move up in position in the race. That's how Ole Number 3 would do it.

Turn signals are likely to distract your fellow drivers, so use them sparingly. There is no excuse for signaling your intent to change lanes; there's room or there ain't. If you accidentally do turn on the blinker for a lane change, just leave it on until your next full turn. It will turn off automatically at that time. At a left turn, you should use your signal. Turn it on just as you start your turn.

The speed limit is what's posted on the signs, plus ten miles. Mind you, the speed limit (plus ten) is the lower limit. The upper limit is just a bit faster than the fastest car in the line. Aspire to that speed or get out of the way.

If the driver in front of you (how'd you let him get there, anyways?) dozes off at a red light and does not move on the green, do not tap your horn. Lean out your window and holler at him. Holler through the whole green if you have to, but don't tap your horn, that would be impolite. However, if you are on a four lane arterial in rush hour and you see Bubba on the sidewalk on the other side of the street, it is perfectly acceptable to stop in traffic right there and then, and lean on the horn until Bubba notices you and walks across traffic to come see how you're doing.

Do not yield right-of-way to pedestrians in any parking lot. Doing so only encourages people to use the designated spaces for their cars. If they had parked along the fence or any other fire zone like they should, they would not be strolling willy-nilly through the driveways.

Side Note An odd thing: any appointment made with cable, repair and services of that nature will get screwed up. Count on it. But when the guy does finally arrive to do the work, he will be so nice and hardworking that the frustration and irritation just fades away and you'll bring him some iced sweet tea.

________________________________________

It turned out that some of my family are closet NASCAR fans, so I took some heat for being disrespectful. Thanks for letting me participate!

-Patrick

[gs3]

If the driver in front of you (how'd you let him get there, anyways?) dozes off at a red light and does not move on the green, do not tap your horn. Lean out your window and holler at him. Holler through the whole green if you have to, but don't tap your horn, that would be impolite. However, if you are on a four lane arterial in rush hour and you see Bubba on the sidewalk on the other side of the street, it is perfectly acceptable to stop in traffic right there and then, and lean on the horn until Bubba notices you and walks across traffic to come see how you're doing.

This is so true! I grew up in Alabama and remember everyone from my parents, to my Aunt, to my Drivers Ed teacher trying to ingrain that the use of horns is rude behavior. Having lived all over, I never really adopted the Southern style of horn usage and use my horn all the time as a signal, when appropriate. Just recently in Birmingham had my mom in the car, used my horn, and she commented that I was being "a rude driver".

Your post above is hysterical! These are the truest words ever written on UP.

[Greenviller]

This is so true! I grew up in Alabama and remember everyone from my parents, to my Aunt, to my Drivers Ed teacher trying to ingrain that the use of horns is rude behavior. Having lived all over, I never really adopted the Southern style of horn usage and use my horn all the time as a signal, when appropriate. Just recently in Birmingham had my mom in the car, used my horn, and she commented that I was being "a rude driver".

Your post above is hysterical! These are the truest words ever written on UP.

Thank you for your kind words. Maybe I should post some other missives sent to Seattle so other readers don't think I dislike this lovely place. `Tis my new home, and I love it!

[nutkitty]

I remember one thing that shocked me when first moving to CA from NC was how free people were with thier horns there. Yikes! I'm kind of free with mine now though, became a habit after three years. >.>

I agree about people not wanting to let pedestrians walk around here. In CA they're so used to it that you can walk out and feel safe - but not here. You practically have to stare someone down so they'll slow down enough to let you walk by - and that's at a crosswalk!

[Greenviller]

I remember one thing that shocked me when first moving to CA from NC was how free people were with thier horns there. Yikes! I'm kind of free with mine now though, became a habit after three years. >.>

I agree about people not wanting to let pedestrians walk around here. In CA they're so used to it that you can walk out and feel safe - but not here. You practically have to stare someone down so they'll slow down enough to let you walk by - and that's at a crosswalk!

I am adjusting to not using my horn, except when a warning is necessary.