Let me start by saying that this is not your typical, impersonal review that you can find on any travel website. It is, instead, an honest take on a charming southern city located at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a place that is very dear to my heart. I will tell you about the good, the bad, and the ugly and, in the end, I'll share with you places I often visit when I'm here.
Greenville is located in upstate South Carolina, roughly two hours away from Columbia and about four hours from Charleston. There's a number of cities surrounding Greenville, offering plenty of options when you need a weekend getaway. Asheville, North Carolina, the beer capital of the south, is just one hour and a half away by car, while less well-known places, like Spartanburg and Travelers Rest, are within reach in just thirty minutes. Atlanta, a major US city with its sprawling highways and the busiest airport in the country, is a two-hour drive.
While Greenville is home to roughly 70,000 people, the downtown is the place to be if you're visiting or even considering moving. Everything you may need is within walking distance. The famous Falls Park on the Reedy is in the heart of downtown and it is surrounded by charming cafes and restaurants. A morning walk through its trails and you are off to a good start. Downtown Greenville, contrary to many other downtowns in the US, is a booming, vibrant place. It is where you find the best restaurants, cafes, breweries, and gelatos to calm the soul in a hot southern summer.
Unlike many southern coastal cities, like Myrtle Beach and Charleston, Greenville has one of the best year-round weather in the country (Ok, Southern California might be even better). The winter is very mild and offers a couple of days of snow for people like me to enjoy. It is just enough time to take some nice pictures to show off to my friends and it is gone. No dragging my feet through the muddy snow and none of that frostbiting nonsense on my nose. Just plain, beautiful, movie-inspired snow.
Summer is hot, typical of a southern state, but not in an unbearable way. It is not as humid as places in Florida, where you can't do anything but stay in the water drinking beer or live indoors with the air conditioning in deep freeze mode. So you're not gonna be all sticky in Greenville. Just a little bit.
Fall and Spring are simply perfect. This is when you need to enjoy everything the city has to offer. It is when you can walk through the streets, discovering the city with no agenda and no rush. You'll be amazed, I guarantee.
But the former textile city of the south, like every other in the country, also has its problems. The cost of living, especially in the downtown area, is rising considerably, putting tremendous pressure on workers that need to move farther away to afford decent housing. Gentrification is also ubiquitous, adding to the housing issues the city faces. It is, in the end, an unapologetic conservative town, where you don't have to dig too deep to find traits of the past that long plagued the south.
I cannot leave you hanging and not talk about Clemson and its strikingly successful football team. Clemson is a college town that hosts the homonymous, well-respected University. Clemson University is also known for its football team: The Clemson Tigers. They have won three NCAA national champions. The last one in 2018. The football team is, without a doubt, one of upstate's pride and joy.
Places I Recommend
Sidewall Pizza Company
Yee-Haw Brewing Co
Luna Rosa Gelato Cafe
Coastal Crust
Village Grind
Greenville Beer Exchange
Hampton Inn Downtown
Aloft Downtown
By Rosalvo Gomes
Contact: sourtake@gmail.com
All pictures my own.
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