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I think daily life in Columbia, Greenville, and Charleston is similar. They are similar size in population.
you hear more about the other two because one is near the BLue Ridge, the other is near the beach.
i think there is as much to do there as anywhere else unless you want to be closer to mountains or ocean. it has one of the best zoos in the south, a large lake, and solid nightlife partly due to the largest university in the state, USC, being located in the downtown area.
given COlumbia is the state capital and as large as the other two and probably growing as fast as the other two, i don't see how it can ever be overshadowed. it is a pretty popular place to retire because it is only 2 hours from the beach and the cost of living is more reasonable than coastal areas like Charleston.
From a popularity perspective it does. I always hear good things on this forum and in the media about Charleston (sans the supremacist shooting), and see Greenville tourism ads as well. I never hear anything about Columbia. My college roomate was from Columbia, and she said she could not wait to leave because it was boring. From my experience with all three cities, Charleston and Greenville have nicer downtowns and suburbs. I liked the family friendly environment and ease of navigation around the cities. Colorado Springs is located in a more liberal state, which some may not like, and some do. Despite my critique and some posters inferiority/sensitivity to others' experiences, I do not dislike Columbia, but found the other cities to be better. Columbia, however, did well on the HRCs MEI score last year, scoring a 75 compared to Colorado Springs 53.
I can agree with you as far as the downtowns go (Columbia's is solid but Greenville's downtown revitalization has been underway for longer as it declined earlier and Charleston is...Charleston) but not really about suburbs. Suburban Greenville and suburban Columbia are pretty much equal; suburban Charleston has an edge with beach communities and such. I think ease of navigation goes to Columbia easily; it has the most extensive grid system of the three and also has a complete interstate loop around the city formed by interstates 20, 26, and 77. As far as your college roommate goes, that makes sense; at that age, college students and grads are more drawn to large metropolitan areas that offer more. You could easily hear the same from a young person from Greenville and even Charleston to an extent.
I can agree with you as far as the downtowns go (Columbia's is solid but Greenville's downtown revitalization has been underway for longer as it declined earlier and Charleston is...Charleston) but not really about suburbs. Suburban Greenville and suburban Columbia are pretty much equal; suburban Charleston has an edge with beach communities and such. I think ease of navigation goes to Columbia easily; it has the most extensive grid system of the three and also has a complete interstate loop around the city formed by interstates 20, 26, and 77. As far as your college roommate goes, that makes sense; at that age, college students and grads are more drawn to large metropolitan areas that offer more. You could easily hear the same from a young person from Greenville and even Charleston to an extent.
She was more fascinated with larger cities lol, but chose UT to go to school in Knoxville. I am still friends with her on facebook, and she ended up settling in the Arlington, VA area working as a registered nurse. As I have stated previously, I think all three of the cities are fine, and I did notice Columbia's ever evolving greenway system. I just found the other two cities to offer more things to do downtown, and located in more scenic areas.
She was more fascinated with larger cities lol, but chose UT to go to school in Knoxville. I am still friends with her on facebook, and she ended up settling in the Arlington, VA area working as a registered nurse. As I have stated previously, I think all three of the cities are fine, and I did notice Columbia's ever evolving greenway system. I just found the other two cities to offer more things to do downtown, and located in more scenic areas.
That's true for Charleston being coastal, historic, and tourist-oriented, but not so much for Greenville; in Columbia, you can go kayaking, rafting, canoeing, etc. right downtown along the Congaree River and there are also all of the amenities that go along with being a state capital and home to the state's flagship university. Downtown Greenville is more compact though and most of the things to do there aren't that far from each other. At most, Columbia and Greenville are even on this front but I think Columbia has the edge although neither has a shortage of things to do downtown.
Greenville and Charleston are in more scenic locations though, I certainly can agree with that.
the average person in Columbia isn't going to have anything to do with the university and actually this is a big con for many people. the university is for the students and alumni, and sidewalk fans of the sports.
i can't think of any non-university related amenities that the downtown area of Columbia has that Greenville doesn't.
Columbia does have a bigger zoo.
somebody floating down the river in Columbia would put in their boat up in the suburb of Irmo. it doesn't have anything to do with the downtown area.
greenville has better downtown parks in my view.
the history stuff in Charleston is a one time tourist thing for most people.
In Columbia, the adults mostly tend to go to the Vista and Main Street areas, with 5 points being the college kid area although they are in the Vista as well. it is a pretty compact small downtown. the main park downtown Cola is in a poor location in my view in relation to the CBD.
As far as restaurants / bars / museums go, most of it it is in the Market / King / Meeting street area, a compact area. the baseball stadium is on the far side of the penisula and the arena is out in North Charleston. For me, the best park in downtown Charleston is the one at the battery but that is a good distance away from the restaurant / nightlife area.
Last edited by ClemVegas; 01-27-2017 at 01:50 PM..
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