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Downtown tonight we met a young couple who lives in St. Louis who are in town for a symposium at USC' sThomas Cooper Library. They had just eaten at Good Life Cafe, where we had also just eaten. They said it was absolutely wonderful and we agreed. He was vegan and she was off gluten. The restaurant was a rare find for them to be able to meet both of their requirements.
In the conversation they said they had been town for seven hours. I asked if it was their first time here. It is. He's originally from Sante Fe, New Mexico. He said northern New Mexico's landscape is absolutely beautiful. I asked him what his impression of Columbia was so far. He and his partner (wife?) said the flora here is beautiful. They noticed the aroma of wisteria today and said when they saw it they were in pure awe. He said the lay of the land is gorgeous, the city is charming and the people so far have been so nice. He mentioned specifically that the old and new architecture are very nice, but that like all cities the stuff from the 60's through the 80's look like stuff from the 60's through the 80's - what were they thinking?, etc. But she said the airport is so nice and beautiful. Someone from up north mentioned that it is small and she replied, yes but it is gorgeous. She also said the palm (corrected to palmetto) trees are lovely and that the trees in general are so beautiful. He said that from what he can tell it's a city he definitely will want to come visit again. He did mention the Confederate battle flag and said it was a little unsettling to see it on the State House grounds. We talked in-depth about the flag's story and about how it came to be where it is now and about how we respect if as commemoration for ancestors who were Confederate soldiers but that we personally felt it's time for it to be retired to a museum. Overall it was an interesting conversation to say the least, and it was great to have an opportunity to get some feedback on Columbia from a well-spoken, intelligent outsider who seven hours before had never seen the city.
Great to hear opinions from people that are not only from out of state, but not from the south or even the eastern seaboard. Maybe it's because I grew up here, but I've grown accustom to the flora and the layout here- not that its boring, but it just doesn't wow me; I suppose I just feel content with it all. But on that note, it's spectacular to hear an out of towner comment on our landscape/trees (and who doesn't love palm trees?) It seems as though they had a good time. Hopefully, they will harken back to y'alls conversation and the experience they had in Columbia and be back soon. Thanks on behalf of us on showing them a warm welcome.
I will just make one correction, Data. Palmetto trees ARE Palm trees, just like Pindo Palms, Canary Island Date Palms, Mexican Fan Palms, etc. I have grown a number of different varieties in my backyard's micro-climate.
A lot of people from other parts of the country just aren't accustomed to all of the trees that you find in areas in the vicinity of the Southern Piedmont.
I will just make one correction, Data. Palmetto trees ARE Palm trees, just like Pindo Palms, Canary Island Date Palms, Mexican Fan Palms, etc. I have grown a number of different varieties in my backyard's micro-climate.
True. The server, who's from up north, corrected her. I guess the server has been told the difference herself.
It's hard to score points for Columbia or for any city in South Carolina, or for any city with fewer than about five million in its metro for that matter, with my city-elitist friend John in DC. He has traveled all over the world and been to tons of cities many times.
Yesterday I sent him an email about Columbia's Indie Grits Festival with the Free Times article attached that said Movie Maker Magazine recently named the festival one of the 20 coolest film festivals in the world. The article's main focus was on the festival's legitimacy as a top festival of its type and about the fact that it is going big with room to grow. He's a movie nut by the way. I included six shots I took to try to capture the mood on opening night.
I also sent him the Free Times article about the New York City Ballet "descending" upon Columbia every year because of its ties to the USC School of Dance. That article said that Dance Magazine recently named USC's one of three great programs to consider to study dance. He's also a ballet aficionado.
Here are his responses:
Festival: "Way cool! Who knew?"
Dance: "That's awesome! Can you get tickets?"
Columbia was quite impressive this past weekend... I walked around Main Street and the Vista and saw mobs of people here in town for the Masters, the USC vs. Florida State Game... Spring Football Game... and even for the Race... IN DARLINGTON.. Columbia is strategically located to receive not only the overflow from these events but to be the preferred place for people to stay and hang out before and after these events. Good job Soda City.....
Columbia was quite impressive this past weekend... I walked around Main Street and the Vista and saw mobs of people here in town for the Masters, the USC vs. Florida State Game... Spring Football Game... and even for the Race... IN DARLINGTON.. Columbia is strategically located to receive not only the overflow from these events but to be the preferred place for people to stay and hang out before and after these events. Good job Soda City.....
I'll add that word is out about the Indie Grits Film Festival and that it is going on now and is attracting people from off, some from way off, in addition to locals who attend each year and locals who are attending for the first time this year.
We're from the Midwest and spent last weekend in Columbia for one of the Admitted Students days at Carolina, and the city was just an entire WOW. I loved it. We stayed in a hotel in Vistas and that is one hopping scene and it's large, too! Just impressed by the entire place. We shopped in two places and found great stuff and the landscape is just gorgeous. You Columbia folks should be proud!
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