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Old 03-14-2013, 04:07 PM
 
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In the Vista thread, some folks shared examples of how Columbia was dissed by a rent a car clerk, Clemson's President, a beer shop owner and others. What should Columbia do better to counter the negative thoughts? Or, why have certain cities been much more aggressive in attitudes towards Columbia? Should Columbia's chamber be more aggressive in promoting the city? Factually, Columbia has a high level of college educated adults, higher incomes than most SC cities, and growth on par or better than other SC cities depending on the time in question. So, what do you think causes animosity towards Columbia? Or are folks being too sensitive?

Although most on here are not politicians or state leaders, how could the perceived gap be bridged?

For the record, here in Charlotte, there is a good attitude towards Columbia. Many folks see the city as a nice smaller city with a great zoo, Carolina, state government and some cool downtown districts.
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Old 03-14-2013, 04:29 PM
 
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Here's my 2 cents worth:

I've always thought Columbia enjoyed a better reputation outside of SC than inside.

That said, I think Columbia is viewed as being synonymous with government, especially among native South Carolinians and those who have lived in the state for a long time...and if you know anything about people from SC in general, you know that they don't generally like government.

Also, I think the USC-Clemson divide plays into this somewhat...perhaps the Clemson contingent associates Columbia with all things USC, which (in their minds) is mostly negative.

The comparisons with Greenville and Charleston are inevitable. For the record, this Upstate native likes Columbia a lot.
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Old 03-14-2013, 04:42 PM
 
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From my perspective, some of the most common criticisms of Columbia from those who live elsewhere in the state, and in some cases from those who actually reside there, revolve around the weather or downtown. Columbia can't do anything about the weather, but downtown is making lots of progress. Some perceived deficiencies in the retail scene also constitute a criticism, but that's rapidly changing as well.

The city just needs to continue on the path it's on and a little self-promotion wouldn't hurt.
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Old 03-14-2013, 04:43 PM
 
1,289 posts, read 2,564,099 times
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For the sake of being in a more appropriate thread, I'm copying this from the other:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Woodlands View Post
When I have been in either Greenville.. but more so in Charleston..
I'm not sure why Greenville gets singled out on this by so many. It's been noted several times that this apparent attitude exists throughout the state, and specific examples have been cited with both Greenville and Charleston in the other thread. However, we then see posts that rail solely against Greenville. Is there some perception difference between the two from Columbia residents? I think we've established that Greenville is NOT the exception. I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts as it relates to your own view of Columbia's position in the state.


I think we could see a more positive view of Columbia emerge with the current leadership in Columbia's City Hall. From an amateur perspective, I think there's NOW a mayor leading Columbia with a strong vision and a focus on results. As a result, I think the City CAN benefit immensely and has the potential to transform. The results remain to be seen, but the initiative certainly seems to be there, it's the follow through that I'm waiting for-- not the short term gains, but continued reaching of benchmarks and sustained results.
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Old 03-14-2013, 04:58 PM
 
Location: Lexington, SC
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Part of the problem is Columbia is spread out far and wide. It does not seem to be cohesive city.

Other issue I see is a part time mayor. No single person in charge 24/7, the buck stops here, someone out doing it 24/7, you do not like it then do not re-elect me like Joe Riley in Charleston.

I think USC and Fort Jackson do not want to get involved ith the city. It is like leave us alone and we will take care of our own business.

Also there is a sting in "like those idiots (politicians) in Columbia" so the city geats a bad rap from that.

Enough for now.
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Old 03-14-2013, 04:59 PM
 
3,200 posts, read 4,583,455 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gvillesc View Post
For the sake of being in a more appropriate thread, I'm copying this from the other:



I'm not sure why Greenville gets singled out on this by so many. It's been noted several times that this apparent attitude exists throughout the state, and specific examples have been cited with both Greenville and Charleston in the other thread. However, we then see posts that rail solely against Greenville. Is there some perception difference between the two from Columbia residents? I think we've established that Greenville is NOT the exception. I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts as it relates to your own view of Columbia's position in the state.


I think we could see a more positive view of Columbia emerge with the current leadership in Columbia's City Hall. From an amateur perspective, I think there's NOW a mayor leading Columbia with a strong vision and a focus on results. As a result, I think the City CAN benefit immensely and has the potential to transform. The results remain to be seen, but the initiative certainly seems to be there, it's the follow through that I'm waiting for-- not the short term gains, but continued reaching of benchmarks and sustained results.
What benchmarks do you think are important?
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Old 03-14-2013, 05:00 PM
 
37,784 posts, read 41,454,075 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gvillesc View Post
I'm not sure why Greenville gets singled out on this by so many. It's been noted several times that this apparent attitude exists throughout the state, and specific examples have been cited with both Greenville and Charleston in the other thread. However, we then see posts that rail solely against Greenville. Is there some perception difference between the two from Columbia residents? I think we've established that Greenville is NOT the exception. I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts as it relates to your own view of Columbia's position in the state.
From my perspective, I've not heard many criticisms of the city of Columbia, outside of maybe general issues related to cities its size (e.g., traffic, crime, etc.), from people from other towns and cities in SC. I think Greenville gets singled out specifically because it's a peer city and Charleston thinks it's better than every city. Also, the rivalry Charleston has with Columbia is rooted in state history (i.e., status of capital and largest city shifting from Charleston to Columbia) and goes back a long ways. Greenville is more or less a newcomer to the game, so it gets a lot of attention in this regard. On a larger regional level, it's not much different than up-and-coming Charlotte and the attitude some of its residents harbor towards the long-established top dog of the region, Atlanta.
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Old 03-14-2013, 05:04 PM
 
37,784 posts, read 41,454,075 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by accufitgolf View Post
Part of the problem is Columbia is spread out far and wide. It does not seem to be cohesive city.
I don't find this to be a specific criticism of Columbia from others within the state. Even with their more compact downtowns, neither Charleston or Greenville in particular have any room to talk when it comes to sprawl.

Quote:
Other issue I see is a part time mayor. No single person in charge 24/7, the buck stops here, someone out doing it 24/7, you do not like it then do not re-elect me like Joe Riley in Charleston.
I doubt others in SC even know this is the case. If part of the criticism of the city has to do with the mayor, then it wouldn't have to do with any sort of full-time/part-time status, but rather how effective he is perceived to be.

Quote:
I think USC and Fort Jackson do not want to get involved ith the city. It is like leave us alone and we will take care of our own business.
Fort Jackson? Yeah. And they are essentially a city unto themselves. But USC? Not a chance. I think it's quite involved, and more so with its plans for expansion towards the river and new student-oriented housing popping up all over the place.

[quote]Also there is a sting in "like those idiots (politicians) in Columbia" so the city geats a bad rap from that.

Yes, that's the most common one IMO.
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Old 03-14-2013, 05:14 PM
 
1,289 posts, read 2,564,099 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GSP101 View Post
What benchmarks do you think are important?
I'm short on time at the moment, but I'd say they're things that Benjamin has laid out as goals that would more visibly advance the City: midlands regional cooperation, Five Points safety, connections downtown, etc. Things that in-state visitors would experience and make note of, especially when comparing their visit to their home?


An aside: It will be interesting to see what a greater USC presence in Greenville does for Columbia and the University, as they are often viewed collectively. Maybe nothing, BUT having the new USC School of Medicine-Greenville campus (which they hope to grow to match the size of the Columbia medical school population), and the Moore School of Business operating in the West End could go a long way for visibility of the school, and a greater image for its home base: Columbia. USC has several in-your-face billboards advertising the school across Greenville, and they've bought several advertisement spots on local tv at the moment. Right or wrong, USC and Columbia do often go together. As goes the image of one, the other will probably follow.
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Old 03-14-2013, 05:16 PM
 
1,289 posts, read 2,564,099 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mutiny77 View Post
From my perspective, I've not heard many criticisms of the city of Columbia, outside of maybe general issues related to cities its size (e.g., traffic, crime, etc.), from people from other towns and cities in SC. I think Greenville gets singled out specifically because it's a peer city and Charleston thinks it's better than every city. Also, the rivalry Charleston has with Columbia is rooted in state history (i.e., status of capital and largest city shifting from Charleston to Columbia) and goes back a long ways. Greenville is more or less a newcomer to the game, so it gets a lot of attention in this regard. On a larger regional level, it's not much different than up-and-coming Charlotte and the attitude some of its residents harbor towards the long-established top dog of the region, Atlanta.
I think that's a pretty fair statement. Thanks for the thoughtful response!
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