Does Columbia have an inferiority complex? (Charleston, Greenville: crime, credit, home)

[davey123]

At the risk of opening up a Pandora's Box, I feel compelled to pose this question. I have noticed that some of the people on this forum who live in Columbia are very quick to pounce on any comment that they perceive as putting Columbia in a negative light. Of course, this could just be that these people are expressing great pride in their city, which, of course, is a good thing. However, I am wondering if part of what motivates this pride is an underlying inferiority complex about the city. I am also wondering if this inferiority complex is a derivative of the constant comparisons with Charleston and Greeneville.

Please shed some light on this issue.

[Akhenaton06]

Somewhat, but I think in actuality it's more of a mixed bag. Honestly, when you look at the things that really matter when it comes to a place to live and make a city competitive, Columbia has nothing to feel inferior about, aside from being located in a state run by a Legislature that's far from progressive--and indeed, some of Columbia's issues are more a reflection of the state than the city itself. The differences when it comes to amenities--which is the subject of many of these comparisons--between Columbia and similarly-sized metros, including Charleston and Greenville, are quite negligible (unless one puts a much higher premium on those things than they deserve). But on the positive side, it seems that Columbia is just awakening to its true potential after years of being satisfied with the status quo. So in some cases, criticisms are valid, but in others, the city doesn't get the credit it deserves.

[waccamatt]

I think quite to the contrary. Most Columbians are a quite humble people who will ignore negative comments for awhile and then eventually get tired of them.

[davey123]

Originally Posted by Akhenaton06

But on the positive side, it seems that Columbia is just awakening to its true potential after years of being satisfied with the status quo. So in some cases, criticisms are valid, but in others, the city doesn't get the credit it deserves.

Thanks Akhenaton. I am reminded of when I lived in NJ and some of the dynamics that occurred between cities there. For example, Jersey City (JC) was once a thriving city, but has experienced some extreme urban decay. It is now considered to be one of the most dangerous cities in NJ. However, they have been revitalizing parts of the city, and have aspirations of becoming a Hoboken in the next 15 years. So, the people that live in JC take great pride in this revitalization. Nevertheless, it is easy for other people who live in other parts of the state to deflate this pride, simply by pointing out how dangerous city is. It's almost like the pride that JC residents show in the revitalization of their city inflates its image, while people from other parts of the state serve as "pins" to deflate that pride. Of course, this dynamic is not specific to NJ. It occurs in any state where there is revitalization of a decayed city.

I am wondering if there is, somehow, a parallel to Columbia. Given that you mention that Columbia is "awakening" to its true potential, maybe the pride that some people express serves to recognize this awakening, as well as to inflate the image of the city. I also am wondering if Charleston and Greeneville serve as "pins" that can easily deflate this image. Maybe that's why there appears to be such tension between the cities?

Who knows? I'm an introspective person. So, I may be way out on a limb on that one.

[Akhenaton06]

Here's how it works in SC. Charleston was the undisputed big dog for most of the state's history; it's one of a handful of cities in the nation that can actually say it was larger than NYC at one point. Then Columbia caught up with it and actually became the largest city in the state. And of course, Charleston was at one time the capital, and then it moved to Columbia, so that accounts for a little of the tension (why, I don't know, since none of us were alive when this happened). Greenville then caught up with both Columbia and Charleston and has more in common with Columbia than Charleston, and of course the whole Clemson vs. Carolina rivalry plays into it as well.

[davey123]

Originally Posted by waccamatt

I think quite to the contrary. Most Columbians are a quite humble people who will ignore negative comments for awhile and then eventually get tired of them.

Okay, this is my last comment for the night, as I did bring work home from the office that I need to complete before I go to bed.

Waccamatt, what are some of these negative comments? And, are the mainly stated by people who live in Charleston and Greeneville? Or, do they mainly come from out-of-staters?

[waccamatt]

Davey, I think most of the tension is between Columbia and the Upstate and is primarily (though somewhat subconsciously) in the rivalry between USC and Clemson.

[gvillesc]

Originally Posted by davey123

Okay, this is my last comment for the night, as I did bring work home from the office that I need to complete before I go to bed.

Waccamatt, what are some of these negative comments? And, are the mainly stated by people who live in Charleston and Greeneville? Or, do they mainly come from out-of-staters?

Slightly off topic, but there's only three "e's" in Greenville, not four.

[Columbiadata]

The different layouts of the three cities make them hard to compare. Their amenities are on an even par for the most part, but Greenville and Charleston's downtowns are more condensed than Columbia's and create a feeling of more energy among their city-life venues.

[PalmettoGuy]

I've never understood the "my city is better than yours" mindset, anyway. There are some things that can be put into numbers like population, crime rate, distance to the beach, number of stores/restaurants, etc. But the feel and character of a city is something you have to experience for yourself. If you don't like the city, you don't have to live there.