Is Greenville a progressive city? (Columbia, Charleston: theater, school, university)

[Creatively]

Hello, everyone :)

My husband and I are considering a move to the Greenville-Spartanburg area. We would be very interested to know how people who live there rank the city in terms of progressiveness, quality of life, and culture.

We have lived in the Panhandle of Florida for several years now and have been very unhappy here. We have found people to be superficial and close-minded, with lives that revolve completely around religious activities. Very few people have college degrees and arts/culture is nonexistent here. My husband and I are both well-educated and well-traveled with diverse interests and have felt like “fish out of water.” The experience has made us hesitant to make a move to another Southern town.

In contrast, I lived in Charlotte nearly 10 years ago, and – although it was in some ways very Southern – my experience was quite different. I met a variety of interesting, educated, and creative people, and not being a churchgoer had no impact on meeting or making friends (as it does here).

My husband and I would appreciate any thoughts anyone would like to share about the area. We would be especially interested in hearing from people who have moved there from someplace quite different (such as the Northeast or the West Coast). Greenville-Spartanburg is one of two job opportunities on the table at the moment, and we may not have much time to make a decision.

Thanks so much!

[ChristopherinSC]

Well im really from NY moved too the Greenville area 13yrs ago I would much rather live her in Greenville, then Spartanburg that is for sure! Spart is very bad off! If you like drugs and crime? Then sure it is a good place too live!

But G'ville is a town that has too grow on you. I did not like it here at all when I first moved here. But I have grown too love it here.. It is growing, and has grown a lot since I first moved here.

[tismekll]

Originally Posted by ChristopherinSC

Well im really from NY moved too the Greenville area 13yrs ago I would much rather live her in Greenville, then Spartanburg that is for sure! Spart is very bad off! If you like drugs and crime? Then sure it is a good place too live!

But G'ville is a town that has too grow on you. I did not like it here at all when I first moved here. But I have grown too love it here.. It is growing, and has grown a lot since I first moved here.

Christopher, why do you say Greenville had to grow on you? Could you be more specific? Thank you.

[Akhenaton06]

Originally Posted by ChristopherinSC

Well im really from NY moved too the Greenville area 13yrs ago I would much rather live her in Greenville, then Spartanburg that is for sure! Spart is very bad off! If you like drugs and crime? Then sure it is a good place too live!

But G'ville is a town that has too grow on you. I did not like it here at all when I first moved here. But I have grown too love it here.. It is growing, and has grown a lot since I first moved here.

Stop exaggerating about Spartanburg. It's also a great place to live. Truth is, in SC, Florence and Myrtle Beach usually rank at the top of the pack when it comes to crime, NOT Spartanburg.

Concerning Greenville's "progressiveness," that's a question that I tread lightly upon. The times the area has been in the national spotlight in the past have generally not been for positive reasons, including the county being the last in SC to officially recognize MLK Day. The area is also pretty lily white compared to Columbia and Charleston, although I wouldn't say that it's not diverse.

There are decent cultural options in Greenville, including the Peace Center for the Performing Arts (its main venue). You also have minor league baseball (a new team playing in a new ballpark) and many downtown festivals taking place throughout the year (Fall for Greenville, Artisphere, etc.). The US Pro Cycling Championship has also recently called the city home. Main Street is the city's crown jewel; it's definitely a plus for the city, as well as Falls Park on the Reedy, quite the downtown attraction.

Make no mistake about it--the area is quite religious. A fringe Christian group (in the political sense; NOT a cult) has decided to make the Greenville area the HQ's of its activities recently. And although the institution doesn't have much influence on the day-to-day workings of the city, ultraconservative Bob Jones University is in the area. Now whether or not you'll feel out of place as a non-religious person, that I cannot tell you. But everything that happens in Greenville doesn't revolve around religion or the church.

From the way you describe yourselves, it appears as though Columbia would be a better fit for you. It's relatively liberal, has a highly educated population (thanks in large part to USC and other area colleges), and has a good bit of arts and culture, including several independent theaters.

[HwoBU]

Creatively,

Well I just move here a year ago to take a job, and like you I just moved from a highly church oriented town in Alabama. (Not to say there is anything wrong with church, it just doesn't have to be the only thing in your life.) It was a very close-minded area, the inhabitants of which tended to only think what they were told to think by their pastor. I loved this town within the first week of moving here. There is far more social freedom and at least in Greenville (though not perfect) it tends to be much more progressive and accepting. There is almost always something going on, whether it be a concert, performance, art expo, the annual "Fall for Greenville", or some other event. Most of this does occur downtown, but can be scattered around the city and surrounding area. There are plenty of different restaurants, serving almost every flavor of cuisine, and in almost every price range from fast food to black tie. Untill I moved here, i had my heart and mind set on moving anywhere in the US that wasn't in the south. However, now that I'm here, I wouldn't have a single problem staying here for the rest of my life.

[friendnc]

Let's just keep in mind that many people, conservative AND liberal, can be closed-minded, only "tolerant" when being agreed with. Yes, there can be some mean, hateful conservatives. But the same can be said of just as many liberals. It truly works both ways. I think the key is ditching the stereotypes on BOTH sides and getting to know others as individuals and not thinking we have to agree on everthing. Just because someone enbraces their faith doesn't mean it's the "only thing in their life", just a very inportant part of it. All of us have things that mean a lot to us, a spiritual life being one of many things someone could embrace. Please don't take me wrong. I just want everyone from all mindsets to be more tolerant and not think we're better than others because we go to church, have more education, or see others who don't agree with us as closed-minded. I do think Greenville would be a great area. It has a good mix of people. Good luck in your search!!!

[LeftWatcher]

Originally Posted by Akhenaton06

being the last in SC to officially recognize MLK Day. The area is also pretty lily white compared to Columbia and Charleston, although I wouldn't say that it's not diverse.

You say that like it's a bad thing. State's rights are part of the fabric of freedom. Personally I applaud the leadership for doing what they feel best benefits their MAJORITY population. Having the federal government force states to abide by regulations not valued by the individual state is what started that big war back in the late 1800's that leftists and socialists still don't understand. If you want to live in a state that still has the strongest values of individual liberty then South Carolina is for you. Of course their government education system is right there at the bottom - http://goinside.com/01/10/sc.html

[Akhenaton06]

Originally Posted by LeftWatcher

You say that like it's a bad thing. State's rights are part of the fabric of freedom. Personally I applaud the leadership for doing what they feel best benefits their MAJORITY population. Having the federal government force states to abide by regulations not valued by the individual state is what started that big war back in the late 1800's that leftists and socialists still don't understand.

Firstly, where did I ever make an argument AGAINST Greenville County's decision? I didn't make a judgment call; I merely stated what happened and how it didn't lend itself to making the county look progressive. You're seeing an argument that I never made, but that's typical given your screenname. Secondly, we're not talking about the state of SC as a whole, only Greenville County. Apparently the other counties in the state indeed felt that recognizing MLK Day, which honors a man who valued equality for EVERYONE regardless of race, benefitted the majority population. If such a trait is only fitting for Blacks, the minority population, that I hate what that must mean for Whites.

[Akhenaton06]

Of course their government education system is right there at the bottom

While the article you provided a link to does have a point--a great one in fact--rankings depend on exactly who's making them. For one, it must be realized that SC has some of the highest proficiency standards of any state in the Union. We've set the bar high; now we've just got to do the work to make sure our kids reach it. Better that than lowering our standards in order to inflate rankings (see here: http://www.hoover.org/publications/ednext/3219636.html ). Also, a report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education that deals with the K-12 system recently placed our public education system in the middle of the pack nationally--27th to be exact (see: http://www.thestate.com/mld/state/news/opinion/15664531.htm (broken link) ). Earlier this year, Education Week magazine compiled state-specific reports covering a decade of educational progress within those states entitled "Quality Counts at 10: A Decade of Standards-Based Education." Each state was graded in four categories: standards and accountability, teacher quality, school climate, and resource equity. South Carolina scored at or above average in each category; as a matter of fact, we ranked near the top of the nation in standards and accountability and in teacher quality, we ranked second in the nation. Our overall state policy report card gave us a grade of "B," beating every other Southern state except West Virginia, which also received a "B" and Louisiana which received a grade of "B+."

Another relevant link can be found here: http://www.ipspr.sc.edu/scip/education/student.asp It comes closest to giving a complete picture of the state of public education in SC.

[Prichard]

You might want to try New York City, or San Francisco. Not too many religious folks in San Francisco to bother you, and both of these cities have a few art galaries to keep you happy, I recon.