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I would classify living in Greenville as "middle of the road" and a "compromise." It has a few things going for it.... 1) Lower than national average cost of living. 2) Expectation of steady growth based on its location between Atlanta and Charlotte. That's where it ends, in my opinion, of course.
It is a boring place. My guess is that most people living in Greenville are originally from somewhere close by that think Greenville is a big step up and in the right direction. People that have never really been anywhere else and have no basis for comparison. I meet many that consider living in Greenville to be the big time in a big city.
No professional sports, no culture, no important people. Have you ever heard of any notable business tycoons that call Greenville home? How excited can one get about a Greenville drive baseball game? People that really have a zest for life will want more than what is available here.
But if life in a real city is unappealing because of the traffic, cost of living, etc; then Greenville might be exactly the right place.
Because most people don't care about a professional sports team or if someone famous came from their city. In fact (to me) those are some of the dumbest reasons to pick a place to live that I would be able to come up with.
As I said before, I've lived in Anchorage, Seattle, Boston, Kansas City, Orlando and now Greenville and I would take Greenville 1000x over before I'd move back to any of the other places. I've visited almost every state in the U.S. and I can't think of another place I'd want to live.
I would classify living in Greenville as "middle of the road" and a "compromise." It has a few things going for it.... 1) Lower than national average cost of living. 2) Expectation of steady growth based on its location between Atlanta and Charlotte. That's where it ends, in my opinion, of course.
It is a boring place. My guess is that most people living in Greenville are originally from somewhere close by that think Greenville is a big step up and in the right direction. People that have never really been anywhere else and have no basis for comparison. I meet many that consider living in Greenville to be the big time in a big city.
No professional sports, no culture, no important people. Have you ever heard of any notable business tycoons that call Greenville home? How excited can one get about a Greenville drive baseball game? People that really have a zest for life will want more than what is available here.
But if life in a real city is unappealing because of the traffic, cost of living, etc; then Greenville might be exactly the right place.
I have to wonder what on earth you're comparing Greenville to.... Certainly not other cities or metros of similar size... I've lived everywhere from Mobile, AL to Jackson, MS to Birmingham, AL to Atlanta, GA. I'd pick Greenville over ANY of them. No culture? HA! Does having a resident business tycoon rate a city as desirable??? Atlanta or Charlotte may have more of some things than Greenville, but other factors MORE than make up for that!
Thanks for all the input. My wife and kids were in Simpsonville this past July and they loved it. I guess I'll have to make a trip and check the job market and everything else for myself. I appreciate everyone's replies.
Oh, forgot to mention. I have a friend who moved in from Los Angeles and he loves it! Also associate with many others who are transplants from much larger cities who love it also. Granted, all the people I deal with are positive thinkers who produce value. Business people, etc. Not saying you aren't.
As a lifelong native and lover of Greenville I will admit that there are a couple of things that are missing from Gville that someone from a larger city would miss. That being a diverse live music scene and something more along the lines of upscale nightlife, but really, other than that there is not much you cannot find in Greenville that you can find in just about any other market, plus you can minus out most of the negative things that larger markets usually entail.
For working adults and families I would say the day to day life in Greenville is great. But the day is what you make out of it. I will just say that the opportunities are available for a person to have a very full life in this town if they chose to do so or to be a comfortable homebody who can feel safe if that is what they would like to do.
I am not sure why some of you try to speak reasonably with someone who obviously has a agenda that has nothing to do with this thread. I do think that people on this board should always be open to valid criticism of the city but when someone is making silly statements that there are not enough heavy hitters in the area then its obvious they were not looking for any reasonable discussion.
By the way, if Roger Millikin is not a heavy hitter then I am not sure what one is, and I can also think of about two or three other locals who are not real far from the Billionaire club. They just happen to be low key and not tweeting celebs.
Lived in Southern California for 20 years, Texas for 4 years and Hawaii for 9yrs, We went to check out Greenville SC and its all I would hope it to be and more,the people were so helpful and friendly.Im 46 and married.Cant wait to make the final move soon!Crackofdawn<Thanks for your input ,you are so right! Also I want to add(My member name is" Big isle gal "not- big is legal, ha!As Im from the Big island of Hawaii)
Definitely not bumping into world class celebrities walking down the streets of Greenville. But hey if residents want to dream more power to them.
If "bumping into world class celebrities" on the street is important criteria for a place of residence, then there are a few cities in the world where you can get lost in the sea of people clamoring for an autograph or an interview. However, if you prefer an occasional opportunity to see a well known star on the street without having to fight a large group of fans, then you might find Greenville fits comfortably into that category. Local proprietors have mentioned several experiences with world class performing artists (in addition to other national and international celebrities) visiting their shops while in town. I know local residents who have seen them as well, and I have personally seen several over the years walking along Main Street and more recently enjoying Falls Park -- or perhaps I was merely daydreaming. Additionally, you can read some of their blogs about their visits (example). This is simply my reply in answer to your inaccurate statement that you're "definitely not bumping into world class celebrities walking down the streets of Greenville." I don't claim to know the official criteria used to define a "world class celebrity," but there are certainly people living in and visiting the Greenville area who are well known in the U.S. and other parts of the world, whether you have heard about any of them or not.
Last edited by Skyliner; 12-03-2010 at 07:45 AM..
Reason: Forgot to add a link.
Really getting off the main topic here but people I have met personally on main st and talked with.
Cuba Gooding Jr.
Kevin Costner
(The tall guy with the deep voice who was on seinfeld and now is in everything)
Kurt Russell.
Actually Kurt and the guys name I cannot remember were getting money out of the ATM at 1am hammered out of their minds and we had some drinks. They loved the town.
I saw George Clooney but I just avoided the mob trying to get to him.
Jessica Simpson
and about a half dozen other sports stars and minor celebs and several well known musicians.
Lived in Southern California for 20 years, Texas for 4 years and Hawaii for 9yrs, We went to check out Greenville SC and its all I would hope it to be and more,the people were so helpful and friendly.Im 46 and married.Cant wait to make the final move soon!Crackofdawn<Thanks for your input ,you are so right! Also I want to add(My member name is" Big isle gal "not- big is legal, ha!As Im from the Big island of Hawaii)
EXCELLENT to hear! I felt the same way the first time I visited Greenville.....there is a definite charm.
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Certainly not other cities or metros of similar size... I've lived everywhere from Mobile, AL to Jackson, MS to Birmingham, AL to Atlanta, GA. I'd pick Greenville over ANY of them. No culture? HA! 
Does having a resident business tycoon rate a city as desirable??? 
Atlanta or Charlotte may have more of some things than Greenville, but other factors MORE than make up for that!
Welcome.
Additionally, you can read some of their blogs about their visits (
