Green/holistic/cultured living...Greenville, SC or Asheville? (Greer: transplants, sales)

[Susanem]

Hello All,
I'm new to this so I did post this on a thread that was over a year old, so I am copying and pasting again below (sorry for the duplicate).

I am deciding between Greenville, SC and Asheville to live.

I'm moving from SF Cal and am in the natural products industry and studying holistic nutrition...I live a green life and wonder which town would suit me better...Asheville or Greenville? I feel Asheville is too crunchie/grungy....I love the environmental and holistic health consciousness, but I also love being clean and taking showers!! In the Bay area, there are pockets of this grunginess in Berkeley and in the city/SF, but overall it's not the signature of the town like it seems to be in Asheville. Environmental and holistic consciousness doesn't have to hand and hand with this! My cousin recommended Greenville and having had a look, it looks very promising.

I eat very healthy and organically and am also somewhat of a foodie, but am picky about ingredients etc. Wondering also are there good organic (free range meats, grass fed cows) etc. (the slow food model) local food restaurants that serve quality as well?

I know I can find what I'm looking for anywhere (there are pockets of like minded people) and it is what I make it, but just curious if anyone can comment on a comparison if anyone has had to make the same decision as me or have lived in both places.

Any input between the two towns....for 1. holistic living 2. good food, but healthy food and 3. worldly/culture (I have lived all over the world and need a diverse mix around me). 4. access to nature 5. green, tree lined neighborhoods. 6 open mindedness/tolerance for diversity (goes with #3 above).

Thanks!
Susan

[419]

Susan, I could have written that post. Well, except the part about being from California. I have the same interests and have also been considering both Asheville and Greenville.

Greenville has a Whole Foods and Earthfare for grocery shopping. You can find local farms that pasture their animals at eatwild.com. Here is the link for the South Carolina listings: South Carolina Farms & Ranches Listed on Eatwild.com - Google Maps

I just took a quick look and these look closest to Greenville: Greenbrier Farms Native Meats - Healthy Foods, Locally Grown Red Fern Farm | Green Brier Farms will have a CSA in 2012.

I read about a group of holistic practitioners right downtown... but I don't remember the name. I'm sure someone else can tell you.

I also noticed on realmilk.com that SC has raw milk available... so I'm very excited about that, if I end up moving there.

I also have looked at some places mentioned in one of the restaurant threads, and at least some are local, farm-to-table type places.

As I understand it, there is a very nice bike trail that was recently completed.

[Made_it_To_the_Metroplex]

I'd say (please, no offense intended here) that anyone with a head, who shares your interests would gravitate towards Asheville, almost without even having to think about it. Greenville has many of those things represented of course, but Asheville is the center of that kind of universe in this part of the country. Greenville is much more corportate-oriented and suburban as a metro area (for better or worse, depending on one's world view).

[boernomore]

welcome, i find many of your interests here, whole foods, frest market and several smaller establishments support your interests, you can certainly find the products you are familiar with and they are more than lovely to talk too. It is certainly gaining interest in this part of the area, you should contact the local chamber of commerce, and speak with someone knowledgable. Best of luck in the new year. The Gibhill Farm is run by the Gibson family in Greer, they raise beef and lamb, slow and natural, they also do vegetables with the season, they even advertise on craigslist, they could be a great contact point, I also like the Wild Radish Health Store in Greenville, they are very helpful. They are involved with The Generous Garden Project, which grows food to be donated to local food banks, they are green. All these individuals speak well of the hard working area.

[Eldemila]

In one word - Asheville!

[drfranklin]

I posted a response to your thread in the Western NC sub-forum

[KaraG]

I would suggest Asheville for you since you are coming from SF. And in either city, there is certainly a difference between the grunginess of Berkeley and the grunginess here - in Berkeley it is fashion and here you are seeing a different culture and diversity which includes wonderful people who actually work the land and grow food.

I also came from California and love how people here are naturally "more green" & waste less resources than those in the cities out west.

[Susanem]

thanks for everyone's responses! Kara, where are you from in Cal? Where do you live now? If I can find affordable housing (and green wooded private yard) in Asheville (my budget is $150-170) I'll probably go to Asheville. However I have a sales territory (knox, grnvle, charlotte, ashvle) and can travel around the next few months and get a feel.

Thanks!

[Shadetree930]

Definitely Asheville. Not even a close call.

[Art123]

Asheville. No doubt. Not even remotely close. (And the people I know in Asheville shower every day)