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As someone who grew up in Columbia, went to school in Florence and moved back for a job after graduation, this is a perfect assessment. Florence is a small town with that small town appeal that you wont get in places like Columbia or Charleston. I love Columbia and having that city feel, but I do miss good ole Florence where you really do feel like you know everyone. Its a nice escape!
I'm another one that was born and raised in Florence. I think Florence is a great place for a family. It still has the hometown feel and real estate can be found pretty cheap there. Its located close enough to the beach that you can take a day trip there and still be back home at a decent time. Its also located close to Charlotte and Columbia if you wanted to do some shopping for things that may not be in Florence. I left Florence and moved to Charlotte back in 99 for a job transfer and then came down here to Charleston for another job transfer. I miss Florence and still visit whenever I can. We are planning a trip there today for some BBQ at the Woodshed! If you are thinking about other places around SC to move to then please do not consider Charleston. That's another story though.
This probably has nothing to do with this thread but I thought it was interesting this weekend I went up to Florence but stayed with a friend near Darlington a couple miles past the race track and it was so funny how I kept thinking how far from Florence we were but I just looked at google maps and realized that if Columbia was where Florence was, that would have been right where the Dam on the Irmo side is! Weird how perception of distance changes in different places.
This probably has nothing to do with this thread but I thought it was interesting this weekend I went up to Florence but stayed with a friend near Darlington a couple miles past the race track and it was so funny how I kept thinking how far from Florence we were but I just looked at google maps and realized that if Columbia was where Florence was, that would have been right where the Dam on the Irmo side is! Weird how perception of distance changes in different places.
Yep.. in your Cola example.. it mostly urban and suburban landscape between Cola and the Dam. Between Florence in Darlington.. along HWY 52 is suburban and "urural" (i.e. urban form of rural) with a lot of rural types of business/operations/industries clustered close together.
When a water tower or a grain silo is the tallest thing in your skyline... its urural...LOL
Downtown revitalization is really starting to take root. Owners are being forced to clean up neglected properties, especially the boarded up and broken windows, and dirty storefronts.
The west side of town is growing fast. The south side is growing as well. The east & north sides are not recommended for anyone to live. They're blighted, crime is high, and there is nowhere to shop outside of convenience stores.
the downtown area looks ok but I can't ever see that area thriving like they want it to, it just isn't the central business district. I think they'd be better off trying to develop around 5 points, maybe even reduce it to 2 lanes from 4 lanes and throw up some trees to give it more of an old school feel like the Main Street in Greenville. They could put in a psuedo downtown area like Providence in Huntsville AL with restaurants, shops and housing and a little village park. To me the thing people tend to remember about Florence is Cherokee Road area and Timrod park so it makes more sense to develp around there, especially because visitors get routed thru that area. I see people saying Florence downtown could be an Aiken downtown but Aiken has tree lined medians in downtown and Florence isn't going to be able to create that kind of quaint village thing downtown, plus people have to drive thru downtown Aiken to get to Whiskey road out to the retail / restaurants, n'hoods in Aiken so it has more exposure than dowtown FLorence has.
the downtown area looks ok but I can't ever see that area thriving like they want it to, it just isn't the central business district. I think they'd be better off trying to develop around 5 points, maybe even reduce it to 2 lanes from 4 lanes and throw up some trees to give it more of an old school feel like the Main Street in Greenville. They could put in a psuedo downtown area like Providence in Huntsville AL with restaurants, shops and housing and a little village park. To me the thing people tend to remember about Florence is Cherokee Road area and Timrod park so it makes more sense to develp around there, especially because visitors get routed thru that area. I see people saying Florence downtown could be an Aiken downtown but Aiken has tree lined medians in downtown and Florence isn't going to be able to create that kind of quaint village thing downtown, plus people have to drive thru downtown Aiken to get to Whiskey road out to the retail / restaurants, n'hoods in Aiken so it has more exposure than dowtown FLorence has.
That's always been the problem with DT Florence. It's located in an extreme corner bordered by crime & blight to the east, and even worse crime & blight to the north. Thus, what is needed for it to thrive, residents & foot traffic, has been a problem....who with any money to spend wants to live there? That will continue to be a problem going forward. However, if the city gets smart and somehow links the huge & growing McLeod campus to downtown with safe, well lighted and secure housing, which would be attractive to McLeod employees, the foot traffic problem could be tackled. Of course, finding investors could be a problem.
That's always been the problem with DT Florence. It's located in an extreme corner bordered by crime & blight to the east, and even worse crime & blight to the north. Thus, what is needed for it to thrive, residents & foot traffic, has been a problem....who with any money to spend wants to live there? That will continue to be a problem going forward. However, if the city gets smart and somehow links the huge & growing McLeod campus to downtown with safe, well lighted and secure housing, which would be attractive to McLeod employees, the foot traffic problem could be tackled. Of course, finding investors could be a problem.
I think the fact that the Timrod Park neighborhood is really seeing a resurgence will allow them to get the foot traffic downtown since it really is not that far. It still has some work to do but I see that neighborhood having a small Rosewood type feel to it with a lot of young families and FMU students moving in. I know that since I have moved away about two years ago, a lot more students have moved into that neighborhood and with the PAC and the new Med School going downtown, that number will only grow more and create more of a pedestrian friendly environment downtown.
I think the other thing when you are referring to Five Points being the heart of the city has alot to do with what is there and how do we get that to move downtown. Places like Butlers would be great downtown and would be something people would travel downtown to go to just like I traveled to Five Points from Timrod Park go there. Another thing that would do well downtown is a bar like a Wholesale (I know theyll never move just an example) type place. The whole Cosmopolitan bar they tried down there a few years ago seemed like a horrible idea since that demographic is few and far between in Florence. A place like Wholesale or Southern Hops would be awesome down there and would be much more convenient for those students living near Timrod as well.
Downtown revitalization is really starting to take root. Owners are being forced to clean up neglected properties, especially the boarded up and broken windows, and dirty storefronts.
The west side of town is growing fast. The south side is growing as well. The east & north sides are not recommended for anyone to live. They're blighted, crime is high, and there is nowhere to shop outside of convenience stores.
those pictures are beautiful. that's very good to know, west and south. no east or north.. thanks
I imagine this is old news for all of you in Florence but I just had a chance to look at the WBTW site and saw the article talking about student housing downtown with the FMU med school. I think this would be an awesome addition to the downtown make up and be something that can really boost downtown. Thoughts?
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