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I can't see Spartanburg getting much bigger, outside of bedroom community buildup on the westside / Duncan area.. In my opinion it has the most mill town vibe of all the main cities in SC. I don't have a problem with that but I can't see white collar type employers locating there, given Greenville is up the road.
Rock Hill will always be bedroom community for Charlotte.
I'd say Aiken, Florence, and Anderson have the best chance due to a lot of land along the interstate. I'd probably say Aiken out of those 3, due to being close to a larger metro but not one that is amazingly popular as Greenville is, plus it has a nicer downtown at this point than the other 2, although Anderson is coming along.
Sumter has no shot, way off interstate. Orangeburg has more potential than Sumter.
Isn't N. Charleston about to run out of free land? Not an attractive area in general. I can see Summerville getting bigger with some white collar type employers and a big mall of some sort.
I would say Florence is part of the Mrytle Beach metro. The local news in Florence includes MB. People living in Florence always in MB.
Florence is its on separate metro, Florence and Myrtle Beach share the same television viewing area. Also, a college in your town can be significant if the college and the city are intertwine with each other such as Greenville, NC and East Carolina University. I do agree that this is not the case in SC State and Orangeburg. I always thought Florence should took the mold that ECU/Greenville took. I do fill if a major company could come through and careful planning, Florence would be comparing itself more to cities like Savannah and Fayetteville.
Why do people think Florence is such a great place. I had a job for a short period of time where I had to travel to Florence often. I also spent my childhood driving through the city on the way to the beach. Everything I've seen about the city makes it seem like a big dump with lots of crime and scary characters roaming the city. I've always considered it in the SC triad cities of shame on the 95 corridor (Florence, Sumter, Orangeburg). I love SC and hope these places improve. I admit I haven't been through Florence in 5 years. Has it really changed all that much? I hope it has.
I would put Spartanburg on top of second tier cities due to diversified economy and improved downtown (I'm not counting strictly suburban cities in the system). Anderson and Aiken have potential and some decent schools but need some work and more growth, especially corporate. Coastal cities like MB and HH have very limited economies and are full of the rich retired or low paying seasonal jobs. Greenwood should make the list but is limited by no interstates in county. Sumter and especially Orangeburg are dumps and have little hope unfortunately.
Last edited by tigerhokie08; 03-04-2015 at 07:25 AM..
Why do people think Florence is such a great place. I had a job for a short period of time where I had to travel to Florence often. I also spent my childhood driving through the city on the way to the beach. Everything I've seen about the city makes it seem like a big dump with lots of crime and scary characters roaming the city. I've always considered it in the SC triad cities of shame on the 95 corridor (Florence, Sumter, Orangeburg). I love SC and hope these places improve. I admit I haven't been through Florence in 5 years. Has it really changed all that much? I hope it has.
I would put Spartanburg on top of second tier cities due to diversified economy and improved downtown (I'm not counting strictly suburban cities in the system). Anderson and Aiken have potential and some decent schools but need some work and more growth, especially corporate. Coastal cities like MB and HH have very limited economies and are full of the rich retired or low paying seasonal jobs. Greenwood should make the list but is limited by no interstates in county. Sumter and especially Orangeburg are dumps and have little hope unfortunately.
Have you been downtown Florence recently? New FMU performing arts center, Little Theatre, and the Florence Hotel.. which is currently in the process of doubling its size by renovating existing buildings. FMU is also building a new medical school on the corner of W. Evans and S. Irby. Two new restaurants have opened downtown and a new bar is scheduled to open across from the Hotel Florence that will have apartments above it.
Why do people think Florence is such a great place. I had a job for a short period of time where I had to travel to Florence often. I also spent my childhood driving through the city on the way to the beach. Everything I've seen about the city makes it seem like a big dump with lots of crime and scary characters roaming the city. I've always considered it in the SC triad cities of shame on the 95 corridor (Florence, Sumter, Orangeburg). I love SC and hope these places improve. I admit I haven't been through Florence in 5 years. Has it really changed all that much? I hope it has.
I would put Spartanburg on top of second tier cities due to diversified economy and improved downtown (I'm not counting strictly suburban cities in the system). Anderson and Aiken have potential and some decent schools but need some work and more growth, especially corporate. Coastal cities like MB and HH have very limited economies and are full of the rich retired or low paying seasonal jobs. Greenwood should make the list but is limited by no interstates in county. Sumter and especially Orangeburg are dumps and have little hope unfortunately.
Sumter and Orangeburg are by no means dynamic, exciting places but they have their advantages and I wouldn't say they are dumps at all--obviously you've not been to places like Allendale or some other similarly-sized towns throughout the South to have said that.
I wouldn't put Sumter and Florence in the same category as Orangeburg. While not dynamic metropolitan cities, Sumter and Florence are making headway with regard to preservation of historic areas, industry, jobs, shopping and restaurants. Orangeburg is headed in the opposite direction.
I wouldn't put Sumter and Florence in the same category as Orangeburg. While not dynamic metropolitan cities, Sumter and Florence are making headway with regard to preservation of historic areas, industry, jobs, shopping and restaurants. Orangeburg is headed in the opposite direction.
Eh, Orangeburg is just stuck right now...not going backwards, but not making progress either. Its in-state peers are along the lines of Walterboro, Gaffney, Georgetown, etc. A few hundred new manufacturing jobs could really make a difference in Orangeburg at this point.
Florence is its on separate metro, Florence and Myrtle Beach share the same television viewing area. Also, a college in your town can be significant if the college and the city are intertwine with each other such as Greenville, NC and East Carolina University. I do agree that this is not the case in SC State and Orangeburg. I always thought Florence should took the mold that ECU/Greenville took. I do fill if a major company could come through and careful planning, Florence would be comparing itself more to cities like Savannah and Fayetteville.
Would LOVE for Florence to become more like Greenville NC. If FMU were intown.. I believe it would be well on its way. Despite the fact that it isnt.. Florence is still making progress. I would place it more in line with Fayetteville as opposed to Savannah which is in a class along with Charleston.
I think Greenwood is another up and coming 2nd Tier City...along with Mt. Pleasant though it is significantly larger but considered as a suburb of Charleston
Everyones talking about about Florence, but the county has only grown 13,000 people in 14 years. While thats better than negative growth, its still less than 1,000 a year.
Greenwood County 3,000 in 14 years, and Sumter County 4,000. Orangeburg has lost a couple hundred people. I know county growth doesnt mean everything. Jobs, location, and other factors still matter, but 14 years is a long time. Florence definately is growing and its economy is healthy, but imo these places are arent on fire like some make them sound.
I would place it more in line with Fayetteville as opposed to Savannah which is in a class along with Charleston.
In terms of history, tourism, and their downtowns, Savannah and Charleston are in the same class but in terms of population and economically, Savannah is in a lower tier with a metro population and GDP about half of Charleston's. If the Beaufort-Hilton Head MSA were to combine with Savannah's that would change things but right now, that's where things stand.
Everyones talking about about Florence, but the county has only grown 13,000 people in 14 years. While thats better than negative growth, its still less than 1,000 a year.
Greenwood County 3,000 in 14 years, and Sumter County 4,000. Orangeburg has lost a couple hundred people. I know county growth doesnt mean everything. Jobs, location, and other factors still matter, but 14 years is a long time. Florence definately is growing and its economy is healthy, but imo these places are arent on fire like some make them sound.
To put this is perspective since 2000 Charleston county has grown nearly 70k, Berkeley county by 50k and Dorchester county by 40k
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