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OMG I so agree with this! Augusta and Columbia seem similar BUT the niceness of the people = more in Augusta. I feel it has the GA Advantage, being closer to Atlanta. SC although has some attributes, tends to be a big swamp and Columbia even more transients..
James Brown from Augusta as well.. what more needs to be said?
Columbia is plain jane. kind of has an attitude as well and LOTS of blight, I know I been walking in it!!.
Augusta, a bit more with it, nicer malls, places to eat, same. I just think the people at the restaurants will be nicer in Augusta as well as store clerks/managers.
I got into potential arguments with store people in Columbia. Close to a tie to when I lived in Portland. Thats how much attitude people seem to have in Cola. No joke.
To be fair, Columbia is closer to interesting cities like Charlotte and Charleston, than Augusta is to Atlanta and Savannah. I don't prefer either (I mean how do you let Macon has a better downtown than both of you?) but if I had to choose it'd be Columbia.
To be fair, Columbia is closer to interesting cities like Charlotte and Charleston, than Augusta is to Atlanta and Savannah. I don't prefer either (I mean how do you let Macon has a better downtown than both of you?) but if I had to choose it'd be Columbia.
Can't speak for Augusta, but Columbia most certainly doesn't--at least not in terms of offerings/amenities.
Macon only has three hotels downtown (including Mercer's campus) that are part of major, popular chains: Marriott, Hilton Garden Inn, and TownePlace Suites. Columbia has three such hotels on a single block downtown (SE block of Main and Hampton): Marriott, Sheraton, and Holiday Inn, plus Hilton, Aloft, Hampton Inn, Hyatt Place, Springhill Suites, Staybridge Suites, another Holiday Inn under construction, Courtyard Marriott, Fairfield Inn, Home2Suites/Hilton Garden Inn (dual-branded hotel), etc. scattered throughout the rest of downtown. Downtown Columbia has a full-service Publix; retailers like Urban Outfitters, REI, Mast General Store; restaurants like Ruth's Chris, California Dreaming, Old Chicago Pizza; an 18,000 seat arena; one of the best D1 and minor league ballparks in the country; a Smithsonian-affiliated museum with a planetarium, observatory, and 4D theater; the largest children's museum in the South at its opening; etc.
Macon has a wonderfully preserved downtown and it's making notable strides, but you jumped the gun here big time as far as Columbia goes. Columbia is over twice the size of Macon, growing several times faster, is the state capital, and has the state's flagship university downtown. Columbia would have to be quite pitiful to let Macon's downtown beat it and it's a good thing that's absolutely not the case.
Can't speak for Augusta, but Columbia most certainly doesn't--at least not in terms of offerings/amenities.
Macon only has three hotels downtown (including Mercer's campus) that are part of major, popular chains: Marriott, Hilton Garden Inn, and TownePlace Suites. Columbia has three such hotels on a single block downtown (SE block of Main and Hampton): Marriott, Sheraton, and Holiday Inn, plus Hilton, Aloft, Hampton Inn, Hyatt Place, Springhill Suites, Staybridge Suites, another Holiday Inn under construction, Courtyard Marriott, Fairfield Inn, Home2Suites/Hilton Garden Inn (dual-branded hotel), etc. scattered throughout the rest of downtown. Downtown Columbia has a full-service Publix; retailers like Urban Outfitters, REI, Mast General Store; restaurants like Ruth's Chris, California Dreaming, Old Chicago Pizza; an 18,000 seat arena; one of the best D1 and minor league ballparks in the country; a Smithsonian-affiliated museum with a planetarium, observatory, and 4D theater; the largest children's museum in the South at its opening; etc.
Macon has a wonderfully preserved downtown and it's making notable strides, but you jumped the gun here big time as far as Columbia goes. Columbia is over twice the size of Macon, growing several times faster, is the state capital, and has the state's flagship university downtown. Columbia would have to be quite pitiful to let Macon's downtown beat it and it's a good thing that's absolutely not the case.
As far as structural density and walkability go, I still think I prefer Macon over Columbia. I'm not talking amenities here as I put other aspects over that, but of course, Columbia comes out on top with that. Main St east of the capitol is nice and I like the USC campus itself but everything surrounding that campus has too many surface lots for me. I prefer DT Macon and the surroundings of Mercer. If Macon were the same size Columbia is now, I believe it would have a vastly superior urban core.
As far as structural density and walkability go, I still think I prefer Macon over Columbia. I'm not talking amenities here as I put other aspects over that, but of course, Columbia comes out on top with that. Main St east of the capitol is nice and I like the USC campus itself but everything surrounding that campus has too many surface lots for me. I prefer DT Macon and the surroundings of Mercer. If Macon were the same size Columbia is now, I believe it would have a vastly superior urban core.
I mean you could substitute Columbia for Atlanta and your point remains; however I don't think that really says as much in real life since most people won't discount things like pedestrian activity, amenities, and offerings when it comes to judging a downtown. Macon's downtown gets the nod for a historic structurally denser core, but downtown Columbia probably has just as many historic buildings but its core isn't as compact. It is a planned state capital laid out on an extensive grid of wide streets containing several subdistricts within itself largely due to the industrial history of the Vista (between the river and Assembly Street) as well as substantial land use by the state, such as the former prison complex and former mental health campus, both of which were unloaded by the state and commercially developed by the city. There's also a good bit of infill development taking place within and between these subdistricts.
Honestly I was a bit shocked to see that downtown Macon had such a dearth of hotels. Also, apparently downtown Macon's first full-menu sit-down Italian restaurant opened just a couple of days ago while Columbia's premier Italian restaurant, located downtown, is one of the oldest in the state at 80 years old. I think most people include things like amenities, offerings, as well as vibrancy--not to mention green/civic space like this, which Macon really has no answer for--when it comes to judging downtowns and Columbia's is quite a bit ahead in those respects. I'm not if you'll get much agreement concerning Macon's being "better," all things considered. And I didn't even bring Five Points into the discussion at all.
Location: Augusta, GA ''The fastest rising city in the southeast''
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Originally Posted by BrandonCoombes
I’d appreciate some updates from Augusta like I said. The list does not have to be exhaustive, just a representation of what the area has been coming up with. I know of the new Amazon Fulfillment Center. It’ll be good for both metros to have one. I employ you all to look into ALL the projects in Cola because there is so many good things happening it’s impossible to list them all. Google Search “Columbia SC Development”
I mean you could substitute Columbia for Atlanta and your point remains; however I don't think that really says as much in real life since most people won't discount things like pedestrian activity, amenities, and offerings when it comes to judging a downtown. Macon's downtown gets the nod for a historic structurally denser core, but downtown Columbia probably has just as many historic buildings but its core isn't as compact. It is a planned state capital laid out on an extensive grid of wide streets containing several subdistricts within itself largely due to the industrial history of the Vista (between the river and Assembly Street) as well as substantial land use by the state, such as the former prison complex and former mental health campus, both of which were unloaded by the state and commercially developed by the city. There's also a good bit of infill development taking place within and between these subdistricts.
I don't discount them, but when they're located in areas where I don't particularly like being a pedestrian, then I won't use the amenities. I know this is the south and many are okay with that, but I'm not most people and I don't own a car so I'm forced to notice many of these structural issues with the way cities are built and risk my life crossing wide roads where drivers are encouraged to speed without thinking about pedestrians.
I don't discount them, but when they're located in areas where I don't particularly like being a pedestrian, then I won't use the amenities. I know this is the south and many are okay with that, but I'm not most people and I don't own a car so I'm forced to notice many of these structural issues with the way cities are built and risk my life crossing wide roads where drivers are encouraged to speed without thinking about pedestrians.
Most of the things I mentioned are in the Vista (the former industrial historic district between Assembly and the Congaree River), along Main Street and its arteries, or on the Bull Street campus which is still developing. While the state museum, EdVenture, and the CanalSide neighborhood are disconnected from the walkable core of the Vista, they are located next to the Congaree River and the Three Rivers Greenway/Riverfront Park which provides a walkable connection across the river to the Historic Brookland/State Street commercial district in West Columbia.
Columbia's walkable districts in themselves cover a good bit of ground, with some more connected than others. The infill is getting built between them though, slowly but surely.
Most of the things I mentioned are in the Vista (the former industrial historic district between Assembly and the Congaree River), along Main Street and its arteries, or on the Bull Street campus which is still developing. While the state museum, EdVenture, and the CanalSide neighborhood are disconnected from the walkable core of the Vista, they are located next to the Congaree River and the Three Rivers Greenway/Riverfront Park which provides a walkable connection across the river to the Historic Brookland/State Street commercial district in West Columbia.
Columbia's walkable districts in themselves cover a good bit of ground, with some more connected than others. The infill is getting built between them though, slowly but surely.
I’d love to see the infill come into fruition. If the area around USC develops more it will definitely become more of a powerhouse. Greenville is an example of a SC downtown I absolutely love and was blown away by.
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