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Apparently you haven't heard that Greenville, South Carolina, has lots of local and national retailers, AND a vibrant downtown that has become the well documented envy of cities across the U.S. I'm not really sure how the article applies to either Greenville or Columbia though. Most (if not all) of the "big box" stores formerly located in our cities' urban cores fled to the suburbs decades ago.
Apparently you failed to read my post carefully. The content implies I realize Greenville has both. It's no secret, though, that big box retailers across the country compete in a hard-nosed way and win entirely too often, and the more celebrated big boxes that move in, the more likely they are to become the goose that cooked the golden egg. Maybe Greenville will avoid having this happen, as my post said. Maybe Columbia will, too, as well as more big-box discount national chains move into the metro. I know you feel Columbia has no golden egg, but that's a different story. The link between what I'm saying and the Charlotte article I posted is clear.
I'll make a deal with you - you stay in Greenville (and their forums) and I'll stay in Columbia (and our forums). To be perfectly honest with you, I care more about what's going on in New York than I do what's going on in Greenville. I think it's very telling that it's only people from Greenville that stick their noses in everyone else's business. You don't see people from Charleston, Columbia, MB, Florence and Augusta doing it. You don't see people from Spartanburg or Anderson doing it either. It's a uniquely Greenvillain trait and to be fair only a small number of them.
I'll make a deal with you - you stay in Greenville (and their forums) and I'll stay in Columbia (and our forums). To be perfectly honest with you, I care more about what's going on in New York than I do what's going on in Greenville. I think it's very telling that it's only people from Greenville that stick their noses in everyone else's business. You don't see people from Charleston, Columbia, MB, Florence and Augusta doing it. You don't see people from Spartanburg or Anderson doing it either. It's a uniquely Greenvillain trait and to be fair only a small number of them.
News flash! You don't own the boards. Oh and you're the biggest drama queen here! Lol. Always wearing your emotions on your chest. Nobody has to serve you or care how you feel. If you make a comment that's not the full truth we will respond if we want to. And its well within our rights to. Its just a message board. If it bothers you that much then stop posting and reading.
Here's an article that speaks to the concept of big boxes becoming a thing of the past if they don't learn to conform to urbanism the way smaller, more personable businesses are doing. Suburbia is over. Unless incoming chain stores renovate vacated digs, I'm all for just keeping what we've got. I never go to the burbs anyway. Sprawl is the enemy.
Here's an article that speaks to the concept of big boxes becoming a thing of the past if they don't learn to conform to urbanism the way smaller, more personable businesses are doing. Suburbia is over. Unless incoming chain stores renovate vacated digs, I'm all for just keeping what we've got. I never go to the burbs anyway. Sprawl is the enemy.
The example cited in that clip, Glenwood Park, is an awesome neighborhood in intown Atlanta. Hopefully that's what the Bull Street campus property will resemble once built.
Apparently you failed to read my post carefully. The content implies I realize Greenville has both. It's no secret, though, that big box retailers across the country compete in a hard-nosed way and win entirely too often, and the more celebrated big boxes that move in, the more likely they are to become the goose that cooked the golden egg. Maybe Greenville will avoid having this happen, as my post said. Maybe Columbia will, too, as well as more big-box discount national chains move into the metro. I know you feel Columbia has no golden egg, but that's a different story. The link between what I'm saying and the Charlotte article I posted is clear.
Columbiadata, I would like to humbly apologize for misinterpreting your post regarding the negative affects of big box national retailers. Your admonition was justified because my reply missed the point you intended to convey.
The good news for Greenville is that during the economic recession, several shops and restaurants opened in downtown and seem to be doing well despite the big box national retailers and restaurant chains. Hopefully this is an indication that we won't surrender to a potential big box takeover of the local retail industry in the future.
Your comment about "the goose that cooked the golden egg" honestly made me laugh out loud. It was the first time I had ever heard those two idioms mixed in that way.
This may come as a shock to your immune system, but I actually think Columbia has multiple golden eggs and even a few potential diamonds in the rough.
Let's start with one of the main factors that makes many other cities jealous of both Columbia and Greenville -- water. While I can't imagine ever being willing to trade our small Reedy River with its accompanying public/private mixed-use developments, gorgeous natural parks and beautiful downtown waterfalls for the river system in Columbia, I would LOVE to see how Greenville's proactive leaders and citizens would utilize the much larger convergence of water there. One thing Columbia residents should be extremely excited about is the expansive riverfront park and trail system already in place and still growing. The potential of this single resource (naturally flowing water) is virtually limitless, as exemplified on a smaller scale by the historic Reedy River in Downtown Greenville.
Another golden egg is the impressive Riverbanks Zoo. While it hasn't reached the level of my favorite zoo in St. Louis, I would be willing to pay a ton of money to have one like it in Greenville. Someone on a different forum mentioned the concept of using the County Square site for a new zoo and I'd be 100% in favor of that idea, since it would add to the awesome downtown parks and greenways system. Sure, Greenville already has an adorable little zoo connected to the same park system, but it is very small in relation to the Riverbanks Zoo and has no room for outward expansion, unless a significant portion of Cleveland Park (including the zoo parking and large playground area) could be added to the zoo grounds. But in the Carolinas, no other animal park currently comes close to matching the level of quality at the Riverbanks Zoo, in my opinion. Having recently read about the zoo's planned expansion, I am very excited for its likely long-term success.
I could go on for the rest of the evening about the positive aspects in Columbia, including the city's historically large street grid system, large central business district, growing arts and entertainment districts, large public university (although I am not a fan of large university campuses located in the central core of mid-sized cities), state government offices, nice interstate highway system, easy access to a large body of water (Lake Murray), access to a unique natural park (Congaree National Park), relatively quick access to mountains and coast, a quality mixed-use suburban development in the Sand Hills, etc... But you all have written in great detail about all of these amenities, so I'll leave it for the local experts to spread the word.
Columbia has the solid skeletal structure in place to become a major player someday soon. With visionary leadership and an active citizenry, it will not fail to absolutely fulfill its greatest potential.
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