Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am considering various positions in the Southeast and have an excellent job opportunity in Spartanburg. I lived in Seneca for 3 years and know some about Greenville, but not much about Spartanburg.
Questions:
1. Public schools are important to us (we have 3 kids). Is there a local or state website grading each school/district? (Tennessee and Florida both have websites grading each school.)
2. OK, broad question: what is the best school district in Spartanburg county?
3. We really enjoy Greenville and its amenities. What are good locations in between Greenville and Spartanburg? What about Greer?
4. Does anybody have any opinion on the private schools in the area? Our oldest daughter is in a great episcopal pre-k program here. Anything similar there?
5. Does anybody belong to the local Mom's Club in the area (International MOMS Club)? If so, any opinions? (My wife belongs to one here in Chattanooga and loves it.)
6. How is the shopping (grocery, retail) in Spartanburg? Any new shopping developments in the works? We LOVE Publix - is there a Publix in Spartanburg? Any organic grocery stores in the Spartanburg area (Whole Foods, Earth Fare, etc.)?
7. How is the overall real estate market in the area?
8. We are into children's activities. Any great parks in the area? How are the zoos (Hollywild Zoo, Greenville Zoo)?
I am considering various positions in the Southeast and have an excellent job opportunity in Spartanburg. I lived in Seneca for 3 years and know some about Greenville, but not much about Spartanburg.
Questions:
1. Public schools are important to us (we have 3 kids). Is there a local or state website grading each school/district? (Tennessee and Florida both have websites grading each school.)
2. OK, broad question: what is the best school district in Spartanburg county?
3. We really enjoy Greenville and its amenities. What are good locations in between Greenville and Spartanburg? What about Greer?
4. Does anybody have any opinion on the private schools in the area? Our oldest daughter is in a great episcopal pre-k program here. Anything similar there?
5. Does anybody belong to the local Mom's Club in the area (International MOMS Club)? If so, any opinions? (My wife belongs to one here in Chattanooga and loves it.)
6. How is the shopping (grocery, retail) in Spartanburg? Any new shopping developments in the works? We LOVE Publix - is there a Publix in Spartanburg? Any organic grocery stores in the Spartanburg area (Whole Foods, Earth Fare, etc.)?
7. How is the overall real estate market in the area?
8. We are into children's activities. Any great parks in the area? How are the zoos (Hollywild Zoo, Greenville Zoo)?
Thank you very much for the replies .
Since I don't have school-age children I cannot objectively answer questions 1,4, and 5.
Question #2. I think districts 6 (west side Spartanburg), 7 (east side Spartanburg), 2 (Boiling Springs) and 5 (western Spartanburg County) are all about equal in terms of scholastic achievement, facilities, and faculty. Districts 1, 3, and 4 are primarily rural and my knowledge of them is limited. However, I would not rule them out without some investigation.
Question #3 Greer is developing into a city of it's own and less dependent of either Greenville or Spartanburg. There's plenty of quality shopping, dining, and recreation there too.
Question #6 Spartanburg has two Publix stores and another on the way (from what I hear). Whole Foods and Earth Fare have stores in Greenville.
The east side is getting a huge new lifestyle center. While no tenants have been announced yet most observers believe that many of the national retailers that haven't landed in Spartanburg yet will wind up there. The Hillcrest Shopping Center, also on the east side, has just completed a major renovation and the developer is hoping to attract major retailers to the center that already includes Publix, Marshalls, Ross, Office Depot, etc.
There's also talk of a big mixed-use development at I-85 and highway 14 in the Greer area.
Question #7 The Spartanburg real estate market, while not robust, seems to be holding it's own. The westside and Boiling Springs have and appear to remain the hot spots for new construction and resells.
Question #8 I hear the Greenville Zoo, while small, is pretty nice. Hollywild is unique in that most of the animals run free. A can't miss is their Christmas exhibit.
Naturally, I'd love for you to give Spartanburg a close look. While not as developed as Greenville, Spartanburg has a lot happening right now. For instance, the new Chapman Cultural Center downtown will hold it's grand opening this month. This is an exciting new addition to Spartanburg's rapidly changing and improving downtown.
Your choice is obviously predicated on the need to provide for your children. As I mentioned, I'm not an authority on the schools. However, I would encourage you to arrange a visit to some of the schools before making a decision.
I am considering various positions in the Southeast and have an excellent job opportunity in Spartanburg. I lived in Seneca for 3 years and know some about Greenville, but not much about Spartanburg.
Questions:
1. Public schools are important to us (we have 3 kids). Is there a local or state website grading each school/district? (Tennessee and Florida both have websites grading each school.)
2. OK, broad question: what is the best school district in Spartanburg county?
3. We really enjoy Greenville and its amenities. What are good locations in between Greenville and Spartanburg? What about Greer?
4. Does anybody have any opinion on the private schools in the area? Our oldest daughter is in a great episcopal pre-k program here. Anything similar there?
5. Does anybody belong to the local Mom's Club in the area (International MOMS Club)? If so, any opinions? (My wife belongs to one here in Chattanooga and loves it.)
6. How is the shopping (grocery, retail) in Spartanburg? Any new shopping developments in the works? We LOVE Publix - is there a Publix in Spartanburg? Any organic grocery stores in the Spartanburg area (Whole Foods, Earth Fare, etc.)?
7. How is the overall real estate market in the area?
8. We are into children's activities. Any great parks in the area? How are the zoos (Hollywild Zoo, Greenville Zoo)?
Thank you very much for the replies .
roadsscholar is right on, but here's my take in response to your questions:
Yes. The SC Dept of Education has school report cards (http://ed.sc.gov/schools/listdistricts.cfm - broken link) for every school in the state. Just click on the school district you're interested in.
These are generally considered the best school districts in Spartanburg. District 7 is unique, so if you're interested in living on the eastside I can be more specific, but basically if you live on the east side, you will more than likely be in the good school zones.
District 2 - Boiling Springs, Chesnee & Northeastern Spartanburg County District 5 - Duncan & Western Spartanburg County (excluding Greer) District 6 - Westside/Roebuck/Canaan District 7Central Spartanburg County/Eastside
Greer is a nice suburban location, but if you're in Greer you'll most likely be going to Greenville County schools.
I think you will be interested in the Duncan/Lyman area for the following reasons: District 5 schools are great, convenient access to Publix, acccess to Spartanburg shopping (its closer than Greenville) but Greenville is not too far away if you need to go there for anything.
This is not a comprehensive list of private schools. These are mostly K-12 or something similar. There are many other Pre-K programs available in Spartanburg. I also suggest looking at this website for a list of other private schools and reviews of all of them. Their stats for Spartanburg County are way out of date, so don't rely on those. Spartanburg has changed a lot
Grocery stores in Spartanburg are good. There are a few Publixes around. One in Hillcrest on the east side of town, and the other in Duncan at Reidville Rd & Hwy 290. There are lots of other stores. We have a Fresh Market in Hillcrest. The nearest whole foods is in Greenville on Woodruff Rd. There isn't an Earthfare in Spartanburg. Maybe in Greenville though. I suspect that those types of stores will be coming to town eventually. Greenville tends to get those types of things before we do.
The Westside is the main shopping area. It has all the stores I ever cared to go to. Some people do want more though. Lots of chain stores are opening up all over there. The Eastside/Hillcrest area is seeing new investment too. Its new retail outlets could rival the Westside soon. But as a general statement, Spartanburg's retail opportunities are growing all the time.
See roadscholar's post. Basicly, Boiling Springs and the Westside/Roebuck and Duncan are the hot areas.
Parks in Spartanburg are unique. Some of our best spots aren't even "official" parks. Great parks include:
Cleveland Park (kids LOVE the train- a one of a kinda feature in this part of the world.) The playground is great too. plenty of room for pic-nics and running around. The City has put a lot of resources into making this a quality park.
While not a "park" the Milliken Campus on 585 is a popular destination. Go feed the ducks at the ponds, and enjoy the wide open, well landscaped campus. Its the largest de facto park in the area.
Another is Happy Hollow Park in Converse Heights. Is a small park to be sure, but its pretty popular with the kids.
Another is Croft State Park. Its a great place to go and explore.
Check out the Glendale Shoals Nature Preserve in Glendale. Lots of history, an awesome old iron bridge too. Families like to go have a day at the shoals. Kids can play in the river. Fun times
Spartanburg County is trying to get a hospitality tax passed to pay for 4 really cool new parks, and the City is in the process of fixing up the other city parks over the next few years. So there is still a lot to look forward to in Spartanburg!
I hope you do consider locating in Spartanburg. The city has a lot to offer.
...Grocery stores in Spartanburg are good. There are a few Publixes around. One in Hillcrest on the east side of town, and the other in Duncan at Reidville Rd & Hwy 290. There are lots of other stores. We have a Fresh Market in Hillcrest. The nearest whole foods is in Greenville on Woodruff Rd. There isn't an Earthfare in Spartanburg. Maybe in Greenville though. I suspect that those types of stores will be coming to town eventually. Greenville tends to get those types of things before we do.
I am less enthusiastic about Spartanburg's traditionally small array of grocery stores. While I do agree that better organic food stores are sure to come someday, Greenville has had several (including Whole Foods (http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/greenville/index.html - broken link), Earth Fare, Garner's, TheFresh Market, and others) for many years already and they are continually adding more while Spartanburg has yet to bring even one really good store into town beyond the city's one Publix and the lonely Fresh Market, both of which are located at Hillcrest. I hear a Bloom is finally coming into town, so hopefully it will be conveniently located to serve the Westside. Currently if you prefer to live near the Upstate's best grocery stores but have to work in Spartanburg, Greer or Pelham-Batesville are the places to be and not have more than half an hour commute between home and work.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carolina_1690
The Westside is the main shopping area. It has all the stores I ever cared to go to. Some people do want more though. Lots of chain stores are opening up all over there. The Eastside/Hillcrest area is seeing new investment too. Its new retail outlets could rival the Westside soon. But as a general statement, Spartanburg's retail opportunities are growing all the time.
I agree with you about this. I remember when there was hardly anything to speak of other than Westgate Mall. While there aren't nearly as many shopping options as one has readily available in Greenville, Spartanburg is making its own positive strides as well. I imagine the additions of both the Adidas plant and the EchoStar (broken link) center will certainly prove to be catalysts for further retail activity on the Westside.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carolina_1690
Cleveland Park (kids LOVE the train- a one of a kinda feature in this part of the world.)...
Having never been on the Cleveland Park train (broken link) myself, how would you compare it to the historic "George the Train (http://www.gcrd.org/georgethetrain.html - broken link)" in Greenville? Both sound very similar in scope.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Carolina_1690
...Spartanburg County is trying to get a hospitality tax passed to pay for 4 really cool new parks, and the City is in the process of fixing up the other city parks over the next few years. So there is still a lot to look forward to in Spartanburg!
Greenville's hospitality tax has been a huge help in funding great public projects, and I am very excited to see people in Spartanburg putting forth the effort to do the same for the good of their neighborhoods.
Wow, thank you Carolina_1690 and Skyliner for the excellent responses.
By the way, I had to dig very deep into the SC education website to retrieve school reports cards (located here: 2006 State of South Carolina Education Accountability Act Report Cards (http://ed.sc.gov/topics/researchandstats/schoolreportcard/2006/default.cfm - broken link)). Many states have this information prominently displayed on their home pages.
Anybody else with opinions on schools, children's activities, or Spartanburg?
Are there any other new shopping developments in the Spartanburg/Greer area (besides the new lifestyle center mentioned above)? Wonderful news that Bloom is coming to Spartanburg - that's a great store (have been to the one in Seneca).
I am less enthusiastic about Spartanburg's traditionally small array of grocery stores. While I do agree that better organic food stores are sure to come someday, Greenville has had several (including Whole Foods (http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/greenville/index.html - broken link), Earth Fare, Garner's, TheFresh Market, and others) for many years already and they are continually adding more while Spartanburg has yet to bring even one really good store into town beyond the city's one Publix and the lonely Fresh Market, both of which are located at Hillcrest. I hear a Bloom is finally coming into town, so hopefully it will be conveniently located to serve the Westside. Currently if you prefer to live near the Upstate's best grocery stores but have to work in Spartanburg, Greer or Pelham-Batesville are the places to be and not have more than half an hour commute between home and work.I agree with you about this. I remember when there was hardly anything to speak of other than Westgate Mall. While there aren't nearly as many shopping options as one has readily available in Greenville, Spartanburg is making its own positive strides as well. I imagine the additions of both the Adidas plant and the EchoStar (broken link) center will certainly prove to be catalysts for further retail activity on the Westside.Having never been on the Cleveland Park train (broken link) myself, how would you compare it to the historic "George the Train (http://www.gcrd.org/georgethetrain.html - broken link)" in Greenville? Both sound very similar in scope.Greenville's hospitality tax has been a huge help in funding great public projects, and I am very excited to see people in Spartanburg putting forth the effort to do the same for the good of their neighborhoods.
You are obviously entitled to your opinion, but you're comparing apples to oranges. Greenville is a larger city, so its going to have stores that we don't have. I don't really see any point in comparing what Greenville has to what Spartanburg has. The question was about Spartanburg anyway, not Greenville. We've had Garner's and The Fresh Market in Spartanburg for a very long time. Garner's has expended twice, and it might expand again. I've always thought the shopping in the area was perfectly fine. There's enough specialty stores to get what you need. The Farmer's Market is also worth checking out.
Perhaps I got my facts wrong about the train in Cleveland Park. There is something about this train that makes it unique. I'll have to double check my facts on this one!
Hello, I provided good information relating to a couple of the questions listed above. No need to be offended by any comparisons when the original post asked for them. As someone who works quite a bit in Spartanburg, I honestly prefer living in Greenville and commuting. It is well worth the sacrifice for me and I encourage others to do the same if they are looking for a similar lifestyle. Now that doesn't mean that everyone sees it the same way (Spartanburg does have its own appeal afterall), but it is definitely much easier to enjoy Greenville's amenities when you are actually living there.
Hi. I don't take issue with what you provided, but how you provide it. Facts are facts and I can't argue with that. However, you always come off as condescending towards Spartanburg in your posts. The issue comes down to the fact that you're comparing a larger city to a smaller one. Greenville is a nice city, and like you said each city has its own appeal. I prefer Spartanburg, and going to Greenville for various festivals or to Main St. I hope that other readers out there recognize that you shouldn't move to Greenville or Spartanburg and expect one to be like the other because you'll surely be disappointed.
Exactly, which is why I prefer living in Greenville and commuting. Nothing wrong with sharing my opinions regarding that preference when prompted by others who are asking. I don't have a problem with anyone choosing to move to Spartanburg, but when they are asking what others feel about the two cities, it is only natural to say what you think. I don't consider every aspect of both cities to be comparing apples to oranges though. Some things are obviously going to be different by default, but other things are different because of long-term leadership differences. Greenville living includes much more than festivals and Main Street. Those are simply wonderful extras that add unique charm to the city.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
.
As someone who works quite a bit in Spartanburg, I honestly prefer living in Greenville and commuting. It is well worth the sacrifice for me and I encourage others to do the same if they are looking for a similar lifestyle. Now that doesn't mean that everyone sees it the same way (Spartanburg does have its own appeal afterall), but it is definitely much easier to enjoy Greenville's amenities when you are actually living there.
