Im moving from Sacramento to Greenville in June. Any California transplants, tell me about their experience in S.C.? (Columbia: universities, living in)
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a restaurant with a lot of tourists in its customer base doesn't mean it is a great restaurant.
Greenville has more people than Asheville so it is also has more rich people, and there is a much bigger middle class here to support restaurants than in Asheville, so the tourism there isn't a major advantage for restaurants compared to here.
I don't believe Asheville has more upscale dining options.
Greenville has more people than Asheville so it is also has more rich people, and there is a much bigger middle class here to support restaurants than in Asheville, so the tourism there isn't a major advantage for restaurants compared to here.
This.
There are far more things factoring into a town than retirees. Yes, the retirees and some tourists may be able to afford fine dining, but that's it as far as Asheville is concerned. Asheville is an extremely difficult place to make a living in (I lived there), and for the vast majority of people there dinner at the Grove Park - or wherever, is simply not an option.
Greenville has a vibrant economy, with a young, thriving middle-class - plus a much lower cost of living that allows fine dining.
So a smaller metro than Greenville in Asheville has good restaurants but not Greenville? Seems doubtful.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Simpsonvilllian
Greenville has more people than Asheville so it also has more rich people, and there is a much bigger middle class here to support restaurants than in Asheville, so the tourism there isn't a major advantage for restaurants compared to here.
I don't believe Asheville has more upscale dining options.
Holy cow. Asheville is known as a farm-to-table, organic, foodie destination. The variety is amazing for a town it's size. The chefs at the independent restaurants have spent a couple of decades developing relationships with local farmers, so the food is overall more locally-sourced than Greenville. And serious chefs are drawn to this. Asheville has more than three million visitors a year to support all the restaurants. In 2014, Livability named Asheville #4 of the Top 10 foodie cities. It's made other lists also.
Personally I don't think that a restaurant has to be farm to table to be a good restaurant, and those types of restaurants are probably pretty pricey. Obviously service, atmosphere, price, etc are factors in how much people like a restaurant.
Here is a list of accolades Greenville has received, some are food related. http://www.visitgreenvillesc.com/new...ades/?start=26 Southern Living, Esquire and other publications have praised Greenville's food scene.
what happens to tourism in Asheville in the winter time? I would think it drops off big time. Greenville has a better job scene which means more business travelers in town, not to mention more people living in the metro.
comparing the two on google maps, it appears Greenville has more restaurants both local and chain. And chains like California Dreaming and Cheesecake Factory that it does not. for me part of being a food city is more options.
-Asheville just has more upscale dining options.
-Tourists, Tourists, Tourists. Asheville is huge tourism town.
-More well heeled retirees with plenty of disposable income in the Asheville area. Greenville has only recently become a popular alternative to Asheville for retirees.
-Asheville's wealth is in a more condensed area. The Asheville MSA is 2000 square miles and the Greenville-Spartanburg MSA is 6000 square miles.
-In addition to the smaller area the Asheville MSA's population gets even more condensed by how hard/expensive building on the mountains is.
-Also, East Coast old money has been retreating to the mountains of NC, during the summer, for over a 100 years now.
-But mostly- Tourists, Tourists, Tourists. There are six 4 or 5 star hotels in Asheville and two in GSP.
Asheville also gas a huge dirty, hippy, druggie homeless issue in it's downtown. Downtown Greenville blows away downtown Asheville, and it's not even close.
i like both Asheville and Greenville but the food at restaurants in Asheville is much better. One problem that I have in Greenville is the food is inconsistent. One time you go out to eat and it's good and then another time, it's not good. I guess it all matters what cook is on. In Asheville, we've never had a bad meal. My favorite pizza is there
I saw your question and wanted to answer: we moved out of a lifetime in No. CA in '10 and settled in Richmond, VA. People kept saying, "Boy, it sure must be different from what you're used to."
Occasionally, here and there: yes. Mainly: no.
One time I asked a woman a question at a farmers' market. Instead of answering "yes" she answered, "I reckon." One time I saw a woman driving her van and smoking a pipe which startled me.
Now we're in Atlanta, and nothing has seemed unusual. Our culture moves so much that life isn't like it was fifty years ago when different states would have been really different.
All that said, a small southern town might be different than CA, but not -- I don't think -- in a marked way.
I'm open to being wrong, but my experience over 6.5 years has been . . . uneventful. Plus the fun of being in an entirely different region (from CA) is an absolute blast. It's like going on vacation but you get to stay in your new region and really, really explore. (And the beaches here are awesome!)
I will never relocate back to CA. And I was there 46 years. My parents and grandparents were proud to be Californians. So when I moved to VA and then GA I was surprised to find that there is a really beautiful world outside of CA (CA's PR people are excellent at keeping their fairytale. . .)
My wife and I live in the Charlotte area, and we often do trips (sometimes overnight and sometimes day trips) to cities in the region. We have visited Asheville, Greenville, Columbia, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Raleigh, Charleston, Savannah and others. It is refreshing to get away even if it is for the day. But we get to see how other cities in the area are prospering. We try to keep our interests in the downtown area except for attractions like the zoo in Columbia or Biltmore House in Asheville. All the cities mentioned above have downtowns that are expanding with good food and things to see. Asheville is said to be more liberal. I do not know that for sure, but I do know that it has a flourishing craft beer market and the city itself has a feel of edginess. But that is okay because all of us are not alike. My wife and I have enjoyed Greenville and Asheville and have eaten well in both cities.
i don't know how many people in 30's and above really care about things like live local music and Gville and CLemson get major music artists and Atlanta and Charlotte and Columbia and Charleston are not far for other big concerts.
Actually, the live music scene is the thing I miss most after moving back here from the Raleigh Durham area. I generally don't care for the "major" acts that play Clemson or Bon Secours. The Handlebar shutting down was a huge blow to the area in my opinion.
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