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Yes and this is why they are viewed primarily as regional assets by folks in the Greenville area and not Greenville-specific assets. The Upstate has mostly functioned historically as a singular economic, political, and cultural region without a dominant principal city acting as a historical anchor. So the connotation of "outside downtown" in any of the Upstate's municipalities is largely regional and not restricted to what's contained within municipal boundaries, which are pretty constrained anyway (Greenville is just under 30 sq mi), beyond the urban core. That's why the statement "outside downtown Greenville, it's nothing special" just sounds weird, at least to a native South Carolinian.
This is often the response from people who live in the Greenville area. Regardless of whether it’s technically Greenville or the surrounding metro area, my opinion is still the same. I love the Greenville downtown area, but other than this the area, it could be anywhere. It’s just nothing special.
This is often the response from people who live in the Greenville area. Regardless of whether it’s technically Greenville or the surrounding metro area, my opinion is still the same. I love the Greenville downtown area, but other than this the area, it could be anywhere. It’s just nothing special.
Just because the region overall isn't "anything special" from your perspective doesn't mean "it could be anywhere." The Upstate would absolutely stick out like the sorest thumb in the Lowcountry, the Mississippi Delta, the Great Plains, South Texas, the Desert Southwest, Southern Louisiana, peninsular Florida, the Intermountain West, the Trans-Pecos, California's Central Valley, the urban Northeast, the Gulf Coast, etc.--and that's only with geography as the primary consideration. When you also include other defining factors like history, demography, and culture, that narrows things even more. By and large, practically anywhere west of the Mississippi isn't even a realistic consideration IMO.
If the most mountainous part of the Upstate nearest the NC state line is included in your assessment, then there's not much of a logical basis for not saying much of the same about the greater Asheville area.
Just because the region overall isn't "anything special" from your perspective doesn't mean "it could be anywhere." The Upstate would absolutely stick out like the sorest thumb in the Lowcountry, the Mississippi Delta, the Great Plains, South Texas, the Desert Southwest, Southern Louisiana, peninsular Florida, the Intermountain West, the Trans-Pecos, California's Central Valley, the urban Northeast, the Gulf Coast, etc.--and that's only with geography as the primary consideration. When you also include other defining factors like history, demography, and culture, that narrows things even more. By and large, practically anywhere west of the Mississippi isn't even a realistic consideration IMO.
If the most mountainous part of the Upstate nearest the NC state line is included in your assessment, then there's not much of a logical basis for not saying much of the same about the greater Asheville area.
There is no logical basis for anyone to consider the mountainous region that is roughly 45 min.. to an hour away from Greenville as part of the immediate Greenville area. Of the places you mentioned, I have been to some/lived in some of them. I would rank a number of these ahead of Greenville in many areas.
Yes and this is why they are viewed primarily as regional assets by folks in the Greenville area and not Greenville-specific assets. The Upstate has mostly functioned historically as a singular economic, political, and cultural region without a dominant principal city acting as a historical anchor. So the connotation of "outside downtown" in any of the Upstate's municipalities is largely regional and not restricted to what's contained within municipal boundaries, which are pretty constrained anyway (Greenville is just under 30 sq mi), beyond the urban core. That's why the statement "outside downtown Greenville, it's nothing special" just sounds weird, at least to a native South Carolinian.
Hmmm....I like to say "follow the money" when you consider the ranking of a place. Where is the money going? I'm not going to pretend to know all of the specifics of Greenville SC or the Upstate but what I do know is that the money flowed to Clemson historically. I also know BMW opened in Greer 30 or so years ago. That seems to bookend Greenville geographically with some big money. What is seems to me is the Greenville "invested" in its downtown and was specifically positioned for it to take off...and it has. And where is all the money going? Downtown.
So for someone, an outsider, to say that the Upstate isn't much outside of downtown Greenville....that is certainly understandable. Has their been some big investment somewhere else? Attending a Clemson football game doesn't appeal to many folks...especially those that are vacationing.
That being said, I do agree with the assessment of Asheville (the city). As a tourist, I like the history of The Biltmore as well as the beer scene in Asheville, but what I really like is the options of things to do like whitewater rafting, waterfalls, etc...that the Asheville area offers. Scenery is great as well.
Asheville is cute and sceneic. But isn’t a 1,000,000 metro area like Greenville. Yes Greenville is anywhere USA out of downtown just like Charlotte and Atlanta, but it the MSA area definitely has a lot more to offer. Asheville does win on beauty but economically most Americans are looking for a Greenville to settle and make a living in at the end of the day.
Asheville is cute and sceneic. But isn’t a 1,000,000 metro area like Greenville. Yes Greenville is anywhere USA out of downtown just like Charlotte and Atlanta, but it the MSA area definitely has a lot more to offer. Asheville does win on beauty but economically most Americans are looking for a Greenville to settle and make a living in at the end of the day.
Depends on the segment you’re referring to. Western NC is more popular with well-heeled retirees and people with second homes. For younger families, I would think Greenville might be more appealing as the cost of living is a good bit lower. For these folks, they are relatively close to the amenities of WNC, while living in a more affordable locale.
Depends on the segment you’re referring to. Western NC is more popular with well-heeled retirees and people with second homes. For younger families, I would think Greenville might be more appealing as the cost of living is a good bit lower. For these folks, they are relatively close to the amenities of WNC, while living in a more affordable locale.
Agreed. Also, consider that the Greenville area might now be considered the best area to live in SC. The costs in Charleston are higher and you cant spread out. Columbia has never been considered one of the best places to live and took a back seat culturally to Charleston. The Upstate area, which its Interstate connection to both Charlotte and Atlanta has thrived economically in the past 30 years.
There is no logical basis for anyone to consider the mountainous region that is roughly 45 min.. to an hour away from Greenville as part of the immediate Greenville area.
Which is why I never said anything about them being located within "the immediate Greenville area." I thought I was pretty clear in describing them as regional assets in an area that has functioned and identified regionally to a large degree for nearly all of its modern history. You may not find much use for or value in amenities not within the immediate area of your city, but that doesn't at all mean that others feel the same way.
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Of the places you mentioned, I have been to some/lived in some of them. I would rank a number of these ahead of Greenville in many areas.
I'm sure you would despite the obvious inherent problems in ranking regions as large as the Great Lakes and Intermountain West with a municipality of 70Kish and covering 30 square miles of land. But the fact that you took my listing of regions as a battle cry and not for the explicit point I was making says it all.
Columbia has never been considered one of the best places to live and took a back seat culturally to Charleston.
That's a bit of an exaggeration really based on Charleston's longstanding success at marketing herself and Columbia's history of never even really trying to do likewise (and Greenville has pulled all the pages from Charleston's playbook). In recent years Charleston has certainly pulled ahead in key socioeconomic/QOL measures but statistically, Columbia has historically run with Charleston neck-and-neck with their paths diverging in the aftermath of the Great Recession.
Culturally Charleston has what it has and is well-known for it but that hardly means that the simarily-sized state capital which is also home to the state's flagship university is a cultural wasteland in comparison. It's simply always been a modest, working city that criminally undersells itself in a state where it was created to be a political buffer/neutral ground between its two historical centers of power, grounded in the antebellum economy.
That's a bit of an exaggeration really based on Charleston's longstanding success at marketing herself and Columbia's history of never even really trying to do likewise (and Greenville has pulled all the pages from Charleston's playbook). In recent years Charleston has certainly pulled ahead in key socioeconomic/QOL measures but statistically, Columbia has historically run with Charleston neck-and-neck with their paths diverging in the aftermath of the Great Recession.
Culturally Charleston has what it has and is well-known for it but that hardly means that the simarily-sized state capital which is also home to the state's flagship university is a cultural wasteland in comparison. It's simply always been a modest, working city that criminally undersells itself in a state where it was created to be a political buffer/neutral ground between its two historical centers of power, grounded in the antebellum economy.
Well...I am fairly familiar with Columbia in that my parents lived there for 15 years, my niece went to College there and my grandfather died and is buried there. Columbia's major employers are the State, the University and the Military.
Charleston has a larger upper class, has lots of wealthy retirees, also has the military and ports as well as numerous higher education. It also has better weather and as you alluded to sells itself to tourists. My question for capital cities is outside of some of the museums they offer, why would a tourist go to Columbia over Charleston?
In comparison, I would say its a cultural wasteland. Population wise, we understand that they may be similar in size, but there is nothing really culturally relevant in Columbia. Columbia is largely known nationally for flying a confederate flag prominently.
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