There's no place in America quite like Downtown Greenville, and it's easy to see why this sun splattered splash of poly-chromatic heaven was voted one of livabilty.com's Best Places to Live. Every weekend if you walk down the main street you're sure to find something going on, and every now and again it likes to flex its municipal muscles and shut off the roads to traffic, allowing vendors to set up a bustling festival in the canopied streets. Huge events are hosted in the colossal Bons Secours Wellness Arena and every evening as the sun sets over the buildings, the trees are lit up by thousands of lights, the glittering canopy allowing the fun to continue long into the night.
Greenville is one of the few places to blend rustic southern charm with modern and sleek architecture. Opened in 1883, Masts General Store exemplifies the idyllic lifestyle of upstate Greenville. As soon as you walk in you're greeted with modern outdoorsy clothing alongside hand carved wooden hiking sticks. Towards the back there are barrels, literal barrels, full of old fashioned sweets that your grandma used to give you. Turn left from there and there's a plethora of handmade items for around the house, candles, cooking utensils, decorations, even products like honey and other food made right here in the upstate.
Walk out and you're greeted with the One Plaza, a small space with fountains and chairs, flanked on one side by a bistro, and the other a towering building with a high end boutique at its base. The main street is a bustling hub, sometimes closed for festivals, but more often than not with cars of people here to sample the delights of Downtown. Grillmarks has fresh, gourmet burgers and shakes, Nose Dive sits just down the road, where the walls are great glass windows which are left open if it’s a nice day out, which it often is. There is a slew of both Japanese sushi and South American foods, as well as TakoSushi, which decided to do both. if you’re in the mood for something lighter, Mainstreet has a fine selection of coffee shops, bistros, and lounges. Looking for something to snack on while you walk around? Visit Poppingtons for the fanciest popcorn or Jerk and Vine for their premium selection of beef jerky and wine. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could even try some spiced with Caroline Reaper!
Continue on down the road and you’ll find yourself passing over a bridge and heading toward an impressive glass building, look to your right and you’ll be able to see a large amphitheater alongside the water, and to your left the river winds its way down into the park. The park is beautiful, as you pass the fountains, dyed for whichever the color is for the cancer awareness month, and the beautiful sculpture, you’ll have a breathtaking view of the waterfalls, millennium bridge, large expanses of grass and an outside stage for late night summer performances of Shakespeare and others. Beside the river lies a street full of artists, with their beautiful and varied technicolor works and mediums on display in the windows.
Greenville is one of those amazing cities that houses not only big city dining and buildings but also small town charm and walking distances. The southern atmosphere is blended perfectly with hipster and artsy dynamics, like a well-made coffee with a fresh biscuit. If I could advise you to go anywhere this year, I’d tell you to go to Greenville. Any time of year they have amazing and wondrous things, more than I could write in just one article. I’ve barely shown you the tip of the iceberg, and I will write more, albeit smaller, articles in the weeks to come about some of my favorite things about my favorite town.
