Greenville, South Carolina

Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville, South Carolina
—  City  —

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Location in South Carolina
Coordinates: 34°50′40″N 82°23′8″W / 34.84444°N 82.38556°W / 34.84444; -82.38556Coordinates: 34°50′40″N 82°23′8″W / 34.84444°N 82.38556°W / 34.84444; -82.38556
Country United States
State South Carolina
County Greenville County
Founded 1831
Government
 – Mayor Knox White
Area
 – City 26.1 sq mi (67.7 km2)
 – Water 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2)  0.23%
Population (2010)
 – City 58,409
 – Density 2,148.1/sq mi (829.4/km2)
 – Urban 302,194
 – Metro 636,986
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 – Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes 29601-29617, 29698.
Area code(s) 864
Website www.greenvillesc.gov

Greenville is the seat of Greenville County, in upstate South Carolina, United States.[1] Greenville is the second largest city (by urban population) in the state of South Carolina. One of the principal cities of the Greenville-Mauldin-Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), it had a municipal population of 58,409 and an urban population of 302,194 as of the 2010 census.[2] The metropolitan area had a population of 636,986 in 2010 census.[3].

Greenville is the largest city of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson Combined Statistical Area (CSA) which in 2006 had an estimated population of 1,203,795, making it the largest MSA in the state of South Carolina. The CSA, an 8-county region of northwestern South Carolina, is known as "The Upstate". Greenville is located approximately halfway between Atlanta, Georgia and Charlotte, North Carolina along Interstate 85, and its metropolitan area also includes Interstates 185 and 385.

Contents

Geography

Greenville is located at 34°50′40″N 82°23′8″W / 34.84444°N 82.38556°W / 34.84444; -82.38556 (34.844313, -82.385428),[4] roughly equidistant between Atlanta (120 miles southwest), and Charlotte, North Carolina.

Greenville Skyline in the day.

Greenville is in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and includes many small hills. Sassafras Mountain, the highest point in South Carolina, is in northern Pickens County, which adjoins Greenville County to the west. Many area television and radio station towers are on Paris Mountain, the second most prominent peak in the area, less than 7 miles (11 km) from downtown Greenville. According to the United States Census Bureau, Greenville has a total area of 26.1 square miles (68 km2). 26.1 square miles (68 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it is water.

Geology and seismology

Gold and other minerals have been mined in Greenville since the early 19th century. Rubies, amethysts, garnets, tourmalines, unakite and emeralds occur within 60 miles (97 km) of the city, likely washed down from nearby mountains.[citation needed] Granite abounds in the area and is quarried in Greenville as well as in neighboring counties.[citation needed]

Greenville sits on the associated faults of the Brevard Fault, a mostly quiet system which has, nonetheless, experienced some earthquakes of up to 6.0 on the Richter scale during the past 50 years; however, local earthquakes usually measuring not more than 3.0 are more the norm. Most of the city sits on various fault lines which seem to come together around Paris Mountain, a monadnock which sits above the city. This activity could be connected with the construction of Lake Hartwell.[citation needed] Since 1990, Greenville has experienced fewer than 15 noticeable quakes, mostly centered in the Sandy Flats area.[citation needed]

Climate

Greenville has a humid subtropical climate (Koppen Cfa), with generally mild, short winters, hot, humid summers, warm springs, and crisp autumns. Monthly averages range from 40.8 °F (4.9 °C) in January to 78.8 °F (26.0 °C) in July, with lows around freezing in the former month. Highs reach 90 °F (32.2 °C) on 38 days per year,[5] and sometimes breach 100 °F (37.8 °C). Winter snowfall is typically light, with a median of only 1.0 inch (2.5 cm),[5] though much heavier amounts have fallen. Precipitation is usually well-distributed throughout the year.

Climate data for Greenville, South Carolina
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 50.2
(10.1)
54.8
(12.7)
62.7
(17.1)
71.0
(21.7)
78.2
(25.7)
85.1
(29.5)
88.8
(31.6)
87.1
(30.6)
81.1
(27.3)
71.4
(21.9)
61.3
(16.3)
52.7
(11.5)
70.4
Average low °F (°C) 31.4
(−0.3)
33.9
(1.1)
40.5
(4.7)
47.0
(8.3)
56.2
(13.4)
64.3
(17.9)
68.7
(20.4)
67.9
(19.9)
61.7
(16.5)
49.7
(9.8)
41.0
(5.0)
34.3
(1.3)
49.7
Precipitation inches (mm) 4.41
(112)
4.24
(107.7)
5.31
(134.9)
3.54
(89.9)
4.59
(116.6)
3.92
(99.6)
4.65
(118.1)
4.08
(103.6)
3.97
(100.8)
3.88
(98.6)
3.79
(96.3)
3.86
(98)
50.24
(1,276.1)
Snowfall inches (cm) 2.4
(6.1)
1.5
(3.8)
1.2
(3)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0.7
(1.8)
5.8
(14.7)
Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 11.3 9.3 11.0 8.7 10.6 10.2 11.8 10.2 9.1 7.1 9.4 10.3 119
Avg. snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 1.1 0.9 0.4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.3 2.7
Sunshine hours 176.7 183.6 235.6 264.0 269.7 270.0 266.6 254.2 228.0 235.6 183.0 170.5 2,737.5
Source: NOAA,[5] HKO (sun only) [6]

Law and government

The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.[2]

History

The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families already had settled just within the boundary, and White traders regularly crossed the area. The first White man to settle permanently in the area was Richard Pearis; he married a Cherokee and was given several tracts of land by the tribe.[7] The City of Greenville and Paris Mountain (named after Pearis), are on part of that land.[7] During the American Revolution, the Cherokee (and Pearis) sided with the British. After a campaign in 1776, the Cherokee agreed to the Treaty of DeWitt's Corner, ceding territory that includes present-day Greenville County to South Carolina.

Greenville was originally called Pleasantburg before an 1831 name change.[8] Greenville County was created in 1786 from Spartanburg District (now Spartanburg County), but was called Greenville District from 1800 until 1868. Greenville may have been named for American Revolutionary General Nathanael Greene, or perhaps for an early resident, Isaac Green.[7] Greenville is the mother district to Pendleton District (now Anderson County), Pickens District (now Pickens County) and Oconee District (now Oconee County).

In February, 1869, Greenville's Town Charter was amended by the S. C. General Assembly establishing Greenville, the town, as a City.

In 1917, when Greenville was known as the "Textile Center of the World," Old Textile Hall was designed by the J. E. Sirrine Company as the first exposition facility in the Southeast for textile products and machinery. Textile Hall also served as a civic auditorium. The building was listed on National Register in 1980 before being demolished in 1992.[9]

During World War I; Greenville served as a training camp center for Army recruits. This eventually fostered the development of Donaldson Air Force Base, built during World War II, which was very important to the economy of the City of Greenville. Donaldson served as a military base until the early 1960s, when it was returned to the City of Greenville. The former air base has been developed into a business park. It contains historic military-style barracks which are used now by various businesses.

Until the late 1960s, blacks in the area were subject to segregationist restrictions; for example, they were limited to the back of city buses, were not permitted to stay in hotels or motels for whites, had to sit in the balcony of movie theaters, and were not permitted to use the public library, which partially motivated the activism of Jesse Jackson. Jackson, working through the NAACP, organized a sit-in at Greenville's F.W. Woolworth "five and dime" store, and quickly emerged as a civil rights leader. On August 9, 1960, a sit-in at the S. H. Kress store that eventually led to the U.S. Supreme Court decision Peterson v. Greenville (1963), which ruled that private citizens must ignore local segregation ordinances because they violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.[10]

Beginning in the 1970s, then-Mayor Max Heller (1919–2011) spearheaded a massive downtown revitalization project. The first and most important step in changing downtown's image was the streetscape plan, narrowing the street's four lanes to two and installing angled parking, trees, and decorative light fixtures, as well as creating parks and plazas throughout downtown. Today, Main Street's lofty canopy of trees impresses visitors and creates a welcoming backdrop for Main Street activities. A statue of Mayor Heller was dedicated May 28, 2009 in downtown, and dedicated in his honor for contributions to the city, and the revitalization of the area.

The new image provides a backdrop for private investment and growth throughout the city. The City also completed an ambitious $70 million renovation of Falls Park on the Reedy, creating a unique pedestrian suspension bridge over Reedy River Falls.

Attractions

As the largest city in the Upstate, Greenville offers many activities and attractions. Greenville's theatres and event venues regularly host major concerts and touring theater companies. Four independent theaters present several plays a year.

Greenville has the only golf course in the world that has each hole conceived by a different designer.[11] CrossWinds Golf Club is a public Par 3 course that can be played in one hour for 9 holes or in 2 hours for 18 holes.

Notable event venues

Shopping and restaurants

Greenville is the main shopping and dining destination of The Upstate region.[citation needed] Downtown Greenville is home to many restaurants featuring local southern fare. There are many boutiques and specialty shops that line the downtown area, like Michelin On Main. Haywood Mall is the largest and busiest mall in the area featuring stores such as: Sears, J. C. Penney, Macy's, Belk, Dillard's, Victoria's Secret, Charlotte Russe (clothing retailer), the Apple Store, as well as many other retail giants. Retail in Greenville has shifted away from McAlister Square and centered around the Greenville Mall to Haywood Mall and more so to the Woodruff Road area between Interstate 85 and Interstate 385.

Landmarks

Falls Park on the Reedy.
The Waterfalls in downtown Greenville.

Falls Park is known as the birthplace of Greenville, but in the mid-20th century it was in severe decline, with the water polluted and grounds littered. In 1960, the Camperdown Bridge was built across the Falls, obstructing public view. In the mid-1980s, the City adopted a master plan for the park, leading to the removal of the Camperdown Bridge and making way for extensive renovations, to include 20 acres (81,000 m2) of gardens and the Liberty Bridge. While bridges with similar structural concepts have been built in Europe, the Liberty Bridge is unique in its geometry.

  • Greenville County Museum of Art specializing in American art, frequently with a Southern perspective that dates back to the 18th century. It is noted for its collections of work by Andrew Wyeth and Jasper Johns, as well as a contemporary collection that features such notables as Andy Warhol, Georgia O'Keeffe, and others.
  • Bob Jones University Museum and Gallery, the second largest collection of religious Christian art in the world, is located on the campus of Bob Jones University. The University also sponsors the Museum and Gallery at Heritage Green, a smaller, centrally located satellite of the larger museum.
  • Roper Mountain Science Center is home to a historic 23" refactor telescope, eighth largest of its kind in the United States.

Festivals

  • Euphoria Greenville is an annual three day event held in the Wyche Pavilion at Larkin's on the River, Art in the Park, and the Peace Center for the Performing Arts. The event includes exclusive tasting events, cooking demonstrations and wine seminars, as well as multi-course dinners and live musical performances. Southern Exposure features domestic and international wines, celebrity chefs, master sommeliers, and national recording artists.
  • Fall for Greenville is an annual three day music and food street festival held each fall.
  • Artisphere is an annual three day art street festival held each spring.
  • Indie Craft Parade is an annual festival of handmade art, featuring artists from all over the Southeast. It is held each September.
  • The Upstate Shakespeare Festival is a theatre company that performs Shakespeare and other classic plays for the Upstate community. The free festival is held each summer in Falls Park.

Downtown renewal

Greenville has one of the last Frank Lloyd Wright homes ever built, constructed in 1954.[12]

At one time the retail center of the region, Greenville's downtown district began to languish in the 1960s as shopping centers lured the retailers and customers to the suburbs. In response, the City started a downtown renewal project.

City leaders initially focused on improving the streetscape along a portion of Main Street in the Central Business District. This included narrowing the street from four lanes to two lanes; installing angled parking spaces, trees, flowers and light fixtures; and creating parks and plazas throughout the central core of downtown. Initial planning began in the 1970s and under Mayor Max Heller, an Austrian immigrant who wanted to implement some of the urban features he had seen in Europe. The downtown streetscape renovation was designed by Landscape Architect Lawrence Halprin.

In the 1980s, Greenville turned to laying the foundation for their downtown vision and providing an example of business potential to encourage business relocation to downtown (examples include the Greenville Commons/Hyatt Regency hotel). The city worked with consultants to develop and implement a downtown master plan and facilitated public-private investment partnerships which resulted in the city's first luxury convention hotel on Main Street.

Through the 1990s Greenville continued to strengthen its public/private partnerships to create strong anchors throughout downtown. The city redeveloped a languishing industrial area adjacent to the West End Historic District into a thriving performing arts complex that incorporated historically significant buildings. It then stabilized the stagnant historic district with the transformation of an abandoned cotton warehouse into the West End Market, a mixed-use project of shops, restaurants, and offices, which in turn encouraged adaptive reuse of several other historic buildings throughout downtown. The city's initiative to invest in its blighted urban center at a time when such revitalization was unpopular, not only successfully encouraged private investment, but also eventually garnered recognition from municipalities across the United States.

Although the majority of Greenville-area residents live outside of the central urban core, the last decade has brought a significant increase in downtown living and working as new luxury condos, apartments and lofts go up and more businesses are moving their offices to the now thriving downtown.[citation needed]

The National Trust for Historic Preservation awarded Greenville with the Great American Main Street Award in 2003 and 2009. Since then it has been featured in numerous publications, including Southern Living Magazine and the U.S. Airways Magazine (March 2010).

Education

Furman University is in Greenville

Primary and secondary education

Greenville's public elementary and secondary schools are part of the Greenville County School District, which is the largest district in South Carolina. Greenville is also served by a number of private and religious schools. One important landmark of education, the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities, is located in Greenville overlooking the Falls Park on the Reedy.

Greenville County has a total of 21 official public high schools:

Greenville is also home to many private schools as well, including:

  • Abundant Life Christian School
  • Blue Ridge Christian Academy
  • Bob Jones Academy
  • Calvary Christian School
  • Carolina International Preparatory School
  • Christ Church Episcopal High School
  • Conestee Baptist Day School
  • CrossPoint Christian School
  • Ebenezer Academy
  • Fountain Inn Christian School
  • Fuller Normal Industrial Institute
  • Greenville Classical Academy
  • Hampton Park Christian School
  • Hidden Treasure Christian School, Special Education Ministry
  • Piedmont Christian Academy
  • Pleasant View Christian Academy
  • St Joseph's Catholic High School
  • Shannon Forest Christian School
  • Southside Christian School
  • Tabernacle Christian School
  • Trinity Christian Academy

Post-secondary education

Public four-year institutions:

  • Clemson University's MBA Program
  • Clemson University's International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR)
  • Medical University of South Carolina-Greenville
  • South Carolina College of Pharmacy-Greenville

Public two-year institution:

Private four-year institutions:

For-profit institutions:

Religious and Theological Schools:

Economy

Greenville's economy was formerly based largely on textile manufacturing, and the city was long known as "The Textile Capital of the World." In the last few decades, favorable wages and tax benefits have lured foreign companies to invest heavily in the area. The city is the North American headquarters for Michelin and BMW. Recently,[when?] the International Center for Automotive Research has been created.

When the former Donaldson Air Force Base closed, the land became the South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center, and became home to a Lockheed Martin Aircraft and Logistics Center, as well as 3M and Honeywell.

Caterpillar Inc. has a diesel engine manufacturing plant and engineering operations here. Also, General Electric company has a gas turbine and wind energy manufacturing operation here. O'Neal, Inc. a project planning, design, and construction firm, has its headquarters in Greenville.[13]

The Thomas Creek Brewery was founded on Piedmont Hwy in 1998.[14]

Hospitals

Greenville has two main health systems. Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, which includes ST. FRANCIS downtown, ST. FRANCIS eastside, St. Francis Outpatient Center and Upstate Surgery Center, is ranked among the best hospitals in the nation by HealthGrades for heart surgery and overall orthopedic services. The extensive Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center is a non-profit academic medical center which, with five campuses, including Greenville Memorial Medical Center, North Greenville Long Term Acute Care Hospital and ER, Hillcrest Hospital, Patewood Memorial Hospital, and the newest Greer Memorial Hospital. It is one of the largest employers in the region. It was recognized for 2010-2011 as a top provider of Cardiac and Gastroenterology Care by US News and World Report. GHSUMC also boasts the only CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL in the UPSTATE REGION of South Carolina with the majority of Pediatric Specialties represented for inpatient and outpatient care. GHSUMC will soon host a full four year branch USC medical school - the University of South Carolina School of Medicine - Greenville. There are numerous residencies for training physicians at GHSUMC including Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, Family Practice, OBGYN, General Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery and fellowships in Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics and Vascular Surgery.

Additionally, Greenville Shriners Hospital exclusively treats pediatric orthopaedic patients free of charge.

Transportation

Greenville is located on the Interstate 85 corridor, approximately halfway between Atlanta and Charlotte. The northern terminus of Interstate 385 is located downtown, and the area is also served by Interstate 185 and U.S. Highway 123 (Calhoun Memorial Highway). Other major highways include U.S. 25, U.S. 29 and U.S. 276.

There are several airports servicing the Greenville area. The largest in the region, Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP), is the second busiest in the state and is served by most major airlines including Southwest Airlines. SCTAC (former Donaldson Air Base)has undergone significant moderization and is the site of the new S.C. National Guard Helicopter Base and proposed Super General Aviation Center. Greenville serves as a freight hub for FedEx Express.

The Greenville Downtown Airport,located in the city's high density commercial district, is currently under consideration to be consolidated and modernized into the nearby jet-certified SCTAC to ensure better ground and GSP safety, optimize land use, create millions in additional city property tax revenues and eliminate building height restrictions while opening up the 385 acres (156 ha) of public property and surroundings for substantial economic development and job creation in the form of a Green Technology Institute, Green Village, Multi-modal Transportation Center and Lake Park that connects ICAR, the Convention Center and Downtown [www.GreenTecCorridor.org].

Public transit in Greenville was handled by the Greenville Transit Authority (GTA). However in 2008 the City Of Greenville took over operation of GTA and changed the name to Greenlink. Greenlink runs a bus system that serves the Greenville area and much of Greenville County. City leaders are in the early planning stages for a comprehensive transit system that will help ease the high traffic volume on interstates and roadways. Considerations for the expansion of the current Greenlink bus routes, creation of a tram-trail running from Travelers Rest to Downtown Greenville, and discussions on the future potential for commuter rail and light rail transit systems will connect suburban commuter stations with urban destinations, office parks, and retail centers.

Railroads

Amtrak's Crescent connects Greenville with the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Charlotte, Atlanta, Birmingham and New Orleans. The Amtrak station is situated at 1120 West Washington Street. Additionally, Greenville is a part of the proposed Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor, which will run from Washington, DC to Birmingham, AL. Freight railroad service is provided by CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern Railway, and the Carolina Piedmont Railroad. The former Greenville and Northern Railway line to Travelers Rest has been abandoned and converted into a hiking and biking trail.

Interstate 3

Interstate 3 is a proposed freeway that would begin in Savannah, GA run to Augusta, GA and then possibly to Greenville before reaching Knoxville, TN. Greenville is not along the original I-3 route; however, there are several alternative routes, including the one in which Greenville is a major destination along the highway.[15]

Sports teams

Spectators at a Greenville Drive game

Greenville has hosted several minor league sports teams:

  • Greenville Drive (for a short time, Greenville Bombers), a single A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox in the South Atlantic League. The Drive started their first season in their new downtown ballpark on April 6, 2006, which, prior to the start of the 2008 season, was renamed Fluor Field at the West End.
  • South Carolina Force, an indoor football team in the American Indoor Football Association set to begin play in 2009.
  • Greenville Grrrowl, a minor league hockey team in the ECHL. League Champions in 2001-02. Ceased operations in July 2006.
  • Greenville Road Warriors, a minor league hockey team in the ECHL. Set to begin play for the 2010-11 hockey season.
  • Greenville Braves, a minor league baseball team that played there from 1984 until 2004. Moved to Pearl, Mississippi for the 2005 season.
  • Greenville Derby Dames, a flat track roller derby team that was established in 2008.
  • Greenville Groove, a minor league basketball team in the ((NBA Development League|NBA D-League)). Won the first NBA D-League championship. Ceased operations in 2003.
  • Greenville Griffins, a rugby union team that competes in USA Rugby South Division II
  • Carolina Rhinos, an arena football team in the af2 that began in 2000 and ceased operations in 2002.

Furman University:

  • The Furman Paladins. Furman competes at the NCAA Division I level. (Note: Furman football is a member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision.) Furman athletic teams compete on-campus in various venues, including Paladin Stadium, Timmons Arena, and the Eugene Stone Soccer Stadium. Furman is a member of the Southern Conference.

There are at least 4 stadiums for football and baseball located within the city, and many outside, with total capacities of 100,000. There are also a number of soccer fields and at least three municipal and many private community swimming pools.

Lake Jocassee, Lake Keowee, and Lake Hartwell within 50 miles (80 km) of Greenville accommodate boating and other water sports.

The Olympic Torch has passed through Greenville several times, and the city is an active participant in the Special Olympics.

During the 2008 Little League World Series it was revealed that Greenville, along with Morganton, NC and Warner Robins, GA, are the finalists to receive the Southeast Regional Headquarters that was originally located in Gulfport, FL.

The arts

Greenville has a thriving arts community, with a number of venues to support performances. Greenville has been named one of the "Top 100 Arts Small Towns in the United States." [16] The Bi-Lo Center, constructed in 1998, brings national tours of many popular bands to downtown, and the Peace Center for the Performing Arts provides a venue for orchestras and plays. A planned multi-million dollar renovation to the center's main concert hall lobby and riverside amphitheatre began in the Spring of 2011.

Visual art

A number of local artists operate studios and galleries in the city, especially the Pendleton Street Arts District near downtown. The Metropolitan Arts Council and Upstate Visual Arts provide a number of public events that focus on the visual arts, including the First Fridays Art Walk, Greenville Open Studios, and the West Greenville Arts Festival. Greenville also provides some notable fine arts museums:

Music

Greenville has a music scene that features frequent live performances in the downtown area by local Jazz, Country, and Rock bands.

Rock and roll legends Lynyrd Skynyrd played their last concert with all original members in Greenville, on October 19, 1977.

The city is home to a number of local orchestras, including the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, Greenville County Youth Orchestra, Carolina Youth Symphony, and the Carolina Pops Orchestra. The Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Greenville native Keith Lockhart, regularly performs at the Bi-Lo Center. Greenville Light Opera Works (GLOW) holds full-scale and cabaret style performances of operetta and musical theater throughout the year and offers musical theater education to local schools through the GlowWorms program.

The Palmetto Statesmen Barbershop Chorus and Quartets[18] regularly performs barbershop harmony and a cappella singing at various locations throughout the Upstate. The Palmetto Statesmen Chorus is a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society. The Palmetto Statesmen offer regular singing education to area high schools and colleges through the "Youth in Harmony" program.

Furman University and Bob Jones University offer courses in operatic singing, and BJU has staged a full-scale grand opera each March for more than fifty years.

Greenville is also the home of the Greenville Chorale, a 160-voice choral group that offered master choral performances for more than fifty years.

Comedy

There are a variety of local comedy venues in Greenville featuring stand up comedy, sketch comedy, ventriloquists, as well as experimental and non-traditional comedy. Nationally touring comedians as well as local amateurs can be found performing several nights each week in Greenville.[19]

Dance and theatre

The Carolina Ballet Theatre is a professional dance company which regularly presents programs at the Peace Center and elsewhere. Their major annual event is the presentation of Tschaikovsky's Nutcracker Ballet, but a similar production is performed by International Ballet Academy, another popular dance company in the area. Centre Stage, Greenville Little Theater, South Carolina Children's Theater and the Warehouse Theatre are the major playhouses in the area. These theaters offer a variety of performances including well-known works, such as Death of a Salesman and Grease, and plays written by local playwrights. During the Spring and Summer, the local Shakespearean company performs Shakespeare in the Park at the Falls Park Amphitheater.

Literature

A number of notable writers have lived in downtown Greenville or nearby. Internationally known author and composer William Rowland lives in the city, as does novelist and educator Robert Powell as well as New York Times best selling children's author Melinda Long, and novelists Ashley Warlick and Mindy Friddle. Renowned playwright James Rasheed lives in Greenville, and the late Poet Laureate Carl Sandburg was a frequent visitor.

Media

The Greenville News is the city's daily newspaper and also the Upstate's largest daily newspaper in circulation and readership.

Greenville Journal: Weekly newspaper dealing with business, economic development, local events, and current issues relevant to Greenville.

Upstate Business Trends: Monthly business newspaper reaching 7,500 business leaders in Greenville and Spartanburg counties.

GSA Business: Published every two weeks, it covers business news from across the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson metro area.

Greenville Business Magazine: Monthly magazine that contains business information for and about the Greenville area.

Upstate Link magazine The Upstate's premiere young reader (20s-30s) newsweekly. The weekly publication began in January 2004. Link continues to be a print publication, but its Web site ceased operation in 2008. Its new Web site is run by Chicago-based Metromix.

Greenville HD: An all-video website that gives viewers a look at everything in Greenville, South Carolina.

Television

Greenville is part of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson-Asheville DMA which is the nation's 36th largest television market. See the box below for the local television stations:

Radio

Greenville is part of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson Arbitron Metro which is the nation's 59th largest radio market with a person 12+ population of 813,700. See the box below for the local radio stations:

Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1850 1,305
1860 1,518 16.3%
1870 2,757 81.6%
1880 6,160 123.4%
1890 8,607 39.7%
1900 11,860 37.8%
1910 15,741 32.7%
1920 23,127 46.9%
1930 29,154 26.1%
1940 34,734 19.1%
1950 58,161 67.4%
1960 66,188 13.8%
1970 61,208 −7.5%
1980 58,242 −4.8%
1990 58,282 0.1%
2000 56,002 −3.9%
2010 58,409 4.3%
U.S. Decennial Census
Location of the Greenville-Mauldin-Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area in South Carolina

Greenville is the largest principal city of the Greenville-Mauldin-Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan area that covers Greenville, Laurens, and Pickens counties[3] and had a combined population of 636,986 at the 2010 census.[2]

Since South Carolina law makes annexing the urban area around cities difficult, Greenville's population is larger than what it really is. The 2010 city population is 62,094 while the total urban area population is 302,194.

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 58,409 people, 24,382 households, and 12,581 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,148.0 inhabitants per square mile (829.4/km²). There were 27,295 housing units at an average density of 1,046.9 per square mile (404.2/km²). The racial composition of the city was 62.12% White, 31.54% Black or African American, 3.44% Hispanic or Latino, 1.27% Asian, 0.14% Native American, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.37% of other races, and 1.11% of Two or more races.

There were 29,418 households out of which 22.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.7% were married couples living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.4% were non-families. 40.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the city the population was spread out with 20.0% under the age of 18, 13.8% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,144, and the median income for a family was $44,125. Males had a median income of $35,111 versus $25,339 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,242. About 12.2% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.7% of those under age 18 and 17.5% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

Notable figures who were born in, lived in, or are otherwise associated with Greenville.

Scientists

Psychologists

  • Wayne Oates (1917–1999), psychologist who shaped pastoral counseling and coined the word 'workaholic'
  • John B. Watson, influential psychologist, established the psychological school of behaviorism

Artists

Athletes

Musicians

Politicians

  • Jim DeMint (born 1951), U.S. Senator from South Carolina
  • Jesse Jackson (born 1941), two-time presidential candidate, civil rights activist, and Baptist minister
  • William H. Perry (1839–1902), United States Representative from South Carolina
  • Richard W. (Dick) Riley, (born January 2, 1933), State representative and state senator from 1963–1977, elected governor in 1978 and reelected in 1982. Served as Sec. of Education under President William J. Clinton.
  • Harry A. Slattery (1887–1949), American lawyer and statesman, US Under Secretary of the Interior from 1938–39 and gave his name to the Slattery Report
  • Carroll Campbell (1940–2005), 112th governor of SC. Born in Greenville, SC.

Clergy

Authors

  • Dorothy Allison, author of Bastard Out of Carolina who now lives in Los Angeles area.
  • Cat Bauer, author of Harley, Like a Person and Harley's Ninth who now lives in Venice, Italy
  • John Dickson Carr, (1906–1977) mystery novelist, wrote his last five novels while living in Greenville
  • John Culbertson, published playwright of Messiah on the Frigidaire and The Spectator Sport
  • Carrie Ryan, author; The Forest of Hands and Teeth, The Dead-Tossed Waves, The Dark and Hollow Places (coming up in 2011)
  • Nicholas Sparks, author; Message in a Bottle was written in Simpsonville
  • Jamie Langston Turner, (1949-) educator and novelist, author of six books including the Christy Award Winning novels, "Winter Birds" and "Some Garden to Keep", published by Bethany House Publishers
  • Jacqueline Woodson, author of "Locomotion"

Actors and journalists

Military figures

Neighborhoods

Sister cities

References

  1. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
  2. ^ a b c d "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  3. ^ a b METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS AND COMPONENTS, Office of Management and Budget, 2007-05-11. Accessed 2008-07-30.
  4. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
  5. ^ a b c "Climatography of the United States No. 20 (1971–2000)" (PDF). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2004. http://cdo.ncdc.noaa.gov/climatenormals/clim20/sc/383747.pdf. Retrieved 2010-06-25. 
  6. ^ "Climatological Normals of Greenville". Hong Kong Observatory. http://www.weather.gov.hk/wxinfo/climat/world/eng/n_america/us/washington_e.htm. Retrieved 2010-06-25. 
  7. ^ a b c "About Greenville County, South Carolina". Greenville County. http://www.greenvillecounty.org/About_Us.asp. Retrieved April 19, 2010. 
  8. ^ http://www.southcarolinagenealogy.org/south-carolina-counties/greenville/
  9. ^ National Register description.
  10. ^ 373 U.S. 244 (1963)
  11. ^ Golf Digest
  12. ^ http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/SC0740/
  13. ^ http://www.onealinc.com/
  14. ^ "Thomas Creek Brewery". www.thomascreekbeer.com. http://www.thomascreekbeer.com/index.html. Retrieved 2009-07-14. 
  15. ^ Athens Banner-Herald, January 2, 2008
  16. ^ The 100 Best Art Towns in America: A Guide to Galleries, Museums, Festivals, Lodging and Dining, Fourth Edition (Paperback) by John Villani (Author)
  17. ^ Bob Jones University Museum & Gallery
  18. ^ Palmetto Statesmen homepage
  19. ^ http://greenville.metromix.com/events/roundup/comedy-in-the-upstate/1730101/content

External links


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