Greenville, South Carolina
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GreenvilleSC_skyline_night.jpg
Greenville is a large city and county seat located in Greenville CountyTemplate:GR in South Carolina. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city had a total population of 56,002. Greenville with its historic homes and modern office towers, is described as where "Old South" meets "New South." Greenville is the 3rd largest city in the state and the largest in "The Upstate", an area that includes the 6 counties in the northwestern corner of South Carolina.
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History
The area was part of the Cherokee nation's protected grounds after the treaty of 1763 ending the French & 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, who settled at the falls of the Reedy River sometime after 1770. Paris Mountain, the mountain overlooking the city, is named for him.
During the Revolution, the Cherokee (and, incidentally, 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 orignally called Pleasantburg. Greenville County was created in 1786, but was called Greenville District from 1800 until 1868. The area is named for General Nathanael Greene, who led Revolutionary troops in the Carolinas.
Law & Government
- Main article: Government of the City of Greenville, South Carolina
The City of Greenville is governed by a mayor and city council.
Geography
SCMap-doton-Greenville.PNG
Location of Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville is located at 34°50'40" North, 82°23'8" West (34.844313, -82.385428)Template:GR.
Greenville proper is relatively small in population and size; however, its metropolitan area compares well with most secondary US cities. Greenville is in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains and is, therefore, graced with many hills and knolls. The highest point in South Carolina, Sassafras Mountain, is nearby in northern part of Greenville County. Paris Mountain is the second most prominent ridge in the area, it is also home to many of the area's television and radio stations' towers. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Greenville has a total area of 67.7 km² (26.1 mi²). 67.5 km² (26.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area that is 0.23% water.
List of Neighborhoods
- Brookside Forest
- Downtown
- Augusta Street
- North Main
- Washington Street
- East Faris Road
- Eastover
- East Park
- Elsie
- Glenn Road
- Gower
- Gower Estates
- Green Avenue
- Greenline-Spartanburg
- Hampton-Pinckney
- Keowee
- Marshall Forest
- Nicholtown
- Otis-Wilkins
- Overbrook
- Pleasant Valley
- Pleasantburg Forest
- Ridgeland
- Riverside Drive
- Southernside
- Sterling
- Viola
- West End
- West Greenville
- White Oak
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 theatre companies. Four independent theatres present several plays a year.
Event Venues
- BI-LO Center [1] (http://www.bi-locenter.com), a large arena in downtown Greenville, hosts several major concerts each year.
- The Peace Center performing arts center hosts touring Broadway shows, concerts, and civic events. The Peace Center is also home to the Carolina Ballet Theatre, Greenville Symphony Orchestra, and Greenville Chorale.
Landmarks
- Falls Park on the Reedy (http://www.fallspark.com), a large regional park with beautiful gardens and home of the Liberty Bridge, a pedestrian suspension bridge. It is located on the Reedy River just south of Downtown Greenville.
- Greenville County Museum of Art (http://www.greenvillemuseum.org) is home to the highly acclaimed Southern Collection of art that features art of the South dating back to the 1700's.
- Bob Jones University Museum and Gallery (http://www.bjumg.org) is located on the campus of Bob Jones University, and is widely acclaimed as the finest collection of religious art in the Western Hemisphere. It features Italian, Spanish, French, English, Flemish, Dutch, and German sacred art from the 14th through the 19th centuries, from artists such as Rubens, van Dyck, Reni, Tintoretto, Le Brun, Cranach, Ribera, and Murillo, as well as period furniture, sculpture, tapestries, and porcelains.
- Greenville Zoo (http://www.greenvillezoo.com), in Cleveland Park, is home to many examples of the world's wildlife.
- Roper Mountain Science Center (http://www.ropermountain.org) is a resource for area students, and is home to the largest planetarium in South Carolina.
Annual Events
- Fall for Greenville is a major festival held on the 1st weekend in October. This festival features local cuisine, live performances on several stages, and the Greenville Cycling Classic bicycle race.
- Arts in the Park is a major arts festival that takes place in Reedy Falls Park near downtown Greenville.
Education
Greenville and Greenville County are served by the Greenville County school district.
Greenville is not a college town, but the students of both Furman University (in Greenville) and nearby Clemson University enjoy Greenville's downtown area for weekend entertainment.
Greenville is home to several colleges and technical schools:
- Bob Jones University
- ECPI College of Technology
- Furman University
- Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
- Greenville Technical College
- ITT Technical Institute
- North Greenville College
- University Center of Greenville, a consortium of 7 senior universities (Clemson University, Furman University, Lander University, Medical University of South Carolinaa, South Carolina State University, University of South Carolina, and University of South Carolina Upstate).
- Webster University
Economy
GreenvilleSC_skyline.jpg
Since the Civil War, Greenville's economy has been based largely on textile manufacturing. Low wages and favorable tax benefits have lured foreign companies to invest heavily in the area: Greenville is the North American headquarters for Michelin and BMW (who also built a major manufacturing plant just east of Greenville). These companies, and others such as General Electric, have contributed to the area's sustained growth. Recently, Clemson University, BMW, IBM, Microsoft, and Michelin have combined to create an International Center for Automotive Research (ICAR) in the Greenville area.
Greenville is the regional medical center, with the extensive Greenville Hospital System, Saint Francis Hospital, and Saint Francis Women's & Family Hospital as the main facilities. Many pharmaceutical companies have offices and facilities in the area.
Transportation
Greenville is on Interstate 85, linking it to Atlanta and Charlotte, and is near Interstate 26, linking it to the Midwest. Driving time from Greenville:
- 45 minutes to the Blue Ridge Parkway
- 2.5 hours to Atlanta
- 2 hours to Charlotte
- 1 hour to Asheville
- 4 hours to Charleston
- 3 hours to Knoxville
Greenville's Main Street is home to many of the city's best shops, restaurants, and cafés.
Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport serves the region.
Amtrak's Crescent train 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.
Media
The Greenville News is city's only daily newspaper and also the Upstate's largest daily newspaper.
Greenville is part of the much greater Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson-Asheville television market which is the nation's 35th largest.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 56,002 people, 24,382 households, and 12,581 families residing in the city. The population density is 829.4/km² (2,148.0/mi²). There are 27,295 housing units at an average density of 404.2/km² (1,046.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 62.12% White, 33.94% African American, 0.14% Native American, 1.27% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.37% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races. 3.44% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 24,382 households out of which 22.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.7% are married couples living together, 15.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 48.4% are non-families. 40.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 12.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.11 and the average family size is 2.90.
In the city the population is 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 are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 86.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $33,144, and the median income for a family is $44,125. Males have a median income of $35,111 versus $25,339 for females. The per capita income for the city is $23,242. 16.1% of the population and 12.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 22.7% of those under the age of 18 and 17.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Sister Cities
External links
- The Official Website of the City of Greenville and the Greenville CVB (http://www.greatergreenville.com)
- Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce (http://www.greenvillechamber.org/)
- Greenville SC : business directory & community guide (http://www.greenville-explorer.com/)
- Greenville County Museum of Art : Free to the public (http://www.greenvillemuseum.org/)
- The Greenville News : Local Newspaper (http://www.greenvilleonline.com/)
- Greenville County System Library (http://www.greenvillelibrary.org)