Greenville, SC – Not my first time back. One of many, usually brief visits. To answer the question:
– Proud of the progress it’s made
– Still love the place and always will. It’s in my bones
– Can see why people are impressed
– Would say it’s unquestionably solidified itself as SC’s second city
– (sorry- really hard to argue Charleston is anything less than the jewel of the south)
– Hate the manufactured feel to downtown
– Do they turn off a switch at night and send the performers home? For example:
– Street musicians are a little too tidy
– I mean, are you kidding me? A pre-teen kid in a clean, freshly-starched polo shirt with a brand new portable speaker and clip-on lapel mic doing three-card monte by a coffee shop??
– I even looked at the street beggars and wondered if there was a plan drawn up for how many per block, working hours and a recruitment plan for proper casting)
– Not sure a fake-hipster coffee shop was necessary, but then with the coffee-shop arms race maybe it was. Were those removable man buns?
– Decided sometimes you have to force it in order to create change. Fake it til you make it and all
– Fave spot: A rock at the bottom of Reedy River Falls. Despite the stern ‘stay off the rocks’ signs
– The real place is still there – hovering just below the surface, hiding in plain sight
– Can see a glimmer of respect for soil, air, water and trees
– Outside of downtown: Same but with improvements
– Can still see/feel the struggles many people face despite the show pieces & bragging points
– New Yorkers and Californians in their own way are equally sheltered and closed-minded to outside ideas
– Didn’t talk much about politics, other than a little local. Same same on the good ol boy stuff
– Can someone please retire the #yeahTHATGreenville thing? It’s ridiculous
– Please disagree. All subjective observations
– ps: if you’re not from there and say any of the critical things I just said, I might have to punch you (except the #yeahTHATGreenville thing. It’s objectively ridiculous)