Greenville in the News

Greenville generates national attention...

1. The Greenville News: Furman University leads in graduation rate study. Article here.

2. ABC News: The Tale of Two Main Streets, Greenville proves to be recession-resistant. Article here.

3. Milken Institute: Greenville is ranked 100 of the 393 most high-tech North American economies. Article here.

4. Miami Herald: Visiting Greenville's a Whole New Ballgame. Article here.

5. GSA Business: Study: Greenville Offers Affordable Living. Article here.

Summer Fun You Don't Want to Miss

Reedy River Nighttime Concerts - Every Wednesday from 7 PM until 9 PM enjoy a variety of free summer concerts at the Peace Center Amphitheater. Music performances range from jazz, country, patriotic, rock & roll, blues and reggae. This free and fun event is the perfect way to spend a warm summer night. For more information click here.



Downtown Alive! - Every Thursday from 5:30 PM until 8 PM, Piazza Bergamo is filled with melodious tunes of pop, blues, acoustic, or reggae performances. And what is even better is that proceeds from this free event benefit the Metropolitan Arts Council. For more information call 864-467-6667.



Rhythm on the River - Every Thursday beginning at 7 PM (gates open at 5:30 PM), beach music concerts can be heard down by Larkins on the Reedy River. This 17-week summer concert series hosts many notable acts. For more information and to purchase tickets click here.





Friday Night Jazz - Every Friday from 5:30 PM until 9:30 PM, Main Street by the Hyatt Regency is transformed into a free Jazz Festival. You will hear Jazz performed by local, regional, and even national talent. With a children's activity area and other additional events, Friday Night Jazz is the perfect destination for family fun. For more information call 864-467-6667.


Saturday Market - Every Saturday from 8 AM until 12 noon, downtown is transformed into a charming marketplace. Here you can enjoy things like fresh produce and locally grown flowers, all while grabbing a bite to eat from participating vendors or learning new cooking and gardening tips from local experts. For more information click here.




Upstate Shakespeare Festival - From May through August, free productions of classic Shakespeare plays will be held in the Carolina First Amphitheater in beautiful Falls Park. Bring a picnic, blanket, and lawn chairs and be sure to enjoy the show. For more information click here.




Greenville Drive Baseball - The Greenville Drive is a minor league team affiliated with the Boston Red Sox. Games will be held all summer long and are the perfect idea for a fun, inexpensive summer night. For more information and to purchase tickets click here.


Mice on Main - Nine bronze mice are hidden downtown all along Main Street. This idea is based off of the children's book Goodnight Moon. A sculpture of the book and the first mouse can be found at the Hyatt Regency, and the other eight are located along a nine-block stretch on Main Street. Can you find them all? For helpful hints click here.


Reedy River Rickshaw - New to downtown Greenville, Reedy River Rickshaw provides a fun way to get around downtown. Only charging tips, this is a great way to see downtown on a pleasant summer night. You can either waive a driver down when you see them or you can call ahead to arrange a pick-up at 864-373-1222.



Carriage Rides - There are three different carriage services in downtown Greenville. They pick up from places like the Westin Poinsett Hotel, Falls Park, and the intersection of Coffee and Main Street. This is a fun and pleasant way to enjoy downtown. For more information click here.




For a complete list of events in the Greenville area click here.
And for other fun things to do click here.

A Closer Look at Downtown Business Owners

• Tommy and Brad Wyche
  
• Minor Mickel Shaw

Places You Should Be Sure to Check Out

Caesar's Head State Park - This beautiful park, situated along the top of the Blue Ridge mountains, has scenic trails for hiking, biking and bird watching. The views are breathtaking all year long. Favorite destinations are Raven Cliff Falls, a majestic waterfall located two miles from the roadside, and Pretty Place Chapel, a rustic stone structure popular for weddings and other religious services. Check out the website here.


Jone's Gap State Park - Jone's Gap and Caesar's Head state parks together form the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area, 11,000 acres of pristine mountain woodlands on the Blue Ridge Escarpment. In this park you'll discover extensive nature trails, the Middle Saluda River, camp grounds and the nature exhibits of the Environmental Education Center. Check out the website here.


Upcountry History Museum - this charming museum is dedicated to the rich heritage of the Upstate of South Carolina. Their mission is to promote, present and preserve the history of Upcountry South Carolina through education, research and service. They offer various programs including 'Lunch & Learn' discussions, summer camps and oral history presentations. Check out the website here.

Greenville County Museum of Art - this museum, located in the heart of Downtown Greenville, is now featuring exhibits such as 'Art & Artists of South Carolina' and 'Andrew Wyeth: The Greenville Collection.' Not only do they offer a number of art classes and discussions, but admission is absolutely free. Check out the website here.

The Metropolitan Arts Council - is an organization in Greenville, South Carolina that works to support every discipline of the arts. Located in the historic district of Downtown, they are home to Greenville's only public art gallery. The mission of the Metropolitan Arts Council is to stimulate and support artistic expression and its appreciation and enjoyment in ways that enrich all citizens, artists, cultural organizations and communities of the Greenville County. Their website provides listings of events and information on the arts in Greenville County. It also gives access to over 500 visual artists and over 50 arts organizations that comprise our cultural community. Check out the website here.

Falls Park - is the jewel of Downtown Greenville. Located right off Main Street, Falls Park is a 'must-see.' Complete with waterfalls and a 355 foot bridge, Falls Park is a beloved destination to all, especially on sunny days. Falls Park not only offers a beautiful setting for picnics, pictures and walks, but it also features numerous events and festivals throughout the year. Check out the website here.

The Greenville Zoo - Greenville's award winning zoo, located a few blocks from Downtown, is a 14-acre park with more than 300 specimens of exotic animals. Reasonably priced and open seven days a week from 10 AM until 4:30 PM, the Greenville Zoo is the most visited "family facility" in the Upstate. Check out the website here.

Check out our website: thrivedowntown.com

Greenville In The News

Greenville generates interest in the national news...

1. fDi Intelligence Magazine: Greenville named top micro North American City of The Future. Article here.

2. SalisburyPost: Downtown Greenville rejuvenation causes other communities to stand up and take notice. Article here.

3. BMW US Factory: Greenville County hosts '09 BMW Charity Pro-Am Tournament. Article here.

4. Hollywood Comes to Greenville: '09 BMW Charity Pro-Am Celebrities announced. Article here.

5. USA Today: S.C. group seeks funds for Amazon medical project. Article here.

The DGDI of Greenville, SC: Redefining Possibility

If you have been directed to this blog through a few impulsive clicks on your search engine of choice, you may be wondering, what or where exactly is Greenville, South Carolina? Rather than rattling off a few geographical facts or numbers relating to population, consider this: Greenville, SC MSA has the highest level of foreign capital investment in the nation. Forbes Magazine touted Greenville, SC as the fourth best place in the country to weather the current economy. Greenville's vibrant downtown received the Great American Main Street Award in 2003 and continues to be the center of excellence for retail and industry.

To put it simply, Greenville, South Carolina is a place you want to be. Called the 'jewel of the Upstate', Greenville's quality of life is only exceeded by its potential for future economic growth. It is this potential for the future that has prompted the formation of the Downtown Greenville Development Initiative.

What Is The DGDI?
The Downtown Greenville Development Initiative is a partnership between the City of Greenville, SC, the Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Development Group. This gathering of like-minded individuals and groups is hyper-focused on attracting new corporate sector clients to relocate or expand into the Greenville downtown area.

Some may ask, why Greenville? Simply because Greenville offers the best of both worlds - one of the nation's fastest growing business hubs as well as a quality of life that you would be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. To some, these may seem like empty statements. Fortunately, the statistics of Greenville more than support these claims.

Business in Greenville
It's certainly no coincidence that Greenville has ranked among America's 50 Hottest Cities For Manufacturing Expansions and Relocation. The South's best kept secret is slowly but steadily making its presence known in the national and international business community. Globally renowned companies such as BMW, General Electric, Michelin, Milliken, Fuji, Samsung, and Scansource have chosen to locate their corporate headquarters in the Greenville-Spartanburg Area. In fact, more than 124 Fortune 500 companies call this area home. The DGDI believes that Greenville is a strategic location for companies seeking out relocation/expansion because Greenville is a place of mutual advantage - both for the corporation as well as the area.

Quality of Life in Greenville
Southern hospitality is a given when considering the quality of life in South Carolina. But how about an extraordinary arts and culture scene? Top-notch education at all levels? Advanced healthcare systems? Maybe you'd be surprised to realize that these aspects of life in Greenville are also typical of what we now lovingly refer to as the Intellectual South. Greenville showcases some of the best offerings in these areas in the South. The Peace Center, located in Downtown Greenville, is one of the best examples of the thriving art scene of Greenville. From John Legend and Robin Williams to Yo-Yo Ma, the Peace Center offers a diverse range of performances to suit any tastes. As for education, there are over 20 universities and colleges in the Upstate area, including the acclaimed Furman and Clemson Universities. And how about healthcare? Greenville Memorial Hospital was ranked by Forbes as one of the top three safest hospitals in South Carolina as well as ranking in America's Safest Hospitals. Bon Secours St. Francis Health System ranked among the top 10% in the nation for Overall Orthopedic Services and Cardiac Surgery and was a recipient of South Carolina Governor’s Gold Award for Excellence in Quality.

Greenville is a place not only where an organization can succeed, but where the individuals making up that organization thrive. That's a promise we invite you to consider.

To learn more about DGDI and Greenville, please visit

http://www.thrivedowntown.com/