Greenville, South Carolina: The BEST Small Town in America??

I've rarely been to a place that was as charming as Greenville, South Carolina.

Now I’ve been to a lot of big cities and small towns and everything in between. And I have to say, of all the places I’ve been, there are very few cities and regions that I would consider to be just about perfect. There are some places in Colorado and North Carolina that I like a lot. But none of them are quite like Greenville, South Carolina.

Actually, I might have to say that Greenville might be the best small town in the country right now. And I’m sure people in Greenville might be like - DAMMIT. Some YouTuber with a bunch of subs just told everyone about us. There goes the neighborhood.

Sorry Greenville peeps. But it’s true.

I visited Greenville during a southern road trip in late November of 2021. We’re going to take a drive of downtown Greenville in this video and talk about what’s good and if there’s anything bad about this place. We’ll even talk to someone who lives here to get his perspective on what it’s like here. It was a really nice morning when I took the drive. I think you’ll be quite impressed.

Greenville south carolina! Woo whee this place is special. Right now we’re in downtown Greenville and it’s early morning on a weekday. There’s no hustle and bustle here though. That’s because it’s not a big city. There’s only about 70,000 people here.

Greenville is located in what South Carolina people call the Upstate region. It’s the part of the state that touches the North Carolina and Georgia borders. The whole upstate region is a pretty neat place, actually. Everything from Spartanburg in the the east to Clemson in the west is one big newish safe neat region. The total population of upstate South Carolina is 1.3 million people. You could break the metro area up into three regions - Spartanburg, a neat college town that’s home to the University of South Carolina, the Clemson-Anderson metro area which is home to Clemson, and the Greenville metro area, which has more than 700,000 people.

Greenville has won a bunch of awards for being an awesome place to live. Forbes called it the south’s most tasteful town. Another publication called it the most underrated travel destination in the nation once. And Money Magazine called it one of the best places to live in the country. Yahoo, CNN and ME - we’re all saying it’s super cool here.

But Greenville’s growing fast. In fact, it might be growing TOO fast. That’s my opinion, because right now, it’s the perfect size. A few years back, it was in the top 5 for fastest growing cities as a percentage of its population. There’s a lot of room to grow, and Greenville has done a great job of managing it’s growth. Apparently.

The area used to be off the radar. But then BMW opened up a manufacturing center, and tire company Michelin did the same. That jump started a big growth phase, and other companies, jobs and people followed. Today, there’s a lot of growth here, and there’s even some tech companies moving into the region. Lockheed, 3M and GE also have a big presence.

With all that growth comes change. Locals might say Greenville is getting too crowded, and that the culture is changing. Greenville has managed to remain a very southern place, but it’s slowly becoming more posh and cosmopolitan. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. But it’s happening. People from outside the region are diluting the southern vibe here.

Cost of living wise, Greenville is a STEAL people. It’s far below the national average for a home- as of this writing the average home price is pushing $260,000, but it’s going up fast. South Carolina is in the top 5 for fastest growing states, as people come for the warm weather and low taxes. So for many people, they can experience the south without it costing a lot. And did I mention it’s at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains?

As we’ll see, downtown has a lot going on. There’s plenty of bars and restaurants and shopping. There’s also lots of artsy stuff, but it’s not posh artsy. Just regular artsy. There are events here all the time, too.

They have an ice skating rink downtown during the holidays.

The coolest part of downtown at night is Falls Park. There’s a river that runs through downtown and they made it look really cool. From the top of nearby rooftop hotels, you can see how cool Greenville really is. The whole region, actually. Upstate South Carolina people.

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[gailcarey]

I’m an upstate resident. My son works for a major construction supplier.
If you move here do not buy a new home. They are substandard.
They are throwing up subdivisions to take advantage of the migration. These homes will give you headaches for years to come.

[WastedLight]

I'm all for the growth and expansion of my beloved city, but please do not ruin it. We love the people who come to visit. all we ask is that you be respectful of our town.

[juliedefee]

I am a native of Columbia South Carolina. I visited Greenville a few times about 10 years ago. One visit was to see a Bob Seger concert live. It was a good time. Prior to the concert, we visited a bar for a drink and a restaurant for dinner. I saw and experienced the cultural diversity that has evolved over the years. My most prominent impression was that it reminded me of Chicago. Only, a much smaller version. But, it was packed with authentic restaurants with food and owners from other lands. Many other businesses owned by transplants who have brought their products to Greenville to offer genuine quality and diverse shopping experiences. Again, think big city appeal and opportunities, just a smaller version. Very Charming and very safe.

[bonelegs]

That is a shockingly impressive downtown for a city its size

[baronvonjo]

12:30
As a long term native of Greenville I must disagree with how polite people are. We are just people. You can't throw all of us into a basket like that. I have met amazing people and truely awful people and everything in between. We are not amazing people like the guest keeps saying.

Also thought it was funny how he kept talking how people don't flaunt stuff as 80k plus Range Rovers, Mercedes and Lexus LXs are on the screen lol. But it is a very rare sight to see a Lambo or something like that.

[philipgermani]

The airport is absolutely beautiful! Happy to see a growing, clean, decent city for a change.

[biggusgibbus]

"Greenville might be one of the best small towns in the country!" It's not going to stay that way if people keep moving here. Your guest not being a Greenville native surprised me. He didn't sound like a Charleston native the least little bit either. Lots you could have found out about the city if you'd asked someone who's done more than retire here. I grew up there. The Westin Poinsett hotel downtown you passed is where Jesse Jackson worked as a young man. Greenville was once the mutual hunting grounds of the Cherokee to the west, and Catawba to the northeast. No Native Americans lived between the Saluda and Broad rivers in the Upcountry, which is what it was called before "Upstate" became popular. This was because there was the Low Country, Charleston, and everything more than a day's round trip by horse from Charleston was the Backcountry. The Upstate was settled mostly from the north, and mostly from Western PA, with the Scotch-Irish being predominate, though with plenty of Germans, English, and a few Sephardic Jews. Probably the first Jewish man to die in any American war died in SC's Yemasee war prior to the Revolution, though that happened in what is now Oconee County. When I was a boy Greenville had two main industries; cotton mills and Donaldson AFB. Donaldson serviced aircraft, including combat aircraft from the Vietnam War. I used to watch Phantom F-4's take-off during the war. The Palmetto Exposition Center, or whatever it's called now, was originally Textile Hall, where new products and equipment of the industry was showcased at events that drew people from all over the world. Greenville called itself "The Textile Capital of the World" back then. One last little anecdote and I'll wrap up this "comment." It was a married couple from up north who retired from the Air Force at Donaldson who opened the very first ethnic restaurant in Greenville; Capri's Italian. As far as I know the original location is still operating.

[claire_s]

I have lived here my whole life and trust me it is worth the hype. You have that sweet southern feel to the town and the city’s not too big, not too busy, just enough people and it has great food!

[dadejavusc]

Oh No. I cant believe you are featuring my city. We are full. Just FYI. I moved here from Chicago back in 1993. I havent left since then. Dont let the secret out! :)

[rachelelliott]

To Everybody here who is ACTUALLY from Greenville, and who doesn't like how the Urban Sprawl is taking over please consider volunteering or donating to Upstate Forever. They are a fantastic organization which focuses mainly on land preservation in and around Greenville, but also Pickens, Spartanburg and Occonee counties. They have a future growth map that extrapolates based on current rate of growth that if left uncurbed development will stretch from Atlanta to Charlotte along 85

[lifewiththegentryfamily]

Moved to Greenville 5 years ago from Vancouver Washington and seriously love it here! We’re conservative Christians and meet like minded people every where around here.

[Swampzoid]

Beautiful treelined streets and nice looking architecture. I would visit there certainly. I've been to Charleston and Columbia but I've always been curious about Greenville.

[melbelle]

Came upon this city about 5 years ago.
Fell in Love immediately.

[johnathanwhite]

Great video!
1) Annexation laws keep the city proper small. It's much larger than 70k. The city has done a great job with in-fill development.
2) There's a lot of established, unincorporated communities around Greenville. Many are lower income areas. Not sure if Greenville's been gung-ho in annexing these areas.
3) Because Greenville's city limits are tiny and the rest is surrounded by unincorporated areas, the suburban sprawl is consumed by Greer, Mauldin and Simpsonville. These towns are affordable if you have good-paying jobs, but expensive if you're considerablly blue collar.
4) The wealth is here, but definitely subtle and hidden. Most of it is displayed in downtown, around the natural amentities and pocketed communities in East and Southeast Greenville.

[andrewperez]

My family and I RANDOMLY chose Greenville for a weekend visit and we were blown away by its beauty and uniqueness. As a result of growing up in NY, we always have this bias that nothing will match our city. But after the trip, it completely opened our eyes as to what other gems are hidden throughout this country. Definitely have to go back!

[timekimcinnis]

Greenville is absolutely BEAUTIFUL downtown at night!! And that water fall and river with the rocks is so much fun and it's so PRETTY..

[aligetts]

So in all of desolate S.C. one town gets 3 more St lights and the town alarm is sounded wow..

[marlesiahall]

I really hate that people are migrating here...for financial reasons. People moving here seem to be making things more expensive. Yes, building beautiful "housing" that the "locals" can not afford because people from other areas who have had the opportunity to make more money over their life span are bringing the out-of-state money here. Building expensive homes right next door to less valuable homes only to make the taxes on the less expensive homes increase and eventually taken from those families. Then the home is bought by a developer and fixed up to be sold to someone from out of town at an exorbitant price. Downtown has become apartment complexes on every corner. But, yes....Greenville is beautiful and SAFE! We are loving people who rarely meet a stranger. So, if you move here....love us back!

[broskibear]

Hey Nick, did you end up relocating here?

[zabenaleid]

Your channel is so informative and entertaining. I love the throwback remixes 😂