The energetic city of Greenville, South Carolina has become a fixture on ‘best’ lists — best downtown, best place to raise a family, best city park, best cycling and outdoor destination, and much more. It’s perhaps the country’s best worst-kept secret.
Greenville’s downtown is a mecca in the new South with waterfalls and tree-lined streets, cafes, sidewalk dining, boutiques, and the only single-suspension pedestrian bridge in America spanning the cascading Reedy River that runs through and the 26-acre Falls Park in the heart of downtown.
Beyond the streets of downtown Greenville, you’ll find yourself at the center of endless opportunities to explore the great outdoors. The paved, 21-mile Swamp Rabbit Trail travels from Greenville through the campus of Furman University to a town as charming as its name: Travelers Rest. Nearby in every direction are countless state and national parks for hiking, biking and endless exploring.
The Peace Center performing arts complex includes a 2,100-seat concert hall, intimate 400-seat theatre and a festive outdoor amphitheater on the banks of the Reedy River. Broadway shows, international theatre and dance companies and touring headliners highlight the marquee. Greenville is also home to the Swamp Rabbits hockey team, an affiliate of the New York Rangers, and the Greenville Drive, an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, who play to packed crowds in an exact replica of the storied Fenway Park.
Greenville is home to some of the state’s finest hospitals and health facilities, as well as top-ranked school systems and the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport. Nearby universities include Furman University, offering continuing education through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) and Bob Jones University.
Best Small Cities in the U.S., National Geographic Traveler
One of the World’s Best Places to Go in 2017, New York Times
One of the World’s Best Buzzy International Destinations, Wall Street Journal
One of the 20 Best Places to Visit in 2016, National Geographic Traveler
One of the Country’s Top 10 Downtowns, Livability.com
One of the Best Places to Live, US News & World Report
One of the Best Places to Raise a Family, MarketWatch
The 5th Best US Cycling Town, USA Today
Top 10 Tastiest Towns in the South, Southern Living
