Greenville, South Carolina

For other places with the same name, see Greenville.

File:Greenville.svg Greenville, South Carolina
Location in South Carolina
County	Greenville County
Founded	1831
Government
• Mayor	Knox White
Area
• City	67.7 km2 (26.1 sq mi)
• Water	0.2 km2 (0.1 sq mi)  0.23%
Population  (2000)
• City	56,002
• Density	829.4/km2 (2,148/sq mi)
• Urban	302,194
• Metro	601,986 (2,006 est.)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (Eastern)
Area code	864
Website	www.greenvillesc.gov

Greenville is a city in and the county seat of Greenville County, South Carolina, United States,Template:GR in the state's upstate region. One of the principal cities of the Greenville-Mauldin-Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), it had a population of 56,006 at the 2000 census,Template:GR and the metropolitan area had an estimated population of 601,986 in 2006. Greenville is the largest city of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson Combined Statistical Area (CSA) which has a 2006 estimated population of 1,203,795. The CSA, an 8-county region of northwestern South Carolina, is known as "The Upstate". Greenville is located approximately halfway between the cities of Atlanta, Georgia and Charlotte, North Carolina along Interstate 85, and its metropolitan area is further serviced by Interstates 185 and 385.

Geography and climate

Greenville is located at 34°50′40″N 82°23′8″W (34.844313, -82.385428),Template:GR centrally located between Atlanta (120 miles southwest), and Lexington, North Carolina.

Greenville is in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains; therefore, the city and county contain many hills and knolls. The highest point in South Carolina, Sassafras Mountain, is located nearby in the northern part of Pickens County, which is adjacent to Greenville County to the west. Paris Mountain, home to many of the area's television and radio station towers, is the second most prominent peak in the area, and overlooks the downtown area from less than 7 miles (11 km) away. According to the United States 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.

Geology and seismology

Gold and other minerals have been mined in Greenville since the early 1800s. Rubies, amethysts, garnets, tourmalines, unakite and emeralds occur within 60 miles (97 km) of the city, likely washed down from the nearby mountains. Granite abounds in the area and is mined in Greenville as well as in neighboring counties.

Greenville sits on the associated faults of the Brevard Fault, a mostly quiet system which has, nonetheless, experienced some earthquakes of up to 6.0 on the Richter scale in the past 50 years; however, local earthquakes usually measuring not more than 3.0 are more the norm. Most of the city sits on various fault lines which seem to come together around Paris Mountain, a monadnock below which sits the city. This activity could be connected with the construction of Lake Hartwell. Since 1990, Greenville has experienced fewer than 15 noticeable quakes, mostly centered in the Sandy Flats area.

Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rec High °F	79	81	89	93	97	100	104	103	96	92	85	76
Norm High °F	50.2	54.8	62.7	71	78.2	85.1	88.8	87.1	81.1	71.4	61.3	52.7
Norm Low °F	31.4	33.9	40.5	47	56.2	64.3	68.7	67.9	61.7	49.7	41	34.3
Rec Low °F	-6	8	11	25	31	40	54	52	36	25	12	5
Precip (in)	4.41	4.24	5.31	3.54	4.59	3.92	4.65	4.08	3.97	3.88	3.79	3.86
Source: USTravelWeather.com [1]

Law and government

Main article: Government of the City of Greenville, South Carolina

The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976. It is also the county seat of Greenville County.Template:GR

History

Beginnings

For centuries South Carolina’s Upcountry was the domain of the Cherokee Indians, who used these lands as hunting grounds. Richard Pearis, Greenville’s first settler, arrived in 1770, and eventually built a plantation above the Reedy River. Nearby Paris Mountain is a corruption of his surname. In 1777 the Treaty of DeWitt’s Corner ended fighting between the Cherokee and area settlers. The Indians ceded all their territory in South Carolina, except northwest Oconee County.

Revolutionary War and After

After the Patriots surrendered Charles Towne (present-day Charleston) to the British in 1780, the Redcoats began establishing garrisons elsewhere such as Ninety-Six. Yet Patriot victories in the Upcountry at Kings Mountain and Cowpens forced the British to abandon Ninety-Six in 1781. After the war the former Indian territory was divided into six counties; Greenville County was created in 1786. The village of Greenville Courthouse centered on a log courthouse built in 1795 near the Reedy River. Historians believe that Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene, who commanded Southern forces, is the source of Greenville’s name.

The Growth of Greenville

In 1836 businessman Vardry McBee constructed gristmills on the Reedy River, and established cotton manufacturing, a brickyard and other businesses in Greenville. He donated land for the city’s first schools and churches. Greenville’s economy initially centered on agriculture and small manufacturing. In the 1850s the emergence of Greenville as a center of higher education and the completion of the railroad line from Columbia transformed the town. Furman University began holding classes downtown in 1852. With the arrival of the rail line, goods sold in Greenville increased 45 percent in value between 1853 and 1860.

Civil War and Reconstruction

The majority of Greenville’s men fought for the Confederacy, in spite of widespread support for the Union. The town escaped most of the fighting, but three weeks after Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, a Yankee calvary rode through town searching for Jefferson Davis.

The city was chartered in 1869. The first textile mill was built in 1876, and by 1910 Greenville had become a cotton town. Fine houses in the Pettigru Street Historic District just east of town attest to the wealth generated by textiles.

A Textile Town

Beginning in 1905 thousands of poor Scots-Irish tenant farmers from nearby states came to Greenville for jobs. As mills prospered in the early 1920s, owners provided kindergartens, medical care and even golf courses. By mid-1933 the textile unions claimed a thousand members, but a nationwide strike in 1934 was opposed by a majority of Greenville workers. Ultimately the union was defeated in the area.

New Directions

In the 1920s Alester Furman and other businessmen established the first hospital and library, paved streets and upgraded parks. The Great Depression of 1929 brought Greenville’s economy to a standstill, and local mills experienced massive layoffs.

During World War II, a nearby air base (now Donaldson Industrial Center) brought thousands of airmen to the area, including the base’s builder, Charles Daniel. As president of his construction firm, he became Greenville’s greatest promoter. In the 1950s and 60s, Daniel, Governor Fritz Hollings and state Economic Development Coordinator Francis Hipp lured northern companies to the Upcountry. When French tire manufacturer Michelin chose Greenville as its North American headquarters in 1986, a rush of foreign investment began, including Japan’s Hitachi and Canada’s Bowater. German automaker BMW’s move here was followed by some 30 suppliers in the early 1990s. County population swelled to nearly 380,000. Today more than 200 internationally owned companies operate in the Upcountry.

In Greenville’s growing Eastside region, technology is bringing the Upcountry to the forefront of the automotive industry. Begun in 2005, Clemson University’s cutting edge International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) is on its way to becoming “the premier automotive and motorsports research and educational facility in the world.”

Joel Poinsett Joel Roberts Poinsett (1779-1851) was a well-educated Charlestonian who spoke several languages, read law and traveled extensively. In 1816 he settled in South Carolina and that year, was elected to the state General Assembly. Later, as director of the state’s public works, he oversaw the building of a road from Charleston to Asheville and designed the road’s bridges, including Poinsett Bridge. He served in the U.S. Congress, and in 1826 President Monroe appointed him minister plenipotentiary to Mexico, where he discovered the red Christmas flower that bears his name. Although Poinsett’s contributions as a statesman may have been forgotten, his memory lives on in many Greenville places that bear his name.

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 theater companies. Four independent theaters present several plays a year.

Notable event venues

• Bi-Lo Center, a 16,000-seat arena in downtown Greenville which hosts major concerts and sporting events each year.
• Peace Center, a performing arts center that hosts touring Broadway shows, symphonies, concerts, and civic events.
• Centre Stage, Greenville's Professional Theater is a year-round theater hosting the annual New Play Festival.

Shopping

Greenville is the main shopping destination of The Upstate region. Downtown Greenville is home to many specialty shops and boutiques. The Haywood Mall is a major mall in the area.

Landmarks

Falls Park on the Reedy

View of park from foot bridge showing cascades.

File:Fallgvl.jpg

Pedestrian activity on Main Street during "Fall for Greenville"

File:Mainstgvl.jpg

Greenville's tree-lined Main Street

• Falls Park on the Reedy, a large regional park in the West End with beautiful gardens and several waterfalls. The park is home to the Liberty Bridge, a pedestrian suspension bridge overlooking the Reedy River.
• Greenville County Museum of Art specializing in American art, frequently with a Southern perspective that dates back to the 1700s. It is noted for its collections of work by Andrew Wyeth and Jasper Johns, as well as a contemporary collection that features such notables as Andy Warhol, Georgia O'Keeffe, and others.
• Bob Jones University Museum and Gallery, a collection of religious art, is located on the campus of Bob Jones University. They also sponsor the Museum and Gallery at Heritage Green a smaller, centrally located satellite of the larger University Museum and Gallery.
• Greenville Zoo, in Cleveland Park.
• Roper Mountain Science Center is a resource for area students, and is home to the largest planetarium in South Carolina.
• The Furman University campus features a prominent Bell Tower housing a 61 Bell Carillon, one of the largest in the southeast. The campus also contains an authentic Japanese Garden.
• The former Duke Power building and Greenville Waterworks. located off Highway 123 and Washington Street Downtown. The Duke Power building's lobby contains a custom made chandelier that weighs over 2 tons.

Notable annual events

• United States Road Race Cycling Championships - held in early September and brings professional cyclists to vie for the crown as the United States National Road Race Champion and Time Trial Champion.
• Southern Exposure festival - mid-September food event.

Downtown renewal

Greenville’s Transformation

Walking down Main Street, one would never believe that this tree-lined street, bustling with activity, was once mostly vacant. Today, downtown Greenville is home to over 90 unique restaurants, specialty retail, a residential neighborhood and hundreds of thousands of visitors attending concerts, museums, theaters, festivals, sporting events and more.

Thirty years ago, Main Street looked quite different. As was the case throughout the country, suburban retail centers had eroded Main Street’s role as the major retail hub in the region. Even though Greenville, nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains midway between Atlanta, GA and Charlotte, NC, was thriving, its downtown was not participating in that growth.

To meet the challenge, Greenville embraced the new industry of downtown redevelopment, making the city one of the early pioneers in reclaiming downtown’s prominence. Greenville set out to remake Main Street and create an atmosphere that would be conducive to office, residential, specialty retail, entertainment and the arts. Downtown’s renaissance has been an evolutionary process marked with significant achievements over the past 30 years.

The Approach

In 1977, Greenville assessed what it had and realized that something dramatic needed to happen. Downtown had to be repositioned to provide a distinctive environment. In fact, it was the focus on differentiating Greenville that led to a very systematic and deliberate approach. The master plan initially focused on the design elements of downtown, later detailing specific actions. But the major components of downtown Greenville’s revitalization focused on changing downtown’s image and creating mixed-use anchors through public-private partnerships.

The Main Street streetscape design, completed in 1979, marked the first physical improvement in downtown and began the transformation. Main Street was reduced from four lanes to two and sidewalks were widened for easier walking and outdoor dining. Street trees were planted to further enhance the pedestrian experience. Parallel parking was replaced with diagonal parking, interspersed with seasonal plantings.

What then moved Greenville ahead was its successful alliance of public and private investment. Thinking of the City as the spark plug and the private sector as the engine, Greenville stepped forward to provide the impetus for private investment to occur and the environment for it to continue.

Greenville Commons

The first successful partnership anchor for Greenville was the Greenville Commons, a mixed-use facility that incorporated a Hyatt Regency Hotel, convention center, office, retail, parking and public plaza/atrium and opened in 1982. The City, utilizing mostly federal grants, purchased the land; built the convention center, parking garage and public space; then leased air rights for the hotel and office building. The plaza is considered a city park. A group of local business people partnered with the City to provide the initial capital and assume the risk. In this partnership, the first of many throughout the years, the City’s financial participation was almost one-third of the entire project.

Since the Commons was completed in 1982, private investors, public philanthropists and city government have united to successfully develop other important mixed-use anchors throughout the downtown, assuming many forms and levels of participation. Common denominators, however, have been the strategically focused location and mixed-used nature of the projects. Federal grants have long since gone, forcing the City to seek other funding sources such as tax increment financing, accommodation and hospitality taxes and parking revenue bonds.

Peace Center for the Performing Arts

A languishing industrial area was redeveloped into a performing arts complex in 1990 that incorporated historically significant buildings with dramatic new architecture and landscaping. The complex stabilized a less than desirable area, and linked downtown to a hidden asset – a river, waterfall and park. The performing arts center includes major newly-constructed performing venues and renovated historic structures housing restaurants, offices and retail space. The Peace Center gave people a reason to come downtown on nights and weekends. A local family provided a $10 million commitment to kick off the project, with the City acquiring the property (through tax increment financing) and providing the landscaping and amenities. Eminent domain, used sparingly in Greenville, was necessary to secure some of the property.

West End Market

To continue the vision, another anchor, the West End Market, opened in 1995. With a private donation of neglected, historic buildings, the City developed a major 45,000- square-foot destination for residents and tourists alike. Recognizing that private investments would not be forthcoming without a major spark, the City assumed the developer role to create a market with office, retail, restaurants, artisans and a traditional farmers’ market, all in a festive and park-like setting.

The financing structure required the pooling of myriad sources: Tax increment financing, a HUD Section 108 loan, grants, City general fund dollars and even the sale of personalized bricks were used. The City took a significant risk, but learned first-hand the private side of the equation. The West End Market was sold in 2005, yielding a net profit to invest in other City projects.

Poinsett Plaza/Hotel

Sometimes, mixed-use development includes multiple buildings and developers all within the same project. The City was working with the owner of a vacant historic hotel when it realized that the parking structure required to support the hotel should be sized to accommodate other potential developments. The City approached a local bank, then housed in an historic building on the block, which had expressed interest in additional space. A developer was identified and in 2000, the result was a renovated 204-room hotel, a new 220,000-square-foot office building with residential penthouses and the renovation of a vacant educational wing of a church into 44 condominium units.

Tax increment financing was used to construct a parking garage with a design that incorporated the architectural elements of each development. Even though the City’s financial participation was necessary, perhaps more important was its role in bringing the various private partners together. Due to the confines of the space and the need to maintain tight schedules, the City became the facilitator, construction coordinator and mediator, holding weekly meetings with the multiple developers and contractors to keep the project on track.

West End Baseball Stadium After a 20-plus-year stand in a dated municipal stadium located on the outskirts of the city, the Greenville Braves requested a new stadium in a more prominent location. The City, seeing an opportunity in its downtown, assembled a vacant tract of land and began negotiations with the Braves. It didn’t work out with the Braves, but what first seemed to be a terrible loss to the community ended in an award-winning stadium surrounded by offices, restaurants and residential condominiums.

The City provided development-ready land and leased the property to the owners of a new team, the Greenville Drive (an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox). Funding for the project came primarily from tax increment financing, sale proceeds of the West End Market, hospitality funds and stormwater and sewer funds. The team owners constructed the stadium using all stadium and ticket revenues. The Greenville Drive now play in a neo-traditional designed stadium with a left-field wall reminiscent of Fenway Park’s 37-foot tall Green Monster, which opened in 2006. The stadium is surrounded by 40 residential condos and 51,000 square feet of offices and restaurant space. Now, even when the lights are dark in the stadium, the project is still alive with people.

Education

Furman University is in Greenville

Greenville's public elementary and secondary schools are part of the Greenville County School District, which is the largest district in South Carolina. Greenville is also served by a number of private and religious schools. One important landmark of education, the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities, is located in Greenville overlooking the Falls Park on the Reedy.

Greenville County has a total of 16 official public high schools:

• Berea High School
• Blue Ridge High School
• Carolina Academy
• Eastside High School (Taylors, South Carolina)
• Greenville Fine Arts Center
• South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities
• Greenville High Academy
• Greenville Technical Charter High School
• Greer High School
• Hillcrest High School
• J.L. Mann High School
• Mauldin High School
• Riverside High School
• Southside High School
• Travelers Rest High School
• Wade Hampton High School
• Woodmont High School

Greenville is also home to many private schools as well, including:

• Christ Church Episcopal School
• Hampton Park Christian School

Greenville city and county are home to several colleges, universities, and technical schools:

• Furman University
• Bob Jones University
• North Greenville University
• Greenville Technical College
• ECPI College of Technology
• ITT Technical Institute
• Strayer University
• University Center of Greenville
• Webster University

Economy

Greenville's economy was formerly based largely on textile manufacturing, and the city was once known as "The Textile Capital of the World." In the last few decades, low wages and favorable tax benefits have lured foreign companies to invest heavily in the area. The city is the North American headquarters for Michelin and sole manufacturing location for BMW in The Americas. Recently, the International Center for Automotive Research has been created

When the former Donaldson Air Force Base closed, the land became the Donaldson Center Industrial Air Park, and is home to a Lockheed Martin Aircraft and Logistics Center, as well as 3M and Honeywell.

Also, General Electric company has a gas turbine and wind energy manufacturing operation here.

The Thomas Creek Brewery was founded on Piedmont Hwy in 1998. The company produces a range of beers, including Mobius, a lager containing taurine, ginseng, caffeine, and thiamine.

Hospitals

Greenville is a respected medical center and has two main health systems.

Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, which includes ST. FRANCIS downtown, ST. FRANCIS eastside, St. Francis Outpatient Center and Upstate Surgery Center, is ranked among the best hospitals in the nation by HealthGrades for heart surgery and overall orthopedic services.

The extensive Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center is a non-profit academic medical center which, with five campuses, including Patewood Memorial Hospital, is one of the largest employers in the region.

Additionally, Greenville Shriners Hospital exclusively treats pediatric orthopaedic patients free of charge.

Transportation

Greenville is located on the Interstate 85 corridor, approximately halfway between Atlanta and Charlotte. The northern terminus of Interstate 385 is located downtown, and the area is also served by Interstate 185 and U.S. Highway 123 (Calhoun Memorial Highway). Other major highways include U.S. 25, U.S. 29 and U.S. 276.

There are several airports servicing the Greenville area. The largest in the region, Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP), is the second busiest in the state and is served by most major airlines. The Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU), capable of landing private jets, helicopters, and other aircraft, is the third-busiest in the state. Greenville serves as a freight hub for FedEx Express, Air Canada, Lufthansa, and British Airways.

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. Additionally, Greenville is a part of the proposed Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor, which will run from Washington, DC to Birmingham, AL.

Public transit in Greenville is handled by the Greenville Transit Authority (GTA). GTA runs a bus system that serves the Greenville area and much of Greenville County. In preparation for the future, city leaders are in the early planning stages for a comprehensive transit system that will help ease the high traffic volume on interstates and roadways. Considerations for the expansion of the current GTA bus routes, creation of a tram-trail running from Travelers Rest to Downtown Greenville, and discussions on the future potential for commuter rail and light rail transit systems will connect suburban commuter stations with urban destinations, office parks, and retail centers.

Sports teams

Spectators at a Greenville Drive game

Greenville has hosted several minor league sports teams:

• Greenville Drive (for a short time, Greenville Bombers), a single A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox in the South Atlantic League. The Drive started their first season in their new downtown ballpark on April 6, 2006, which, prior to the start of the 2008 season, was renamed Fluor Field at the West End.
• South Carolina Force, an indoor football team in the American Indoor Football Association set to begin play in 2009.
• Greenville Grrrowl, a minor league hockey team in the ECHL. League Champions in 2001-02. Ceased operations in July 2006.
• Greenville Braves, a minor league baseball team that played there from 1984 until 2004. Moved to Pearl, Mississippi for the 2005 season.
• Greenville Groove, a minor league basketball team in the NBA D-League. Ceased operations in 2003.
• Greenville Griffins, a rugby union team that competes in USA Rugby South Division II
• Carolina Rhinos, an arena football team in the af2 that began in 2000 and ceased operations in 2002.

Furman University:

• The Furman Paladins. Furman competes at the NCAA Division I level. (Note: Furman football is a member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision.) Furman athletic teams compete on-campus in various venues, including Paladin Stadium, Timmons Arena, and the Eugene Stone Soccer Stadium. Furman is a member of the Southern Conference.

There are at least 4 stadiums for football and baseball located within the city, and many outside, with total capacities of 100,000. There are also a number of soccer fields and at least three municipal and many private community swimming pools.

Yachting and boating are also popular in Greenville. Although the city itself is landlocked, nearby Lakes Jocassee, Keowee, and Hartwell afford this activity within 50 miles (80 km) of Greenville.

The Olympic Torch has passed through Greenville several times, and the city is an active participant in the Special Olympics.

During the 2008 Little League World Series it was revealed that Greenville, along with Morganton, NC and Warner Robins, GA, are the finalists to receive the Southeast Regional Headquarters that was originally located in Gulfport, FL.

The arts

Greenville has a thriving arts community, with a number of venues to support performances. Greenville has been named one of the "Top 100 Arts Small Towns in the United States." The Bi-Lo Center, constructed in 1998, brings national tours of many popular bands to downtown, and the Peace Center for the Performing Arts provides an excellent venue for orchestras and plays.

Visual art

A number of local artists operate studios and galleries in the city, especially the West End area of downtown. Greenville also provides some notable fine arts museums:

• The Greenville County Museum of Art, home of the Andrew Wyeth Collection, was founded with a significant contribution from local industrialist, Arthur McGill. Today it attracts art scholars from all over the country, and contains pieces by Jackson Pollock, Jonathan Greene, Georgia O'Keeffe and native South Carolinians such as Jasper Johns and William H. Johnson.
• The Bob Jones University Museum & Gallery contains one of the finest collections of European masterworks in the United States and is especially strong in the French and Italian Baroque. The collection includes more than 400 paintings from the 14th to through the 19th centuries, period furniture, ancient egyption artifacts, and a notable collection of Russian icons. Included are works by Rubens, Rembrandt, Tintoretto, Veronese, Cranach, Gerard David, Murillo, Mattia Preti, Ribera, van Dyck, and Doré. Seven very large canvases, part of a series by Benjamin West called "The Progress of Revealed Religion", are displayed in the War Memorial Chapel.

Music

Greenville has an active music scene, with frequent live performances in the downtown area by local Jazz, Country, and Rock bands.

The city is home to a number of local orchestras, including the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, Greenville County Youth Orchestra, Carolina Youth Symphony, and the Carolina Pops Orchestra. The Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Greenville native Keith Lockhart, regularly performs at the Bi-Lo Center. Furman and Bob Jones Universities offer courses in operatic singing, and BJU has staged a full-scale grand opera each March for more than fifty years.

Dance and theatre

The Carolina Ballet Theatre is a professional dance company which regularly presents programs at the Peace Center and elsewhere. Their major annual event is the presentation of Tschaikovsky's Nutcracker Ballet. Centre Stage, Greenville's Professional Theater is a year-round, 285-seat professional theater producing a full season of music, comedy, drama and special events. Other theatres in the area include the Greenville Little Theater, South Carolina Children's Theater and the Warehouse Theatre.

Literature

A number of notable writers have lived in downtown Greenville or nearby. Internationally known author and composer William Rowland lives in the city, as does novelist and educator Robert Powell as well as New York Times best selling children's author Melinda Long, and novelists Ashley Warlick and Mindy Friddle. Renowned playwright James Rasheed lives in Greenville, and the late Poet Laureate Carl Sandburg was a frequent visitor.

Media

The Greenville News is the city's daily newspaper and also the Upstate's largest daily newspaper in circulation and readership.

Greenville Journal: Weekly newspaper dealing with business, economic development, local events, and current issues relevant to Greenville.

GSA Business: Published every two weeks, it covers business news from across the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson metro area.

Greenville Magazine: Monthly magazine which caters to Greenville middle- and upper-class lifestyle.

Upstate Link magazine The Upstate's premiere young reader (20s-30s) newsweekly. The weekly publication began in January 2004. Link continues to be a print publication, but its Web site ceased operation in 2008. Its new Web site is run by Chicago-based Metromix.

Television

Greenville is part of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson-Asheville DMA which is the nation's 36th largest television market. See the box below for the local television stations:

Radio

Greenville is part of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson Arbitron Metro which is the nation's 60th largest radio market with a person 12+ population of 813,700. See the box below for the local radio stations:

Greenville is also home to WMXP-LP, 95.5 FM. WMXP is a low power (LPFM) community radio station owned by the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement. It was constructed with the help of almost 200 volunteers from around the state and nation at the eleventh Prometheus Radio Project community radio barn raising.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1840	3,347		—
1850	6,175		84.5%
1860	8,500		37.7%
1870	7,871		−7.4%
1880	7,365		−6.4%
1890	9,835		33.5%
1900	12,272		24.8%
1910	16,452		34.1%
1920	20,169		22.6%
1930	26,680		32.3%
1940	34,960		31.0%
1950	49,837		42.6%
1960	56,292		13.0%
1970	62,976		11.9%
1980	64,834		3.0%
1990	58,451		−9.8%
2000	56,002		−4.2%
2008 (est.)	57,933

Location of the Greenville-Mauldin-Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area in South Carolina

Greenville is the largest principal city of the Greenville-Mauldin-Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan area that covers Greenville, Laurens, and Pickens counties and had a combined population of 575,681 at the 2000 census.Template:GR

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 56,002 people, 24,382 households, and 12,581 families residing in the city. The population density was 829.4/km² (2,148.0/mi²). There were 27,295 housing units at an average density of 404.2/km² (1,046.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 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. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.44% of the population.

There were 24,382 households out of which 22.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.7% were married couples living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.4% were non-families. 40.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the city the population was 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 were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,144, and the median income for a family was $44,125. Males had a median income of $35,111 versus $25,339 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,242. About 12.2% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.7% of those under age 18 and 17.5% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people from Greenville

Notable figures who were born in, lived in, or are otherwise associated with Greenville.

Scientists

• Wayne Oates (1917-1999), psychologist who shaped pastoral counseling and coined the word 'workaholic'.
• Charles H. Townes (1915-), Nobel Prize-winning physicist; invented the laser.
• John B. Watson, influential psychologist, established the psychological school of behaviorism.

Athletes

• Brandon Bennett, professional football player
• Kevin Garnett, professional basketball player from Mauldin, SC.
• Lucas Glover, professional golfer, 2009 U.S. Open Champion
• Andre Goodman, Professional football player for the Miami Dolphins.
• Jay Haas and Bill Haas, professional golfers.
• George Hincapie, professional cyclist, Paris-Roubaix runner up.
• "Shoeless Joe" Jackson (1889-1951), Major League baseball player with the third-highest career batting average in history.
• David Jones, Professional Football player, Cincinnati Bengals.
• Tommy Jones, professional bowler.
• Jason Keller, Nationwide Series Nascar Driver
• Charles Warren, professional golfer.
• Travelle Wharton, Professional Football Player, Carolina Panthers.

Musicians

• Peg Leg Bates, from the little town of Fountain Inn South Carolina in southern Greenville County.
• Browning Bryant, singer-songwriter.
• Peabo Bryson, singer.
• Mike Carroll, vocalist/guitarist for popular "shoegaze/emo" group Autumns Jones.
• Jon Crocker, singer-songwriter.
• Jesse "The Devil" Hughes, vocalist/guitarist for the Eagles of Death Metal.
• Dan Forrest, composer, teacher, and winner of numerous composition prizes, including the John Ness Beck Award for his music.
• Hovie Lister, pianist/vocalist for the Statesman Quartet.
• Keith Lockhart, noted performer and conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra.
• Edwin McCain, pop/rock singer-songwriter.
• Emile Pandolfi, pianist.
• Joan Pinkston, composer of hymn tunes and traditional Christian sacred music.
• Karl Sanders vocalist/guitarist for the Egyptian-themed death metal band Nile.
• Chris Sligh, American Idol Season 6 contestant.
• Aaron Tippin, country music star.
• Josh White (c.1915-1969), folk, blues, and gospel singer and guitarist.

Politicians and clergy

• Jim DeMint (born 1951), U.S. Senator from South Carolina.
• Jesse Jackson (born 1941), two-time presidential candidate, civil rights activist, and Baptist minister.
• Robert Reynolds "Bob" Jones, Sr. (1883-1968), evangelist, founder of Bob Jones University.
• William H. Perry (1839-1902), United States Representative from South Carolina.
• John Piper (1946-), theologian, minister and author, spent most of his youth in Greenville.
• Harry A. Slattery (1887–1949), American lawyer and statesman, US Under Secretary of the Interior from 1938-39 and gave his name to the Slattery Report.

Authors

• Dorothy Allison, author of Bastard Out of Carolina who now lives in Los Angeles area.
• Cat Bauer, author of Harley, Like a Person and Harley's Ninth who now lives in Venice, Italy.
• John Culbertson, published playwright of Messiah on the Frigidaire and The Spectator Sport.
• Nicholas Sparks, author. Message in a Bottle was written in Simpsonville.
• Jamie Langston Turner, (1949-) educator and novelist, author of six books including the Christy Award Winning novels, "Winter Birds" and "Some Garden to Keep", published by Bethany House Publishers.

Actors and Journalists

• Frank Blair (1916-1995), anchor of NBC's Today Show from 1953 to 1975. Formerly worked at WFBC-TV (now WYFF) in Greenville.
• Tim Brosnan, Actor, playwright, composer
• William M. Campbell, named president of Discovery Networks U.S. in May 2002.
• Tyler Florence, Food Network Chef, cookbook author.
• Bo Hopkins, actor.
• Orlando Jones, actor.
• Anne Pressly, Former journalist for Little Rock, Arkansas KATV, before she was brutally beaten. She later died from her injuries.
• Jane Robelot, Anchored CBS This Morning from August 1996 until June 1999.
• Joanne Woodward, Academy Award-winning actress and wife of Paul Newman.

Artists

• Keelan Parham, cartoonist,author

Military Figures

• Rudolf Anderson, became the only combat casualty in the Cuban Missile Crisis when his U-2 spy plane was shot down.
• Richard Pearis, early settler and Loyalist militia officer during the American Revolution.
• John M. McConnell, former director of the NSA, retired Vice Admiral of the Navy.

See also

• List of Neighborhoods in Greenville, South Carolina

External links

• The official website of the County of Greenville
• The official website of the City of Greenville and the Greenville CVB
• Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce
• The Greenville News : Local Newspaper