5 Reasons Why #YeahTHATGreenville Should Be On Your Summer Travel List
#YeahTHATGreenville has been making headlines like crazy in the past few months. The once sketchy downtown has turned into one of the most thriving areas in the country. And people are noticing. The city has been mentioned in publications like The Atlantic, Travel+Leisure, The Pacific, The Boston Globe, The NY Times, Outside Magazine and so many others. Honestly it is really easy to see why; it is a foodie haven, a theatre wonderland, and an adventure waiting to happen! Here are my top 5 reasons Greenville, SC is a place you GOTTA be this summer!
1. Food, food, and more food!
The Greenville food scene is a vast (and delicious) one. Restaurants range from artery-clogging southern home-style cooking like Tupelo Honey and Biscuit Head; to locally-sourced, fresh out-of-the-garden plates like Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Caviar and Bananas. And for dessert and coffee, places like Tandem Crêperie and Methodical Coffee are king! No matter what your poison is, Greenville is bound to have it in one of its 120+ locally-owned restaurants downtown.
2. The Exercise Culture
You can not go a block in Greenville without seeing someone jogging, biking, or walking their dog. It’s in Greenvillians’ DNA! Places like Southern Pressed Juicery and Happy and Hale regularly offer free yoga and barre classes (and some awesome smoothie discounts.) Bike rental is easy and painless, and is very convenient for anyone looking to ride on the beautiful Swamp Rabbit Trail. If you’re feeling wild, you could even go try a goat (yes, goat) yoga class at Sparrow Yoga!
3. The Blue Ridge Mountains
Sitting above Greenville are beautiful hikes at Caesar’s Head State Park, Paris Mountain, and Jones Gap State Park. Some of the most breathtaking views in SC are just waiting right outside the city! And after you hike, you can stop at one of the many local farms for some berry or apple picking on the way back to town!
4. There are so many new things to try
The inventiveness of Greenvillians, and their willingness to share their ideas, never ceases to surprise me. Waiting to start your career as a cutie indie barista extraordinaire? We got a class for that at Methodical Coffee. Ready to kick some literal butt? Try Krav Maga at Premier Martial Arts. Planning to be an SNL star? Head to some improv classes at Coffee Underground. There is always some crazy cool class going on!
5. The Arts
The arts community in Greenville is absolutely unbelievable. Greenville has not one, but two performing arts high schools. One of which is the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities- the only publicly funded arts boarding school in the entire country. There are multiple local theatre companies, like the Warehouse Theatre, which has *free* Shakespeare in the Park during the summers. There are also over 20 local artist studios downtown, which are often open for tours. Street musicians dot the sidewalks and make any day in Greenville a melodious one. The list goes on! No matter what your preferred art is, #yeahTHATgreenville is there for you.
These are my top 5 reasons why #yeahTHATGreenville should be on your summer travel list this year! Where are you planning on going? Share in the comments!
Featured Image Source: weheartit.com
"Southern by birth. Cynic by choice. Find me on Instagram at @emilykateseymour"