Furman University - Local Atmosphere

College Prowler Take

For a city of its size, Greenville has much to offer. There is an array of restaurants and interesting cultural activities. The city is also on the national tour of many Broadway shows and has several excellent music venues. Although Greenville does not have a college-town atmosphere, students don’t really seem to mind. The friendly Southern tone makes the town an inviting place to live. Of course, with Southern hospitality comes Southern conservatism. While this is a draw for some students, others find it hard to digest the Bible-belt mentality. But Greenville residents are not all Bible-thumping conservatives. The city has a wide variety of cultural and ideological diversity.

Coming from a major city to Greenville may be a bit of a shock, but students soon discover that there is much more than first meets the eye. The biggest downside to Greenville is that it is so spread out. However, downtown is the center of cultural activity. There are theaters, museums, galleries, upscale restaurants, and retail shops. Although many students find it difficult to venture out of the Furman bubble during their freshman year, as soon as they immerse themselves in the downtown atmosphere, they will wish they had done it sooner.

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Students Speak Out

Anonymous says:

It has enough of a large-city... It has enough of a large-city environment so that there are plenty of restaurants, a nice mall, and some concert venues. At the same time, Greenville still has a small-town feel to it. It’s definitely not a college town, although there are a few other small schools nearby. Downtown is really precious. It has some great restaurants and some really fun ice cream and coffee shops. It’s like some cute little town you’d see in a movie. If you’re going to go anywhere for a night in Greenville, head downtown for a fun night out! 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

I’ve really enjoyed going to... I’ve really enjoyed going to school in Greenville. It’s not huge, but it’s not too small either. We have two malls, a fabulous downtown area, which is great for window shopping and strolling, and we definitely do not hurt for restaurants! There are also lots of great bars and a few venues to visit for concerts and dancing. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

There is not much to stay away... There is not much to stay away from, I just would not go anywhere alone at night unless it’s just to the grocery store. I would recommend visiting all the shops in downtown, especially Marble Slab. Other places to go are Reedy River Park, Paris Mountain State Park, Ceasar’s Head, and Table Rock, and the drive to Asheville is amazing in the fall. You can pick apples there! 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

Greenville definitely feels large... Greenville definitely feels large to people from small towns or rural areas, but people from large cities may feel cramped. However, there are ample places to shop, eat, and go out around Greenville. Accessibility to downtown Greenville, with its eateries, bars, shops and museums is one of my favorite parts of going to Furman. My favorite little-known spot is Blindhorse Saloon, where you can line-dance the night away with Greenville locals and forget about tests and papers. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

There is not as much stuff to do... There is not as much stuff to do in Greenville as there is in Atlanta or Charlotte, but there is still plenty to do. It almost seems as though every month or so, something new is coming in and making a splash. There are a few other universities here but nothing that rivals Furman’s prestige. We’re the big cats here, and the University gets a lot of attention from the community and media. It’s great. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Facts

Did You Know?

5 Fun Facts about Greenville:
• Downtown Greenville earned a 2003 Great American Main Street Award for its revitalized downtown district.
• There are nine life-size bronze mice located throughout downtown. You’ll have to walk through downtown with your eyes on the ground in order to spot them all.
• Old Spice named Greenville the second sweatiest city in America in its top “100 Sweatiest Cities” list.
• Greenville has an unusually large number of cultural activities for its size. The Peace Center downtown hosts national tours of Broadway shows that ordinarily only come to cities several times larger.
• Paris Mountain, located just outside of Furman’s campus, got its name from a mistranslation of the name ‘Pearis.’ Richard Pearis was the first white man to enter the area, which was then part of the Cherokee nation, in 1765.

Famous People from Greenville:
Jesse Jackson
“Shoeless” Joe Jackson
Edwin McCain
Frank Selvy
Aaron Tippin
Josh White
Joanne Woodward

Local Slang:
ATL – Short for Atlanta.
G-Vegas – Nickname for Greenville.
TR – Short for Travelers Rest, the town just north of campus.

Most Recent Contributing Author

Name: Tenell Felder
Hometown: Columbia, SC
Major: Political Science/Communications

Tenell has smelled lightning before during a very severe thunderstorm. Considering that she is terrified of thunderstorms, this was a semi-tramatic experience but also a really cool one.

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