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| Greenville |
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ome people just have to buck the trends. “Most people retire and move to Florida,” says Fran Giese, chuckling. “My husband, Larry, and I did just the opposite.”
The Clearwater residents chose the Blue Ridge city of Greenville, not far from Mrs. Giese's childhood home of Pickens. Mr. Giese, a Chicago native who'd lived in Florida most of his life, longed for four seasons, a cooler climate, and topography that wasn't so flat.
“I was tired of walking outside in an oven,” he says. “After 20 years of coming here to visit, I thought I'd like to live here.”
His wife still has close family in the area, so their retirement has been more of a homecoming. But Greenville's not the place it was when she left 32 years ago.
Greenville today simmers with international commerce and higher education. Furman University is here, as well as a technical college.
In addition to nearby college teams, Greenville has sports of its own. The Greenville Grrrowl hockey team plays at the city's $64 million, 16,000-seat Bi-Lo Center. Named for the regional supermarket enterprise that helped get it built, the Bi-Lo Center is South Carolina's largest indoor sports and entertainment complex. Concerts are held here too: Rod Stewart, Shania Twain, and Tony Bennett are just a few recent headliners.
Greenville's Main Street is the envy of many Southern cities. It's a leafy, lengthy stroll that affords the pedestrian a variety of experiences.
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tep into the historic Poinsett Hotel, exquisitely restored into a Westin property. Pop into a high-end boutique or one of several interesting cafes. No less than 60 restaurants and nightclubs draw locals and traveling business executives.
“Despite its growth, housing remains affordable,” says Dan Joyner, President of Prudential C. Dan Joyner Realty. “In just about every publication we see, Greenville is listed as one of the top 10 quality-of-life areas in the nation,” he said. “And yet, housing is considerably lower than housing in Charlotte or Atlanta.”
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In just about every publication, Greenville is listed as one of the top 10 quality of life areas in the
nation.
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The Peace Center for the Performing Arts is a $42 million dollar complex whose Concert Hall is acknowledged to be one of the finest performance facilities in the Southeast. Broadway comes to Greenville quite regularly now, attracting theater-lovers from several counties.
Meanwhile, the Greenville County Museum of Art is home to the largest collection of Andrew Wyeth watercolors in the country – second only to his native Pennsylvania. The Governor's School for Arts & Humanities educates the state's brightest high school juniors and seniors; South Carolina's oldest symphony is still in fine fiddle after 50-some years.
The Gieses are happy they're here. So is Fifi, their poodle. And their best friends from Florida have sold their home and are on the way, too.
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Aida Rogers has
worked in newspapers, magazines, legal newsletters and television.
The USC graduate and Lexington, SC, native currently is managing
editor of Sandlapper, The Magazine of South Carolina, for
which she writes a column about the most popular restaurants in
The Palmetto State. Call her with your favorites at (803) 808-1664.
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Katherine O. Pettit has worked as a writer, magazine editor, printer and
public relations consultant. The Columbia resident has published
more than 250 articles in magazines and newspapers. Her writing
explores a variety of subjects including travel, lifestyles, business
and management.
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