Lee Cunningham - Greenville SC Real Estate

USA Professional Bicycling Championship on top of Paris Mt.

Greenville is hoping to extend the stay for the USA pro bike championship from one to three years. The championships helps tremendously in Greenville's quest to attain silver status with the League of American Bicyclists. The status would make Greenville one of the first cities in the southeast to be noted as bike friendly. A key component for keeping the race is sponsorship. This year marks the race's third year on its initial three year contract with the race organizers. The race runs across Paris Mountain and through Downtown Greenville. Greenville's pursuit of bike friendly status draws more young urban professionals and companies which employ them to the area and increases the desirability of Greenville South Carolina real estate.

Lee and I went for a date in Downtown Greenville last night. We got to see first hand what we are always writing about - Riverplace, Falls park, the swamp rabbit trail and children's garden to name a few things. We ate dinner close to the Reedy River and walked a mile up the Swamp Rabbit trail. The children's garden is really shaping up and becoming more mature and beautiful. It was fun to point out all the new Greenville SC Real Estate developments like The Brownstones and The Field House next to the Greenville Drive's wonderful new baseball stadium. We checked out the new artist space under the riverplace development. The new studios have lots more room for the artists to actually work there. Only one was open so far. The old units are small, but filled with pretty cool works.

What amazed me though was how many people were showing up after dark. People were walking around and the coolest was that there were several different groups of musicians playing on the street and in the park. Totally cool atmosphere with the incredible landscaping and lighting they have put into the park, the music, cafes, restaurants, fountains and most importantly people.The city of Greenville is going to make sure downtown Greenville stays a cool for people to come.

In an expansion of the arts base here, the second phase of Art Crossing in the West End's Riverplace has opened on the bottom level of the Bounce Building. It will provide common gallery space for seven artists as well as individual studio space. The first phase, which you pass as you stroll upriver from Falls Park, has been very successful, but does not provide much studio space. Greenville Technical College's art program will also occupy about 500 square feet of space and offer a class on how to operate a gallery. The Greenville SC Real Estate in the area appreciates due to the proximity of the arts.

The SC Arts Commission recently reported that arts and culture contributed $2.4 billion to the state's economy in 2006, up 30% from 2001. That may be difficult to measure locally, but Greenville has certainly seen an impact from the arts. "The creative types like to be in a cool place, and Greenville is a cool place", says Ken May, deputy director of the South Carolina Arts Commission. Arts also have influence on relocation to the area, according to the Greenville Hospital System. When the GHS University Medical Center recruits physicians, the prospects have inevitably done their research on the availability of cultural amenities and it plays a large part in their decision to buy Greenville SC Real Estate.

IMAX movies are coming to Greenville. Regal Entertainment Group is converting a screen at their Hollywood 20 on Woodruff Road into an IMAX screen. The screen is slightly curved and moved closer to the audience. The IMAX will be the only one in the Upstate. The IMAX expects to open in time for the release of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," scheduled for release November 21st. For information on Greenville South Carolina Real Estate on or near Woodruff Road contact us.