Spring has brought big change to Greenville. Along with warm
weather the construction crews have set up all across town. We have a work site
just down the street since we’ve moved in (10 homes going up in the space
previously occupied by one) that we regularly visit to observe the construction
equipment and progress, and just down the block the other way a house was
completely gutted and rebuilt, the property subdivided with another home
(almost dwarfing the first but on a lot half as big) going up behind it. But
along with the spring weather it seems that everywhere we go work crews are
fixing roads, replacing pipes or building structures; even Main street is torn
up between the North Main area and downtown, presumably to replace the second
lane and parking spaces with planted medians. The Greenville airport is undergoing expansion (and we know this because we have just been there to pick up a guest!!!), and demolition was just completed on the old Piedmont Shirt Factory on Poinsett Highway. It's an exciting time to be a construction equipment-loving two year old in Greenville!
The big construction downtown is nearing to a close as the
Project One building shows visible progress. The Bergamo plaza was a hive of activity last week and
the boys watched the little excavators with delight on a walk through
downtown. One of the businesses in the new building has opened; Greenville is
the proud new home of an Anthropologie. We looped through to take a look, and I’ll
say more than one thing caught my eye although the price tags kept me from
bringing anything home. This wasn’t the case for a parade of customers exiting
bags in hand during the time we spent near the doors watching the construction
crew at work on the plaza.
If Anthropologie doesn’t have you excited, maybe the other
big name coming soon to a Greenville near you does? Cabela’s will be coming
next spring, on Woodruff in Magnolia Park. According to the Greenville News,
the new store will include a gun “library,” an indoor archery range, a deli, a
fudge shop with 40 different flavors and a replica of a mountain with models of
North American game animals. I’m interested to see how that will influence the
already congested traffic situation in the area, but also if it brings tourists
to town like it has in some other places. As soon as Sports Authority has
closed, demolition of the last Greenville mall buildings will begin, and if all goes according
to plan there will soon be a Toys R Us, a Babies R Us (moving from Haywood Rd.)
and the Cabela’s joining Costco and Rooms To Go.
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Who needs 40 flavors of fudge when we have the Marble Slab Creamery??? |
It isn’t just retail stores opening in Greenville, there are
a slew of new restaurants in town. A few of them center around fresh and local
ingredients, such as Roost, which I’ve had two opportunities to try. Then there
is Rare Steakhouse on the Piazza, across the plaza from the Project One
building on Main St. I’m torn between wanting to give it a try right away and
waiting until the construction is finished resulting in a nicer view. Of course
quite a few restaurants have closed; it looks like a relatively new restaurant
on Main St. – Yap! – has shuttered*, also a Greek place that we only just
discovered, Yia Yia’s at Night. But if you hadn’t heard the news, the Greenville landmark Clock Drive-In has renegotiated its lease and is remaining open.
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Breakfast at Femme au Foyer's |
Speaking of restaurants and food, Greenville is joining the
ranks of cities with food trucks. As with all new things there are spots that
need ironing out, and so according to some foodies a food truck war is being
waged, but I’m excited to see what the coming months will bring. An Upstate food blogger has written that the owner of the Trappe Door (one of
my favorite restaurants in Greenville) possibly has a food truck in the works, and that a
Cajun and a crepe truck will be joining Chocolate Moose, Pies R Squared, Neue Southern and Asada.
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Cherry blossom flower petals, short-sleeved shirts, sandals... it's spring! |
But all thoughts of food aside, the city is a completely
different one than we’ve been seeing the past couple of months. With cherries,
dogwoods and redbuds in bloom, tulips and phlox replacing the tired pansies,
long-dormant grass greening up and sunny blue skies overhead, it is hard to
avoid feeling as if the city is a waking sleeping beauty. Temperatures have
already climbed into the nineties, the kudzu is already budding out, and
although I fear this summer will be a scorcher, I can’t help but rejoice at the
beauty of spring in the South.
This newfound joy in what Greenville has to offer might be
because spring (and summer, I blinked) has arrived, or it might be because of
another big change – my sister Z is visiting. I wish it were for longer than
just six days (as do Lauris and Mikus who spend every waking minute asking her
to read, play or feed them), but we are sure making the most of the days we
have with her. Sightseeing, spring cleaning, hiking, lunching, we are keeping
busy and I can’t wait to share it all! Bučas,
tante Zinta, we are so
happy you’re here!!!
* 5/10/2013 Note: YAP! is remaining open after all, there was a period of a couple weeks that the restaurant was shuttered but it was for renovations, not because it's closing. With a new chef and new menu we might be headed downtown to try it out sometime soon...