Pleasantburg - Greenville, SC

In the early 1800s, Greenville itself held the name Pleasantburg. In 1869, the city became incorporated as Greenville. Throughout the 1900s, the Pleasantburg neighborhood grew just to the south; some of the original homes still stand.

The neighborhood sprung up around Pleasantburg Drive, which first started as a retail center for Greenville in the 1940s.

Residents can learn more about the history of the neighborhood, where they can take in western South Carolina history at the Upcountry History Museum, view over 40 computerized miniature trains at Miniature World of Trains, or visit the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum, set up in the baseball player’s former home.

If arts interest you, head over to the Greenville County Museum of Art. For annual events, the Artisphere in May brings to the area a performing and visual arts festival; in October, the neighbhorhood hosts for Fall for Greenville, a culinary festival with six stages for live entertainment.

Prefer something more refined? Make the short drive into downtown to enjoy a play at the Greenville Little Theater, take in a ballet at the Carolina Ballet Theater or delight your ears with a performance by the Greenville Symphony Orchestra.

For nightlife, locals choosing to stay nearby can enjoy tasty ales at Quest Brewing Company. With its own fresh-brewed craft beer, brewery tours, a taproom and special events, including a chili cook-off, Quest attracts locals looking to belly up for home brew. Come early, as they only stay open until 8 p.m. on the weekdays and 9 p.m. on the weekends. Also nearby, locals can enjoy Sky Lounge, a 9,000 square foot club with DJs, open on Friday and Saturday nights until 2:00 a.m.

As for dining, a few local restaurants and a number of chain restaurants lie along South Pleasantburg Drive and Highway 276/Laurens Road. Locals say the standouts among them include steak and wild game house Saskatoon and Middle Eastern restaurant and grocer the Pita House. Even if you’re not a falafel fan, patrons say you must try the chick pea delight that the Pita House serves. Made up of ground chick peas with natural seasoning cooked in 100 percent Mazola vegetable oil, this tasty treat has bold flavors surrounded by a crunchy exterior. You can order it as a sandwich served with lettuce, tomato, a pickle and chips or as an appetizer. Some say its better than what they have actually had in the Middle East.

In the mood for something beefier? Head over to Saskatoon for steaks, fish and wild game. House favorites include two tender and not gamey cuts, the hickory-grilled buffalo flank steak with caramelized onions and house-made BBQ sauce, and the ostrich, also grilled over live hickory, served alone as a simple cut. Add to your entrée the skin-on double mashed potatoes for a true meat and potato treat.

For more devine foodie-fare, make the short drive downtown for seafood at Soby’s, where locals love the she crab soup, a cream based soup with sherry and crab roe; some rank it as the best they have ever had. Follow your soup with the creamy goodness that defines Soby’s antebellum shrimp and grits. Served with Tennessee country sausage, Congaree Milling Company hominy grits and crusty bread makes a great option for dinner.

While some residents living adjacent to Pleasantburg Drive could walk to the retail establishments along the road, the majority of locals take to their cars for travel and appreciate local retailers’ parking lots plus over 700 free on-street parking spaces in downtown Greenville. Uber, Budget Cab and Yellow Cab serve the area, and you need to call ahead to arrange a pick-up.

The City of Greenville operates Greenlink, its public bus system throughout Greenville, including the Pleasantburg neighborhood. A one-way ticket costs you only $1.50. Bikers can enjoy traveling north and south on the 20-mile Swamp Rabbit trail that runs through the neighborhood. Otherwise, it proves safer for bikers to stick to neighborhood streets. For interstate travel, locals can be on Interstate 85, located less than a mile away, in under 2 minutes.

Locals gravitate to nature in Pleasantburg because it remains so accessible. Bike, jog or walk along the 20-mile Swamp Rabbit Trail situated along Reedy Creek. The trail takes you directly into Falls Park, where you can view botanical gardens and waterfalls. Gower Estate Park sits inside the neighborhood and provides residents with softball fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, playgrounds, picnic shelters, a horseshoe pit, a nine-hole disc golf course, 1-mile paved walking trail and a M60 Army tank for show.

Falls Park hosts a number of events throughout the year, such as the annual Heart Walk held in April. Be sure to check the calendar on the website for upcoming events. Both parks remain free and open year-round.

The cost of living in the neighborhood runs about the same as it does in the City of Greenville. A one-bedroom apartment averages $892 per month, and gas prices run 28 percent lower than the national average. You can ride the public bus, Greenlink, for only $1.50 one way and toss back a domestic beer for around $3.50.

The neighborhood provides a number of chain store shopping options, including nearby Shoppes at Plaza Green (Old Navy, Bed, Bath and Beyond, AC Moore, etc.) and Haywood Mall. Local retail shopping inside the neighborhood remains limited, so be sure to check out one local boutique that calls Pleasantburg home, Savvy. With a diversity of price points and styles, Savvy stocks dresses, tops and bottoms by a number of designers, including Cluny and Wilt.

Nearby in the West End neighborhood, locals also love the Pink Bee, where ladies can pick from clothing, shoes and accessories by labels such as Lilly Pulitzer and Vineyard Vines.

The City of Greenville hosts a farmers market, called the Saturday Market, on Saturday mornings, May through October, downtown. The market showcases local produce, cooking demonstrations and live music. For traditional shopping, upscale grocer the Fresh Market and full-service grocer Bi-Lo lie within the neighborhood.