The Village Of West Greenville, South Carolina

Less than two miles from Main Street, The Village of West Greenville has been quietly expanding and preparing for its moment of prominence. Thanks to a master plan initiated in 2014 to make the area more pedestrian and visitor friendly, the area is emerging as what some are calling Greenville’s SoHo, with a strong emphasis on the arts and the independent creative business. With 30 exclusive restaurants, galleries and stores, new businesses continue to move to the district.

THE Greenville Center for the Creative Arts anchors the Village is helping to transform the neighborhood with monthly open events on the first Friday that attract hundreds, while offering weekly art classes in a variety of media. Local artists like Patricia Kilburg, Darin Gurke and Sunny Mullarke have their studios in the Village. Kilburg says: “Greenville, South Carolina, our home since 1990, is rich in cultural offerings. In this place there is a synergy between visual art, music, dance and theater in combination with the natural beauty of the mountain, wood and water. Every day I experience an abundance of stimuli that generate ideas and compel me to paint. ”

Other artists and galleries include: Art and light gallery; The art; Kate Furman Jewelry. Throughout the year, the GCCA offers more than 10,000 experiences in visual arts through a rotating gallery with more than 200 artists from ten states. The annual Member Showcase presented 136 artists from the area.

Restaurants like The Anchorage, Bar Mars, the Village Grind, and Kuka Juice draw diners looking for some of the best in Greenville. Unlocked coffee toasters, led by Andres Camargo and Rocío Salazar’s Colombian husband and wife team, uses the store and roasting to train local women in shelters and support Colombian farmers by providing high quality coffee. Carmargo says: “Our goal is to bring the best flavor and aroma to each coffee bean, providing our customers with a real connection with the producers and the origin of the coffee they are drinking. Our roasting and cafeteria are focused on specialty coffees, distributing coffee as a wholesaler and retail store. We were both born and raised in Colombia, so coffee is running through our veins ”.

Carolina Bauernhaus Ale, a craft brewery and winery, offers craft beers, ciders and meads. It is a tribute to the rich agricultural resources of the interior of South Carolina, using locally sourced malt, grain, yeast and hops. Although brewing techniques may be inspired by Belgium, beers are by no means reverent to tradition. LaRue Fine Chocolate the owner, Elizabeth McDaniel, launched her artisanal chocolate business after spending years in the wine industry and as an amateur chocolatier. She developed her skills as a student at Ecole Chocolat and is a maître chocolatier. LaRue Fine Chocolates is a supplier of handmade chocolates made in small batches featuring local and organic ingredients, such as Bee Well honey, Happy Cow Creamery butter, Bulls Bay sea salt, Queen’s Cupboard sugar and Nellie T’s peanut butter. Six & Twenty Distillery, one of South Carolina’s leading craft distilleries, will also feature classes and tours along with an extensive cocktail and flight menu.

Culinary and Hospital Innovation Center– with weekly cooking classes (participatory and demo) open to the public, the incubator space will also serve to assist in the training of professionals for the local hospitality industry.

THE West Village Lofts at Brandon Mill helped attract residents to the community and attract even more restaurants and retailers to the changing area. West Village Lofts houses a variety of residential spaces that retain the old building’s charm while enhancing it with the power of contemporary interior design. Spacious plants, luxurious features and exclusive amenities create this unique place to call home.

Once the epicenter of the city’s textile production, the Village of West Greenville has transformed itself into a vibrant artistic and business district. Greenville visitors are advised to spend a little bit of quality here in order to soak up the friendly atmosphere that permeates the entire region.