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Climate
Spartanburg enjoys one of the most pleasant climates on the Eastern seaboard, moderate the year-round with four distinct seasons. Because it
lies in the foothills of the Appalachians, the temperature averages a pleasant 60 degrees F. (41 in winter and 78 in summer.)
Schools
Spartanburg County
schools have long been recognized in South Carolina and in the nation for their quality.
Spartanburg County is home to
seven public school districts comprised of more than
44,000 students. It has more than 39 elementary schools,
15 middle or junior high schools, nine high schools, and
four career centers or vocational schools. Many fully
accredited private and parochial schools also are
located in Spartanburg. Spartanburg High School in District 7 has won the U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Award for excellence three
times, the only public high school in the nation to do so. District 7 was among Money Magazine's "100 Top Schools in Towns You Can Afford" in its January 1996 issue.
A number of excellent private and parochial
schools and a variety of day care centers and kindergartens, private and public, add to the rich diversity of education in Spartanburg County.
Primary and secondary schools in Spartanburg County are
on the cutting edge of technology, boasting not only
early computer training and programs that challenge the
academically and artistically gifted, but curriculum
that focuses on building skills for those pursuing
various educational or job tracks.
Also located in Spartanburg is the SC School for the Deaf and Blind and the
Charles Lea Center, two unique facilities dedicated to aiding persons with special handicaps in achieving independent living. |
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Colleges
Few,
if any, cities the size of Spartanburg can
boast of six institutions of higher
learning. Wofford
College (1,327 men and women) and
Converse
College (773 undergraduate, and 1,165
graduate women) are private colleges which have been recognized in U.S. News and World
Report's Annual Survey as among the best
liberal arts colleges |
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in the Southeast and among
the 'best buys' in the entire nation. Converse College
offers graduate studies for approximately 500 students
in Education, Education Specialist, and Music.
The
University of South Carolina Upstate is a metropolitan university with an enrollment of
5,000 students in undergraduate and graduate programs.
USC Upstate is dedicated to serving the higher
education needs of Upstate South Carolina and to forging
close ties with the people of the region.
Spartanburg
Methodist is a fully accredited junior college while
Spartanburg Community
College provides quality training to support business and industry. Both of these schools offer university transfer programs. Also located in Spartanburg is
Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic.
Cultural
Spartanburg offers a variety of cultural activities. Its six colleges and universities provide a solid base of concerts, plays, lectures, and a variety of other
events, many open to the public, and many which are free. Twichell |
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Auditorium at Converse College, which was recently totally renovated, hosts numerous musical performances.
Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium brings national touring companies to town and provides
a high quality setting for numerous trade shows and other local events. Greenville's
Peace Center, only 30 minutes away, offers musicals, dance groups and opera theater associated with a much larger city.
Visit Spartanburg’s newest contribution to
the arts community,
The Chapman Cultural Center. The 86,000
square foot center is home to the cultural
community for visual and performing arts,
science and history. It’s situated downtown
adjacent to Barnet Park. It hosts a 500-seat
theatre which is home to the Spartanburg
Little Theatre, Youth Theatre, and
Spartanburg Repertory Company. The center is
also home to the Spartanburg County Museum
of Art, the Regional History Museum, Ballet
Spartanburg, the Spartanburg Science Center,
Artists’ Guild Gallery, Music Foundation of
Spartanburg, and the Arts Partnership.
Spartanburg's well-deserved reputation as a home for foreign business is enhanced by
Annual Events and Festivals such as the International Festival, a Greek Festival and Oktoberfest. Jazz in the Park, Spring
Fling and Music on Main, a free |
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after-work musical event on second and fourth Thursday evenings from April to mid-October, also offer opportunities to socialize while enjoying arts, crafts, food and music. A
new state-of-the-art library offering 105,000 square feet on three levels promises to be the focal point for the cultural life of the entire community. In addition to the main library, nine branch libraries, as well as
a bookmobile, serve the outlying areas. There are also many foreign-related organizations representing the community such as the Alliance Francais Du Piedmont, German -American Club, Hispanic Coalition, Irish Northern
Aid Carolina Unit, Santee Indian Nation, Swiss American Society of the Piedmont, and World African Cultural Institute (WACI).
Business and Industry
Spartanburg County has been cited numerous times as having one of the most hospitable business climates to be found anywhere. It is home to the BMW Manufacturing Corporation and more than 101 other international firms, |
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representing 16 countries. While
still a major center for textiles,
Spartanburg has diversified its economy in
the direction of automotive-related
industries, steel products, food processing
and a variety of others. Milliken Research Center is located at the intersection of Hwy. 176 and Business I-85 and provides employment for
many Spartanburg residents. |
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Shopping
Spartanburg's
Westgate Mall,
which was remodeled and expanded in 1996, offers 1.25
million square feet of shopping space. There are 6
anchor stores, over 70 specialty shops, an over-sized
food court and 8 theaters to satisfy every
shopping/outing urge. Hillcrest Row and the surrounding
area located on the Eastside provides shoppers with a
variety of unique shops as well as basic shopping needs.
Nearby is Prime
Outlets which opened Fall '96.
Health Care
Spartanburg County is fortunate to have two superb medical facilities:
Spartanburg Regional Medical Center, a 588 bed teaching
and research hospital which also hosts the
state-of-the-art Heart Center and Gibbs Cancer Center; and
Mary Black Health
System, a 236 bed facility owned and operated by
Community Health Resource. St. Luke's Free Medical Clinic, established by interested citizens of Spartanburg, sees approximately 230 patients per week. It serves
Spartanburg County residents who have no medical insurance nor government assistance.
Restaurants
Because of the international influence in Spartanburg,
there is opportunity to sample a variety of ethnic foods as well as American-Continental fare at various restaurants. Be sure to ask your RE/MAX Realty Associates Realtor for his/her favorite picks. |
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