Greenville

The signs on one of Greenville’s busiest throughways may say Augusta Street, but locals have known the area by its original name, Augusta Road, for more than a century. No matter what suffix it goes by, the Augusta Street Area has been one of the most popular shopping and dining areas in the city since the 1850s, with a thriving home market nearby to match. “It’s one of the most popular areas in Greenville because of the accessibility it provides. People are willing to pay more for a smaller house or lot to live off Augusta Street,” says Maggie Toler, Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services. Toler has sold more than $172 million in upstate South Carolina real estate over the last decade. In addition to the vibrant businesses nearby, locals have access to the Greenville Country Club and the city’s acclaimed public school system, Augusta Street is home to one of the Greenville area’s oldest shopping districts. “It’s a unique part of Greenville because you can walk to Starbucks and other commercial developments from your house. You’ll see people walking and running along the sidewalks or in their golf carts as they drive from their neighborhoods to get dinner,” Toler says. Locals can find everyday goods at major retailers such as Harris Teeter, CVS and Walgreens. Specialty shops such as The Nested Fig Garden, Duncan’s Ace Hardware and Labels Designer Resale provide more particular offerings. Popular dining choices close by include Augusta Grill, a premium restaurant offering refined brunch and dinner dishes. The Bakery Off Augusta offers unique cake flavors by the slice and custom pastries for events. More familiar dining options round out the area’s selections, with choices such as Moe’s Southwest Grill, CAVA and McAlister’s Deli close at hand. Residents on the neighborhood’s west end can take care of grocery shopping at the Food Lion near Interstate 185. Close to the Augusta Street Area’s south side, The 05 offers cocktails, sharable dishes and a full vegan/vegetarian menu with weekly live music. Locals can also enjoy white and red wines between courses at Blockhouse Restaurant & Oyster Bar, where sports games air on the patio’s flat-screen TVs. Residents are also about 2 miles away from Downtown Greenville and West Downtown, providing quick access to venues such as the Peace Center Concert Hall and the Bon Secours Wellness Arena, as well as an eclectic selection of local bars, shops and museums. Traditional architecture forms a major part of Augusta Street’s visual identity. Tudor, Colonial Revival and Cape Cod styles are common for homes nearby, along with craftsman bungalows, ranchers and a small selection of multi-family units. The area’s oldest homes date back to the 1910s, with most of the residences nearby emerging in the 1960s and 1970s. Condominiums in the area start near the $210,000 mark, while the area’s most impressive estate homes with about five bedrooms sell for more than $2 million. A typical single-family home in the area generally sells near the $750,000 mark. Augusta Circle Elementary School has been in operation since 1923, with multiple renovations and upgrades over its 100-year history. The school has a 16:1 student-teacher ratio and holds an A grade on Niche. “It’s a very true neighborhood school. A lot of those kids walk to school or ride there on a golf cart,” Toler says. Older students attend the A-minus-ranked Hughes Academy of Science and Technology, a middle school offering science/technology and Spanish partial immersion magnet programs. Greenville Senior High Academy earns an A grade on Niche and holds an 80% graduation rate. Pocket parks such as Henry Bacon McKoy Park, Watts Park and Rockwood Park offer dedicated greenspaces for residents, along with leisure options such as basketball courts and playgrounds. Locals can also enjoy leisure time at the Greenville Country Club to the neighborhood’s east, with two 18-hole golf courses, tennis and pickleball courts and an outdoor pool. Augusta Street Area residents are connected to the greater Greenville area with the US-29 highway and SC-20/Grove Road to the west, and Interstate 185 to the neighborhood’s southeast. Residents commuting into downtown Greenville can expect a 2-mile drive into the city. For medical concerns and emergencies, Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital sits on the neighborhood’s west end near Grove Road. Most flights in the area depart from Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, 15 miles northeast of the neighborhood. Augusta Street also serves as one of Greenville’s most pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods, and residents can access multiple Greenlink bus stops along Augusta Street itself. Buyers should be advised that flooding risks are higher for homes near Brushy Creek and Reedy River within the neighborhood. When considering a home in the area, potential homeowners will want to check on factors like the elevation of the property and proximity to nearby floodplains. Places of worship nearby include St. Michael Lutheran Church, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Augusta Road Baptist Church and Open Hearts United Methodist Church.

Greenville’s Eastside, chock-full of established neighborhoods with mature trees, is one of the city’s most appealing areas for buyers due to its community feel, prime location and highly regarded schools. Due to the range of neighborhoods, home styles and prices will be varied. Everything from new traditional to charming brick ranch homes and Colonials and Greek Revivals with stately columns can be found here. Prices range from $250,000 to $1.2 million, but Maggie Toler, Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway Homes Services, says, “The average typically falls around $500,000 to $750,000. Homes there hold value, and the area should continue to appreciate because it’s only continued to improve over the years.” Several master-planned communities provide advantageous amenities for residents. With features like pools, tennis courts and golf courses, there is less of a need for people to leave their neighborhoods for outdoor activity. Those who do may consider Butler Springs Park. Between two playgrounds, designed for different age groups, is a paved walking trail. Make your way along the mostly shaded path, and you may come across some fun activities along the way, including hopscotch. The 10-acre park also provides a space for friends and family to play on the lighted tennis courts and baseball fields. Students have a range of schooling options, including Lake Forest Elementary School, which Toler describes as "a quaint school with a community feel.” Another option is Mitchell Road Elementary School, which has an A- rating from Niche. Several area middle schools provide magnet programs for students, including Beck International Academy, where courses focus on international relations and public service. At Greenville Middle Academy, students can apply for the traditional and global studies program, while communication arts are the focus of courses at League Academy. Eastside High School and J.L. Mann Academy are two high schools attended by students living in Eastside. The former has an A rating from Niche and is known for its stellar athletics program, which boasts more than 50 state championships. The most recent was in 2022, won by both the wrestling and baseball teams. J.L. Mann Academy is also highly rated by Niche and has an award-winning student newspaper. Eastside residents have the luxury of convenience to shopping and dining at Haywood Mall. It’s the largest mall in South Carolina and is packed with a mix of chain and local retailers. Shop around for an outfit or home décor at stores like Macy’s, Bath and Body Works or Pottery Barn. Head to Basilico Greenville for an upscale dining experience and excellent service when it's time for lunch or dinner. Locals say you can’t go wrong with any of the pasta dishes on the menu. For daily essentials and groceries, stop by the Publix at Pelham Commons. There’s also a Walmart along Wade Hampton Boulevard. Specialty items can be found at the Asian Supermarket just off Pelham Road. Medical care is also within reach. Prisma Health has a campus called Patewood Hospital, which provides orthopedic and gynecologic surgeries. Patients also visit this hospital for appointments with obstetricians. With some of Greenville’s most desired subdivisions and easy access to many of the city’s most popular amenities, Eastside provides an ideal place to live, work and play.

The Green Avenue neighborhood is characterized by its proximity to downtown Greenville and continued revitalization. Home to Eighth State Brewing Company and a quick walk to Brick Street Café, the neighborhood of just 500 people maintains an up-and-coming feel with access to hip city establishments and entertainment venues like Fluor Field, where the Green Drive minor league baseball team plays. “That area is a mix of newer construction and vintage bungalows. A lot of the homes have been renovated,” says Celeste Purdie, a Realtor with Marchant Real Estate, who's been selling homes in the area for seven years. “It’s a mile from downtown, so it’s a great location for people who like to walk to restaurants and breweries. There are so many things you can walk to in that area.” Along Augusta Street, the Brick Street Café is a local favorite for Southern comfort foods like shrimp and grits and Eighth State Brewing Company serves as the neighborhood watering hole and entertainment hotspot with weekly bingo and live music. Within a few blocks, locals can also grab a craft brew from The Whale or nosh on barbecue at Mac’s Speed Shop. For groceries, Harris Teeter is just over a mile southeast along Augusta Street. Homes sit on compact grassy lots, and trees offer a blanket of shade over many of the neighborhood’s established homes. Newly constructed residences include Craftsman and traditional-style architecture, while bungalows and ranch-style homes are more common for vintage properties. Smaller cottages can sell for $200,000 to $300,000, while larger four-bedroom homes can cost between $500,000 and $600,000. “People that maxed out in Asheville and Henderson and want something more affordable come here,” says Talia Gila of Keller Williams Greenville Central, a Realtor with over five years of experience in the Greenville market. “New York, New Jersey and all that area has also had a lot of relocations.” Green Avenue’s overall crime score is 8 out of 10, according to the CAP Index Crime Score, higher than the national average of 4. Green Avenue residents can walk to minor-league baseball games at Fluor Field across Vardry Street. In nearby downtown Greenville, popular entertainment options include catching music and theater performances at The Peace Center or heading to the Saturday Market. The farmers market takes place on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon from May through October. Ironically, Green Avenue lacks green spaces, but several parks surround the neighborhood. Juanita Butler Community Center sits across Dunbar Street and includes a playground, basketball courts and a little free library. Just a mile northeast, residents can take in waterfall views as they walk the trails at Falls Park on the Reedy. The park is also the site of the Moonlight Movies series, which features free movies every Thursday at sunset in September and October. While Green Avenue is highly walkable, there are Greenlink Transit bus stops along main streets like Anderson Road, allowing residents to easily navigate the city. St. Francis Downtown, a 245-bed hospital, is just a few blocks west. Ramps to Interstate 85 are about 4 miles south, linking the neighborhood to the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport which is about 15 miles away. Zoned for Greenville County School District, the neighborhood benefits from an A-minus-graded district that ranks among the top 10 in the state, according to Niche. Students attend Hollis Academy, which earns a B-minus, and transition to Sevier Middle, an A-minus-rated school. From there, students graduate from Greenville Senior High School, an A-rated school right in the neighborhood. The high school offers a dual enrollment program that allows students to take college courses.

Home to Greenville’s first African American secondary school, Sterling has a rich history in the Greenville community. Established in 1896, Sterling High School was the first secondary school open to blacks in the Upstate. In 1967, the building burned down, leaving only the gym and a small music building remaining. A year later, the community turned the building into the Sterling Community Center, providing a space for the community to get together for activities. The community center’s past is honored with a plaque in the neighborhood and a statue in downtown Greenville. Today, “Greenville is an up-and-coming area with plenty of new homes being built because of its proximity to downtown," explains Sherman Wilson, a Realtor with North Group Real Estate. Sterling’s schools have also attracted new residents to the area, as the elementary, middle and high school all earned A-minus or better grades from Niche. In lieu of spacious yards, the Sterling Community Center offers outdoor fun for residents. The recreational hub was dedicated in 1970, a few years after the school’s roof collapsed and caused a fire. Only the gym was left standing and was transformed by the community. The Center initially launched with a sports organization and summer lunch program that fed hundreds of people in the area daily. It has since been designated as a historic site by Greenville County and offers many recreational options for residents. Visitors can shoot hoops on the basketball courts or get a group together to play pickleball or tennis. There’s also an inviting playground where kids can enjoy slides or climb a small rock wall. Just 3 blocks west of the Community Center is the Sterling Athletic Field, where the community hosts many recreational games for both football and soccer. In Sterling, residents will find many bungalow and cottage styles from the early 1940s. Donning hipped roofs, clean lines and smaller square footage, these styles were adopted in part because “Greenville was a mill town for years, so the city built as many small homes as possible in one area to serve the mill that was nearby,” Wilson says. These homes sit on smaller lots, with many including renovated interiors and exteriors. Then beginning in 2000, newer farmhouse-influenced Foursquare homes became popular. 1940s bungalow and cottage styles tend to sell in the low $200,000s while the larger and newer farmhouse styles can range in cost from the low $400,00s to upwards of $950,000 depending on acreage. Whether a home is a new build or dates back several decades, it will likely sit very close to the road. Front yards tend to be small and shallow in Sterling. Locals will see small driveways and carports. While many of the back roads in Sterling require a car to get around, some of the main thoroughfares feature sidewalks, adding an element of walkability to the area. Downtown Greenville is just over a mile drive from Sterling, while Fluor Field is less than a mile. Greenlink, Greenville’s public transportation system, offers residents another way to get all that Greenville has to offer. The bus system has stops all throughout Greenville. Greenville-Spartanburg Airport is a 15-mile drive from Sterling for those looking to get out of town. Medical care is also within reach, with Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital sitting at the northern end of Sterling. Several public magnet schools call Greenville home, and welcome students living in Sterling. Greenville Senior High School, receiving an A grade from Niche touts excellent teachers, clubs, college prep-courses and diversity among students. The school’s magnet programs are another attraction—focusing on specific subject matters from law to finance and business, these career-centered themes also extend to the schools’ clubs and extracurricular activities: like the mock trial team and the investment club. Greenville Senior High is also known for its rivalry with J.L. Mann High School. Each year, the two teams face off in a highly anticipated football game, and during the week prior (spirit week), the schools also compete to raise money for local charities – often raising more than $100,000 each. Before attending Greenville Senior High, students in Sterling can attend A.J. Whittenburg Elementary or Sevier Middle, both of which earned an A-minus grade from Niche. Sevier Middle also offers a unique history because of its location on the site of former Camp Sevier, a U.S. Army training camp built near the end of World War I. On Sterling’s Main Street, residents will find restaurants and bars like The Whale Collective – a hot spot for regional and national craft beers. Several restaurants sit just outside Fluor Field, home of the Greenville Drive, a minor league baseball team. After a game, residents can head to Purple International Bistro and Sushi or The Bellwether, where they can chow down on comfort food like fried chicken and mac and cheese. Less than a mile west of Sterling, residents will also find groceries and grab-and-go meals at Feed and Seed Co. Other nearby grocery chains include Harris Teeter and Publix, both less than 2 miles away. Just a block away from Sterling, residents can catch a Greenville Drive game at Fluor Field. The High-A Affiliate of the Boston Red Sox are coming off a successful season in which they won the South Atlantic League Championship. The games offer visitors the traditional minor league themed nights throughout the season.

Greenline is a quiet residential neighborhood just two miles from downtown Greenville, anchored by Timmons Park and surrounded by shopping, dining, and conveniences. The stock of mostly midcentury homes has a specific appeal to buyers, according to Robby Brady, Realtor and Team Leader of The Robby Brady Team for Allen Tate Realtors, who has sold several homes in the area. “The houses are a little smaller as far as their footprint, but a lot of people had gone in over the years and updated them,” Brady says. “Like most places in Greenville, anything that gets sold and isn’t updated gets scooped up pretty quickly — the lower price point is appealing to people who want to be close to downtown or someone who is looking to downsize.” Greenline offers mostly mid-century homes as well as some more modern construction. Most homes sit on lots averaging about a third of an acre and shaded by mature trees. House hunters could get a 1,000-square-foot bungalow for as low as $152,000 or a brand-new 2,500-square-foot Craftsman-style home for as high as $888,000. Between those extremes, there are a variety of styles like ranches, cottages, and Colonial Revivals to choose from, with a median sales price of $418,500. A small number of townhouses and condos can also be found in spaces like Overbrook Village, formerly the Lime Cola Bottling Company and is now a mixed-use retail and residential development. The neighborhood is bordered by many shopping and dining options, particularly along North Pleasantburg Drive and Wade Hampton Boulevard. Wade Hampton Boulevard, currently a fairly industrial corridor, is set to receive a $3.5 million revamp in the coming years to transform it into more of a neighborhood street with pedestrian walkways, landscaped medians, and safer turn lanes. Businesses in the area range from Dodson Dig Co., an antique store, to Pecknel Music Company, which has been serving the community for 65 years. Groceries are always just a few minutes away at the neighborhood Harris Teeter. Cuisines also run the gamut; popular spots, according to Brady, include Henry’s Smokehouse, which serves up award-winning barbecue cooked low and slow over hickory logs in open barbecue pits, and The Community Tap, where guests can enjoy the extensive beer selection and try new cuisines from the day’s food truck. Students attend Greenville County Schools like East North Street Academy, graded B-plus by Niche; Greenville Middle Academy, graded A; and Greenville Senior High School, graded A and ranked No. 1 in Niche’s Standout High Schools in the Greenville Area list. Greenville Senior High students can take advantage of a magnet program with pathways in law, finance, and business. Bob Jones University, a Christian liberal arts school, also has a campus in the neighborhood. The lifeline of Greenline is the popular Timmons Park, sitting right at the center of the neighborhood. The park encompasses over 25 acres and features a variety of opportunities for outdoor fun; the park’s eight pickleball courts bring residents from all over Greenville for league games, and it’s the only park in Greenville with an 18-hole disc golf course. The David Hellams Community Center is also in the neighborhood, where kids can go for after-school programs and other activities. City buses make stops around the neighborhood, particularly along Wade Hampton Boulevard and East North Street. Residents are only 2 miles from downtown Greenville, offering easy access to shows, museums, restaurants, and nightlife. Interstate 385 is within about a mile and a half from home, which is convenient for getting around the greater region.

The population and businesses present in Greenville’s Nicholtown neighborhood may have seen major changes in the 21st century, but this community’s evolution comes with a strong connection to its cultural heritage as the city’s oldest Black neighborhood. The neighborhood’s origins go back to a small group of African American families living in the area in the 1870s, with stone pavers in the neighborhood’s community garden honoring their legacy today. Nicholtown’s early residents would help it move forward from its initial days as a subdivided estate into one of Greenville’s most prominent Black communities. The area would go through periods of economic growth and downturn over the following decades. In the 2000s, developers turned toward Nicholtown for its central location near the bustling Downtown Greenville. Today, prestigious schools and eclectic dining options point to the community’s broadened appeal, while community centers and institutions such as the Nicholtown Missionary Baptist Church continue to serve the community that brought Nicholtown to life. Publix and The Fresh Market stores along Pleasantburg Drive serve as reliable hubs for everyday goods. Locals can also find a mix of specialized retailers close by, including Trek Bicycles, Mainstream Boutique and Borderlands Comics and Games. Residents can enjoy Jamaican food favorites at Irie Caribbean Cuisine, including jerk chicken, curry goat, oxtail and patties. India Palace offers an extensive collection of traditional and vegan/vegetarian-friendly dishes, while Warehouse at Midtown offers seafood, beer and burger menus in a casual food hall setting. Students in Nicholtown can attend schools in the Greenville County Schools system. The Sterling School offers two educational programs: an elementary school for kindergarten to 5th grade students, and a selective education program for gifted and talented students from 3rd to 8th grade. The school has a student-teacher ratio of 14 to 1 and holds an A grade on Niche. Other schools assigned to the area include Northwood Middle School and Wade Hampton High School, which both hold A grades on Niche. Locals are also less than 2 miles away from Greenville Technical College’s main campus and the University Center of Greenville, which hosts classes from nine South Carolina universities in one building. Double Stamp Brewery provides a venerable collection of locally made beers in a warehouse-inspired setting. The brewery brings food trucks to the area once a week, along with events like music bingo, trivia nights and live bands. Local radio station WMXP-LP 95.5 FM hosts the annual Malcolm X Festival in Cleveland Park each May, a community gathering hosting live music and spoken word performances, keynotes and local vendors. Nicholtown residents can also catch movies at Camelot Cinemas, the neighborhood’s theater on Pleasantburg Drive. Nicholtown’s storied history has resulted in a mixed architectural identity for the neighborhood. Buyers can find modern farmhouses, genuine Craftsman bungalows, mid-century ranchers and subdivision-styled new traditional homes in the area. Many of the neighborhood’s homes date back to the mid-20th century, though contemporary homes from the 1990s to today aren’t hard to find. Move-in ready home values start near the $240,000 mark and top out near the $550,000s, with a select few properties reaching $800,000 or more. About 40% of locals in the area rent their homes. Close to the neighborhood’s north side, Cleveland Park offers one of central Greenville’s largest recreational spaces. While there, locals can enjoy the fitness trails running along Richland Creek, meet the wildlife at the Greenville Zoo or enjoy volleyball and tennis games. Green Forest Park is tucked in between homes in the neighborhood’s center and connects to the city’s winding Swamp Rabbit Trail. Locals can find a playground at Skyland Park, another pocket park on the neighborhood’s east side. The Phyllis Wheatley Community Center offers sports programs for kids and adults, a library with a focus on African American literature, music and art and community outreach programs for locals of all ages. The Nicholtown Community Center on Rebecca Street also offers support and education programs for residents, with plans underway for $4.3 million in renovations. Nicholtown connects to the greater Greenville area through US-276/Laurens Road on its north side and SC-291/Pleasantburg Drive to the east. Locals traveling or commuting into Downtown Greenville can expect a 2-mile trip. Greenlink bus stops are available along Pleasantburg Drive, Laurens Road and major neighborhood streets like Rebecca Street and Nicholtown Road. Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital is 4 miles east of Nicholtown for medical emergencies. Flights take off from Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, 12 miles northeast of the neighborhood. The Nicholtown area’s central location and an influx of recent developments have brought market values in the neighborhood up over time. Longtime residents have voiced their concerns to Greenville’s city government about the neighborhood’s growth coming at the expense of lower-income households’ ability to stay in their own homes. Several of the neighborhood’s economically priced homes and apartment developments have been subsidized by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds. Some homes in Nicholtown may fall within floodplain boundaries connecting to the Reedy River, and buyers are advised to verify a property’s elevation and risk factors before purchasing a home.