Columbia, South Carolina is a city of beauty, history and fantastic location, affording its residents a truly unique and wonderful lifestyle. Amid swaying palms on a balmy summer day, the white elegant Governor's Mansion with its black shutters, large flags and sparkling fountains, stands to one side of this fascinating Southern town, the capital city of the State of South Carolina. George Washington himself remarked that the city site was well-chosen, as he viewed the beginnings of Columbia, which sits on a bluff above the Congaree River below the confluence of the Broad and Saluda Rivers from the north. Established in 1786, Columbia was a planned city, built to be the seat of state government. Today, ever mindful of its history, the city continues to plan and evolve, keeping its past remembered and its future bright and forward-thinking. A new branding campaign has been launched to help bring awareness, travel and convention business to the area, and its new moniker is the "Columbia Riverbanks Region". Columbia is enjoying one of the most exciting urban revitalizations in the United States. At the heart of this renewal is an area known as The Vista, a 1200-acre district in the heart of the city. This historic area features a high concentration of historic buildings, which have been rehabilitated with contemporary flair. Restaurants and bars, art galleries and museums, unique shops and professional office space, sporting arenas and entertainment venues add up to make this area popular with area residents and visitors. The Colonial Center is the largest arena in the state and is home to the University of South Carolina's men's and women's basketball teams. With seating for 18,000, the arena hosts the Columbia Riverbanks Region's most exciting entertainment, from A-list stars like Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Chesney, Jimmy Buffet, Billy Joel & Sir Elton John, to Shania Twain, Prince and Tim McGraw. Family shows like Sesame Street Live and the Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus are presented throughout the year. Another significant asset in the Vista is the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, opened in mid-2004. This state of the art facility contains nearly 150,000 square feet of exhibit, classroom and ballroom space, and will bring much new convention and meeting business to the Vista area. A new Hilton Convention Center Hotel is being built, along with an 800 space parking garage. Main Street is undergoing a beautification project, conducted block by block, replacing curbs and gutters, adding brick pavers for sidewalks, angled parking, new street lights, plantings and site furnishings. Downtown Columbia is one of the most beautifully landscaped cities of the South. A long growing season in a semi-tropical climate creates lovely gardens and fantastic natural beauty. Spring comes early to Columbia. In February, frogs start singing again and daffodils pop open. The floral display is breathtaking as abundant dogwoods, redbuds, magnolilias and azaleas fill each neighborhood with an awesome array of color. Summertime brings warm days and sunshine, "tea-sippin' weather". Summers are long, and the color changes of autumn normally take place in late October and November. the hills around Columbia take on the typical reds, oranges and golds of a New England fall. When the leaves finally drop in December, a mild winter is on its way. The average high temperatures in January and February are 55°F and 60°F, with lows averaging 34°F and 36°F.. It rarely snows, and when it does it usually melts the next day. For snow lovers and skiers, the white covered mountains of North Carolina are but two hours away. Recreational opportunities include boating and fishing on Lake Murray, a 50,000 acre paradise just northwest of Columbia. With its 500+ miles of shoreline, it is a natural wonder to explore and a true fisherman's challenge, its waters home to striped bass, blue gill and crappie. Columbia's spectator sports include University of South Carolina Gamecock football, basketball and baseball. GoParks and playgrounds are managed by the City of Columbia, Richland County and Lexington County, as well as some of the smaller towns that make up the metro area. Two area state parks are here, as well as the Congaree Swamp National Park. Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Gardens is a top ten zoo in the US and offers extraordinary gardens and woodland paths. The list of annual events is long and...fun! The people of Greater Columbia love to have a good time. Three Rivers Music Festival, the Okra Strut, the State Fair, the Peach Festival, the Catfish Stomp, the Greek Festival, Lexington FunFest...they all celebrate an aspect of life in the Riverbanks Region. The cost of housing in Greater Columbia is 97.3% of the national average (Cost of Living Index 2004), with the median home selling for $147,531 in 2004. The average rent for a 2 bedroom is $642 per month. An enormous range of housing is available. The areas with the highest levels of new residential development are Northeast Columbia, Elgin-Lugoff, Dutch Fork, Irmo and Lexington. Greater Columbia is justifiably proud of its outstanding educational system. From elementary schools that teach Japanese and Latin to the University of South Carolina with its highly ranked business school, Columbia's schools are truly on the cutting edge. For example, Lexington and Richland County School District Five students continue to have the highest SAT scores among public school districts in the state (average 1078 in 2004). Lexington County School District Two's Saluda River Academy for the Arts was established as a fully arts-integrated and partial magnet school in 1999. Richland County School District One's Mathematics Education for Gifted Secondary School Students is designed for students grades 6-12 identified as superior in mathematical and verbal reasoning. This program is the only one of its kind in South Carolina and one of only five nationally. Among private schools, some outstanding examples of success: Timmerman School regularly triumphs as Spelling Bee champions at the regional competition. Heathwood Hall's technology program is recognized by the US Department of Education for highly effective use of computers in classroom learning. Hammond School's SAT average has been above 1200 for the past seven years. Glenforest School specializes in working with students of average to above average intelligence who are experiencing various learning difficulties. To ensure success, the school has a staff-to-student ratio of 1:3. Nine institutions of higher learning are located in Columbia, including Midlands Technical College with its four area campuses. Recognizes as the region's leader in health care and medical research, Greater Columbia has 10 major hospitals, all offering diversidied medical care and wellness services and programs to the community. The University of South Carolina's School of Medicine is affiliated with seven area hospitals. Columbians continually cite the location as one of the city's greatest assets. All of South Carolina is within a three hour drive of Columbia. Day trips to the mountains of the Upstate, the beautiful beaches of the Grand Strand and the historic sites and parks of the Lowcountry are a benefit of living in Columbia. People move to Columbia for a multitude of reasons. Many for jobs, many for military transfers, many for retirement...whatever your reason, welcome! You're going to love it!
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