Columbia

It’s crawling with squirrels by day and roaches at night.

Be forewarned.

I came for work. It’s an ok town but nothing too interesting to do at night.

On April 1, 1968, I was born here. Dad was temporarily based here in the construction biz, so I’ve really never seen the place.

I was here for a week back in the late ‘80s. I remember it as a beautiful city. It was the first, and last, place I ever shicked and ate raw oysters. Apparently it’s a big deal in Columbia. I’ve been elsewhere in the south, but this is the only large city where I’ve actually felt like I was listening to Gone With the Wind! Real southern belles everywhere you turn.

An okay city, but too much crime, not enough to do, not really urban yet not really nature-y :( It has its fair share of cool stuff from time to time but you really have to look for it.

A tip to any woman living here: learn self-defense.

Yeah, that pretty much says it all.

The University, Five Points, and the Vista are great. The capitol is nice too (except for the flag in front of it, IMHO).

The architecture throughout much of downtown and other parts of the city is ugly and boring. Columbia’s conservative/old money mentality also keeps the city backwards while Charlotte and Greenville flourish

It has the most ridiculous museum ever. I don’t have many memories of this place – we went to a steak house where you got free peanuts and were supposed to throw the trash on the floor. There’s nothing really noteworthy about this city and it lacks the charm of Charleston or even Greenville.

I unfortuntly live in Columbia due to my mother moving here from New Orleans a few years ago. I actually love my house and my neighborhood, but the people here are for the most part mentally handicapped. I have never been somewhere that I am constantly worried that a guy is gonna say or do something nasty to me, or that there is so much racial tension and that most of the people don’t even know what tofu is! I don’t walk around after 11pm and I don’t pump gas alone anymore. Columbia has changed a lot over the years though it has gotten more hip and pretty, the culture lacks and the people can just suck off.

I loved Columbia, especially Five Points on a weekend. It seemed alive with people and everyone is so “southern charm school.” I liked it there. I worked downtown across from the court house, so I was in walking distance of some very cool stores and eateries. I enjoyed it. I miss it. I’ve been to the Vista a few times when visiting family, that’s always lovely.