Staff Report
Published March 10, 2011

Upstate Forever and the Next Innovation Center received special mention in a brief description of the city of Greenville by Men’s Journal magazine.

Greenville is one of 18 cities listed in the national lifestyle magazine’s Best Places to Live 2011 guide.

“Booming Greenville has a lot to beat its chest about,” the magazine states under the headline, “Grow the Right Way. Greenville, S.C.”

Men’s Journal cited the city’s redeveloped, pedestrian friendly downtown, along with Fluor Field, the free trolley service, “a zealous cycling community and group called Upstate Forever that keeps a watchdog’s eye on open space and clean waterways.

“But the most telling recent development is the Next Innovation Center, where tech start-ups, entrepreneurs and even angel investors rent and share space, coffee and brainpower,” Men’s Journal continued. “The creative vibe here is so strong that walls are covered with writable surfaces so eurekas can get scribbled down anywhere, anytime.”

The 60,000-square-foot Next center, off Church Street downtown, was a collaboration by the Greenville Chamber of Commerce, the city of Greenville, Hughes Development Corp. and Next LLC. It opened in 2009.

Cities to join Greenville on Men’s Journal’s list are Durango, Colo.; Sarasota, Fla.; Des Moines, Iowa; Memphis, Tenn.; Fargo, N.D.; Northampton, Mass.; Huntsville, Ala.; Minneapolis; Frisco, Texas; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Portsmouth, N.H.; New Orleans; Jacksonville, Ore.; San Luis Obispo, Calif.; Louisville, Ky.; Philipsburg, Mont.; and Flagstaff, Ariz.

“These 18 towns are perfecting the art of living well – places where conservation is more important than development, bike makers and breweries and farmers markets thrive, and Whole Foods is considered a big-box store,” Men’s Journal said.