Spartanburg City News

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New restaurants adding to Spartanburg's growing 'foodie' scene Jun 29, 2017

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It's been nearly a year since we first had Amanda Richardson—the brains behind the excellent local food blog, Hub City Bites—on the podcast and in that time, a local restaurant scene that was starting to show signs of new energy has exploded with new and exciting homegrown options, particularly downtown. Whether you're looking for some great breakfast, some authentic Vietnamese cuisine, or you're looking to see what that new poké thing is all about, the options for culinary exploration have never been better in Spartanburg. Today on the podcast, we're talking about some of those new restaurants, discussing what they add to the local food scene and looking ahead to some new concepts opening later this year.

First new amenities for rail trail park ready for debut Jun 14, 2017

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The first amenities for the new "Rail Yard" seven-acre park along the Mary Black Foundation Rail Trail are set to greet visitors later this month. In a nod to the site's history as a service location for Spartanburg's old trolley line, the site now features a pavilion that pays homage to that past, with photos panels showing historic trolley photographs and rails running through the brick floor. Also nearly ready to go is an exercise pad with equipment for cardio, pull-ups, and other exercises. Other amenities planned for the Rail Yard include a mountain biking course, an NFL Play 60 obstacle course, an amphitheater with terraced seating and a stage, open-air tree houses, and a water misting station. Today on the podcast, we're talking with Laura Ringo, Executive Director of Partners for Active Living, about the new park and some of the changes you can expect to see next time you're out on the rail trail.

Light bulb sculptures raise bar for public art in downtown Spartanburg May 31, 2017

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It's quickly become one of the most talked about public art projects around, putting the work of local and regional artists in the public eye in a unique and whimsical way. It would be a massive understatement to say that Lighten Up Spartanburg has been a success for Spartanburg Art Museum in their goal to push visual art into the larger community beyond their walls at the Chapman Cultural Center. From the constant stream of folks around downtown taking pictures of the 28 bulbs to the tens of thousands of responses, the installations have received on social media, the buzz generated by this unique public art project is truly unprecedented in recent local memory. Today on the podcast, we're diving deep on Lighten Up Spartanburg with Spartanburg Art Museum Executive Director, Elizabeth Goddard. Listen for details and be sure to check out the Lighten Up Spartanburg app for a map and descriptions of each sculpture.

Hub-Bub to become part of Chapman Cultural Center May 25, 2017

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Over the course of its existence, local arts organization, Hub-Bub has gone through a number of iterations. Starting in 2004 as a simple online forum focused on allowing Spartanburg locals to engage with each other and exchange ideas about a broad range of topics. In those early days, the organization hosted events and grew a following through guerilla marketing, providing an outlet for a budding community of young creatives. in 2006, with the help of the City and private donors, the organization was able to create a physical home for itself, the Showroom, which hosted a huge variety of events and housed the group's signature artists-in-residence program. In 2015, in part as a recognition of the changing shape of downtown, Hub-Bub left the Showroom and brought their programming back to its roots, bringing those wildly varying and uniquely creative events they'd become known for back out into spaces throughout downtown Spartanburg And now, more changes are on the way as the organization prepares to unite with Chapman Cultural Center in a move the group's Director, Eric Kocher says will free up more time and resources to focus on the thing Hub-Bub has always done best, bringing the kinds of artistic offerings to Spartanburg that you just can't find anywhere else. What does that mean for those of us who've come to view Hub-Bub as a beacon for the quirky and off-beat in town? We're talking with Kocher and Tim Giles on the podcast today to find out.

A local government nerd's guide to the Spartanburg City budget May 18, 2017

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Where does the rubber meet the road in local government? The annual budget. It's our statement of purpose, the unambiguous articulation of our core values. If you want to know what we believe in, check out what we spend the taxpayers' money on. Our budget is also the best indicator of your local government's overall health and a reasonable barometer of the health of the community we're all tasked with serving. What does that picture look like as we prepare to head into fiscal year 17-18? Today on the podcast, we're talking with Assistant City Manager Chris Story to find out.

Podcast: One last time on the mic with Will Rothschild May 15, 2017

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It was November of 2012 when the City of Spartanburg first launched its podcast, giving local government violent shove into 2005's favorite new communications tool. That podcast, as so many that came after, featured City Communications Manager Will Rothschild and not-yet-City employee Christopher George rambling for 40 too-noisy, unfocused minutes about...city stuff. Listening to that early effort now is a reminder of how far things have come for both the podcast and the city we've talked about for nearly a half-decade. Our time in Spartanburg is one of deep, transformative change, a kind of change Spartanburg has not seen in the modern era. During that time, this humble podcast has been a constant, celebrating Spartanburg while chronicling and contextualizing those changes. While the podcast and its mission will continue for hopefully many more episodes to come, one half of that original podcasting pair is moving on. After five-and-a-half years with the City, Will Rothschild has left his position as Communications Manager to accept a strategic communications position with the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce's OneSpartanburg initiative. So today on the podcast, we're taking a trip down memory lane with Rothschild, looking back on his time here at the City and talking about what's to come.

Children's Museum of the Upstate to open satellite facility on Magnolia Street Apr 27, 2017

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Spartanburg parents looking for more family-friendly amenities in downtown Spartanburg will soon have a brand new option for their little ones after City Council voted unanimously on Monday to approve an agreement supporting a new 6,000-square-foot satellite facility for the Children's Museum of the Upstate at 130 Magnolia Street. Under the agreement, the City will provide $100,000 in funding for the facility, divided into five $20,000 annual payments. According to the museum's president and CEO, Nancy Halverson the group has raised $1.25 million of the estimated $1.5 million needed to open the new facility. Today on the podcast we're delving into details of the planned museum and discussing its impact on our rapidly growing downtown.

Update on street closures in downtown Spartanburg Apr 12, 2017

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Sometimes progress comes with a little pain, and with construction projects on seemingly every corner of downtown Spartanburg these days, some impacts to traffic were inevitable. Lucky for all of us, the pain is temporary and the payoff is completely worth it. Today on the podcast, we're talking about two of the biggest closures, diving deep to give you the details on how long to expect delays and detours and talking about the amazing projects that our city will see when it's all said and done. Check out our Downtown Construction page for full details on all projects and street closures around downtown.

Hub City Hog Fest returns to Morgan Square, April 7–8 Mar 29, 2017

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After just four years on the scene, it's managed to become one of the most anticipated annual events in downtown Spartanburg with last year's move to Morgan Square further raising the bar, folks throughout Spartanburg are gearing up for the return of Hub City Hog Fest, April 7 & 8.. With 45 teams competing in three categories, opportunities to sample some of the smokey goodness will abound, and the event will feature plenty of delicious food vendors. The festival also features great live music on both Friday and Saturday, with Acoustic Syndicate and Big Daddy Love headlining respectively. For more on this year's Hub City Hog Fest, listen to our podcast below and check out the festival's website and Facebook page.

Developer James Bakker discusses plans for Montgomery Building Mar 22, 2017

Show notes

It's been a long, complicated, and sometimes tedious road to walk to get the project underway, but one of downtown Spartanburg's most beloved historic buildings, the Montgomery Building, is now on its way back to being what it was for much of the 20th century, one of the most important activity centers in our urban core. Greenville-based developer James Bakker, lead developer with BF Spartanburg, has plans to create 10,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space on the ground floor, 9,000 square feet of office space on the second floor, and 72 residential units on floors three through 10. In the process, the building's exterior will be restored to its original appearance, a splendor almost no one alive today in Spartanburg would remember seeing. Today on a special episode of the City Podcast, we're talking with James Bakker about his plans for the building and where he sees this crucially important project fitting into downtown Spartanburg's future.

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