Railroads and textile mills made West Greenville a prosperous neighborhood during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The area then underwent a post-industrial decline, but thanks in part to a master plan the South Carolina city drew up in 2014, it’s currently experiencing a renaissance, with artists and entrepreneurs flocking to what has become known as the Village of West Greenville.
Varsity Goods Ryan Mosley
Ryan Mosley says he opened this designer streetwear and collectible sneaker shop four years ago because he wanted to be “a part of a community-driven area.” Sneakerheads from around the world—from as far away as Los Angeles, New York, and Australia, according to Mosley—have since stopped in to try on Air Jordans, T-shirts from Supreme and Saint Michael, and more.
Rise Bakery
Hobbyist baker Julian Loue turned his pastime into a business during the pandemic, and in 2022 he opened this storefront, where he makes sourdough bread, pastries, and sandwiches using organically grown Carolina whole grains. A longtime Greenville resident, Loue observes that the Village is thriving. “Businesses can get off the ground without a lot of money behind them,” he says.
Page & Post
Lia Van Note and Kristina Holman spent two years searching for the perfect retail location before finally opening this whimsical paper goods and gift shop in West Greenville last October. “It has always been a place of makers and people who work with their hands,” Van Note says of the neighborhood, “from the time the textile mills were operational to the artist studios today.”
Affordable rent and the presence of other queer-owned businesses attracted vegan baker Alexis Krcelic to West Greenville. “If you want art and diversity, it’s the best place to be,” she says of the area. Aside from selling baked goods such as her signature doozies and banana bread, Krcelic donates portions of her profits to support various social and environmental causes.
Basta
Affordable rent and the presence of other queer-owned businesses attracted vegan baker Alexis Krcelic to West Greenville. “If you want art and diversity, it’s the best place to be,” she says of the area. Aside from selling baked goods such as her signature doozies and banana bread, Krcelic donates portions of her profits to support various social and environmental causes.
Flatiron Studios
Husband-and-wife team Eric and Katie Skoloff bought the historic Triangle Building in 2020, and last year they debuted the renovated structure as Flatiron Studios, a space where visitors can pick up arts and crafts such as new and vintage carpets from Textura Rugs and fabrics and prints from Teresa Roche Textiles. “Our mission,” Katie Skoloff says, “is to grow the Village as an arts district.”
LaRue Fine Chocolate
Part chocolate shop, part cocktail bar, this hot spot opened three years ago in a former hardware store that also houses offices, a brewery, and a distillery. “I wanted to go somewhere fun, where everyone supported each other,” says owner and chocolatier Elizabeth Logan McDaniel, who sells her housemade treats along with cheese and charcuterie boards, drinks, and more.
