About Downtown Columbia:

Dating back to 1786, Downtown Columbia has been considered by most to be the center and spirit of South Carolina. Today it is the home of the South Carolina Supreme Court and the South Carolina State house located on Gervais right outside the University of South Carolina Campus.  Downtown Columbia is home to a few universities and colleges including the University of South Carolina Gamecocks, Allen University, Benedict College, Columbia College,  and Midlands Technical College.

Downtown Columbia Ammenities:

Living in Downtown Columbia is extremely desirable to many people.  Columbia has a huge local and national following for art and culture displayed in our theatres, galleries, orchestra, schools and outdoor festivals.  The Columbia Museum of Art attracts many visitors with a changing collection of fine art.  If you are looking for theatre, music, and dance performances the Koger Center located on the University of South Carolina Campus is a favorite of most locals.  The Colonial Center, which was recently ranked as the 10th largest on campus arena, is home to University of South Carolina Gamecocks basketball team and also hosts numerous concerts and conferences. 

Downtown also has a host of museums to choose from depending on what you are interested in seeing.   There is the South Carolina State Museum (exhibits in science, technology, and history), Edventure ( the south's largest childrens museum) on Gervais St., the Columbia Museum of Art ( art, lectures, and guided tours), and the Mckissick Museum ( regional history and folk art) which is located on The Horseshoe of the University of South Carolina Campus. 

The University of South Carolina is located in the middle of downtown Columbia and surrounded by many different historical communities and neighborhoods.  The University has 27,400 undergrand and graduate students majoring in up to 350 different degrees, and close to an estimated 180,000 living alumni living in Columbia.

There are two main Night Life and Entertainment Districts in Downtown Columbia, The Vista and 5 Points.    The Vista has nearly 60 restaurants, numerous hotels, business parks, galleries, and nightlife.  5 points is known for its festivals, shopping and bars/clubs. 

Real Estate and Communities of Downtown Columbia:

When I think about living downtown one thing comes to mind...Convenience!  Downtown is conveniently located between I-26, 1-77 and I-20.  Within ten minutes you can easily drive down any of these major interstates and be within all the surrounding area and cities of Columbia including Cayce, West Columbia, Lexington, Irmo and the Northeast.  The homes in downtown columbia are a bit more expensive but seem to have the strongest home appreciation.  Homes in the downtown area range in many different styles from bungalow, colonial, traditional, ranch, and even new construction.  If you are looking for something more comparable to living "city life" there are even many new condo and loft developments including Capitol Places, Adesso, The Gates at Williams Brice, and Carolina Walk just to name a few.

Some of the most popular neighborhoods and communities of Downtown Columbia are Shandon, Rosewood, Old Shandon, Sherwood Forrest, Heathwood, Lake Katherine, Melrose Heights, Historic Elmwood Park, Cottontown, Earlewood, Keenan Terrace, Forest Acres, Forest Hills, and Arcadia Lake.