All roads lead to Columbia, S.C., March 16-18, for SEVT.
(Editor’s Note: Former University of South Carolina professor Frank Roach, who is receiving our SEVT Lifetime Achievement Award during the March 16-18 Sport, Entertainment & Venues Tomorrow/IAVM Region 5 conference in Columbia, S.C., has some good advice on what to see, do and buy in that state capital. From venue manager to promoter to professor, Roach has always been a mentor, leader and all-around-good-guy, and here's what he does in Columbia. We suggest you try it, too.)
After spending years in the large, vibrant, and exciting metro areas of Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco and Houston, my wife, Sally, and I had some trepidation about relocating to Columbia, S.C., in 2003. What was there? What would we do in our spare time? Were there any decent restaurants?
If you have never been to Columbia and are planning on attending the joint IAVM Region 5 and SEVT conference, you will be surprised and delighted at the answers to those questions. We found Columbia to be a truly undiscovered gem right in the center of the southeastern United States. With nearby Charleston being consistently ranked as one of the nation’s top tourist destinations, Columbia’s charms get overlooked.
On a brief visit, you cannot possibly do everything or visit some of the more distant interesting points but you certainly should explore the offerings in three areas: Main Street corridor (M), the Vista (V), and Five Points F). Five Points is a funky dining, bar, and shopping area close to the campus of the University, so you can expect lots of college students, especially after 11 p.m. as bars do not close until 2 a.m. The Vista is a more upscale dining, bar and shopping area frequented by professionals. The Main Street corridor is between Five Points and the Vista … in lots of ways. The headquarters hotel for the conference is in the center of the Main Street corridor.
The restaurant scene in Columbia is vibrant with many interesting choices, some quite unique, some just plain good. My personal favorite is Mr. Friendly's (F) featuring innovative Southern cuisine and a great, reasonably priced wine list. The biggest drawback is that they do not take reservations — for anybody — ever. Columbia’s very best (West Columbia actually) is Terra. Feld Entertainment’s well-traveled Bill Powell calls this one of his favorite restaurants anywhere. The chef is a James Beard nominee. If you get a front window table, the view of downtown Columbia is spectacular. Hampton Street Vineyard, just across the street from the host hotel, is excellent as is Motor Supply Company (V), one of Columbia’s first fine restaurants with an ever-changing menu. Also good is Oak Table (M) just across the street from the State House.
There are plenty of dining options in the historic state capital.
Some other interesting choices are the low brow Drake’s Duck Inn (M) featuring an excellent chicken sandwich, vegan/vegetarian Good Life (M), and pan-Asian M Vista (V) or M Grille (V). There are lots of opinions on the best barbeque; in town, Southern Belly (F) is the current favorite, but the best is probably Hudson’s in Lexington, S.C., about 20 minutes away. Lastly, if you want to have breakfast in a “must “ stop on the presidential primary campaign trail, head to Lizard’s Thicket on Elmwood Street, a little over a mile from the host hotel.
As an SEC town and state capital with lawmakers and lobbyists, there is a bar for every taste from quiet and intimate to raucous. Depending on what you are seeking, ask either faculty members/local professionals or college students, especially if you want the Five Points vibe. Some worthy of elbow bending are the Art Bar (V), Blue (V), Rust (V), Flying Saucer (V), Liberty Tap Room (V), World of Beer (V), Tin Roof (V), Delaney’s (F), Sheraton Rooftop Lounge (M), Vault Martini Bar (M) – also in the Sheraton, the Whig (M), and River Rat Brewery, a little over a mile from Main Street on Shop Road behind the football stadium.
Staying over until Sunday will allow you not only to experience St. Pat’s in Five Points (http://fivepointscolumbia.com/events/St-Pats), Columbia’s biggest one day party, but also to check out some other great attractions. The Columbia Museum of Art (M) is far better than one would expect in a city this size as is the Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Garden just on the western side of the river. A tour of the State House grounds is informative and on the west side of the State House, you can see where Union cannon balls hit the building during the Civil War siege.
My “undiscovered” favorite is Memorial Park at the intersection of Hampton and Gadsden where memorials pay tribute to fallen soldiers from all of our wars. You will want to check out the Tunnel Vision Mural and Fire Hydrant sculpture by Blue Sky at the corner of Taylor and Marion (3 blocks from the hotel); morning or evening are best, especially for the mural. Also check out the Williams Brice Stadium Cockabooses, one of the most unique game day party sites you will ever see, consisting of remodeled old cabooses on an abandoned rail track right outside the stadium gates. Runners and walkers will want to head to Canal and Riverfront parks for a scenic walk or jog along the Columbia Canal and Congaree River (hopefully, it will be reopened by the time we get there).
Quaint shops can be found both downtown and in West Columbia, across the river.
There are interesting shops, art galleries and antique stores both downtown and in West Columbia just across the river. Saturday morning, the Main Street corridor is closed to traffic for the Soda City Street Market — farmer’s market, arts and crafts, prepared food, and more. Cromer’s P-Nuts, a short drive from Main Street, has been a Columbia mainstay for years with the motto “Guaranteed Worst in Town.”
Other Main Street stores to visit include Mast General Store, Uptown Gifts, and the Cigar Box and Lounge. In the Vista, both Carol Saunders Gallery and One Earned Cow Glass specialize in unique pieces of art. If you are in Five Points, don’t miss stopping in the Gourmet Shop where you can get kitchen tools, deli and packaged foods, meals, wine and cigars. Former Ticketmaster CEO Fred Rosen put it best, “I can’t believe there’s a store like this in f’**king Columbia!”
For sports fans, there are quite a few interesting happenings during the week of the conference. In all likelihood, the University’s undefeated and #2 ranked (as of this writing) women’s basketball team will be playing at home in Round 2 of the NCAA Tournament. The always-ranked baseball team has home games on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday while home softball games are on Wednesday and Saturday. To see a collegiate sport not found in many places, check out the beach volleyball double header on Saturday at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
I’ve only touched on some of what you can eat, drink, do, see and buy in Columbia. Check out websites for Five Points, the Vista Guild, and City Center Partnership — whose yellow-clad guides will even give you rides from one part of the city to another — and the Columbia CVB.
Come see us in Columbia for the joint IAVM Region 5 and SEVT conferences; see www.SEVT.org for more information and registration information. We’ll even pick you up at the Columbia airport if you fly in. It’s all part of the undiscovered and unique charm of Columbia, the University of South Carolina and SEVT.