re: Is Columbia SC a nice city?

I lived there for a couple of years and liked it very much. Pretty damn racist, though.

I live about 70 miles away from Columbia. I have a lot of close friends who graduated from SCAR, so I tend to make a trip or two each year. I’ve experienced the good and bad of Columbia.

The bad? My car was trashed after the Cocks murdered UGA 2 years ago. I won’t harp on this topic since I’m sure it will piss of the masses.

The good? As long as you have someone in your party that knows the “bad places”, then you’re fine. The bar scene isn’t Athens, GA but it’s not terrible. I always have fun, but that’s what alcohol is for.

Overall, it doesn’t have that SEC feel since it’s spread out, but their tailgating has improved. In general it’s a cool place to visit. If you plan on staying for a long weekend and have never visited Charleston, you should consider it.

I've enjoyed the place the different times I've been there over the years. I have generally stayed close to or on campus. Have stayed in West Columbia, too. I was at a conference there when 911 occurred and right after this random homicide occurred which was a topic of discussion but random crimes like this can happen anywhere. LINK. I don't remember Five Points as being bad and I enjoyed going there as well.

I have never been to a sporting event there, though.

It has a nice zoo. To me, it feels like Beaumont, Texas but replace the amphitheatre (with the big Ford sign) off the interstate with a football stadium.