Clemson, South Carolina, Is the Finest Small School City within the U.S. in 2024

Tucked within the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains alongside the shore of Lake Hartwell, Clemson is positioned in South Carolina’s rural Upstate area. The quaint downtown is lined with retailers promoting purple-and-orange merch, student-filled sports activities bars, and a crop of latest native companies. I graduated from Clemson College in 2018, totally indoctrinated into Tigers fandom. I grew up on the opposite aspect of the state’s largest rivalry, raised in a College of South Carolina household, however I used to be drawn to the college’s small-town setting; it felt like a Clemson bubble, the place every little thing was all Clemson, on a regular basis.

Although it has grown lately, with the addition of latest procuring facilities, condominium complexes, and campus expansions, the Clemson College spirit stays central to the city’s id. “Clemson is a good faculty city, initially, due to the folks. The individuals are wonderful,” Clemson College president Jim Clements says.

“Dabo and I completely love residing in Clemson. We raised our three sons on this wonderful small city the place individuals are genuinely glad and look out for one another,” says Kathleen Swinney, vice chair of Dabo’s All In Staff Basis and spouse of Dabo Swinney, Clemson’s head soccer coach, enthuses. “All three of our sons attended or are attending Clemson and have earned a number of levels. The faculty life, from teachers to athletics, is among the finest within the nation.”

With a full-time inhabitants of 17,681, Clemson residents are outnumbered by the practically 30,000 Clemson College undergraduate and graduate college students. However what makes this small South Carolina faculty city so particular for many who spend 4 years right here and others who make Clemson their dwelling? Don’t simply take this alum’s phrase for it — we additionally spoke to locals to seek out out.

Why Clemson Is the Finest School City within the U.S. for 2024

“Clemson is an distinctive faculty city as a result of it seamlessly blends tutorial excellence with an inclusive, welcoming group. Our lovely environment, vibrant native financial system, and robust college spirit create an atmosphere the place everybody can thrive,” Clemson mayor Robert Halfacre says.

The need to create a extra inclusive Clemson extends past the college to the native companies all through the small city. When business property developer Wealthy Davies and hospitality and property administration govt Rick Hayduk teamed as much as open The Shepherd Lodge, a boutique property in downtown Clemson, that they had a particular goal in thoughts: to positively impression the lives of others. They realized a necessity for a high-end boutique lodge in Clemson, but in addition noticed a chance to create jobs — and a safe, welcoming atmosphere — for college kids within the ClemsonLIFE program. ClemsonLIFE prepares college students with mental disabilities for employment and unbiased residing via teachers and work expertise (at many native companies), plus presents a particular Hospitality Certificates Program. Tanner Smith, breakout social media star of Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum U.S. season two, introduced the highlight to this system and to The Shepherd Lodge, the place he works.

Hayduk was impressed by his daughter, Jamison, who has Down syndrome, to create a lodge that employs folks with disabilities. And since growing and opening the property with Davies in 2022, they’ve been in a position to do exactly that, offering each internships and pupil jobs and a long-term, steady profession observe for ClemsonLIFE college students, proper right here in Clemson, the place there’s a supportive group for college kids and residents of all talents. The purpose? To have a workers that’s round 30 % (or extra) staff with mental disabilities.

“Clemson is a spot the place a welcoming spirit stemming from its humble beginnings intersect with the thrill of tomorrow and the probabilities that lie forward. A spot the place you’re feeling the authenticity of a heat greeting, the care of a downtown enterprise, and the bond with ClemsonLIFE college students,” Davies says. “It’s unimaginable to not really feel the enjoyment that exists in Clemson, the place residents and college students intersect to create the heat of the Clemson household.” And Hayduk and Davies are simply getting began — the 2 goal to develop The Shepherd Lodge model with new places that present extra alternatives to folks with disabilities who need to work in hospitality.

The place to Keep

The Shepherd Lodge

The Shepherd Lodge is positioned in downtown Clemson, simply steps from all of the motion on School Avenue. The 67-room boutique property presents snug lodging, from the usual king room to the spacious Shepherd Suite, all that includes paintings created by ClemsonLIFE college students, sleep sound machines, and sensible TVs. Delish Sisters serves globally impressed eats for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and Thomas Bar is the perfect spot to seize a craft cocktail or indulge within the new afternoon tea service, provided Tuesday to Thursday.

The Abernathy

The Abernathy is a 41-room boutique lodge positioned only a five-minute stroll from Memorial Stadium. Snug rooms, complimentary bicycles, and pet-friendly lodging make this a fantastic place to remain for sport weekends or when touring the varsity.

Grand Bohemian Lodge Greenville, Autograph Assortment

About 45 minutes from Clemson, the Grand Bohemian Lodge Greenville, Autograph Assortment is positioned proper on Falls Park on the Reedy within the coronary heart of charming Greenville, South Carolina, only a quick stroll to native retailers and eating places. I like to recommend tacking on a day or two to your journey so you may discover this vibrant metropolis, which has loads of native festivals and occasions, like Artisphere, Euphoria, and Fall for Greenville, which are value planning a visit round.

Issues to Do

Watch the Clemson Tigers play in Demise Valley.

Regardless of rising up in South Carolina, the place faculty soccer is inextricably linked with Saturdays within the fall, I wasn’t a lot of a fan — till I went to my first Clemson sport throughout my freshman yr of school. Famously generally known as the “most enjoyable 25 seconds in faculty soccer,” gamers rub the fortunate Howard’s Rock and run down the hill and onto the sector at Memorial Stadium, also called Demise Valley. The city of underneath 20,000 full-time residents quadruples in dimension because the 80,000-seat stadium fills with followers in purple and orange on sport days. With tailgates arrange all through campus and sprawling within the heaps across the stadium, the game-day buzz is unbeatable.

Tour the campus.

There’s extra to Clemson’s campus than tutorial buildings and fairly quads. Take President Clements’ listing: “There are such a lot of can’t-miss spots right here at Clemson — Demise Valley, the Scroll of Honor, Lake Hartwell, the Snow Household Out of doors Health and Wellness Complicated, ’55 Change, Bowman Discipline, School Avenue, the South Carolina Botanical Backyard, the Inexperienced Crescent Path, the Brooks Middle for the Performing Arts, a number of museums, and the Walker Golf Course — simply to call a couple of.”

Get out on the lake — Hartwell, Jocassee, or Keowee.

“Clemson can also be breathtaking. We’re located proper beside Lake Hartwell and on the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains,” Clements says. Get out on Lake Hartwell with a ship rental from Clemson Marina, or paddle round Lake Keowee with a kayak or paddleboard rented from Limitless Outfitters.

Store round School Avenue.

School Avenue is the center of downtown Clemson, so no journey to this faculty city is full with out stopping in a few of the native small companies that promote each sort of Clemson merchandise conceivable. With the spots beneath in thoughts, I assure you’ll come dwelling with at the least one tiger-themed memento.

The place to Store

School Avenue Clemson Shops

Orange and purple aren’t reserved for sport days. College students, school, and locals don their finest Clemson apparel each week for Stable Orange Fridays. Be part of the enjoyable and go to one of many many retailers promoting Clemson attire; Mr. Knickerbocker, Decide Keller’s Retailer, and Tiger Sports activities Store are some favorites.

Clemson Selection & Body

The go-to spot for graduating college students eager to get their diplomas framed, Clemson Selection & Body additionally sells a spread of university-focused items, from homewares to tailgate provides and memorabilia. It comes really helpful by a number of of our native specialists, together with Hayduk, who calls it “a neighborhood gem with pleasant faces and a unbelievable collection of Clemson gear.”

M.H. Frank

For greater than 50 years, M.H. Frank has been promoting menswear in downtown Clemson. Whether or not you’re in search of on a regular basis attire, formal clothes, or game-day apparel that goes past the essential T-shirt, this retailer has you lined. In response to Davies, M.H. Frank “presents the last word in private consideration and care together with world-class males’s clothes choices. To coin a phrase from an outdated sitcom, ‘it’s a spot the place everyone is aware of your identify’… and what dimension you put on.”

The Fizz Boutique 

The Fizz Boutique presents a “one-stop store for women style and distinctive items, well-loved by visitors and an excellent complement to the neighboring M.H. Frank,” in response to Hayduk. Cease in to seek out tailgate-ready purple and orange tops, clothes, and extra.

The place to Eat and Drink

The Esso Membership

A former fuel station from the Nineteen Thirties, The Esso Membership — positioned only a quick stroll from Demise Valley — is now a Clemson establishment. It has all of your traditional sports activities bar bites — wings, sandwiches, and absolutely anything you may fry — plus Southern meat-and-three specials (assume mains like fried rooster, barbecue pork, or fried catfish with sides like slaw, collards, mac and cheese, and fried okra). Bryan Lee, president of the Clemson Space Chamber of Commerce, recommends The Esso Membership and the close by Sully’s Steamers, East Coast Wings + Grill, and Palmettos Smokehouse & Oyster Bar, all positioned downtown.

The Smokin’ Pig of Pendleton

A couple of 10-minute drive from campus, The Smokin’ Pig of Pendleton is one other fan favourite — right here, barbecue and all of the fixings. That is additionally a well-liked game-day alternative; numerous households decide up platters of pulled pork, pints of sides, and gallons of candy tea for his or her tailgates.

Tiger City Tavern

Each faculty city wants a fantastic faculty bar. And people nice faculty bars — in all their sticky-floored glory — aren’t about swanky cocktails or a fine-dining expertise; they’re all about nostalgia and a probably-too-strong cocktail that’s the unofficial city drink (right here, it’s orange slushy Jet Gasoline). Strolling round downtown post-grad, I used to be stunned by how a lot had modified with the half-dozen or so bars that line School Avenue, however Tiger City Tavern, which dates again to 1977, continues to be one of many first stops my pals and I make after we return to go to. Free Change, simply down the road, is one other private favourite.

Andee’s Customized Blended Ice Cream

For a candy afternoon deal with, Davies recommends Andee’s Customized Blended Ice Cream, the place you may select from 55-plus mix-ins to create your final ice cream taste. “The ice cream is unbelievable, and it’s underpinned by the notion that something is feasible, which I like. You may actually create any mix of ice cream substances. Being there makes us really feel like college students once more,” he provides.

’55 Change

As a result of you may by no means have too many candy treats, plan to additionally cease by the ’55 Change as you tour Clemson’s campus. College students create the flavors, manufacture the ice cream, and serve the scoops at this store, so seize a cone to take pleasure in when you stroll round. And don’t neglect to select up some well-known Clemson blue cheese, additionally produced on campus.

Finest Occasions to Go to

Clemson is gorgeous all year long: winters are gentle, spring is lush and inexperienced, and summer season is ideal lake climate. That stated, nothing compares to the vitality and pleasure of a fall sport day, and mixed with the altering leaves and cooling temperatures, these autumn weekends are actually the perfect time to go to. “We’re biased, however we love fall in Clemson as a result of which means it’s soccer season. However you actually can’t go unsuitable — Clemson really is ‘in season’ each season,” says Swinney.

Flight and lodge costs are considerably increased when there’s a house sport, nevertheless it’s value it to expertise the electrical ambiance and see the throngs of followers decked out in purple and orange. This yr, homecoming might be held on September 28; returning alumni and guests can stay up for the annual Tigerama celebration, floats on Bowman Discipline, and extra. The Clemson Tigers tackle the College of South Carolina Gamecocks within the state’s largest rivalry sport, the Palmetto Bowl, usually on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. For those who’re hoping to plan a quieter journey, goal for early summer season after commencement.

The right way to Get There 

Clemson is positioned in rural Upstate South Carolina. Greenville — a captivating South Carolina metropolis nicely value visiting earlier than or after your journey to Clemson — is a 45-minute drive away. Greenville-Spartanburg Worldwide Airport (GSP) is served by seven airways, with greater than 100 each day nonstop flights to 20-plus locations round the US. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport (ATL) and Charlotte Douglas Worldwide Airport (CLT) in Charlotte, North Carolina, are two main air journey hubs positioned about 2.5 hours from Clemson by automobile. Amtrak’s Crescent line additionally stops in Clemson. Plan to lease a automobile and drive to Clemson from the airport and discover the encompassing space. Trip-share providers can be found, however as Lee factors out, “Lots of our lodges are strolling distance to downtown, the place the vast majority of our retailers are positioned.” You may park the automobile for the weekend and discover on foot when you arrive.