We love the smell of new books in the morning. | Photo by GVLtoday
A cool breeze, some vitamin D, and a good book. Does it get much better than that?
If you ask a resident of South Korea’s capital city, Seoul, the answer would probably be a resounding “no.” The city’s innovative Outdoor Library concept recently drew in a million visitors in just three months and has attracted 6 million since launching in 2022.
What is it?
“The Seoul Outdoor Library is designed as a vibrant space where people can freely read books and engage in cultural activities outside the traditional library setting,” according to the official city website. The space features chairs, rentable books, and multiple locations.
Where would one go in Greenville?
Our vote? We’re thinking outside the box with this one. Runway Park near the downtown airport. The hum of engines as they take off and land would provide a truly unique reading experience, sort of like an aerial, winged, white noise machine.
Asked
Asked
Where would you put an outdoor library in Greenville?
Greer Farmers Market Summer Sundays | 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | Greer City Park, Greer | Price of purchase | Shop makers and bakers while you groove to live music and snack from a food truck.
“Hot Girl Summer” ruled in 2019. “Brat” summer took over in 2024. Now, this summer has been dubbed “brain rot summer” — a season with no viral anthem, no clear vibe, and scattered cultural chatter. If that makes you want to unplug entirely, touch grass at a local park. (Business Insider)
Eat
Are Gen Z cereal killers? Sales of the boxed breakfast have fallen by 13% in the US compared to 2021 — a decline attributed to changing preferences in young Americans. But who can blame them when they have local brunch options like this? (New York Post)
Kids
Monday, Aug. 11 marks 159 years since the first public roller skating rink opened to the US public back in 1866. Thankfully, GVL has a lot more options to keep the kiddos entertained these days. (WUN)
Shop
Nintendo recently announced a pricing increase for the original Nintendo Switch family of systems + products due to market conditions in the US — think: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, the OLED model, and accessories. Mamma mia, we’ll see what The Video Game Cavern has in stock first.
Number
81. That’s how many days there are until Halloween, but you can get your phalanges on this Ultra Skelly from Home Depot right now. (Engadget)
City Guide
✈️ Ready for takeoff
While waiting in line or for your flight, you can connect to GSP’s free public Wi-Fi.
Have you heard of a “Coolcation?” It’s a travel trend to beat the heat + take a trip to cooler regions of the world, like Iceland, Norway, and Alaska.
Lucky for us, we have a world-class airport right here in town. Lucky for you, we’ve got a guide to make your journey through Greenville-Spartanburg International as smooth as possible. So once you’re done with your book at Runway Park, you can head inside GSP:
What to know
TSA | On average, it takes ~17 minutes to get through.
Map it out | If you’re like us and need to completely visualize a place before you step foot inside, this map of the entire airport will be your saving grace.
Flight status | While we recommend staying updated via your respective airline, you can also check the airport’s dashboard for your flight status in a pinch.
Greenville Drive’s second and final Bark in the Park of the season has been and gone at Fluor Field. We recommend swiping through the photos to catch some adorable four-legged goodness.
Don’t worry if you missed out. There’s plenty for you and Fido to do around town.
The Buy
Downy’s best-selling wrinkle release spray. Grab a pack of travel-sized bottles perfect for quickly de-wrinkling clothes on the go or at home.
The fun doesn’t have to end here. After reading the newsletter, head over to our games page. Games refresh with new challenges every day at 6 a.m. from crossword puzzle to Sudoku to themed word search.
We received this fascinating tidbit from reader Scott B. in the comments of last week’s Greenville toponymy piece:
“The Reedy River was named after a very special type of reed — no longer much seen. It’s the canebrake — or giant cane — reed. A type of native bamboo. (There was even a Revolutionary War battle named after the canebrake reed.)”
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