The soundscape of Greenville, SC

falls park

If you close your eyes and picture the falls, you can hear them all the way from wherever your house is. | Photo by GVLtoday

What is ASMR? It stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response — a feeling of well-being caused by a specific stimulus, like a sound.

There are certain sounds you’ll hear around downtown Greenville that will either have you wondering “what was that?” or offer you a sense of place. Whether it’s the whizzing of cars down East Stone Avenue or the buzz of people trekking up and down main street, these ambient noises give our city life.

While much of the downtown area is dominated by honks and the hum of city traffic, there are a few sounds that are uniquely Greenville. Let’s take a look at some of those, and how they make us feel at home.

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Ring-ring

You’re riding the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail on a Saturday morning. “On your left,” you hear a cyclist shout as they swoosh past you, the clicking of their bike chains rotating in perfect time. As you continue forward, you hear the “ring-ring” of a child’s bike bell. By the end of this year, the trail will extend even further, connecting more people to the fun.


Shhhhhh

No, it isn’t the sound you make when getting the kids to quiet down. It’s the serene, rushing sound of water tumbling down at Falls Park. The center of Greenville features natural waterfalls, giving natural ambient sound unlike anywhere else. It’s why the park ranked No.3 on USAtoday’s “10Best Readers’ Choice” list for Best City Park + was recently featured on CBS Sunday Morning.

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Splish splash

From one park to another, the sound of children laughing + playing can’t be silenced by the splishing and splashing sound from the Greenville Water Splash Pad at Greenville’s new Unity Park, but we don’t mind. It’s a sound members of the Southernside and West Greenville neighborhoods have waited decades to hear. Before you go, check out our ultimate guide to Unity Park.


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