It seems like every time we turn around these days, pesky and uppity neighbor Greenville, S.C., about 63 miles to the south of Asheville, tops Asheville in more and more of the quality of life polls.

And, for Asheville, long known as the “Paris of the South,” this trend just cannot be allowed to continue for a city known for its arts, cuisine, the Biltmore House, Grove Park Inn, its history and outdoor recreation opportunities and scenic beauty — and a downtown with a number of buildings featuring exquisite art deco architecture.

The latest outrage for Ashevillians is a ranking in a Money Magazine story titled “The Best Places to Live for Singles” in the United States in which the less-genteel Greenville placed No. 2 , while the No. 1 city on the planet — Asheville — was ranked a paltry No. 5

However, in researching Greenville’s history, it is worth noting that in the 1850s, the then-little resort village (its population had climbed to about a thousand people) became known as “the Athens of the Upstate.”

So there you go — it is a set up for the battle of the titans ... the “Paris of the South” versus the “Athens of the Upstate,” right? But not so fast. Between 1895 and 1897, Greenville became a cotton mill town, with American Spinning, Mills Manufacturing, and Poe Mill.

Through the years, Greenville has evolved and prospered to where it is the cultural and entertainment center for the Upstate, including an award-winning downtown, a major performing arts center, a 17,000 seat arena, a 340,000-square-foot convention and exhibition center, nationally recognized museum collections, and 39 parks, playgrounds and recreation centers.

Greenville continues to move ahead, while Asheville, at the moment more commonly referred to as “Trashville” because of its homeless problem, seems content to rest on its laurels.