Today, the Columbia Metropolitan Area is home to over 200 years of history, beautiful Lake Murray, the University of South Carolina, the Army's largest training base at Fort Jackson, numerous festivals and recreational opportunities. Best reasons to be in Columbia, South Carolina, beautiful weather, easy access to the beaches and mountains, Lake Murray, nice parks and recreational opportunities, and the list goes on. There are plenty of shopping opportunities in the Greater Columbia area -- downtown Columbia, malls, many specialty stores, discount stores, flea markets, and special shopping districts such as Five Points and the Congaree Vista. The historic Congaree Vista area is a developing area that already features fine arts, antiques and a number of unique restaurants. Five Points is a very popular shopping village with many specialty shops, galleries and restaurants and much more.