Aiken SC, or Augusta GA (Atlanta, Martinez: real estate, Home Depot, transfer)

[cmarie2010]

I am relocating downsouth with my job later this year. My job's move is to Aiken SC however I hear Augusta Georgia is not too far.

Can someone offer any any comparisons/contrasts on the 2 areas?

We currently reside in a suburb of the metro Detroit area and are looking for a similar place for our family and too raise our 3 small children.

I've heard some good things about Aiken SC, and some things which concern me.

Just looking for tons of honest information from people who are actually living in the area.

Thank you,
Cmarie

[SeaSpur]

Hmm. The two areas are quite different...but then again similar in some aspects.

Size. Augusta is certainly larger population wise and has "suburbs", if you will, around it. Aiken is just Aiken with a couple different sides of town.

I think it is safe to say without a doubt that Aiken appears to be the more "cleaner" of the two cities...Aiken's downtown area really stands out with nice restaurants, bars, and boutiques...and attracts good people.

Augusta provides a lot more shopping with multiple shopping centers and a large mall. You can also find nice boutique shops in Surrey Center as well. The Aiken Mall is probably the worst mall in the Southeast.

As far as dining goes, I'd say they are about the same in terms of quality. They both have their share of chain restaurants, with Augusta having more because of size, and each has their own local restaurants that people enjoy- I just feel Aiken has "more" nice places to dine in relation to size.

It just depends on what you are looking for...starting with size. Aiken doesn't have a metropolitan feel to it- more of a laid back place that has everything you want. While Augusta isn't what I would call "metropolitan" by a stretch in comparison to large cities- it provides that feel to it with a downtown with "tall" buildings, suburbs, multiple main highways inside the city, interstate(s) coming through the city rather than out the outskirts (like Aiken), and a lot more traffic.

[scyogi]

@seaspur....it would not let me give you more 'points' but your post was extremly accurate with the exception of the Aiken Mall. The worst in the southeast??? Maybe the saddest in the SE!! I almost bust into tears the first time I went (after moving from Atlanta) realizing I really had more to small town,USA. After living for the past few years in Dallas I would adore to be back in 29803.

@cmaire.....you are asking the right questions! I know how difficult it is to make such a long distance transfer. Keep researching and visiting and you will find your spot!!

[scyogi]

One more thing....since you have small kids, when you go check out the cities be sure to stop by the Aiken library and Hopeland gardens in Aiken. Those were 2 of my daughters favorite spots. I am still giving my vote to Aiken.....

[Kachina1]

Well, Aiken has 2 Wal Marts, a Target, Home Depot, Lowe's, Publix. Belk, Dillards, Sears, JCP and Books a Million in the mall. It seems like there are a lot of beautiful gated communities and some nice older and newer developments. A very active Newcomer's Group with quite a few relocated professionals. Small but beautiful University of South Carolina campus. Julliard is about to kick off their annual program here. Two big in town parks. Lovely theater in town.

We saw Cirque de Soleil in Augusta a few months ago. About 20 minutes away. The new complex, Kroc Center, I'm assuming will be a venue for more Broadway shows and big name concerts. Beautiful Fresh Market and Earth Faire in Augusta. Nice mall with Barnes and Nobel, J Jill, Sephora, PF Changs, etc.

Anyway, as horse people without children who relocated here from the northeast, we don't have the same needs and concerns as a young family with children, but I thought I'd mention some of things that are attractive to us about both areas other than the obvious weather plus. Augusta seems close enough to Aiken that it's an easy trip over if you wanted a small town feel for home in Aiken with more amenities available close by in Augusta. Aiken does have an acutal "downtown" as opposed, I assume, to some of the attractive communities surrounding Augusta such as Evans or North Augusta.

Relatively new to the area, so please forgive and correct any inaccuracies or misperceptions!

[SeaSpur]

Originally Posted by scyogi

@seaspur....it would not let me give you more 'points' but your post was extremly accurate with the exception of the Aiken Mall. The worst in the southeast??? Maybe the saddest in the SE!!

Well, I guess the only other mall I can think of that is worse would be Prince of Orange Mall in Orangeburg, SC...and Dutch Square in Columbia (if you even want to call that a mall still).

Mall's are just a thing of the past for the most part- unenclosed shopping centers with a few big box retailers and strips around them are the new trend and just more convenient it seems for people these days.

I expect the Aiken Mall to be non-existent in the next 10 years. The real estate is just too grand for it to sit there with hardly any shopping draws, in my opinion.

[nortonguy]

Originally Posted by SeaSpur

It just depends on what you are looking for...starting with size. Aiken doesn't have a metropolitan feel to it- more of a laid back place that has everything you want. While Augusta isn't what I would call "metropolitan" by a stretch in comparison to large cities- it provides that feel to it with a downtown with "tall" buildings, suburbs, multiple main highways inside the city, interstate(s) coming through the city rather than out the outskirts (like Aiken), and a lot more traffic.

The interstates in Augusta run through the outskirts.

I-20 in Richmond county runs through West Augusta. I-520 in Richmond county runs through West Augusta, South Augusta, and East Augusta. Before it turns into I-520 palmetto pkwy in North Augusta.

[nortonguy]

Aiken is a suburb of Augusta. People commute back and forth daily. It probably comes down to wanting a ''medium size city'' or ''medium size town''.

Augusta and Aiken both have very nice neighborhoods. The commute is 20 to 25 minutes.

[EastsideDave]

I don't really know if I'd call Aiken a 'suburb' of Augusta per se, Aiken is more of a medium size town (like you said) that is only a few minutes from Augusta. Aiken has it's own history and downtown, etc. that is separate from Augusta's. When you say 'suburb', I think of places that have only started to really develop only 'recently' as an alternative to living in Augusta, i.e. Evans, Martinez, etc. But that's just my opinion.

Anyway, Aiken has all of the amenities that a family would need. Plenty of retail and dining options (both local and chain), plenty of nice public parks, a variety of very nice new and old neighborhoods, and Aiken has very good schools (both public and private). Aiken also has a very quaint downtown with local shops and restaurants.

Augusta has many of the same things Aiken does, just more of it. There are plenty of chain retail stores and restaurants in addition to many local options. Augusta also has a very good, large mall.

It all just depends on what kind of place you're looking for, you can live in the larger Augusta, or the smaller Aiken, or you can pick any of the places in between (North Augusta, the Midland Valley Area, etc.) Which ever one you chose, it's only a short ~20 minute drive from one to the other.

[buschris]

Lived in Aiken most of my life, 30 here and 10 in Georgia. Move to Aiken, no comparison.