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West Ashley seems appealing and the location is good. Can you tell me why people don't like it? It seems to have nice neighborhoods. I understand that the schools aren't great, but if one were to consider private school would it be a nice place for a family?
I don't know who is saying West Ashley isn't a nice place to live. It does have a old(very old) area - Charlestowne landing, but new areas as well. You are right, it is in a good location. I have had clients overlook West Ashley when the think of moving to the Charleston area, but when I show them the newer areas and how close they are to Charleston - they like it. I think it has a lot to offer. You do need to watch out for the commuting time though. If you need to commute to Charleston or Mt. Pleasant for work, that can be a problem if you aren't flexible on your times. But, that is true if you were considering a town north of Charleston, like Summerville or Goose Creek - coming in on I26 in the morning can be an hour commute.
Two developements come to mind - Grand Oaks - a newer community with a lot to offer for families, and Shadowmoss - a more established neighborhood. Moderator cut: solicitation removed Good luck.
Last edited by GoPadge; 06-25-2007 at 10:53 AM..
Reason: Solicitations violate the Terms of Service
West Ashley seems appealing and the location is good. Can you tell me why people don't like it? It seems to have nice neighborhoods. I understand that the schools aren't great, but if one were to consider private school would it be a nice place for a family?
Well, I grew up in this section of Charleston, and I'm always surprised by how many residents of the metro area look at this section negatively. I think it really has to do with some old neighborhoods that are in need of renovation, and older shopping areas (which have undergone many renovations for modernization and are still great places to shop). Mt. Pleasant has also had a tendency to attract snobbier yuppie people, as well as a larger amount of newer development, so the negative outlook is fostered by many who live east of the Cooper.
However, with Mt. P practically capping their growth, WA stands to be the next area of new development. A brand new neighborhood you might want to look into is Carolina Bay; the project will have about 1,500 homes, access to Savannah Highway and Glenn McConnell Parkway via a new connector boulevard, and is about 15-20 minutes from most places around the metro area. The Citadel Mall is still expanding, as well as plans for the WA Town Center across I-526 from the mall. Many of the new places will be in between Bees Ferry Road, Glenn McConnell, and Savannah Hwy. Glenn McConnell is going to be the next commercial strip for this side of Chas, if you haven't noticed already.
Chas County schools do have a bad rep, but most of that stems from the north area. WA schools have a fairly good reputation, with some elementary schools being exceptions due to their location.
All in all, if you work downtown or around WA, your commute will be fairly short, but be prepared for a lengthy commute if you need to work in the north area. Mt. P, Summerville, and Goose Creek have the worst commute times, so think of WA as your best destination for commuting as well.
Thank you. We are only interested in established neighborhoods, no new developments. Do you have any personal favorites? We are just in the research stage right now.
I agree fully with Charleston Native and think that Shadowmoss is your best bet. There is a wide variety of house plans and styles, larger than usual yards, mature trees, beautiful golf course, pool w/swim teams, and tennis courts. Drive through this quiet, established, and attractive neighborhood and you'll see what I mean. If I didn't live out in the country (Johns Island), this is the subdivision I would choose.
A couple of other established neighborhoods are Parkshore and Northbridge, which are located next to each other, around Sam Rittenberg Blvd and Orange Grove Road. Just 1/2 mile from there is Charles Towne Landing. Orange Grove Elementary has been recognized as "Palmetto's Finest", an award given to the best school in the state each year.
Some smaller established neighborhoods are around where I grew up: Indigo Point and Harrison Acres. These are "off US 17" and are very nice, with virtually no crime areas.
I live in West Ashley, but am originally from Pennsylvania. Oftentimes the difference between perception and reality is hard for a native to see. I have a theory there could be a proverbial "elephant in the room" no one is willing to talk about.
Race.
Ask an average white Charlestonian to name "good" neighborhoods and "bad" neighborhoods, and the list will be almost perfectly divided along race lines. Mount Pleasant, which lies east of the Cooper, is one of the main places you will hear negative comments about West Ashley. But, bear in mind that Mount Pleasant is 90% white, while Charleston County as a whole is only 61% white. This is still SC, after all.
West Ashley is a well integrated racially and economically mixed suburban area. Bear in mind that the Charleston area has a good sized black middle class, and they often live here. There are some very nice, quiet suburban neighborhoods between Hwy 61, Sam Ritt and the Ashley River, near Charlestown Landing. These areas have very easy access to shopping, as well as fairly easy commutes.
My own neighborhood of Heathwood, for example, is racially mixed (I am guessing 50-50) and composed mostly of middle class folks:retail managers, nurses, cops, teachers and the like. If you want a quiet, 1960's style ranch house type of neighborhood, without the expense (and attitude) of a McMansion, give the inner areas of West Ashley a look.
The outer areas of West Ashley, such as Shadowmoss are very pretty, with lots of trees and somewhat bigger houses, with bigger pricetags, but watch your commute. Highway 61 is little more than a country road and makes for hellacious traffic even on off-peak hours. Even just getting to a big box store can be a challenge at the wrong time of day. Bees Ferry Road helps, but still, expect to use up some gas to buy a loaf of bread or a box of nails.
The only areas I would characterize as crime ridden or undesirable are a few neighborhoods which lie between 61, 17, Sam Ritt and Playground Road. There are some okay blocks in that area, and some sketchy blocks elsewhwere, but that generalization should help.
There are also some iffey areas NW of and along Sam Ritt, but it's really a development by development and apartment complex by apartment complex thing. Some nice places sit right next to some run down retiree and single mom type housing, not ghetto projects, but working class.
I grew up in West Ashley and think it is a fine place to raise a family. Sorry I can't remember names of neighborhoods.I would suggest all of the areas south of HWY 17, there are a lot of others too, but the names escape me.
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the elephant in the room
