Mount Pleasant: "Big Box" stores coming; Residents fighting back. (Myrtle Beach: salons, homes)

[seabass08]

As always, my statements have facts to back. Here is the PC article: Prostitution persists despite police efforts | The Post and Courier - Charleston, South Carolina

It was a study in 2008 of hooker arrests over a 3 year span.

2nd largest city in SC Charleston (120,000 ppl) has hundreds.
3rd largest city in SC North Charleston (100,000 ppl) had hundreds plus more.
4th largest city in SC Mount Pleasant (70,000 ppl) has ZERO in three years!!!

I'd assume the 1st largest city, Columbia, had hundreds. And the 5th largest city, Rock Hill, probably had a hundred or so.

But that big ole #4 largest city had ZERO arrests. None. Zilch.

Obviously it's just a "look the other way" situation, like the prescription drug and suicide problem.

[Robynn]

Originally Posted by seabass08

Well, a couple years ago the local paper did a story on prostitution arrests. Charleston and North Charleston each had 400-ish or something, as the 2nd and 3rd largest cities in the state. Mount Pleasant had 0. Thats right, 0 arrests for a city of 70,000. Why? Local PD doesn't enforce it. Check Craigslist, its a running joke around here about how many "escorts" you'll find in Mt P. I guess they decided to change it, because recently a lady running a "massage parlor" in one of the high end neighborhoods was busted for prostitution. For years the Russian girls would sit outside the Harris Teeter on H Northcutt Blvd on the swings to pick up the late night drunks, and the south end hotels? Oh my. It's definitely not the Vegas style street level prostitution, not at all. Never seen that here. But online and on the side yeah, but sounds like locals got tired of it and maybe gonna enforce it.

But I must say, its NOTHING like the prostitution in North Charleston at all.

So North Charleston has lots of prostitution too??? DANG!

[seabass08]

Originally Posted by Robynn

So North Charleston has lots of prostitution too??? DANG!

Yes, but its very centralized. North Charleston gets a bad rap. It's crime rate has been slashed, and even when it was up, it was mostly centralized on the south end of town (north of downtown Char). Most of the city is just a regular suburb like Summerville or Goose Creek. But Spruill Avenue is the hooker haven, near old Navy base. Avoid that and you'll never see it.

Mt P might be for you though. My main gripes are the extremely snooty, snobbish people and the overbearing laws. If you can tolerate that, its not bad. Nice scenery, good schools, fairly safe. I cant and am moving.

[seabass08]

But it is a tourist city, so like Myrtle Beach, its gonna happen.

[accufitgolf]

Progress will happen. Many in Mount Pleasant believe Rte. 17 always was commercial, so just keep the big boxes over there and most will be happy. Not all will be happy, but all are never happy.

[Mary BethOT]

Just imagine the years of construction and mess, right in the same area and on the heels of the Hwy 17 mess. I live right In The middle of where this would be and dread the idea based on that, not to mention the traffic!

[moneill]

First....the stats on Greenville and Spartanburg are a little skewed. While the actual city of Greenville....s only 52,000 -- the metro area of Greenville is 300,000+ -- and Sspartanburg metro area is 200,000+.

The 0 stats for prostitution is because, like most bedroom communities or suburban communities, Mount Pleasant doesn't have an area conducive to soliciting. Where do you suggest the girls walk -- Hwy. 17 & 41.....<G>

Mount Pleasant could not, would not be a family oriented community if there was a problem of police 'ignoring' the prostitutes. That's crazy. Not saying you haven't had the pleasure of doing business with one in this community -- one can always find what they are looking for in any community...but it isn't the norm.

[MINIcoopKJG]

Originally Posted by Mary BethOT

Just imagine the years of construction and mess, right in the same area and on the heels of the Hwy 17 mess. I live right In The middle of where this would be and dread the idea based on that, not to mention the traffic!

The big box stores would abut the development I live in.

[moneill]

Everytime a box store wants to be built people protest -- then the first week it is opened EVERYONE flocks to it. I can't tell you how many meetings I've been where folks object to Walmart, Target, etc.....but they are in line the first day to get whatever.

Traffic on 17 has its moments. Rush hour is always going to be rush hour. I was at Town Center today and you would swear it was the Saturday before Christmas......the kids were off and it was crazy...

[MINIcoopKJG]

The big box stores don't really bother me. I actually like the idea, probably because I lived in a really small town with nothing for the past 10 years and it took me a minimum of 45 minutes to get anywhere. I love having everything so close!