Summerville for Kids? Moving from DE (Charleston, Goose Creek: lease, buying a home, neighborhoods)

[Leone]

ECX,

I was checking out the Washington forum, Seattle here..now that is living..check out the picture someone posted throughout that thread I have pasted below. When you come to Summerville you will see what I am talking about and the difference.

Seattle...Fresh, clean air, diverse, mountains, healthy living, water, boating. Man, I am home sick now. And the winters are milder there than here. No joking.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/seatt...n-seattle.html

[DJShymansky]

Seattle's gorgeous, I have some friends who live in the PNW. It's definitely a different world. I wish they'd stop clearcutting old growth areas though, it boggles the mind.

[Leone]

Clearcutting...like where, it's been awhile for us? Marysville area, I hear? Sammamish/Issaquah between Bellevue? That area was cleared years ago. That had developed into a nice community I think. Microsoft, Gates since they erected an office out there to bring down the commuting trafffic on the eastside to Redmond to the main office. Gates also paid for an on and off ramp to the highway constructed to prevent traffic through the residential community. Still crowded, but a well thought out community.

White Center reminds me of the suburbs around here. I guess it is evolving too, property values doubled in the last few years.

It has been two years since we have been out and about all around there. A few quick vacation getaways only. Not enough to get reacquainted with the area, just highlighted our favorites.

In Seattle you can't even buy a shack for under 300K now. I guess I insulted someone when I used the term shack. I meant it in a way how outrageous things are priced here. Not to literally imply they resided in a shack. I used it in the sentence when someone said they had a house with taxes of 1K in Mount Pleasant. Does that property tax even exist there?

When we were lining up houses with a realtor here before our search, we first lined up Mount Pleasant, but by the time we arrived the house criteria we were looking for went up 50-60% in 6 months so we landed in Summerville.

When I first posted I had complaints with contractors and their ethics and how people lead another astray for a buck. Instead of someone offering up reliable contractors or asking what contractors were taking the new residents to the cleaners. Instead I am a liar? And I have to go into a spiel about bugs and etc because it isn't the Garden of Eden down here like it is being implied.

Wouldn't you, meaning anyone, like to know who not to refer to friends, clients and etc? I did receive a few emails from some inquiring.

Who likes to be taken? Sure in the heck not me. To me, it seems like there isn't any regulations governing contractors here and they are not held accountable. You do the research and think you did it right and yet still it is enough. Rich, middle class or poor...who likes to throw their money away?


I was rethinking, perhaps it isn't the locals who are ripping the transplants off, but transplants who moved here and set up shop and claim they are locals. Could be. Either case beware.

[Leone]

I was rethinking, perhaps it isn't the locals who are ripping the transplants off, but transplants who moved here and set up shop and claim they are locals. Could be. Either case beware.

[lilangelbaby0099]

Hey,

I just wanted to say that i will be moving to summerville. I have cousins who i spoke with about the area and they have nothing but great things to say. They moved from the maryland area. They said the schools are great there, they have 3 kids in school down there. The colleges are some of the best in the country. Its a great place to live as well as charleston ashley vacinity. Stay away from North Charleston, its filled with crimes and such. Not a good place to raise a child. Also goose tree is another place that is wonderful. They have many friends and family who love it there and have moved there as well. There are positive and negative to anyplace you choose to live. Thats life. I live in the country of nepa beautiful but only low paying jobs. So neither here nor there. From what i have heard i recommend summerville highly.

[mickeysfriend]

Hi lilangel...
Where in NEPA are you??? I am in East Stroudsburg...in the Poconos....I agree wholeheartedly about the low paying jobs. My family of 4 will be moving to Summerville in June/July '08. We are very much looking forward to it...We are now on the hunt for a place to live...

LIZ

[SCDweller]

Wow...I just finished reading through this whole thread and was amazed at all the ups and downs and opinions. I guess I will put my two sense in and try to help you in your decision. I was raised in Summerville and raised my four children with my wife in the downtown area of Sville. The things that have been shared about the disparity between "the dumpy parts" and the beautiful parts are indeed true. But, that is because Summerville started out as a real town with all sorts of people with different economic backgrounds. As time has gone on and real estate value has increased, the less desirable areas are becoming less and less. Schools are excellent. My family used the public schools, private schools and home schooled. So I've seen it all.
For some of us, Summerville is the "the perfect idyllic town." However, it does have its flaws and drawbacks. Shopping isn't quite up to par yet, traffic can be horrendous, some areas are not so wonderful. (I will say that I've never smelled anything except when in Mount Pleasant as far as the paper mill...) Much of how you feel about a town is what you make of it, the friendships you build and the community you involve yourself in. I hope that your visit to Summerville leaves you knowing what the right decision for Your family shoud be. Everyone is different. For many of us, Summerville has been the best place to raise our families and we wouldn't want to live anywhere else! I hope you enjoy your visit.

[ECX]

Keep the comments coming... every bit of info helps!

[imperieux]

I think I'll share MY thoughts on living in Summerville.

My family and I moved from the Philadelphia/South Jersey area to Summerville a little over a year ago.We have lived here in the White Gables subdivision for a little over a year and have never ever smelled the paper mill in our neighborhood. The only time we do smell the paper mill is when driving through North Charleston on Hwy 26.

To me, Summerville is more than just live oaks with their spanish moss and pretty azaleas in the springtime. There are really good people here and the friendliness at first stunned us, as we were not used to it. Now I adore it and have become a much friendlier person myself. Homes are pretty, landscaping is beautifully done, homeowners have pride in their homes and keep them up nicely. We bought our home in White Gables because we loved the Charleston style homes and were impressed with the sense of community in the neighborhood. You'll see ferns hanging from porches everywhere, and litter is almost absent. Sure there is some litter along main roads, but it's NOTHING compared to up north. Children are more mannerly and my daughter has picked up on that a bit and is a little more respectful of others now.Yes, traffic is getting worse, because more and more people are moving here everyday. My daughter had 2 new kids a WEEK join her 7th grade last year, and so they are currently building a new high school and have already opened two new elementary schools and a new middle school to keep up with the additional children. So, yes, traffic is my one complaint, but it's much heavier in Mt Pleasant, and gets crowded mostly on Main St in the shopping area and in the southern section of Summerville. But now that they have added more businesses on Central Ave and Orangeburg Rd, such as the new Publix, the new CVS and the soon to open Walgreens, traffic is increasing in my area too, and it doesn't feel like the rural, out of the way area that it used to be.

There are wonderful, award winning restaurants in downtown Charleston, but Summerville needs some work in that department, although a few more have opened and I've heard more are to come. My other complaint is that most stores and restaurants close early here, most are closed completely by 10 pm, but Charleston restaurants stay open later. Homes are priced well, taxes are low, it's quiet but clean. I would not be afraid if I forgot to lock my doors at night and I leave my downstairs windows open all night, especially during the spring and fall months. As far as weather, it's very very hot during June through Sept and much milder in the winter than I am used to. I walked around the pond in my neighborhood with just a sweater on Christmas Day, for example. It's a 30-40 minute ride to the beach. It's a 30 minute drive to Charleston with everything it offers, including restaurants, museums, haunted mansions and jails and other tours, horse and carriage rides, bicycle cabs, fantastic seafood, and great shopping. Yes, there is some poverty in Summerville, but it's somewhat confined to the interior rural areas. There are so many transplants here that anyone will feel welcome, no matter where they are from. Right now there is an influx of people from Ohio and Pittsburgh, but there are people coming from everywhere. There are too many homes to choose from, I admit the market is a bit flooded with inventory now, but that's great for a buyer. Contrary to what Leone says, there ARE some reputable builders here and although my home was built by a builder in a subdivision, (with no issues I might add), I have friends who have had custom homes built with no problems either. My family and I are very happy here, my daughter loves her new school and is thriving in it. She is looking forward to going to Summerville High School next year. We haven't ever regretted our decision in choosing Summerville as our new home. Not once.

That is MY Summerville. Everything's not perfect, but it's a pretty great place to live. And if anyone is considering the Charleston/Summerville area, I would say that researching and asking questions is fine, but I really suggest visiting the area as thoroughly as possible, so that you can find out for yourself if it would be a great place for your family too.

-Stephanie

[ECX]

imperieux-Awesome! Thanks for your time. We are coming down to stay for a few days at the end of Oct. to check it out for ourselves. Any suggestions on hotels?

Also, are there any homes for sale in your neighborhood? What are the prices like?

Thanks again for your time.