Summerville for Kids? Moving from DE (Goose Creek: appointed, sale, apartments)

[ECX]

Looking to leave cancer ridden Delaware....

Married with a 6 & 8 yr old. We arelooking for a more year round temperate climate with less "dark winters".

GOOD public Schools are a must!!!

We love fishing, swimming, beaches etc.

We were thinking of moving to Florida, but the more we look, the worse it seems.

Summerville seems like a great place but this is a BIG move for us and we want to be sure... We are driving to Fla in Oct and will stop in Summerville for a day or so to "check it out"

Any help will be greatly appriciated.

[DJShymansky]

Yes, it's definitely worth a look when you stop through. You're about 40 minutes or less to the area beaches, in the highest ranked local school district according to state tests, and Summerville is home to many great neighborhoods that your kids would love.

[Leone]

My advice. Drive everywhere in Summerville not just the scenic route. I doubt you will be impressed with the view. Cruise the east side of main, Dorchester RD, the south end of 165. Take 17A across the to the other side Sangree...see what it really is.

Main street Summerville is charming small...like anytown, USA mainstreet. Plantations are Nice. West of main is summrville is Nice. But like I said, you can find it anywhere.

Just for GP, they boast of medical..I wonder what was here before because it is so small town medical. Doctors are so overbooked. Appointment waits have been as long as 90 minutes. ER visit for us was 6 hours. Vet ER was an 8 hour wait. Dog chest was tore open.

I am not a local and I am very disappointed.

Like you I made a trip, 10 days, realtor took me on the scenic routes. Instead of buy a reale we ended up builting here. The worst experience a person could be put through. Enough to make a grown man cry. They'll take you.

It isn't that great, really. It is like anyplace USA off of a truck different highway.

Junkyards near 400K homes. Old run-down strip malls. Chinese buffets on every block.

It is a swamp, with land filled.

Stinks everywhere.

Churches on every corner. People are friendly.

Personally, if you have been anywhere or are from the midwest or cold you would think this is something special.

The weather. Two extremes. Hot and Cold. This year over 100 this summer, last years winter under freezing.

Shopping is limited, unless you are into Walmart, Kmart....they just erected a Best Buy and Dicks. Even the Norwoods mall is small.

[ECX]

Leone- Do you live in Summerville??

There seems to be 20% of posters here that have REALLY BAD things to say about it.

Here in DE, doctor waits are 1hr +, ER waits are insane! 6+ hours

Whats with the "stink"??

I find it hard to believe that it is as bad as you say when there are so many more people talking it up...

What specifically makes SUMMERVILLE a BAD placeto live... open to all opinions

Thanks

[ECX]

I didn't want to start a post to bash one another. I just want peoples opinions on moving to Summerville... Please take the fights somewhere else..

If you have some info for me on why or why not Summerville is a good choice for my family please post.

Thanks

[scjj]

My apologies to ECX for interrupting your thread. I'll just delete it and move it to another one, there is plenty to choose from.

To answer your question, Summerville is a great choice, very family oriented town. Dorchester District 2 has the best schools in the state. It is growing well economically also with new businesses relocating to the area.

[sbohandley]

Leone does have some valid points about the area. Yes, when I visited I saw many of the things she described. However, one does see all kinds of signs to buy land and what is happening in many area's is the shoddy things that exist are getting bulldozed and good development is taking place. It will take some time, but you can see some positive things happening. Summerville is an area in transition and there are going to be some growing pains. I just hope that it happens.

[Leone]

Yes, I do live in Summerville. I have been in Summerville for 18 months and spent 7 months in Goose Creek while our house was being built.

Flew in many times before while it was a level lot, through the foundation phase. And resided during the rest of the built. So, yes I do have experience and knowledge of the area.

Like sbohandley, I agree perhaps an area in transition but where they have erected new stores, housing, apartments there is no ryhmn or reason. Carve out a wood area, fill it with topsoil, and call it a luxury home site backed to a wetland. It is a swamp. Seems like there is no plan for the area, Summerville at all.

The stink. Paper mills. Smells like cabbage and sulfur.

Summerville "new" suburbs are still agricultural zoned so they burn their trash, wood and what not even on high humid non-moving air days. You can see the haze and smell it.

Traffic is jammed all along 61, 2 lane road in the evenings going towards Summerville. I am talking bumper to bumper inch by inch. 26 is a better choice. Most locals tell they avoid the freeway but to me from a big city it is small potatoes.

The rural roads can't handle the overload of the population growth.

You may like it. I am just disappointed. Like you, we were looking for the same.

And what makes each experience different for each person is the expectation and where you were living at before. It could be a step up or a step down.

[ECX]

Thanks for all the opinions.... Leone, where are you looking to relocate?

Delaware sucks and I want to leave here before my kids get into middle school and it becomes too hard on them to leave friends etc...

[Leone]

I was in Washington State before moving here...I will head back there or to Colorado when the window of opportunity opens.

My company has a home purchase option, if your expertise, knowledge is required elsewhere they will buy your home or I will have to wait the market out so I don't lose too much cash. My career field is pretty limited and there is a lot of federal contracts out west that just may need me again.

One would think for a small community with this growth of medical facilities they boast of, why the 6 hour wait. The only facilities I see being built are like those 24 hour gas station types. I can't recall the names...I call them fast food clinics.

Frankly, I am just posting the cons because I don't think it is a fair deal to say all these things are just so wonderful and they are not. They inflate the value and worth, just like any other name and town in the USA.

Do you like hot, do you like humid, or a cool tropical breeze. Do you attend church, looking for a local YMCA? Do you like limited shopping or do you like variety? Do you like a downtown to window shop...or just like to look at old world charm stores everyday? Do you like a skyline or no? Do you like white sand beaches or dirty gray sugar sand? Do you like sociallizing with other races, culturals or do you like stay on your side of the tracks? Are you DYI or hire contractors?

Going from a big place to a small quaint one does have it perks and minuses..it is all about what your needs and wants are.

For us, we were misled. I am just trying to put it all out there.

And if it is a realtor that is posting just pros, why not....you are his bread and butter and the market here is a bit sluggish but hasn't stopped. It is still growing. From my contacts the ratio from 2005 to 2007 the houses on the market have double. Before... they were selling before the sale sign was posted. Now you have a better choice.

Look, take your time...feel all the areas out down here. In a neighborhood look at the next door one. Houses can be 600K down to as low as 260K in the cul de sac over or you could be backed up to a junkyard or a cow pasture...