Impressions, just returned from 1st visit to Chucktown! (Charleston, Mount Pleasant: construction, restaurants)

[TravelPlant]

Fair reply from all, and thanks for the input. Moneill I totally see your comparison about taking Tamiami down to Siesta from Sarasota or by coming up from the south not showing the best side. Using your analogy I guess I was hoping for something a bit more like downtown Sarasota in Mt. Pleasant with a main street, restaurants, bars, theaters, galleries, etc... Alot to ask? Certainly.

For sure if things hash out and we end up going to Charleston we'll be doing a much longer and more focused real estate visit including Mt Pleasant and James Island, although depending on where I'm working I still feel like downtown would be my preference. Without question we will rent a house for a year at least, that gives the necessary time to decide where to buy. We're planning so far in advance and with so many visits because we do plan on setting down some roots wherever we settle next, we've been moving every 2-4 years for the past 12 years and it needs to end!

I wonder, and there are probably a ton of posts on this, what is the estimated timeframe till all the construction is done in Mt. Pleasant? Just a ballpark, is there a plan of when it will be done? I remembered just now as we drove in from the bridge the first time a sign that read "Welcome to ConstructionLand"... Not a good sign!

Thanks again to everyone's input, and thanks for the youtube link on Mt Pleasant

[roxanneself]

Originally Posted by TravelPlant

I wonder, and there are probably a ton of posts on this, what is the estimated timeframe till all the construction is done in Mt. Pleasant? Just a ballpark, is there a plan of when it will be done? I remembered just now as we drove in from the bridge the first time a sign that read "Welcome to ConstructionLand"... Not a good sign!

Thanks again to everyone's input, and thanks for the youtube link on Mt Pleasant

Originally they said they were going to be finished Spring 2013. Last I heard they were ahead of schedule, but the way things change they could now be on time, or even behind.

[emilybh]

I moved to Charleston from New England and lived in Charleston for 4 years. I had the same reactions you did about downtown and Daniel Island. I loved downtown and Sullivan's Island and thought Daniel Island felt so sterile. I drove around Daniel Island on a day when I could count the number of people I saw on one hand. I failed to see the big attraction to it.

I liked West Ashley and James Island much better for proximity to everything and the "character" of the neighborhoods and much larger lots. I think you'd agree. There are some nice places within a half mile radius of Folly Road and Maybank Highway.

As far as the beaches go, Calabash/North Myrtle Beach has nicer beaches and nicer prettier and much more clear ocean water to swim in as does Pawley's Island, Beaufort and Hilton Head Island all in SC.

Kiawah Island beaches have been ranked in the top ten in the country or maybe the world and they are in SC. However, beware of sharks and jellyfish. Water temps in the summer are in the high 80's so there is no such thing as going to the beach for a swim "to cool off".

Most of all make SURE you REALLY like hot weather. D.C. hot is not like Charleston hot. My sister and brother-in-law who live in Veinna, VA, visited in June the first year I was there and it was in the high 90's but the heat index, with humidity factored in, was probably 115 or 120 (and in the summer the heat index can get into the 130s.) It was way too hot for my brother-in-law then. At that time I was trying the best I could to tolerate it and ignore it.

The novelty of living there wore off eventually and I decided I didn't want to remain living in a place where the nicest season of the year was so unbearable that you had to stay inside most of the time with your A/C running 24/7 for 6 months.

Another thing I didn't like was how remote it was. You have to drive hours and hours to get to an actual city . I also missed being able to go to farmers markets where there was more than one stand at the market that sold organic produce. Farmers markets in Charleston sell more crafts and junk food than organic produce I found.


So I moved to the upstate which is still hot but MUCH drier so 95 degrees feels like 95 and not 115. Winter nights are colder but winter last 3 weeks so it isn't a big deal.

If I had to do it over again I would do the following:

1)Visit for a week during the summer before moving to get a taste of what a summer in Charleston is going to be like and see if I could handle it. then....

2)....rent a place for a year but not unpack all my stuff just in case I didn't like it. (At least I wouldn't throw the boxes I packed stuff in away.)

I still like Charleston a lot but to me it is nicer to visit than live there year-round.

[cape_fisherman]

Originally Posted by emilybh

I still like Charleston a lot but to me it is nicer to visit than live there year-round.

As much as I love Charleston, I would have to agree with this statement.

[TravelPlant]

Yeah the heat won't be a problem, of that I'm sure, I lived three years on the West coast of south Florida, moved there in July '10 and it was heat and humidity day and night like I'd never seen. That first summer was rough but honestly after the first "winter" and I'm wearing flip flops and t shirts in January the next summer was much easier to tolerate, after being there a year my body had totally acclimated, I was in great shape and loved the heat, summer really didn't bother me anymore at all. I expect the same would happen in Charleston.

I just watched that video posted by Bob the real estate guy on Mt Pleasant, definitely gave it a better view than what I saw, and explained how the town is laid out so I understood which parts would be more agreeable for us. I think after watching that video I'm convinced it's worth a 2nd look if we end up there, if for no other reason that living there I wouldn't have to pay for private school, I'd get a lot more house & lifestyle(community pool, tennis, closer to beach) for the money than living downtown. Downside of course is losing the walkability factor which is big in my book.... as long as there are taxi's to take me back and forth over the bridge when I feel like partying then it would work perhaps.

Seeing the construction does mean the town is investing in itself and anticipates further growth and property value increases. Despite my reservations it's hard to argue that Mt. Pleasant is clearly the area of Charleston poised to continue to appeal to those who have money and are willing to drop it on a home. I think Daniel island would be the place to move if you could afford over 4 million on a house then you can really get a palatial waterfront estate there... so it's out for us!

Which subdivisions in Mt. Pleasant would be considered the most walkable, in terms of walking to grocery store, walk to a pub, walk to a coffee shop. I learned from that video I'On for example has those in the community, any others?

[Go To Girl]

My view of the road construction in Mt Pleasant was that it was very far along so that it probably wouldn't be going on for much longer - keeping in mind that you are talking YEARS when it comes to road construction from start to finish. The road construction that made me more disconcerted was what I saw off Bees Ferry Rd - they were in the clearing trees stage. In my son's situation, if he opted to move there, being he is a young guy starting out, he probably wouldn't be there long enough to reap the rewards of the construction - he'd just deal with the headaches. Mt Pleasant was at a point where I saw reaping rewards.

I'm going to take some time and watch that video. I'm interested as well. When my son told me that he just "wasn't feeling it" regarding Mt Pleasant, I told him that when he got married and started having kids, he might start to feel it then.

[Go To Girl]

That was a nicely done video. I went in that Oakland Market Shopping Center - that's where they had the temporary leasing office for Gregorie Ferry Apartments. We were up and down Rifle Range Rd as well and we did go into several neighborhoods, but none of them were like that. Most of them were just average houses without being labeled. But that's what you're going to see when you're looking at apartments rather than looking at homes.

[moneill]

Originally Posted by TravelPlant

Fair reply from all, and thanks for the input. Moneill I totally see your comparison about taking Tamiami down to Siesta from Sarasota or by coming up from the south not showing the best side. Using your analogy I guess I was hoping for something a bit more like downtown Sarasota in Mt. Pleasant with a main street, restaurants, bars, theaters, galleries, etc... Alot to ask? Certainly.

I've been visiting Sarasota for 30 years and agree the main street has become quite enjoyable. With Charleston so easy to go to -- Mt. Pleasant hasn't developed that kind of atmosphere. It takes us 15 minutes to get downtown to experience the charm of the city. We would love to live downtown but the public school system is sketchy and we would have a difficult time finding a house we could afford.

if you can live downtown -- go for it!!!!! But know -- if you end up in one of the other bedroom communities -- downtown Charleston is a short and easy ride away....

[klysik]

We moved from Boston to Wilmington in August and can't wait to move again. We are moving to Daniel Island...to each his own. For all the things you mentioned you didnt like on your visit to the Mt. Pleasant/Charleston area, I would steer clear of Wilmington!

[moneill]

Seaside is a development with a grocery store, a Target (that has been recently upgraded to mimic a 'Super' Target layout), coffee shop, etc. There are various house styles in that development and it is conveniently located at the intersection of Rifle Range & IOP.