charleston area demographics (Mount Pleasant, Goose Creek, Summerville: where to stay, apartment complexes, rentals)

[Teach07]

Hello, I am new to the board as well. I am considering a move to South Carolina next summer..prefereably in the Charleston or Greenville area. I am a African American single mother of a 5 year old son. I am an elementary school teacher (grade 3) and I receive quite a bit of correspondence for teaching positions in the area. I need advice on where to begin. I plan on visiting one of these two areas this fall, but I'd really like to know where there is stable housing and solid schools. I currently live in Indianapolis and I've been here since in junior high. I am ready to leave the Midwest...and I grew up in Omaha, NE so moving again is a HUGE deal for me. Any advice is welcome.

[shawnloren]

We too live in Mt.Pleasant and are black....it is a great area...very diverse and a great environment for children.

[USCJoe]

I agree with Shawnloren that Mt. Pleasant is a very diverse community and a great place to raise a child. In my opinion, the type of diversity that is beneficial to a child growing up is to be exposed to caring, considerate and hardworking individuals with good moral values who grew up in different parts of the country and come from different economic backgrounds. I think you will find the residents of Mt. Pleasant no different than responsible residents in other areas of Charleston, including Summerville. It is true that that the average family income and education of Mt. Pleasant residents is higher than in many other areas of Charleston.However, I believe that education generally makes one more accepting of their fellow man and that financial success in no way interferes with how one interacts with their neighbors.

[Charleston native]

Why is it that everybody who is from Chas forgets about the other side of the city...West Ashley? Mt. P and Summerville seem to be the only areas for anything according to some people, and that is completely untrue.

If you want diversity, you might want to consider West Ashley, which is the section of the city of Charleston on the "west" side of the Ashley River. There are plenty of places to eat and shop, with many diverse ethnic backgrounds. The area does have a white majority, but it is far less than Mt. Pleasant. You also have many Oriental, Indian, and Hispanic people who live in this section of the city. It is also only a 15-20 minute drive to the beach.

Even closer to the beach is James Island, just south of West Ashley. It is also much more diverse than Mt. P, with about half of the island in the city limits of Chas. The barrier island is also a 10 minute drive to downtown, which has MUSC and other hospitals, very convenient for nurses, doctors, and med school students. I think you would enjoy those areas far more than Summerville or Mt. P.

[theonlinedesign]

I was cardiac-telemetry step down ICU for over a decade. I became a travel nurse right out of the gate! Do an online search for the "Nursing Agencies" here. They WILL hire new Grads. They pay much higher than any staff position in the Charleston area and once they like you on the floor, they will call you back. You get to pick and choose your assignments.
Gives you time and $$$ to settle in...consider looking into Ladson, SC.
Close to everything.

M.U.S.C uses a LOT of travel nurses! Maybe, apply to an agency for a 3 month assignment here. They will put you up in a nice apartment while you work and you can scope out the area...plus a nice completion bonus to use if you decide to stay here in the Carolina's.

Good luck and welcome!

[michelleb182005]

I disagree with one of the posts listed above about Greenville being diverse, that's a total lie. Greenville just recently began to observe the Martin Luther King holiday & its 2007!!!! There is a whole LOT of racism up there so please think twice before you consider moving there. I've been in Charleston for 20 years & I love it here!! The best place to live in terms of raising a family would be Summerville, West Ashley, or Mount Pleasant. Since you are looking for a lot of diversity I would reccomend West Ashley. I currently live there & I am in an interracial relationship. It's close to everything & has that "suburban" feel. It's less than 15 minutes from downtown & North Charleston, it is definitely a wonderful place to live. Good Luck!!!

[kmalone4]

Well, my move date got pushed back by a year~ I'm looking at August 2008 now. I also chose Summerville over Mt. Pleasant. I'll be in the Charleston area the first weekend of August just to check things out.
Right now I'm working in Surgical Intensive Care at a hospital 56 miles south of Chicago. I love it! (Although L&D is my dream department). I really like the idea of travel nursing. I would definately like to get my feet wet before making a commitment and that seems to be the way to go.
I went online to research accommodations, but some of the reviews are scary. Any one know of an inexpensive hotel/motel in Charleston? I'm not picky, just somewhere roach free with clean linens and low noise. Thanks!

[Akhenaton06]

Many of my Black friends in the Charleston area live in or are from Summerville. North Charleston is second, but there's more crime there on average.

[localboy]

I work in a school in Mt. Pleasant and have kids from all of over the world.. I think there is more diversity in Mount Pleasant than most people think in terms of people from other countries. There is also a huge population of people from up north who have seetled there for a better climate and lifestyle. Mt. Pleasant real estate is very expensive because it is a thriving community with low crime, excellent schools, and it is very close to the beach and downtown Charleston. Therefore you tend to get only people who can afford to live there which does rule out a large part of the population. So it depends on how you define diversity.. if you are talking about racial, economic, etc.

[emab]

Hi I am also an RN from NJ I am looking to move to Charleston. Does anyone know the pay form an RN in Charleston right now? What about Travel nurse what is the hourly pay? I am considering travel nurse but am a little scared that it might not be to secure!!
thanks