summerville, dorchester county info? (Charleston, North Charleston: fit in, for sale, high crime)

[tracey417]

I am from New Jersey and I am looking for information about the summerville (not the summerville near chapin). I am wondering about school systems, taxes, weather and if it is possible to find a house with 1-2 acres or more of land. I am in rural NJ and am used to a yard that is very private. The schools by me are also very good and I am wondering how SC schools compare. However I cannot stand the rising taxes in my area and the way the state is grossly misgoverned it only looks to get worse. The winters are also getting tough to handle. I have lived here my entire life and am nervous about the thought of moving but it does not seem to make sense to stay here much longer. Does anyone have any info or suggestions about summerville or surrounding areas?

[AshleyMc]

I just moved to Summerville...this is the fastest growing school district in the state which has really created problems, lots of portable trailers behind the schools, also lots of poverty here. PRIVATE SCHOOLS ARE doing a great business here so check into the reasons for that..I work in the schools here and I just see lots of issues. Housing is very high here but it is relative depending on where you live now. There are tons of houses for sale so check around and don't believe realators when they tell you how fast they're going...get the paper here "Post and Courier" and check them out yourself. Also avoid the Charleston area, including North Charleston, West Ashley, very very high crime rate...pull up a compare cost of living calculator and put your numbers in...also tax info...we found alot of stuff at CNN Money website...do the research...Summerville's population has grown so fast here that traffice is really a problem also...I don't know if I would move here again after what I have seen...Charleston is beautiful but I think it's a place I'd rather visit than live by...

[xnysoon]

I have read many reviews about this area in different posts regarding Summerville and surrounding areas. While we only spent several days here recently to check it out, I found everyone to be very friendly, very forthcoming with information, and did not see evidence of a high crime area. Perhaps outside of Summerville, crime may be a problem, but that is true anywhere. I also think that while housing may be slightly higher than other parts of the state, it is still much lower than other places, and in particular, the Northeast. There was also mention of poverty - if this is within Summerville, we drove around and went to many areas - did not see this either.

Would like to hear from others out there regarding good and bad - I think much has to do with the attitude you have towards it. If I go down with the typical yankee attitude (which is what I am trying to get away from) then maybe people won't like me and for good reason. But if I go wanting to fit in, and wanting to become part of the culture, and not try to change it, maybe it's easier? Just a thought.

[ColdCanadian]

Originally Posted by AshleyMc

Summerville's population has grown so fast here that traffic is really a problem also.

I was there in the summer of 2000 or 2001 and there was barely even a light amount of traffic. I walked around town all afternoon and didn't see more than 10 cars being driven. Nothing seemed to happen fast there and I liked it like that. When did it start growing fast?

[scjj]

The growth started picking up around 2003. There are lots of new developments that are planned that haven't even cleared land yet. A huge development is planned on the Berkeley County side of Summerville which will consist of homes, schools and parks. More stores and restaurants are in the works too.

As far as the poverty. I think if you are coming down here from the North you would consider that a culture shock. On the outskirts of town leading into the rural areas you will find some not so desirable homes and trailers, not all, but there are some. This is typical of SC in all areas of the state, not just Summerville. This is the South and whether you go to NC, GA, AL, and even Florida, you are pretty much going to find things similar. I would say the population in Summerville has a good share of blue collar workers. To me though, I would rather live and work around these type of people who are genuinely friendly and neighborly, then around some of the uppity keeping up with the Jones types you find in the overinflated expensive areas.

xnysoon, you sound like someone that would be more than welcome around here. I think the people that move to this area with that kind of attitude find that Summerville is a good fit. No one is trying to prove anything or outdoing one another. Just casual relaxed living.

[ColdCanadian]

Originally Posted by scjj

The growth started picking up around 2003. There are lots of new developments that are planned that haven't even cleared land yet. A huge development is planned on the Berkeley County side of Summerville which will consist of homes, schools and parks. More stores and restaurants are in the works too.

I thought I heard that in Summerville it was illegal to remove mature pine trees. Do they still have that law? Is it just "in town"?

[scjj]

Yep, they still have that law.