Commute about 30 minutes (Summerville, Ladson, Union: apartment, credit, construction)
Charleston areaCharleston - North Charleston - Mt. Pleasant - Summerville - Goose Creek
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Dorchester Road is maybe the worst road in the tricounty area for traffic, and anyone who tells you otherwise is blowing sunshine. I wouldn't take a house for free off Dorchester Rd.
You should think about living in Summerville. There is not much that North Charleston has to offer that Summerville doesn't other than it is slightly closer to Charleston proper and to the beaches. But, honestly, if you cared about either you shouldn't be looking at N Chas or Summerville. Summerville has plenty in your price range and you will avoid a lot of unecessary traffic by living there.
Talk about someone not being completely honest.
Dorchester road is only bad in the morning heading south and in the afternoon heading north.
North Charleston has more in the OPs range and not to mention the fact that North Charleston has a metric crap ton of shopping and restaurants.
There are apartment complexes along Dorchester Road that are exactly what you are looking for.
Charleston Park and Wescott for example both have some very nice apartment complexes. And to make things better, going TO Summerville in the morning from those locations doesn't take any time at all. And going home from Summerville would be a breeze.
Actually Silvana Oaks apartments IS nice. The area is NOT bad.
Another apartment complex to look at is Kilnsea Village off Dorchester Road in the Oakbrook area. Very nice and gated.
Dorchester road is only bad in the morning heading south and in the afternoon heading north.
I'm being honest. We just disagree. Dorchester Road isn't just bad at rush hour. It's a freaking nightmare at rush hour, the rest of the time it is bad to really bad. Going to Summerville might be easier, but that's not saying much. God forbid you accidentally leave something at home in the morning and have to return going the wrong way. There is a reason why people who live in Wescott avoid Dorchester like the plague.
I'm being honest. We just disagree. Dorchester Road isn't just bad at rush hour. It's a freaking nightmare at rush hour, the rest of the time it is bad to really bad. Going to Summerville might be easier, but that's not saying much. God forbid you accidentally leave something at home in the morning and have to return going the wrong way. There is a reason why people who live in Wescott avoid Dorchester like the plague.
Did you live off of Dorchester before they completed the Palmetto Commerce Parkway? That seems to have taken some of the traffic from Dorchester Road. If not, I guess we just have different opinions on what constitutes heavy traffic. I almost never run into really bad traffic (in my opinion) outside of rush hour.
My friend lives in Ladson in the apartments off Blue House Rd. It's called Ingleside Village. She's really close to Summerville and like 2 exits down from North Charleston. I would check those out, they like it there and have always felt very safe. She's super close to Wannamaker Park and lots of businesses, restaurants, etc. It's kind of between Summerville and North Charleston.
The Ashley River Rd. apartments are fine. There's a few that are a little sketchy, but there are some good ones as well. Hwy. 61 is a long road so it encompasses good and bad areas and suburban, urban, and rural areas. I really wouldn't recommend living in West Ashley if you're going to work in Summerville though, I think living in Summerville, Ladson, or North Charleston would be a better choice personally. Hwy. 61 to Summerville is a 2-lane road and backs up really, really bad.
Did you live off of Dorchester before they completed the Palmetto Commerce Parkway? That seems to have taken some of the traffic from Dorchester Road. If not, I guess we just have different opinions on what constitutes heavy traffic. I almost never run into really bad traffic (in my opinion) outside of rush hour.
I guess it's relative. Last time I was on Dorchester Rd (couple of months ago) was on a Saturday afternoon at around 3pm. Traffic was stop and go all the way from Ashley Phosphate to Old Trolley Rd. Lots of road rage. Lots of people speeding through these subdivisions trying to find short cuts. It was the same old Dorchester. Outside of rush hour it just always seems like there is some section of that road (basically north of the Air Force base) that is a huge cluster.
I guess it's relative. Last time I was on Dorchester Rd (couple of months ago) was on a Saturday afternoon at around 3pm. Traffic was stop and go all the way from Ashley Phosphate to Old Trolley Rd. Lots of road rage. Lots of people speeding through these subdivisions trying to find short cuts. It was the same old Dorchester. Outside of rush hour it just always seems like there is some section of that road (basically north of the Air Force base) that is a huge cluster.
Unless there was a SERIOUS accident, this is a GROSS over-exaggeration.
I drive Dorchester Rd on Saturdays ALL THE TIME (nearly every weekend not to mention weekdays) ... going TO Summerville/Ladson/Trolley from Ashley Phosphate and back.
I've NEVER seen it stop-and-go all the way in either direction in the 10+ years I've been living over here and commuting Dorchester Rd.
Right now it usually gets pretty bad around 5or6 in the afternoon between Wescott and Ladson Rd ... and most of that is due to the construction north of Trolley.
Which is where the worst traffic is in the afternoon on Dorchester going toward summerville. Right at and after Trolley because of the construction ... and even then it at least keeps moving ... and will be GREATLY alleviated once the construction is finished.
Unless there was a SERIOUS accident, this is a GROSS over-exaggeration.
I drive Dorchester Rd on Saturdays ALL THE TIME (nearly every weekend not to mention weekdays) ... going TO Summerville/Ladson/Trolley from Ashley Phosphate and back.
I've NEVER seen it stop-and-go all the way in either direction in the 10+ years I've been living over here and commuting Dorchester Rd.
Right now it usually gets pretty bad around 5or6 in the afternoon between Wescott and Ladson Rd ... and most of that is due to the construction north of Trolley.
Which is where the worst traffic is in the afternoon on Dorchester going toward summerville. Right at and after Trolley because of the construction ... and even then it at least keeps moving ... and will be GREATLY alleviated once the construction is finished.
Actually, it's not an "exaggeration" at all (what's an "over-exaggeration" by the way?). I was just relaying what happened to me at non rush hour on a non week day on Dorchester road. Just providing information. If you don't like it, well, then that makes two of us.
My husband lived in the Westcott Plantation apartments and he really liked it. I stayed a few weekends there, as did my kids, and we all that it was a nice area. If you are working on the East side of Summerville, you could look into Goose Creek but if you are on the south end of Summerville you could look in the West Ashley or other North Charleston area.
Summerville is really odd shaped. For instance, it takes a bit of time to travel from Main Street Target to the Walmart area on Dorch (I figured those would be easy landmarks). It isn't the amount of traffic (I've never driven that route during rush hour), it is the routes themselves that make the time not very convenient. I wouldn't consider the area congested. I'm not sure if I'm making sense here...lol.
Can you give us the area of Summerville you'll working? I'm all about short work commutes. Also, if you are not buying a house and if you don't have kids....you have more possibilities.
.<snip>..Dorchester Road isn't just bad at rush hour. It's a freaking nightmare at rush hour, the rest of the time it is bad to really bad. Going to Summerville might be easier, but that's not saying much. God forbid you accidentally leave something at home in the morning and have to return going the wrong way. There is a reason why people who live in Wescott avoid Dorchester like the plague.
Yeah ... not an exaggeration at all ...
And btw ... I have 5 friends who live in Wescott (two couples and one single) ... they ALL take Dorchester to get to work. Two in Summerville .. two go to Boeing .. on works in West Ashley.
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