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Seems like a number of you have had it with us New Yorkers--anyone still reading? Hopefully not those of you who've had it with New Yorkers! This place is a minefield!
Me: Mother of 3 kids, ages 8, 10 and 12, currently living in Europe and not anxious to return to cold, gray NY. Must move back to the US. Have lived in many countries (different continents) and like many types of cuisine--particularly, healthy veg and grain-centric food of any ethnicity that tastes good. I'm hoping that will not be construed as expecting NY in Charleston, because I've read the restaurant thread and still can't tell how well-represented those options are, and I'd love some feedback without condemnation...
Like all parents, I'm looking for good schools, competent and efficient healthcare, and relative safety. I'd like to be able to walk to *something* from my home, and allow my children to do so as well (maybe not alone, especially at 8, but at some point.) My oldest daughter has a serious phobia of bugs, but somehow survives a rather rustic sleep-away camp for a few weeks each summer...
So, beyond food, the questions are--
BUGS: Frequently mentioned but still not sure exactly what we're talking about--thick mosquitos? Copious creepy-crawlies? All year? Seasonal? Is it a toss up between pesticide saturation and being eaten alive? Seems to me the pesticides might be as bad as the pests... How do people generally manage this?
HEALTHCARE: Recently mentioned and hadn't caught traction yet. If someone has added info, I'll refer to that. Otherwise, I'm wondering if there's a better or worse area to live from this perspective--proximity to good healthcare. And of course, would like to get a handle on the quality of the healthcare overall.
SCHOOLS: I know, it's been asked a million times. Can't seem to find much info about private schools, though. Does anyone have first-hand experience with any of these? We are not religious but not anti-religion either. Anywhere that fosters kindness and compassion with an open mind is good in my book. Not opposed to public schools but those have been more-or less covered. Except,
SPECIAL ED. Don't remember seeing that. My 8 yo son currently has an IEP for speech and writing--may be dyslexic or dysgraphic--anyone have experience with special ed anywhere?
WALKING: I've read that walking and bike-riding can be a bit of a challenge. My budget allows me to live anywhere--and by Charleston I mean the greater Charleston area--so imagine a relatively expensive area within a good school district. (For some reason I feel like I should say something here to mitigate potential negativity, but it is what it is.) Is there any scenario where that area is also very walkable? As in simply taking a good, long walk--not necessarily stopping at a chic coffee shop on the way back from the uber expensive organic market after getting bagels :^)...just a good walk?
If anyone's still with me, thanks for your attention. Kind feedback would be most appreciated!
If your budget truly allows anywhere, Mt Pleasant, Downtown South of Broad (need private school option here), and Daniel Island. Concentrate your search there. I'll let the others chime in on the rest.
ETA: Although I will say something on special ed. My daughter has significant hearing loss. She went through all of her school years with an IEP. I was thoroughly happy, impressed, and pleased with the help, etc she received in the Mt Pleasant school system. For her, speech therapy was an absolute and due to the excellent care she received there, her speech is 100% normal today. Hearing - it is what it is but they did make accommodations for her but she never ever felt stigmatized. Nothing but good things to say about Mt Pleasant schools and their IEP programs, especially speech therapy.
AND I have more to say...a lot of people will recommend I'on in Mt Pleasant. I would actually recommend the Old Village. Yes you can walk to the Pitt Street Bridge (an old bridge turned park/fishing pier) and to a few businesses (Pitt Street Pharmacy, Village Bakery). Daniel Island is a planned community, the whole thing - think Truman Show. Downtown - more European like I guess but schools are an issue there as well as dealing with tourists.
Southbel, many thanks for sharing your experience with Mt. Peasant schools. Part of the reason I am returning to the States is for this type of assistance, which is significantly harder to line up in Portugal. I am so heartened to hear that your daughter was in good hands. That was very helpful and appreciated.
Depends on where you live... we left private for public. Public schools in my area are excellent. My cost of living is higher, but then local private schools in the area cost the same as some college tuition so in many ways it washes out.
If you're not adverse to living 40 minutes from the beach and downtown Charleston, the historic district here in Summerville might be right up your alley. There are both old and old-style newer homes, on large picket fenced lots, an easy stroll into the cute downtown (beautiful Azalea Park, shopping, restaurants, YMCA, assorted services, frequent festivals/parades/community activities) and prices generally range from high 200s up to 1 million, with most in the 300k-500k range. On the side streets, you'll see as many walkers, bicyclists and golf carts as cars. Also, super friendly neighbors who tend to be long-time locals, and who will welcome you with open arms. Dorchester II school district, which is one of the best. We love it here!
Addendum:
Yes, there are bugs. Mosquitos, noseeums, giant mutant "Palmetto Bugs", huge spiders, and assorted creepy crawlies. They are for the most part manageable without too many toxic chemicals, and some of these bugs are beneficial, too. I had an extreme phobia before moving here, and it's amazing how I've adapted; we are managing to coexist. Lol.
Charleston definitely has some restaurants that would interest you, but nothing close to what NY offers (I'm assuming you mean NYC). I'm from Charleston but I lived in NYC for 8 years after college, so I can compare and contrast the two cities fairly easily. Anyway, as far as food goes, Charleston doesn't much ethnic diversity in its dining offerings. It does have a good dining scene, but personally I feel it peaked about 5 years ago and isn't as amazing as its tourist PR would suggest. (I might get some negative feedback for this comment, but that's my opinion).
The only truly walkable place to live is downtown Charleston. There are some neighborhoods like I'On, Avondale, and Old Village Mt. Pleasant with a few shopping areas within walking distance, but I really do mean a few. If you want a variety of walking routes to choose from, downtown really is the only choice and even it starts to seem small after a while if you're familiar with NYC or a European city.
I went to a private school, Porter-Gaud, years ago. It offered a good education but there was a good deal of snobbery directed at those of us who were there on scholarship. This may have changed. I don't really have any current knowledge about the schools, but I doubt they've become completely egalitarian.
The bugs include copious mosquitoes and very large roaches we call Palmetto bugs. Even a clean house will have Palmetto bugs skittering around. In my experience, they are impossible to keep out of your house. A child with a phobia really might have a problem with Charleston. It's a sub-tropical place with many, many bugs. I could tell you horror stories about finding colonies of poisonous brown widow spiders on my porch and in my crawlspace.
One factor you didn't mention is weather. It is very hot and humid here. My father-in-law is from the North, and he complains about the humidity even when he visits during the cool months. I grew up here, and even I notice sometimes how oppressively muggy it is. The winter is much shorter and milder than NYC, of course.
I'm fine with the healthcare options here, but I don't have any special health needs. I visit the doctor every couple of years, and my kids, knock on wood, only visit the pediatrician for check-ups.
I'm not sure about special education in Charleston. I would imagine it's about average for the U.S. There is a private school, Trident Academy, that educates children with learning disabilities.
Charleston definitely has some restaurants that would interest you, but nothing close to what NY offers (I'm assuming you mean NYC). I'm from Charleston but I lived in NYC for 8 years after college, so I can compare and contrast the two cities fairly easily. Anyway, as far as food goes, Charleston doesn't much ethnic diversity in its dining offerings. It does have a good dining scene, but personally I feel it peaked about 5 years ago and isn't as amazing as its tourist PR would suggest. (I might get some negative feedback for this comment, but that's my opinion).
Even though someone is from outside NYC doesn't mean they're not used to really good food. Restaurants up the Hudson have the benefit of having the Culinary Institute of America, and many of its graduates stick around that area. Add to that, the many chefs who venture outside the big city for a new experience. There are some awesome restaurants outside of NYC, let me tell you. One of the only things I enjoyed while living in NYS was the great eating, much of it being outside of NYC.
As far as food goes, the downtown restaurant scene has a lot of options. I'd say it's more diverse in ambience than it is actual food. You could eat anywhere from a rooftop, to a courtyard, to an old house, to an old railroad depot to an old cigar factory. The food itself is great, but Charleston specializes in Lowcountry cuisine (shrimp and grits is pretty much on every menu) as oppose to being a melting pot of cultural food selections. We still have some diversity, but not as much as a big city. It would be like trying to find a Panamanian restaurant in New Orleans. There might be one, but people typically go to there to eat Cajun food, anything else would be a bonus.
Seems like a number of you have had it with us New Yorkers--anyone still reading? Hopefully not those of you who've had it with New Yorkers! This place is a minefield!
Me: Mother of 3 kids, ages 8, 10 and 12, currently living in Europe and not anxious to return to cold, gray NY. Must move back to the US. Have lived in many countries (different continents) and like many types of cuisine--particularly, healthy veg and grain-centric food of any ethnicity that tastes good. I'm hoping that will not be construed as expecting NY in Charleston, because I've read the restaurant thread and still can't tell how well-represented those options are, and I'd love some feedback without condemnation...
Like all parents, I'm looking for good schools, competent and efficient healthcare, and relative safety. I'd like to be able to walk to *something* from my home, and allow my children to do so as well (maybe not alone, especially at 8, but at some point.) My oldest daughter has a serious phobia of bugs, but somehow survives a rather rustic sleep-away camp for a few weeks each summer...
So, beyond food, the questions are--
BUGS: Frequently mentioned but still not sure exactly what we're talking about--thick mosquitos? Copious creepy-crawlies? All year? Seasonal? Is it a toss up between pesticide saturation and being eaten alive? Seems to me the pesticides might be as bad as the pests... How do people generally manage this?
This could be one of the biggest challenges of living here for someone who is truly bug-phobic. The mosquitoes and gnats can be bad at times though you learn to work around them in most cases (sometimes this means bug spray). We also have Palmetto Bugs, a large version of cockroach that terrify some people and are fairly ubiquitous but are basically harmless. Then there's the beautiful garden spiders like the Golden Orb and the Writing Spiders with their incredible webs... but of course they're spiders and again freak some people out. I won't mention the Fire Ants (oops) but most people find all of these are control-able to a point where they don't ruin life. Still, it's not hard to find a bug here.
HEALTHCARE: Recently mentioned and hadn't caught traction yet. If someone has added info, I'll refer to that. Otherwise, I'm wondering if there's a better or worse area to live from this perspective--proximity to good healthcare. And of course, would like to get a handle on the quality of the healthcare overall.
Health care here is good and MUSC is one of the best in SC but "the best in SC" doesn't mean we're on the level of The Mayo Clinic or Johns Hopkins for instance. I'm fortunate to have never needed much health care (though the hand surgeon who helped me out after getting too close to a table saw years ago was excellent) but most people I know hold our medical community in high regard. I do think it's only getting better here and that we will continue to rise in the rankings for whoever ranks things like hospitals. The medical community has a relatively large presence in Charleston.
SCHOOLS: I know, it's been asked a million times. Can't seem to find much info about private schools, though. Does anyone have first-hand experience with any of these? We are not religious but not anti-religion either. Anywhere that fosters kindness and compassion with an open mind is good in my book. Not opposed to public schools but those have been more-or less covered. Except,
SPECIAL ED. Don't remember seeing that. My 8 yo son currently has an IEP for speech and writing--may be dyslexic or dysgraphic--anyone have experience with special ed anywhere?
Porter Gaud and Ashley Hall (all girls) are good private schools though as noted earlier, they're not necessary for a good education here. There are plenty of good public schools to choose from. It sounds like Mt Pleasant is going to be the best fit for you and the schools there are quite good.
I'm not sure about the education programs available but a good friend of mine taught/advocated for learning disabled children and is now a Montessori teacher here. She would be able to fill you in on what the local school system has to offer. I'll send you a direct message on that.
WALKING: I've read that walking and bike-riding can be a bit of a challenge. My budget allows me to live anywhere--and by Charleston I mean the greater Charleston area--so imagine a relatively expensive area within a good school district. (For some reason I feel like I should say something here to mitigate potential negativity, but it is what it is.) Is there any scenario where that area is also very walkable? As in simply taking a good, long walk--not necessarily stopping at a chic coffee shop on the way back from the uber expensive organic market after getting bagels :^)...just a good walk?
A lot of the newer communities have walking trails. The I'on neighborhood in Mt Pleasant is one of the first that comes to mind and it does for a few other reasons that you mention as well. It certainly would be a top candidate to consider in your search. A lot depend on how close in to Charleston and how close to beaches you need to be. Sullivans Island is another community that might be a good fit especially if you like your walks to be on a beach.
If anyone's still with me, thanks for your attention. Kind feedback would be most appreciated!
The forum is (or should be) all about sharing information so pay no attention to those who think it's a place to rant and rail against anyone with a different opinion or background.
As for the food here, I certainly miss what I remember in the way of good bagels, rye bread, kaiser rolls... but I love the grits, boiled peanuts, okra and other dishes I never saw growing up (Philly suburbs). I've been here too long to comment on how it compares with NYC but I don't understand how Chas4Life can say we lack diversity when there's such a range of BBQ to be had!
Many thanks to everyone who responded. You all had helpful info and insights. Never knew anything about Summerville but the thought of escaping the cold, dark Northeast and heading to Summerville certainly sounds appealing!
Palmetto bugs leading a parade of creepy crawlies, not so much. I shared an apartment with some giant cockroaches in Cairo--my friends and I once thought we saw a shoe moving and it was actually a cockroach--that we mistook for an adult's shoe! Granted, we'd had a few cocktails, but we all saw it, and it was the biggest thing of its kind I've seen to this day. And I've since lived in Indonesia and Singapore and Viet Nam, which are teeming with huge roaches. They didn't bother me much, not like the aggressive biting things, but I doubt my daughter would ever make that exception. In fact she may never shower again. She often opts to remain dirty because there could be bugs in the shower, though there rarely are--just the occasional mosquito or tiny harmless spider. I've shared your feedback with my husband and he seems pretty freaked out too. Food for thought...
I have been to Charleston and liked it. My husband hasn't been and is planning a visit, but is also encouraging me to continue exploring other options. San Diego mainly (one of the pros being its shortage of bugs.) Also Atlanta, but have never been and don't know much about it, so it's mostly an East coast/West Coast, Charleston/San Diego debate at this point.
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