snobbery in Mt Pleasant??? (Charleston, Mount Pleasant: neighborhood, high school, living in)

[My Sunshine]

As someone who lives in Mt. Pleasant but does not have big money (yes, we do exist, although it's getting very hard to afford to live here), I have run across a lot of snobby people, but also some really wonderful, down-to-earth ones. Just like anywhere, you're going to have both types and everything in between.

I think the PP who noted that some of the people in Mt. P. are insecure about their wealth and social standing and thus need to flaunt these things was spot on. There are a lot of people here who are very focused on climbing the ladder, so to speak, both financially and socially, and those are the ones who tend to be the biggest "snobs". Unfortunately, many of them seem to be raising children who are materialistic, spoiled, and seem to feel very entitled, which is perpetuating the problem. (14 year-olds who think they're better than you because their parents drive nicer cars and live in a bigger house are nothing short of insufferable!)

On the other hand, not everyone in Mt. P. is a snob. Some people choose to live here because they think it's beautiful, enjoy the low crime rate, and find the location convenient, not because they think their zip code will impress other people.

Personally, I love living here. And when I run across the entitled teenagers or their snooty parents, I can ignore it when they judge me by their hoity-toity standards. If you can do the same, you'll probably love it here.

[EagleFeatherFloats]

Mt. Pleasant is not SF, California. Though this is obvious, it may take some time for your internal metrics to adjust a good fit to southern ways and means. However, snobbery is really acommodation to those who find unpleasantness in contact with people so self-contained. No one enjoys looking at unsightly billboards, so they just avert their gaze at things more worthy of attention. Ignore (isolate) the snobs and PLEASE introduce yourself to those with a similar friendly impulse. My grandmother Ruby always said: "You never lose a friend who is worthy of you." Friendly people never meet a stranger.

[OrangeCountyGirl]

Originally Posted by EagleFeatherFloats

My grandmother Ruby always said: "You never lose a friend who is worthy of you." Friendly people never meet a stranger.

I love this.

[angel777]

Originally Posted by beachme

oh brother!!!! There is snobbery everywhere!! Good grief!

Honestly people get over it!! I have seen this topic here many times.

I also moved here from south florida. People are people and there are snobs and rich people in all parts of summerville, west ashely, james island, johns island, iop, daniel island, downtown charleston, etc.

It's not an epidemic in mount pleasant or anywhere. You meet people and you choose who you want to associate with. I have moved around my whole life so i learned a long time ago.... There are good and bad people everywhere.

bravo!!

[angel777]

We are moving to the Charleston area in July and coming Fairfax County, Virginia so we are used to snobbery.

The areas recommended were Mount Pleasant, Daniel Island, Goose Creek, Summerville, Spring Grove.

We are a middle class family with three children: twin 4 year olds that will be entering pre-k and a 13 year old honors student entering High school. Looking for a home between 250k to 300k that we can rent out in four years. We know we can get a deal with the market in the state it is in. We need a family friendly area with great schools and lots of activities (e.g. sailing, library, parks and recreation activities.)

We have been a bit spoiled living here so my expectations are high. Any recommendations?

[Geechie North]

Originally Posted by naturemom

Planning a family move to Charleston.....possibly Mt Pleasant. We are originally from the West Coast- me Oregon and hubby San Francisco California. We are currently living in Boynton beach/ Boca Raton Florida. We are trying to move away from "big money" attitude. Has anyone experienced attitude or snobbery in or from Mt Pleasant????

.

Define "snobbery" for me please.

[USCJoe]

Originally Posted by angel777

We are moving to the Charleston area in July and coming Fairfax County, Virginia so we are used to snobbery.

The areas recommended were Mount Pleasant, Daniel Island, Goose Creek, Summerville, Spring Grove.

We are a middle class family with three children: twin 4 year olds that will be entering pre-k and a 13 year old honors student entering High school. Looking for a home between 250k to 300k that we can rent out in four years. We know we can get a deal with the market in the state it is in. We need a family friendly area with great schools and lots of activities (e.g. sailing, library, parks and recreation activities.)

We have been a bit spoiled living here so my expectations are high. Any recommendations?

Having lived in Fairfax County (Springfield) for 9 years prior to moving to Mt. Pleasant in 1988, I feel sure that you will love the Charleston area. I suspect that you will certainly find home prices in the Charleston area less than the WDC area. There are some excellent schools in the Charleston area that I feel can compete favorably with what you had in Fairfax County. My children attended Crestwood Elementary school in Springfield and we found Belle Hall Elementary(Mt. Pleasant) to be on par with Crestwood. Both went through the Mt. Pleasant public schools and did very well in college. Dependent upon the size and type of home that you would want, Mt. Pleasant might be a consideration. I would also consider Summerville as you can get a much larger home for the same money but with a few downsides in my opinion such as convenience to the beach, Charleston City and shopping/restaurants. Regardless of where you might live, I think you will find the Charleston weather, the people and activities to your liking.

[mrpeatie]

I think Mt Pleasant has a higher percentage of snobby people but by no means are they the majority. A lot of them are actually from other areas and seem to have moved here for the express purpose of telling us how great, suceesful they were elsewhere. Which leads to the obvious realization that they should have stayed elsewhere.

Most people however are perfectly fine and you will discover that as charleston grows, people in almost all areas grow an almost snobbishness when viewing shortcoming of the other areas. I think one reason a lot of people are down on Mt Pleasant is that it can be just a touch self important and realtors seem to think that all the worlds problems cease at the centerpoint of the Ravenle bridge. The schools are crowded but good, the roads are crowded and not that great and the area has better retail because of the higher concentration of high income (Whole Foods is a testament to that.)

With regards to being "hard to get around", most everything in Mt. Pleasant, regardless of where you live is generally within a 5-15 minute drive, certainly in my eyes "not hard to get around."

I have to call BS on whoever wrote this. I used to live in Mt Pleasant and actually moved to close-in West Ashley becuase I didn't want to spend so much of my day staring at brake-lights and my dashboard (and I lived inside of 526.) I think Daniel Island is actually closer to downtown,the beaches, and close in Mt P than anything past Longtpoint on 17 because of traffic.

BTW- don't be bullied into looking only at Summerville and Mt Pleasant, there are really nice areas to all local towns. And there are really only 4-5 local high schools that are duds and that is more related to the education/socioeconomics of families in their districts than the facilities and staff.

[Maryjane55us]

Remember that show "30 something" ( I think that was the name of it)..


That's appears to be the age that fierce competition for social status kicks in as I recall, while you are *climbing that proverbial ladder*. I only say that because I remember that age in OUR own life. We went thru the same social era in our 30's and 40's but now we are 60. Now, we just look for peace and quiet and contentment in what remains in our life. The last place we want to live is in a cookie-cutter burb with competing neighbors... and unfortunately that is the majority of what Mt Pleasant has turned out to be if you want to live in a "developed area".

My Sunshine said it well.. "There are a lot of people here who are very focused on climbing the ladder, so to speak, both financially and socially, and those are the ones who tend to be the biggest "snobs". Unfortunately, many of them seem to be raising children who are materialistic, spoiled, and seem to feel very entitled, which is perpetuating the problem. (14 year-olds who think they're better than you because their parents drive nicer cars and live in a bigger house are nothing short of insufferable!)"

I agree.. But it's not just in Mt Pleasant, or Charleston, or Summerville.. It's a national syndrome. We have it here in our own neighborhood in NC. My nephew and his teens have it in his development in suburban Raleigh. It's everywhere in all these "developments".. So, for some reason. this snobbishness is moreso in only cookie cutter housing developments. (could that be a clue?)

I just wish I could find some acreage I could afford to build on...

[mpcbound]

I agree.. But it's not just in Mt Pleasant, or Charleston, or Summerville.. It's a national syndrome. We have it here in our own neighborhood in NC.


I could not agree more. We are from Cleveland and I am sure most would immediately think "blue collar or poverty level" but there are many affluent neighborhoods in the suburbs and the snobbery exists here also. I loved the comment someone said about the 14 year olds thinking they are rich because their parents have fancy cars. This went on when I was in high school and that was 20 years ago. The fact is today that many of these so called snobs may have huge mortgages and be in more debt than they ever have, so I do not worry about it anymore. As for Mount Pleasant, we visit very often and plan on moving there this summer and I have to say that I have yet to meet a "snob", everyone in the neighborhoods we walk in is pleasant and actually INITIATE the conversation, while there are people on my street that I have yet to meet after living there 10 years!
I will say that the rudeness comes from the 16-21 year olds that work in the retail grocery store, mainly Walmart/Kmart stores. But who knows, I may not be too happy if I had to work there either, again so I shrug it off. What I would like to know is what people mean by Charleston being slower paced. I have not witnessed that yet.