Commuting to MUSC Hospital (Charleston, Mount Pleasant: houses, neighborhoods, school)

[NY_Transplant]

I am moving down to the area from NY and will be working at MUSC Hospital. I have begun looking at houses in the surrounding areas. I'm trying to keep the price around the 400k mark or lower and I am looking to keep my commute within a 30 minute drive. I am looking at houses in West Ashley, James Island, and Mount Pleasant, preferably in a community.

Are there any specific areas that I should be looking in?

Are the areas further in Mount Pleasant too far? (Park West, Carolina Park, etc.)

Thank you all for your help!

[DJShymansky]

It really depends on the time you leave home. It could take around 40 minutes to get to MUSC downtown from Charleston National, if you get caught in school traffic. If you live farther back into one of the larger neighborhoods like Park West/Dunes West it could take even longer as everyone tries to get out of the neighborhood at the same time.

Now, if you're going in at odd shifts, you could cut those times in half possibly.

Same with areas far out in West Ashley or James Island.

[DJShymansky]

Plenty of neighborhoods close-in that would make travel to MUSC daily very convenient in each of those areas though.
Neighborhoods like Snee Farm and Sweetgrass (and anything closer in) in Mt. Pleasant, would work. Same for areas of James Island off Harborview Rd (Harbor View, Harbor Oaks, Harbor Place).

In West Ashley, older neighborhoods like Moreland, Avondale, Charlestowne Estates and anything closer in would work well for your commute.

[LocalHero]

Originally Posted by NY_Transplant

I am moving down to the area from NY and will be working at MUSC Hospital. I have begun looking at houses in the surrounding areas. I'm trying to keep the price around the 400k mark or lower and I am looking to keep my commute within a 30 minute drive. I am looking at houses in West Ashley, James Island, and Mount Pleasant, preferably in a community.

Are there any specific areas that I should be looking in?

Are the areas further in Mount Pleasant too far? (Park West, Carolina Park, etc.)

Thank you all for your help!

DJ is right, it depends on when you're traveling. Even in non-rush hr, Carolina Park, Park west are going to be 20-30 minutes. Depending on what you want in the way of a neighborhood, James Island might have what you're looking for and the commute is shorter. (at least from the top end of the island)

[WiseManOnceSaid]

We live on the outskirts of West Ashley off of Hwy 61, on good days it's 35 to Mt Pleasant, on bad days can be an hour.

When I lived in 29464 Mt Pleasant, it was around 15 to Downtown during rush hour.

When I lived in 29412 James Island off of Harborview Road it was typically 10-15 minutes to Downtown.

At your price point I'd suggest:

29407 West Ashley: Geneva Lake, West Ashley Plantation, Sandhurst, Northbridge Village, Orange Grove Estates, West/East Oak Forest, Byrnes Down, Avondale, Old Towne Acres, and I'm sure there's several others I'm forgetting.

29412 Anything near Harborview Road - Lawton Bluff, Harborwoods, Lawton Harbor, Patriots Plantation

29464 - Oakhaven, Candlewood, Belle Hall, Harborgate Shores, Center Lake, Longpoint, Rosemead

If you can deal with a little further commute, open up to 29414 West Ashley, 29464 Mt Pleasant, most of James Island, I'd also consider Park Circle in 29405 and S. Eastern Parts of Hanahan in 29410 (Dominion Hills/Tanner Plantation perhaps.)

[IsNull]

I left home deep in Park West at 6:50 this morning. I walked into my medical district office at 7:20. If I left at 7:15, I normally walk in a little before 8 AM. My wife works at MUSC and has to be at work at 6AM. Her commute is just over 20 mins.

[mrpeatie]

I'll add a couple of small thoughts to the previous posts-


The Orange Grove area in West Ashley (Northbridge/Sandhurst/Parkshore/Sandhurst) offers the benefit of coming into downtown on surface roads or simply jutting across the bridge and coming down 26. This can be a huge break when 61 backs up mornings or afternoons. These neighborhoods are literally kissing that 400k threshold. The closer in West Ashley neighborhoods that were mentioned are going to be over 400 unless you want to deal with a fixer, a smaller house or being in a transitioning neighborhood. Sometimes you hit all three and are still nearing 400k.


Harborview traffic (James Island) is really time dependent. Rush hours are bad and the rest of the day is a breeze. So working off hours makes that easily the best possible commute on and off the Peninsula- even compared to the close in West Ashley neighborhoods. Many of the neighborhoods there are over 400k.


Park Circle will let you either use the interstate or use surface roads. And you do not have to cross any bridges. Those often represent either tie ups or possible wrecks.


400k is going to be a tough in closer in Mt Pleasant if you want a single family.


Sometimes I see people list commute times that make me think shenanigans but there are often pretty big quirks depending on road, condition and location within neighborhoods. It never hurts to ask people in a given area what those are. In my area (closer in West Ashley) the unmentioned truths are that 61 flows more smoothly from downtown to Playground road than 17 but after Playground Road it is the exact inverse. A coworker actually cuts through my neighborhood daily as he drives the connector/61 out of downtown then 17 the rest of his trip home.


ETA- Hanahan willoffer the same benefits as Park Ciricle but is a little further out and a little more suburban. It is frequently overlooked but can provide a lot of house and good location.

[LocalHero]

Even during rush hour the James Island commute is probably the easiest. Yes it clogs up, but not as bad as the rest of the options. The improvements made to Harbor View Rd have made a big difference in the afternoons.