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Hi. My girlfriend and I will be moving to the area this fall from Pittsburgh. Just wanted to see if anyone else has made that move, and what differences they noticed in general quality of life in the first year. Pros/cons, that sort of thing. Thanks.
My family and I moved here at the beginning of December and absolutely LOVE it.
The Pros:
1. Weather is absolutely awesome - sunshine, even on the coldest days (and the winters are incredibly mild). Nothing like gray Pittsburgh.
2. Beautiful architecture and gorgeous old homes in Charleston
3. Clean, wonderful beaches minutes from downtown
4. There's always something going on - right now it's Spoleto
5. Farm stands year round and farmer's markets all through the summer
6. Great BBQ places that are usually only open on weekends
7. Palm trees
8. Lots of people moving in, so there's a need for teachers (one reason we moved here), and the economy seems to be thriving
9. Lower gas prices (although they're still outrageous)
10. Love the Southern accents
11. Lots and lots of history - Fort Sumter, Fort Moultire and the Yorktown destroyer are all must-sees
The cons are:
1. You have to pay tax on your vehicle. I bought a new Prius in December and the tax bill was around $500 for the year (but you can write it off)
2. Palmetto bugs
3. It gets pretty humid in the summer but there is air conditioning everywhere
4. Schools aren't great statewide, but there are some schools here that are just awesome. My kids love their school and are thriving
I've got to add that the majority of people I've met since being here are from the North, and most of the people I work with are natives of SC. No one has yet made any of us feel unwelcome. It's a beautiful area, and I think you've made a great choice. Good luck with your move! I don't miss anything about Pittsburgh except for my friends back there.
My family and I moved here at the beginning of December and absolutely LOVE it.
The Pros:
1. Weather is absolutely awesome - sunshine, even on the coldest days (and the winters are incredibly mild). Nothing like gray Pittsburgh.
2. Beautiful architecture and gorgeous old homes in Charleston
3. Clean, wonderful beaches minutes from downtown
4. There's always something going on - right now it's Spoleto
5. Farm stands year round and farmer's markets all through the summer
6. Great BBQ places that are usually only open on weekends
7. Palm trees
8. Lots of people moving in, so there's a need for teachers (one reason we moved here), and the economy seems to be thriving
9. Lower gas prices (although they're still outrageous)
10. Love the Southern accents
11. Lots and lots of history - Fort Sumter, Fort Moultire and the Yorktown destroyer are all must-sees
The cons are:
1. You have to pay tax on your vehicle. I bought a new Prius in December and the tax bill was around $500 for the year (but you can write it off)
2. Palmetto bugs
3. It gets pretty humid in the summer but there is air conditioning everywhere
4. Schools aren't great statewide, but there are some schools here that are just awesome. My kids love their school and are thriving
I've got to add that the majority of people I've met since being here are from the North, and most of the people I work with are natives of SC. No one has yet made any of us feel unwelcome. It's a beautiful area, and I think you've made a great choice. Good luck with your move! I don't miss anything about Pittsburgh except for my friends back there.
The gas prices are not lower here and the economy is FAR from "thriving: I agree with all of the other points you made though. Add a HUGE non-english speaking hispanic population to the "cons" list though.
Last edited by gdog1985; 05-25-2008 at 07:25 AM..
Reason: spelling
Downtown Pittsburgh is filled with boarded up, abandoned buildings. Schools are closing. Businesses are moving out. Taxes are horribly high. People are leaving in droves.
The tourist industry in Charleston is HUGE and brings a lot of money into the area. My husband couldn't get a teaching job in Pittsburgh. There have been so many people moving here that there's a great need for schools, and he landed a job here immediately. Lots of new housing developments are being built here - compared to Pittsburgh, the economy here IS thriving. And the gas prices, while not substantially lower, are a couple cents per gallon cheaper, but, as I said, they're still waaaaay too expensive.
Last edited by wordzgirl; 05-25-2008 at 07:52 AM..
Reason: spelling
I have lived in Philadelphia for most of my life and moved here about 3 months ago. It is a great area, lots to do, good quality of life. In general I feel much healthier here because of the mild weather. I am able to get out and exercise much more. Commute times are much less.
However, I am thinking of moving back to Philly. There is a huge lack of decent jobs. Jobs here typically pay way less and most revolve around the tourist industry. In my opinion the benefits are substandard (low amt of vacation time offered, health benefits starting MONTHS after beginning the job, etc.). It has been impossible for me to even getting called for an interview at any of the decent places to work here. There is a large population of recent college graduates willing to work for barely any money just to stay in this area. Local employers take advantage of that.
That is really the only negative to Charleston. If you have a good job lined up, then you will be fine. Much luck to you!!
I have lived in Philadelphia for most of my life and moved here about 3 months ago. It is a great area, lots to do, good quality of life. In general I feel much healthier here because of the mild weather. I am able to get out and exercise much more. Commute times are much less.
However, I am thinking of moving back to Philly. There is a huge lack of decent jobs. Jobs here typically pay way less and most revolve around the tourist industry. In my opinion the benefits are substandard (low amt of vacation time offered, health benefits starting MONTHS after beginning the job, etc.). It has been impossible for me to even getting called for an interview at any of the decent places to work here. There is a large population of recent college graduates willing to work for barely any money just to stay in this area. Local employers take advantage of that.
That is really the only negative to Charleston. If you have a good job lined up, then you will be fine. Much luck to you!!
I've heard this as well. My husband and I both work for the state, and I had a job secured before we moved. I would definitely make sure to have employment before moving anywhere. My husband and I make a bit less than we would in PA, but since he couldn't get a job in PA, that's kind of a moot issue. Between the two of us, we're doing fine, and we're both very grateful to have stable jobs with decent incomes and health insurance.
I will add, however, that our health plan here isn't as great as it was up North - higher deductibles and copays. The benefits kicked in after 30 days, though, so that was a nice surprise. I was expecting three months.
Downtown Pittsburgh is filled with boarded up, abandoned buildings. Schools are closing. Businesses are moving out. Taxes are horribly high. People are leaving in droves.
The tourist industry in Charleston is HUGE and brings a lot of money into the area. My husband couldn't get a teaching job in Pittsburgh. There have been so many people moving here that there's a great need for schools, and he landed a job here immediately. Lots of new housing developments are being built here - compared to Pittsburgh, the economy here IS thriving. And the gas prices, while not substantially lower, are a couple cents per gallon cheaper, but, as I said, they're still waaaaay too expensive.
The national average right now is $3.75 a gallon...gas on Glen McConnel Pwky in West Ashley is $3.93 a gallon. They're desperate for teachers here because, like you said, they're building houses wherever they can ruin the ambiance and tear out some trees. Charleston is a tourist trap year round which adds to the traffic and lines everywhere but compared to places that are not desirable to visit/live (like Pittsburgh) I guess it is a better economy.
I have lived in Philadelphia for most of my life and moved here about 3 months ago. It is a great area, lots to do, good quality of life. In general I feel much healthier here because of the mild weather. I am able to get out and exercise much more. Commute times are much less.
However, I am thinking of moving back to Philly. There is a huge lack of decent jobs. Jobs here typically pay way less and most revolve around the tourist industry. In my opinion the benefits are substandard (low amt of vacation time offered, health benefits starting MONTHS after beginning the job, etc.). It has been impossible for me to even getting called for an interview at any of the decent places to work here. There is a large population of recent college graduates willing to work for barely any money just to stay in this area. Local employers take advantage of that.
That is really the only negative to Charleston. If you have a good job lined up, then you will be fine. Much luck to you!!
I agree about the jobs. Another thing to consider is that childcare is very hard to find if you're not military. Most providers down here take military over non because this is a major military area. So if you plan on staying together and having children keep this in mind. I've been on a waiting list for 11 months to get my two toddlers into childcare and keep getting bumped everytime a new military family comes into town.
gdog, that doesn't sound good. Hubby and I are thinking of starting our family and I am dreading even thinking about the cost of childcare let alone not being able to find a place. Thanks for the head up on that! Any advice? Maybe we should start a waiting list before I am even pregnant? Haha.
deeni- I have a two year old and a 3 year old. IF you can find an opening for childcare it's very expensive. I called around last week and The Sunshine House wanted $900.00 a month, a few others I called wanted $850 a month....it's horrible that I HAVE to be a stay at home mom just to get by since I cannot afford the childcare to work.
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I agree with all of the other points you made though. Add a HUGE non-english speaking hispanic population to the "cons" list though.
