considering moving from Oregon..Greenville vs Charleston? (North Charleston, Goose Creek: relocating, real estate)

[redcrown]

My husband and I are seriously thinking about relocating to either NC or SC..and from what we have seen probably thinking about either Charleston or Greenville. We live in the Portland OR metro area now, and grew up in a small town in southern OR. I am looking for a bigger city, at least 50,000. We want to get away from the terrible economy of oregon, and experience different parts of the country before we decide to raise children. We are looking for a bit of the southern hospitality that we hear so much about...Portland, and Oregon in general is pretty stiff and cold. I dont want a faceless big city.. Interesting and historic architecture are very important to us, and I dont think it will be a problem finding that. I also was curious to the landscaping of the two cities..parks and nice greenspaces are a consideration, I love tree-lined streets and such. We are planning to purchase a house, in about the 200k range. We prefer suburbs, with access to the country roads for driving, but also close enough to city activities. We want a house with a yard for the dogs. We want a freindly city...but one that is preferrably a bit more conservative than Portland, which is why we essentially ruled out Asheville, NC.
We are 21 & 24 years old, no children yet. We do have 2 dogs that are basically our kids. And I should mention that they are a pit bull and a german shepherd, (very freindly) but Breed bans and restrictions are definitley a consideration, and I know nothing about the carolinas in that sense.
We dont have established careers yet...I am currently working in veterinary medicine, but I could do any office/clerical job if I had to. I would love to stay in the animal field, but I doubt that will be a career path. My husband is a new graphic designer, fresh out of school.
How do you feel about these two cities compared to each other? About how far is Greenville to Charleston? Thank you SO much for any info...all the magazine and websites of course are gorgeous and sound amazing..but nothing beats local opinion.

[Marks]

I'm continually amazed how people write a grocery list of the "things they want" in a town or city. As one person said some time ago, "we will never find the perfect home we have to make it that." I think the same is true for cities and towns. A lot of people come in and say "I want, I want" without doing all of the hundreds of hours of research into a place. And then expect someone to convince them of a "perfect place" they have outlined?

Many people here will tell you, and I agree with it, it's different for everyone. Each of us has different needs and lifestyles. Research, research, research that's the key. People can't do the homework for us.

[redcrown]

That is exactly why I outlined what we are looking for...in the hopes that a friendly person who has our same views can give us an honest opinion.

What makes you think that I havent already done hundreds of hours of research..or talked to realtors...or requested packets...or gathered economical information...or planned a vacation...or bought books...

Thats rather presumptous of you to assume that I am asking others to "do my homework for me". Those that do not have several thousand dollars to visit for a few weeks depend on opinons, however different they may be, to gather information on a MAJOR LIFE CHANGE.

All I want is opinions. Not an essay.

[anonymous]

redcrown,
I'm 22, from SC, and just graduated from college. My .02:
Charleston is a much more vibrant city, especially for people in their 20's. It's on the water, it has the beautiful architecture you've mentioned, and there's lots to do. However, it's crowded, both in terms of tourists visiting and in terms of people wanting to live there. $200K won't go very far. That's probably the bare-minimum price for the area. $300K will get you a 3-BR place with a backyard in James Island, Mt. Pleasant, or West Ashley. Neither of those prices would get you anything downtown. (See the earlier thread about Charleston)

Also, the Charleston economy is heavily based on tourism. A good friend of mine does graphic design down there - but you're probably not going to get a serious graphic design "job" making much money in Charleston, or probably anywhere in SC. But hey, I think David Carson has an office in Charleston, he could always give that a shot! I would think that you could find something in Veterinary medicine.

Greenville is pretty white-bread. It's cleaner than Charleston, it has a stronger economy, it doesn't get quite so hot and muggy in the summertime. But you're not going to enjoy Greenville as much, trust me. However, it is cheaper and more practical in just about every way.

As far as conservativeness goes - you're moving to SC! That's going to be a given no matter where you go. Charleston is more liberal then Greenville, but that's not saying much. Both cities are conservative. Greenville is quite possibly the most conservative city in America. Type in "Christian Exodus" into Google. Or try "Bob Jones University".

My advice is to read these boards pretty thoroughly. The south is very different from any other U.S. region. Even college-age kids have a very strong 'southern identity', in the way they talk, dress, act, socialize, etc. southerners my age look down on "MTV culture" and any sort of outside trends.

anyway, good luck. feel free to ask questions.

[redcrown]

Thank you SO much!!

Regarding 'southern identity' vs MTV culture...Not that I am in ANY way like anything you see on MTV..(we are conservative ourselves) but my husband and I do have visible tattoos. We are visibly "normal" and very clean cut other than that..what do you think the reactions to those would be? I'm sorry if this is a stupid question..but getting a job is something to think about for my husband with a forearm tattoo. It is an innocent bowling tattoo but highly visible nonetheless.

[anonymous]

well, in graphic design, I'd think tattoos would not matter. In fact they may even be a positive.

The reactions would differ based on who's viewing it. I'm making generalizations here, but most people in their 40's or 50's wouldn't think too highly of tattoos. I don't know if it's like that on the West Coast, I think even the older crowd there wouldn't care. So a forearm tattoo would probably hurt you for a lot of jobs. Not design jobs, though.

People in their 20's (and probably 30's) wouldn't care. Especially in Charleston, there are lots of people from out of town. There's a decent sized hippie culture, a surf culture, as well as preppy-type kids. You can get by looking "different" in Charleston better than you could in Greenville.

Native Charlestonians (from downtown) are very proper and self-identified snobs. It's kind of like their gimmick. That sort might "look down" on tattoos, but they look down on everything.

Anyway, I've always heard people from the northwest are pretty laid-back. If that's the case, you'll like Charleston (and SC in general). People here have turned it into an art form.

[erinavery]

Hi, I have never been to Greenville but I have been to Charleston and I LOVE it! I actually fell in love with Portland over the internet and thought I wanted to move there until I realized it was impossible to find a good paying job I didn't realize it was a cold city ( personality- wise ) that's too bad ,but I would definatley move to Charleston if we had a choice. It was a very charming city and I would imagine somewhat conservitive in that southern sweet kinda way
hope that helped

[salatheel]

Charleston is great! It's a fun place place loaded with fantastic restaurants,history,and culture. Be careful of North Charleston it is not very safe! Summerville and Goose Creek are less expensive options. Summerville is a very nice town growing rapidly. You can get a 1600-2000 sq foot house in a nice area for 150-175k.

[kerwin1959]

I live in Greenville, and absolutely love it. However, one of my daughters is in school in Charleston and I don't know that she'll ever move back to Greenville. Each has it's pros and cons. I think the crime rate in Greenville is probably lower than that of Charleston, from what I read and what my daughter tells me. She also says that there's more to do in downtown Charleston, but she's not 21 yet, so entry to some bars/clubs is restricted.

I can speak more to Greenville - you're an hour or less from the mountains or lakes-Lake Keowee, Lake Jocassee, Lake Hartwell are all in close proximity. Clemson University(17,000+ students) is 35 miles from Greenville and on Lake Hartwell.

Downtown Greenville - a lot of fun, regardless of your age. The Liberty bridge is there, Reedy River Falls, lots of restaurants, bars and green space. There is also a lot of new residential development downtown - condos and apartments -- designed for young professionals or empty nest-ers. If you want older neighborhoods with tree lined streets and houses ranging in age from 100 years+ to new, try these areas - Augusta Road or North Main area. Prices in these areas range from $250m to $1mm+ and would normally include hardwood floors, high ceilings, remodeled kitchens and baths, small front yards and big back yards.

Unemployment rate in Greenville is lower than many other areas. BMW's US manufacturing plant is near Greenville - well paying jobs in all areas, from production to administrative. The I-CAR complex, a new joint venture between SC and Clemson University, is an international automotive research project which continues to bring numerous new companies to Greenville. BMW just announced an expansion that will add 500 new jobs over the next few years. For information about employment opportunities, go to GreenvilleOnline.com - The Greenville News, greenville news, greenville weather, greenville sports, Clemson Tigers, high school sports. For real estate, go to Welcome To DebiGarrison.com. She has lived in several of the areas similar to what you describe, and has helped many of our friends and neighbors who have relocated to Greenville.

My husband went to college in Charleston, and there are many things I love about the Holy City(as it is often referred). I would move to Charleston or any of the barrier islands if we didn't have ties to family, friends and business in Greenville. I don't know that my budget would allow me to live in one of the many houses I love in the South of Broad area downtown, but I would love being close to the beaches. Many of the boroughs in downtown are undergoing revitalization, and the 2- and 3-story houses are being made into condos -- you buy a floor that has been completely renovated, and the work I've seen is very well done.

Charleston, to me, is a little more "compact" than Greenville. The city Greenville has rolling hills, whereas Charleston is flat.

My daughter's boyfriend(age 22) is from Oregon. He likes Greenville better because of its proximity to mountains and lakes; he likes Charleston because of the beaches and college life - and the fact that my daughter lives there.

Good luck - post it on this site if you need add'l information.

[g-man430]

Greenville for me. Charleston is too hot and muggy in the summer. Both have nice downtowns although I prefer Greenville's. Check out both areas than make a decision is what I would do.