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My husband and I are interested in moving to the Carolinas in 2017. I am going to school to be an occupational therapy assistant and he is a police officer interested in working for Charlotte PD. We are both in our late 20's and have no kids. We want a change of scenery with milder and shorter winters than here in PA. We would love to live in the mountains, but unfortunately, it would be too far for him to travel to Charlotte.
We are looking for a town within an hour of Charlotte that is small/has a country feel to it with low crime rate, but that isn't more than a half hour to a larger town with the amenities we will need such as Walmart, restaurants, a hospital, etc. I know I'm being picky, so if it's not possible to find a smaller country town, we are okay with a larger town, but we'd like to be in a safe area. Also, we will be renting an apartment and I know some smaller towns don't have apartment complexes so that's something to keep in mind.
We both love the mountains as I stated earlier. We love to hike, go to the lake, dine out, go to the movies, and we love to try new things.
I hope this post was detailed enough to give you an idea of what we are looking for.
If I could live in the perfect town, it would be a town outside of the mountains that is quaint and charming, low crime, friendly, and close to plenty of amenities.
Thanks for you time!
P.S- Suggestions for SC are okay, too. We were just down in Fort Mill in May scoping out the area. I just want to weigh all of my options. From what I can tell, Fort Mill is expensive, but nice.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,678,989 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by KLR87
Hi everyone!
My husband and I are interested in moving to the Carolinas in 2017. I am going to school to be an occupational therapy assistant and he is a police officer interested in working for Charlotte PD. We are both in our late 20's and have no kids. We want a change of scenery with milder and shorter winters than here in PA. We would love to live in the mountains, but unfortunately, it would be too far for him to travel to Charlotte.
We are looking for a town within an hour of Charlotte that is small/has a country feel to it with low crime rate, but that isn't more than a half hour to a larger town with the amenities we will need such as Walmart, restaurants, a hospital, etc. I know I'm being picky, so if it's not possible to find a smaller country town, we are okay with a larger town, but we'd like to be in a safe area. Also, we will be renting an apartment and I know some smaller towns don't have apartment complexes so that's something to keep in mind.
We both love the mountains as I stated earlier. We love to hike, go to the lake, dine out, go to the movies, and we love to try new things.
I hope this post was detailed enough to give you an idea of what we are looking for.
If I could live in the perfect town, it would be a town outside of the mountains that is quaint and charming, low crime, friendly, and close to plenty of amenities.
Thanks for you time!
P.S- Suggestions for SC are okay, too. We were just down in Fort Mill in May scoping out the area. I just want to weigh all of my options. From what I can tell, Fort Mill is expensive, but nice.
Kings Mountain hits a lot of what you want &, yes, there are apartments. I'm posting from a phone right now so can't post links but go to City of Kings Mountain website & go through it thoroughly. There is a trail, the Gateway Trail. There is a hospital in town as well as hospitals in Shelby & Gastonia. It's definitely computable to Charlotte. Moss Lake belongs to Kings Mountain & functions as the city's reservoir. There are smaller towns nearby, but Kings Mountain has a good blend of natives & transplants.
Do you plan on spending much time in Charlotte other than to work? By the sound of your post it doesn't really sound like it. With your occupations you might be able to get a job in the mountains and have exactly what you're looking for instead of having to drive to it.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,678,989 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoPhils
Do you plan on spending much time in Charlotte other than to work? By the sound of your post it doesn't really sound like it. With your occupations you might be able to get a job in the mountains and have exactly what you're looking for instead of having to drive to it.
I think the difference is the pay in CMPD. That's why Gastonia PD is a revolving door, for the most part.
She'd also have tons more work opportunities in Kings Mountain. Kings Mountain Hospital, Cleveland Regional, Gaston Memorial/Caramont, Lincolnton, I think that there's a hospital down in Gaffney, all within about a 20 mile radius or less. There are hospices in Gastonia, Kings Mountain, & Shelby. There are tons of private practices. CHS has urgent cares in Kings Mountain & Shelby. I think that they have a good-size rehab facility in Mt Holly. Kings Mountain would also be commuteable to Hickory, Charlotte, & Spartanburg. She just can't beat that in the mountains.
Unfortunately, Charlotte PD pays the most (and most comparable to what he makes in Baltimore City), so that's why we chose Charlotte. Other than that, I don't have much interest in hanging out in Charlotte that often. And I know I can get a job just about anywhere. But if we look at a different police department in NC or SC, it will probably be about 10 grand less. We are nervous that with the drastic pay cut from what he makes in Baltimore (Charlotte is still about 20 grand less), that we will financially struggle. NC and SC are just so beautiful though and the people are so friendly. The people up in the northeast aren't always the friendliest. So, we'd really like to be able to afford to live down south.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,678,989 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by KLR87
Unfortunately, Charlotte PD pays the most (and most comparable to what he makes in Baltimore City), so that's why we chose Charlotte. Other than that, I don't have much interest in hanging out in Charlotte that often. And I know I can get a job just about anywhere. But if we look at a different police department in NC or SC, it will probably be about 10 grand less. We are nervous that with the drastic pay cut from what he makes in Baltimore (Charlotte is still about 20 grand less), that we will financially struggle. NC and SC are just so beautiful though and the people are so friendly. The people up in the northeast aren't always the friendliest. So, we'd really like to be able to afford to live down south.
Look at real estate listings for Kings Mountain. The city is in an unincorporated township by the same name. You'll know that it's in the city if you see city water in a listing. About a month ago I was talking to a retired CMPD officer at the Rite Aid in Kings Mountain. He mentioned that he commuted to Charlotte when he worked there.
As of right now you'd do most of your non-essential shopping in Gastonia. That could be changing. The Catawba Indians have applied to have a casino south of town. Check the Hard Rock thread.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,678,989 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoPhils
Kings Mountain is probably a good start. Maybe Newton? Hickory would be the nearby "larger town"
I was thinking of Newton because I really like the Hickory area but it would definitely be a longer commute to Charlotte & not nearly as many job opportunities for the OP. It's one of the main reasons that I picked Kings Mountain. 30 miles to Charlotte, 40 miles to both Hickory & Spartanburg.
Have you looked into Asheville? I have no clue how the pay would compare, but it sounds more up your alley.
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