After 2 months of living in Columbia..... (Charleston, Greenville: real estate, apartment, rent)

[salatheel]

I have to say I love it. My wife and I have found we like it even better than we thought we would. The toughest part was finding a fair paying job. Lots of great people,shopping,restaurants, but not overwhelmingly large. A very cozy comfortable city.

[sandlapper]

Good deal, glad to hear it! Columbia isn't nearly as bad as many people try too make it out to be. I never understood the distain it recieves?

[Akhenaton06]

A lot of it is from people who live in the area who have never been exposed to anything else--and are vocal about it. Too bad the people who truly recognize the worth of the city and are equally as vocal appear to be in the minority.

[salatheel]

I have found Columbia to have a lot to offer. There is a lot to do and it is so close to many other fun places. The cost of living is excellent and the people are great.

[Carolina_1690]

Glad to hear you're enjoying Columbia!

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by salatheel

I have to say I love it. My wife and I have found we like it even better than we thought we would. The toughest part was finding a fair paying job. Lots of great people,shopping,restaurants, but not overwhelmingly large. A very cozy comfortable city.

I've been looking in Columbia (Irmo) and Charleston (and Greenville too!) I need to move, since I can't find a good job in FL. If I can find even a low wage job temporarily, at least I would have some source of income, but that is a concern of mine. Columbia was my first choice, but I kept reading crime statistics and became concerned about my safety. Now I'm reading posts on another forum that warns people to stay in Mt Pleasant if they plan to move to Charleston. I can't possibly afford that area, so I was looking in Summerville. Shopping online for homes helps, but it doesn't give me a complete picture. I need to work with a good real estate agent, but it's tough doing this long distance! I keep finding homes in my price range ($150,000 or less) that are gorgeous, at least to me, but then I read other posts that talk about homes in the $500,000 range so I keep wondering if I'm looking in the worst neighborhoods!

Is Chapin very far from the City? I enjoy convenience, but I also want to be in someplace quiet without a lot of traffic.

[waccamatt]

I haven't found crime to be a problem here. As long as you use common sense you shouldn't have any crime problems.

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by waccamatt

I haven't found crime to be a problem here. As long as you use common sense you shouldn't have any crime problems.

Thanks. I was looking at Irmo. I probably should rent first, but I don't want to waste my money any more, since I've been renting for a long time in FL and I have nothing to show for it. I am still trying decide if Columbia or Greenville would be better for me. Nobody can make that decision for me I suppose. Looking at pictures online is helpful, but I need to actually pack up and move! It's a tough decision.

[salatheel]

I have not felt nervous of threatend at all. I work over on Huger St and live in Elgin. One of the guys I work with had an apartment over off Rosewood and he got robbed twice. He said the neighborhood was good during the day but at night it got a little rough. He lives in West Cola now and loves it.

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by salatheel

I have to say I love it. My wife and I have found we like it even better than we thought we would. The toughest part was finding a fair paying job. Lots of great people,shopping,restaurants, but not overwhelmingly large. A very cozy comfortable city.

I apologize if this should be on another thread, but I can't find one regarding this matter. Do people smoke in the work place? This isn't a political statement of any kind. I just get very sick around smokers, so I will have to give up even considering moving to a state where smoking is allowed in public buildings or at work. This makes me very sad since I never thought about it until I just read that SC & NC have not banned smoking yet. It never crossed my mind!