How small is Florence,SC really? (Columbia, Charleston: new home, neighborhoods, buy)

[storch12]

We are a young family in mid 20's and considering possibly moving to Florence,SC for a new position with my company...coming from Richmond,VA.

Is Florence a safe place? Much happening here with things to do for a young couple?
What places in Florence are nice areas to live?

[waccamatt]

Florence is not very large. Florence County's population is only about 130,000, but it is the main center for that region of South Carolina so there are more things to do than you would typically see in a town that size. I don't know a lot about the Florence specifics, but if you do move there and need more to do, Florence is only about an hour's drive from either Columbia or Myrtle Beach.

[KellyCrash]

I think Florence is a nice size. Not too big/not too small.

Florence has a ton of shopping, restaurants, etc. Magnolia Mall has Belk, Sears, Barnes & Noble, Dick's Sporting Goods, & Best Buy as the anchors with your typical mall stores inbetween. Target, two Wal-marts - a regular & a Super, Khols, Toys R Us (no Babies R Us), Home Depot, Lowes, Sam's Club, etc. For restaurants there are the usual chains - McDonalds, Burger King, Arby's, Taco Bell, Wendy's, Outback, Shoney's, Ruby Tuesday, Cracker Barrell, Chuckie Cheese, Chick Fil A, Krispy Kreme, etc.

Florence is growing & has been for a long time. Oh & they have a gigantic library. I'm really impressed with the building. I've never been inside. The Bruce foundation has to give millions away every year & they pretty much fund the library from what I hear.

I lived in Florence for all my life until I met my husband and moved to Massachusetts. I wouldn't mind living there again, but the jobs there for my husband are few & far between. That is really something to consider! If your dh takes this job and moves would he be able to find something else or would you have to move again? We recently moved to the Raleigh area of NC because there are tons of jobs in his field here. If the one has now falls through or whatever there are is always another job.

I've always felt safe in Florence. Good areas to live? What price range are you looking in? I would stay away from any neighborhoods districted to go to Wilson High School.

Things to do? There is a Civic Center that hosts Hockey games for the Carolina Pride. Movie theatres, shopping, restaurants, & there are night club type places too if you're interested in that. An hour to an hour & a half from Myrtle Beach makes a weekend trip there super easy. About the same distance from Columbia.

[LilLadi22]

Florence is a quiet city. I lived there for a while. I didn't find it to be a city that targets young people as I didn't find a whole lot to do there. If you're not big on the club scene or hanging out often, it is a nice place to live. If you're a "party hard" type of family, you may have to travel to the beach or other cities for "big" fun.

[gaye watson]

has grown so much. its a nice place to raise a family. can be very hot and humid in the summer.

[Chico020]

Florence is a pretty good size city. Younger people tend not to find much to do in
Florence but the biggest draw is that its within 2 hours of larger cities such as Charlotte, Columbia, Charleston, and Myrtle Beach.

[Tommy1981]

KellyCrash has really hit the nail on the head. SC cities are much smaller in general than cities in other parts of the country. In some places a town of 85,000 is fairly small, but in SC that's pretty big. A large number of people live in the rural areas around cities like Florence so they don't count in the official population, but these folks drive to places like Florence for shopping, so you get the restaurants, malls, theaters, etc for a city with the population of the county, not just in the city.

Depending on your interests, Florence could be a great place for you. As mentioned, its not as large of a market as a place like Columbia, so you wouldn't have a ton of national act concerts and events coming actually in Florence, but Myrtle Beach and Columbia on either side would have the draw for these kind of acts, so if you don't mind driving about 90 mins to see concerts, then you'd probably find just about everything else you'd want to do in Florence.

[creekgirl4life]

There are many nice neighborhoods in the Florence area many with new homes especially in the West Florence School District. Check out Forest Lake, Wedgewood, & Oak Point if you are looking for newer homes. There are more affordable options in Womack Gardens and many affordable new homes in the South Florence area.

[TRISH68]

Coming to visit Florence, Sc next spring. Family and I may relocate. I am not looking for a party area or big city feel. Are there any areas and/or places I should visit on our trip. Really would love to leave Pennsylvania. Thank you!!

[CarolinaSouth803]

I can't say that i know a bunch about Florence, but i'm pretty sure it's not a party area or a big city. It does sit in a fairly decent location considering you are only about 1hr from Myrtle Beach, 1hr from Columbia, 2hrs to Charleston, Wilmington and Charlotte {give or take 20 extra min} if you need a change of scenery and don't mind driving. It's convience to I-95, and I-20 are a plus and i'm sure you'd be able to find some piece of mind there.

Other areas you could find to be nice is Anderson and the Upstate area, Summerville in the Charleston area and Lexington in the Columbia area....Beaufort would fit that mold also...I guess it just really depend on the amenities you desire....