Traffic from the Summit to USC question (Columbia, Clemson: 2015, crime)

[Lby54229]

I am beginning a new job at USC in July 2015 and need to move to Columbia fast.

I have looked at a nice house just off of Rhame Rd (in the Summit neighborhood off of Clemson Rd). I'm thinking about taking it but just want some advice about the area and traffic.

Can anyone give me an estimate of time to get to USC campus (Pickens Street)?
Any suggestions on the best route to work that would be great too? Do I go Hard Scrabble? I-20?

Any advice would be great. Thank you for your time and your information is greatly appreciated.

[SCxpBrussel]

Originally Posted by Lby54229

I am beginning a new job at USC in July 2015 and need to move to Columbia fast.

I have looked at a nice house just off of Rhame Rd (in the Summit neighborhood off of Clemson Rd). I'm thinking about taking it but just want some advice about the area and traffic.

Can anyone give me an estimate of time to get to USC campus (Pickens Street)?
And, the best way to get to work that would be great too? Do I go Hard Scrabble? I-20?

Any advice would be great. Thank you for your time and your information is greatly appreciated.

I don't live in that area, so I'm not sure about the best shortcuts. Off the top of my head, I would take Clemson/Killian Roads to I-77 to 277 to Bull Street to the USC campus. Thirty minutes should be enough time, perhaps 45 minutes on a bad day.

[Tiger17]

Do some homework. Some parts of the Summit are good, others not so much. Very hit and miss with the sections of that development.

[HowardRoarke]

Originally Posted by Tiger17

Do some homework. Some parts of the Summit are good, others not so much. Very hit and miss with the sections of that development.

x2

A friend of ours lived in The Summit for some years, her first house after college. Moved out after all the problems she experienced, and crime reports from nearby (Summit) neighborhoods.

The Summit is actually several neighborhoods, rolled into one big housing area. Each neighborhood has houses suitable for different income levels. It may surprise some, but some of the higher-end homes are home to drug dealers.

I wouldn't live there if I were single, and young, but to each their own. Family, maybe.

The Summit just looks like it was thrown together, without any neighborhood feel to it, and there's no retail in the middle, like a corner store or something along those lines. I guess it appeals to some folks who really like living in NE Richland Cty Don't get me wrong, there are some nice areas in NE, but the Summit is not my cup of tea.

The upside is it's close to a lot of retail, very convenient.

If you make the move to The Summit, try to avoid Two Notch and Decker, traffic-wise.

[RPetal]

Why the Summit? If I were looking at living in the NE it would be for a safer neighborhood w/excellent schools. Lake Carolina, wildewood, various neighborhoods in Blythewood, etc., but probably not the Summit.

[davey123]

I live in the Northeast, but much closer to I-20. Thus, I-20 is the route that I take when I travel to work, which is located in downtown Columbia. There are several routes that you could take to get to the University of South Carolina. It takes me approximately 25 minutes to get downtown. If you travel from the Summit on Clemson to I-20, then I would anticipate a 35 minute commute (with heavy traffic). You could take the route that SCxpBrussel suggested, but I suspect that may take more time. I have friends who live in Lake Carolina, which is very close to the Summit, and they take Killian Rd. to Farrow Rd to I-77. Again, I suspect that may take a little longer than I-20, but I am somewhat biased because I never drive on Clemson Rd, nor toward the Summit area, in the morning hours.

As for the Summit area more generally, I really cannot provide comments because I never really drive through it. I do know two people at my church who live there, and both are professors at the University of South Carolina. We typically do not talk about the Summit area. However, I do not recall either of them mentioning feeling unsafe or seeing drug-related activities in their neighborhood. Also, I sometimes see this retired couple at the Starbucks located at the Village at Sandhills, which is very close to the Summit area. On one occasion, I struck of a conversation with them. Both are retirees from the University of South Carolina. They live in the Summit, but I do not recall them mentioning feeling unsafe. This, of course, does not mean what others have said about the Summit are not true. It just means that there clearly are a number of professionals who live in the Summit area also.

[davey123]

I forgot to mention something that is probably obvious. The time that you leave in the morning will determine how fast you are able to get downtown. I left at 7:30 this morning and headed out on Spears Creek Church Rd to I-20. Spears Creek Church Rd is one exit beyond the Clemson Rd. exit. The traffic wasn't terribly heavy, and I was able to get to the Bull Street and Harden intersection in exactly 13 minutes. Of course, Bull Street typically is where the traffic slows down significantly. (Oh, I cannot say that speeding was not a factor in my drive .)

[Jordo06]

The drive will probably take anywhere from 30-45 minutes, depending on traffic. I drive from Longreen Parkway area to Two Notch and Forest Dr. every day, and it generally takes me about 25-35 minutes. Best time being about 22 minutes, worst time being 60 min +.