Before You Relocate to Columbia (Charleston, Greenville: rental car, real estate, foreclosures)

[Akhenaton06]

Originally Posted by HopDude

It's not that MY expectations of Columbia are too high. It's that COLUMBIA'S expectations of Columbia are too LOW.

That is what I find so frustrating. Given time, maybe 5 to 10 years, things will start to turn the corner. I don't know if I'm willing to wait that long. Until people who live here start raising their own expectations, things are going to remain very status quo.

In a sense, I understand what you're saying. As a matter of fact, this is why the chamber of commerce has launched the "Navigating From Good to Great" initiative. One of the articles in The State newspaper that introduced the initiative started out by rightfully observing that for the past several years, Columbia was complacent to simply let USC, state government, and Ft. Jackson run the show, but that that won't be enough to compete in the new "knowledge economy." The city is also teaming up with USC to bring in high tech jobs through Innovista, USC's research campus. The Innovista master plan also includes a new waterfront park that will connect with the existing Three Rivers Greenway, which is currently having additional park space completed on the Columbia side of the river.These are just some of the things that Columbia is doing to take itself to the next level.

Another example: I remember talking to a co-worker of mine who has lived here his whole life and he actually bragged about how the city had resisted the opportunity to compete for an NFL team because it would have overshadowed the Gamecocks. Of course, the Panthers ended up in Charlotte but Columbia was apparently one of the cities in consideration for that expansion.

Actually, the way it went, as I understand it, was that the Panthers had approached the city and USC about utilizing Williams-Brice for their first season, but they were turned away. I agree that it would have been a great exposure opportunity and it shows how USC's influence can be something of a double-edged sword. At any rate, when it comes to major league pro sports, Columbia is pretty much going to be in the same category as larger cities that are home to major universities like Austin, Columbus, and Raleigh which have no major league pro sports or have one in a somewhat obscure sport for its region (Carolina Hurricanes NHL franchise in Raleigh). And all of those cities can certainly be described as progressive.

[Akhenaton06]

Originally Posted by mettler

Columbia is extremely well located, has a decent hwy system with access to major ports and the up-state. I still find it hard to believe that it hasn't taken off like Charlotte.

Part of that is due to complacency on the part of past city leaders, and part of it is also due to the state of SC. When you look at Charlotte, it had the perfect combination of visionary state leadership in terms of the loosening of its banking laws and aggressive business leadership in the person of Hugh McColl who is largely responsible for the status of BOA as one of the nation's largest banks today. I think if city leaders in the past were at least somewhat aggressive when it came to economic development, Columbia today might at least rival Raleigh in size.

[Palmetto Heel]

Originally Posted by Akhenaton06

Part of that is due to complacency on the part of past city leaders, and part of it is also due to the state of SC. When you look at Charlotte, it had the perfect combination of visionary state leadership in terms of the loosening of its banking laws and aggressive business leadership in the person of Hugh McColl who is largely responsible for the status of BOA as one of the nation's largest banks today. I think if city leaders in the past were at least somewhat aggressive when it came to economic development, Columbia today might at least rival Raleigh in size.

I grew up in Charlotte in the 1970s - 1990s so I witnessed the growth first hand. I think that Columbia is well positioned to avoid the MISTAKES that Charlotte made in pursuing growth for growth's sake.

[Akhenaton06]

^I can certainly agree with that. One of Charlotte's biggest mistakes was eradicting a significant portion of its historical building stock uptown to make way for new buildings that ignored the pedestrian and in some cases, only for a surface parking lot. Given the emphasis on preservation and adaptive reuse in our cities today, I'm pretty sure this won't happen in Columbia--at least not at the level at which it occurred in Charlotte.

[I*love*D*Peninsula]

Originally Posted by HopDude

I knew I was going to take flak for this post - especially the Gamecock comment! That might of been a cheap shot, sorry.

Okay, before I get royally flamed here let me cover some things I LOVE about living in South Carolina...

1. Low cost of living - I never coulda bought this house in CA
2. Really nice people - a little distant, but awfully friendly
3. Great weather - a little buggy and humid, but mostly good
4. Close to mountains, close to beaches
5. Politics - A Governor who vetoes stupid legislation like cigarette taxes
6. Politics - Jim DeMint (nuff said)
7. BarBQ - Shealy's rocks and Maurices is pretty good too
8. The Vista - Liberty's a great watering hole
9. Family friendly - everybody loves kids here
10. Riverbanks Zoo - Year round pass is the best deal in town
11. Cheapest Gas In the Country!
12. Lots of American flags
13. Lots of Confederate battle flags (it isn't a race thing)
14. Real Americans who speak English (or some variation of it)
15. No graffiti anywhere

Okay, that's it. You guys are right. We love it here!

Can someone please just help us find a decent Chinese joint?

Thanks!

ok, now you're backing down. Stay true to your concerns. If you don't like it, you don't like it. I know how you feel, because I was experiencing the same things here.

[I*love*D*Peninsula]

I know exactly how you feel. I relocated a decade ago from the "asphalt jungle". Moving here has been a major culture shock for me and my children. It was literally a step back to maybe the early 70's in every aspect of life there is to mention.
We almost lost our minds!
At one point I thought I had become clinically depressed. I wasn't diagnosed by a physican so I'll never really know.
I can tell you stories that you wouldn't believe!
I stayed because I couldn't just run back to the Urban metropolis.
I have acknowledged the shortcomings here and instead of being terrible negative, I try to stay focused on the positives that have I contributed to making a difference.
I am sure I am not making a big dent but I am going to continue to do the best I can until it is time for me to move on.


I sincerely,feel for you because I've been exactly where you are. All I can say is that you may have to leave SC for a Bigger City. Honestly, If I had the chance to go back 10 years, I wouldn't make the same choice.
Good luck

[mettler]

If Columbia ever took off like Charlotte it would be a nightmare from a traffic perspective. Columbia needs to make downtown full of one-way streets to open the flow - you can time the lights with one-way street. And, yes, I know that would be a nightmare in itself, but I would rather get that going now while you still can before you try to do it with twice as many people. People would get used to it. Also, widen I20 towards Camden...jeez..that is awful at rush hour.

[HopDude]

ok, now you're backing down.

Yeah, I know I totally caved there. It was more just not trying to throw the baby out with the bath water. There's actually quite a lot about SC that we really do like. My issue is with Columbia, so if we stay in the state it just won't be here - maybe Mt. Pleasant/Charleston.

We almost lost our minds!

I've actually felt that way. Kind of like a David Lynch movie where everything seems normal on the surface... maybe... too normal...

Thanks for getting it.

[Akhenaton06]

HopDude, I showed you where the city has acknowledged its shortcomings and has committed itself to making the necessary changes to make the city a better place to live. Is that not worthy of a response, given that it addresses most of what you find wrong with the city?

[I*love*D*Peninsula]

I live in Mount Pleasant and it's Great! You'll like Charleston too!
Not because there's more variety, but I really believe they try to be open-minded and progressive thinking in many aspects.