Before You Relocate to Columbia (Charleston, Cayce: wedding, quality of life, living in)

[mettler]

that is another problem with Cola's amtrak..no car rental..at least the last time I was there. But, my late departure actually worked out well for me. I arrived in orlando at 10am(?), went to the world cup soccer game that was at noon, and came back on the 4:30pm train.

[Woodlands]

There is either a National or Enterprise I believe on Gervais and Huger.. or atleast there was.. at one time. The problem is that the hours of operation do not coincide with the hours of operation for the train station. It would be nice for the rental car company to provide some form of "express check out" where members can reserve cars online via a membership program and use their membership card to access the vehicle and have the rental billed to them. Zipcar is one car company among others that does this at numerous location throughout the country and it does not require an attendant. This may be useful for the Florence and Columbia markets among others as make transportation more interconnected.

[Tucsonmom]

Originally Posted by Buckeye in SC

Amtrak runs to Washington D.C. from here - I'm not sure why a route has never been created to run from here to Charlotte or Atlanta or even Charleston for that matter. Maybe w/higher fuel prices, that demand will be going up creating an opportunity for that to eventually happen.

That would be a good thing! Sooner than later, hopefully.
Lots of us train lovers out there!

There are many good ideas on this site, the city planners should drop in!

[mariposabella]

Originally Posted by HopDude

Columbia is a case study in mediocrity.

Everything about it screams "middle of the road".

The local college football team is a perfect metaphor for how this town thinks; they never win a title, but the locals worship them as if they were Gods. Standards here are so low that people don't know the difference.

You also see the famous SC logo EVERYWHERE. After living here for two years, we're asking ourselves, "Proud of what?". There is almost nothing in Columbia to brag about.

Now, don't get me wrong. Most of SC is beautiful. The people are friendly, though not in a warm way, just polite and hospitable. You can strike up conversations easily - just don't veer into politics or anything controversial.

An anecdote that now seems to perfectly sum up the "no there there" phenomenon of Columbia goes like this...

After we moved here I used to ask neighbors or co-workers, "What is there to do here?". And they would always say, almost without exception, "Well, you can go to Myrtle Beach, you can go to Charleston, you can go to Charlotte, or Hilton Head or even Asheville."

Huh?

"So, why do people LIVE in Columbia?"

"Well, it's close to Myrtle Beach, Charleston, Charlotte, Hilton Head and Asheville!"

Okay, I exaggerate you say.

Maybe. But not much.

In the end it's what you make of it. But Columbia is not a place to live if your standards are high and you like progress.

Of course, there's some stuff here but not much. Nothing that could be described as real "big city" stuff. And nothing much really ever happens here, either. I've traveled all over the world and lived in several different parts of the country and I can honestly say that this is THE most boring place I've ever been.

For some people that may be just what the doctor ordered. I'm not saying it's a BAD thing, just not for us. We can't wait to leave.

Whatever you do, if you move here DON'T complain about anything. People will just give you a polite smile as they quietly judge you and then never really speak to you again.

Save complaints for this forum.

Damn skippy. This city is okay if you want to raise a family, but if you have high standards, your young (20's and 30's), you like lots to do and nightlife, and you like progression this is NOT the place for you. I think Columbia is starting to look like a dump anyways, there are a few nice places here and there, but it mostly sucks. My friend and I were talking about how bad this city is getting. We cant wait to move. As soon as I get my nursing degree and get a little experience, then I'm moving to a Charleston or I will just move to another state.

[waccamatt]

Surely you don't live in the same city I do; the city has invested and is investing tens of millions of dollars in beautification projects - the Vista, Five Points, Devine Street, Main Street, North Main, the Riverwalk, the list is endless. As far as nightlife, have you ever heard of Five Points or the Vista, the Koger Center, Trustus Theatre, the Colonial Center or the Township? If you can't find anything to do, you're not looking.

[hapscat]

Originally Posted by mariposabella

Damn skippy. This city is okay if you want to raise a family, but if you have high standards, your young (20's and 30's), you like lots to do and nightlife, and you like progression this is NOT the place for you. I think Columbia is starting to look like a dump anyways, there are a few nice places here and there, but it mostly sucks. My friend and I were talking about how bad this city is getting. We cant wait to move. As soon as I get my nursing degree and get a little experience, then I'm moving to a Charleston or I will just move to another state.

bye.... skippy

[Captain Worley]

Originally Posted by mariposabella

Damn skippy. This city is okay if you want to raise a family, but if you have high standards, your young (20's and 30's), you like lots to do and nightlife, and you like progression this is NOT the place for you. I think Columbia is starting to look like a dump anyways, there are a few nice places here and there, but it mostly sucks. My friend and I were talking about how bad this city is getting. We cant wait to move. As soon as I get my nursing degree and get a little experience, then I'm moving to a Charleston or I will just move to another state.

I hope you find what you're looking for, but I suspect you'll end up with a greater appreciation for what you had here.

[g-man430]

Originally Posted by mariposabella

Damn skippy. This city is okay if you want to raise a family, but if you have high standards, your young (20's and 30's), you like lots to do and nightlife, and you like progression this is NOT the place for you. I think Columbia is starting to look like a dump anyways, there are a few nice places here and there, but it mostly sucks. My friend and I were talking about how bad this city is getting. We cant wait to move. As soon as I get my nursing degree and get a little experience, then I'm moving to a Charleston or I will just move to another state.

Come to Greenville then. We'll be happy to have you. Things to do? Check this out: http://www.city-data.com/forum/green...-downtown.html We're even getting an IMAX this fall. Not even Charleston has that anymore.

[Geechie North]

Originally Posted by HopDude

Columbia is a case study in mediocrity.

Everything about it screams "middle of the road".

The local college football team is a perfect metaphor for how this town thinks; they never win a title, but the locals worship them as if they were Gods. Standards here are so low that people don't know the difference.

You also see the famous SC logo EVERYWHERE. After living here for two years, we're asking ourselves, "Proud of what?". There is almost nothing in Columbia to brag about.

Now, don't get me wrong. Most of SC is beautiful. The people are friendly, though not in a warm way, just polite and hospitable. You can strike up conversations easily - just don't veer into politics or anything controversial.

An anecdote that now seems to perfectly sum up the "no there there" phenomenon of Columbia goes like this...

After we moved here I used to ask neighbors or co-workers, "What is there to do here?". And they would always say, almost without exception, "Well, you can go to Myrtle Beach, you can go to Charleston, you can go to Charlotte, or Hilton Head or even Asheville."

Huh?

"So, why do people LIVE in Columbia?"

"Well, it's close to Myrtle Beach, Charleston, Charlotte, Hilton Head and Asheville!"

Okay, I exaggerate you say.

Maybe. But not much.

In the end it's what you make of it. But Columbia is not a place to live if your standards are high and you like progress.

Of course, there's some stuff here but not much. Nothing that could be described as real "big city" stuff. And nothing much really ever happens here, either. I've traveled all over the world and lived in several different parts of the country and I can honestly say that this is THE most boring place I've ever been.

For some people that may be just what the doctor ordered. I'm not saying it's a BAD thing, just not for us. We can't wait to leave.

Whatever you do, if you move here DON'T complain about anything. People will just give you a polite smile as they quietly judge you and then never really speak to you again.

Save complaints for this forum.

.

The old saying is, " I'd rather be dead in Charleston than rich in Greenville or important in Columbia."

That's a Lowcountry saying, of course.

It all depends upon expectations; some will truly love Columbia. But it's always wise to learn exactally what you are getting into in advance so as not to be disappointed.

[TNRyan23]

Originally Posted by HopDude

13. Lots of Confederate battle flags (it isn't a race thing)

Thanks for being honest about that...

My wife and I can cross USC off our list of schools we're looking to apply to.