What is it REALLY like in Sumter? (Columbia, Florence: daycares, unemployment)

[nissanv8]

donnacreation, i feel your pain and i can understand your point of view if you didnt grow up in the area. i'm sure sumter is a culture shock to people from other parts of the country and some of what you said is true. my comment to you is that you come off sounding so angry and bitter,if something was said or done to you during your stay in sumter i'm sorry that happen to you and you need to let it go and not let it eat at you so much. trust me people of sumter know their status and how they compare and what they have and dont have, we know that better than anyone else. yes its work to be done in this town but there are many many places far worst than sumter. i feel the same way sometime myself but this is home and i hope things get better for all the people of sumter in the near future but for now this is what we have. finally there are lots of good people in sumter and sumter county i'm just sorry you didnt get to meet any of them. i wish you the best and hope you find what you are looking for and dont let bitter people make you bitter as well

[DanaSQ]

I may be coming into this thread a bit late, but some of the negative comments on Sumter are just unreal! Yes, it's a small town and there are certainly parts of it that aren't the nicest. I won't argue that there's room for improvement, but in my opinion there's SO much potential here.

I grew up in NY just 30 minutes outside NYC, lived IN NYC for several years, lived in NJ, New Orleans, Alexandria, VA (very close to DC) - all that culture, the theatre, ballets, symphonies, museums, the incredible restaurants - and yet SUMTER is where my husband and I CHOSE to buy our home.

Attitude makes or breaks your experience anywhere you live. Negative attitudes attract negative experiences. I went into moving down to Sumter with a positive attitude - I greeted everyone with a smile, had some truly delightful conversations with a lot of locals, all of whom were incredibly friendly, lovely people who took time out of their day to give me tips on where to go, or who they recommend for miscellaneous house repairs....several people outright offered to come out to the house and HELP us with some of the repairs - "seeing as y'all are trying to do this yourselves, you could use some help". Small minded bigots? There may be a few bad apples, but I haven't run across one yet.

Also, there's Columbia, which really isn't THAT far away and has a TON to do. My hubby & I are eagerly anticipating going swing dancing, the historic home tours, exploring the different neighborhoods & restaurants. We are LOVING the local farmer's market, the locals themselves, and living out in "the sticks" of Sumter, the peace and quiet of being able to stand on our dock and watch the sun set over the lake is just...I'll happily give up being within 30 minutes of "cultural events & fine dining" just for that. If you're an outdoors enthusiast, you're truly in luck.

View it as an adventure or a treasure hunt - there's a lot of gems, diamonds in the rough and simple pleasures to be had here if you're willing to keep an open mind and a friendly disposition.

[Ceezer]

Dana, I'd love to hear why y'all chose Sumter to live in. Are you AF personnel? Retirees? What about Sumter drew you in? Had you lived here previously and enjoyed your time then?

[Proud Air Force Wife]

Thank you DanaSQ for your positive comments. As I have previously mentioned my husband and I are moving to Shaw AFB at the end of this year and it is very scary moving. I lived in Central AL for 26 years and made my first move with my husband to San Angelo TX for him to train 6 months and then we move to SC. Reading all the negative comments does not make moving easier despite the fact that I am super excited about moving to South Carolina. Right now I am about 20 hrs from my family and from Sumter we will be 6.5 hrs. Also we used to take family vacations to North Carolina when I was younger and I loved it!!! I am looking forward to being 1-2 hrs from the beach, 2-3 hrs from the Mountains, 2-3 hrs from Savannah GA (where Paula Dean's Restaurant is located) 6-7 hrs from Orlando, etc. We will be so close to so many things that I cannot wait to move. Everyone on the posts that I have had contact with has been soooooo friendly and helpful and I am so greatful to them all!!! I personally do not want to live in a big city....I grew up in Tallassee AL....very small town...we still do not have a super wal-mart in Tallassee and only fast food restaurants and I must say I miss it. We lived in Montgomery AL for a few years which is growing so fast but I did not like all the violence, traffic, and lack of community support. My husband is Grantsburg WI with closest wal-mart being 30-45 min away and only chain restaurant in town was subway which was located inside a gas station so it sounds like we will fit in nicely in Sumter though Columbia or Hopkins is also an interest to us since I want to obtain my Master's Degree and Sumter is not able to provide me with that. Again thank you for your positive comments...it has made me feel somewhat better!!!

[Sassy8722]

To the person who said Sumter is full of people with thin wallets, I wish I was from wherever you are from, to me this town is full of pretty well off people. Coming from a "thin wallet" person, I worked in Columbia as a waitress and brought in $20 a night if I was lucky, working 8 hours. I worked here in Sumter and brought in close to or over $100 every night, working 5-7 hours. HUGE difference there. Then again I guess most people don't know that waitresses only make $2.13 per hour. Just because people in this town are poor to you does not mean you are better than them.

I am ready to move away from Sumter, but then again I want to stay. I want more choices than just Wal Mart and I want the mall to be a real mall. I have started my own business and I feel like I am in the wrong place here, there isn't many children stores, which is what I would be selling in. It is pretty boring, I usually sit home all day because I don't know where to go, Swan Lake gets boring after a while (though I am getting married there next month!!).

The cost of living is low.

I am afraid to go some (very few) places but they are super easy to spot and you won't need anything around those places anyway.

I HATE the hospital with a passion and can go into more detail on that if you would like.

I am not military so I am assuming the base has it's own hospital? I traveled over an hour while I was in labor to avoid having my baby at Toumey.

Our first impression of this place was 'wow there are so many dining choices!' but we grew bored with that quickly, as it's all just the regular fast food, there are a couple of nice restaurants, such as Logan's Roadhouse (where I used to work), and Outback but I can never afford those places now LOL!

I used to live in Palmetto Pointe, very nice on the outside, awful management and full of bugs on the inside. Also small and very expensive.

I personally am afraid to go to the fair because I have heard of crimes too much out there so I opt to go to the SC State Fair every year, it's what I am used to anyway.

I find myself in Columbia several times a week.

Do not eat at the Chinese restaurant on Broad Street across from Shaw, trust me DO NOT do it. The Chinese place in the mall is great and the people are very nice there.

[Ceezer]

Originally Posted by Sassy8722;

I have started my own business and I feel like I am in the wrong place here, there isn't many children stores, which is what I would be selling in.

Wouldn't that be a benefit for you, so that you'd have less competition? Or do you mean you have a product that you want to distribute through existing children stores? I think there are actually several of them around, they're just kind of dispensed about the town, making them hard to spot. If it's the latter, what kind of product is it? Maybe it's something you could market as a children's item but distribute it through a larger local venue. Have you tried the flea market by Shaw on the weekends? What about EBay (which would allow you to work from home)?

I think if we remain patient we'll see some growth around Sumter in the near future. They started breaking ground on Shaw for the Army's 3rd ID on Monday which means they'll be here shortly, and bringing with them more cash flow for the economy (and probably rising house values/costs). I don't think anyone out there thinks that a single Walmart is all we need. They're just waiting for the right opportunity.

We've been to the fair every year for the last 5 years and have never had a problem, nor felt like there was trouble brewing. I wouldn't have subjected my daughter to it if I thought there was. In fact there is a very present group of law enforcement patroling the fair grounds.

The Chinese place across from Shaw isn't very good (though, oddly, it's *alway* packed), but it's nowhere near as bad as the place in the shopping center with Value City Furniture or the one on the corner of Miller & Broad across from AutoZone.

Sassy, I hope you're able to find success in your business and stay in Sumter. I really do think things will turn around soon and know that Sumter has a lot of potential. As I've said, there are a lot of events and attractions in & around Sumter, you just have to really dig to find out about them.

[Woodlands]

Originally Posted by Proud Air Force Wife

Thank you DanaSQ for your positive comments. As I have previously mentioned my husband and I are moving to Shaw AFB at the end of this year and it is very scary moving. I lived in Central AL for 26 years and made my first move with my husband to San Angelo TX for him to train 6 months and then we move to SC. Reading all the negative comments does not make moving easier despite the fact that I am super excited about moving to South Carolina. Right now I am about 20 hrs from my family and from Sumter we will be 6.5 hrs. Also we used to take family vacations to North Carolina when I was younger and I loved it!!! I am looking forward to being 1-2 hrs from the beach, 2-3 hrs from the Mountains, 2-3 hrs from Savannah GA (where Paula Dean's Restaurant is located) 6-7 hrs from Orlando, etc. We will be so close to so many things that I cannot wait to move. Everyone on the posts that I have had contact with has been soooooo friendly and helpful and I am so greatful to them all!!! I personally do not want to live in a big city....I grew up in Tallassee AL....very small town...we still do not have a super wal-mart in Tallassee and only fast food restaurants and I must say I miss it. We lived in Montgomery AL for a few years which is growing so fast but I did not like all the violence, traffic, and lack of community support. My husband is Grantsburg WI with closest wal-mart being 30-45 min away and only chain restaurant in town was subway which was located inside a gas station so it sounds like we will fit in nicely in Sumter though Columbia or Hopkins is also an interest to us since I want to obtain my Master's Degree and Sumter is not able to provide me with that. Again thank you for your positive comments...it has made me feel somewhat better!!!

Troy State University (Shaw AFB) offers a Master's Degree In Human Resource Management and Public Adminstration..I believe these two programs cater to military personnel seeking advancement since these two fields fit nicely within the military and the fed gov..The classes though are dominated by civilians.

[Proud Air Force Wife]

Hi Woodlands I looked into the programs Troy offered and though they offer a few Master's Degree programs I am looking to obtain a Master's in Psychology or Counseling. Thanks for the information though.

[Sassy8722]

Originally Posted by Ceezer

Wouldn't that be a benefit for you, so that you'd have less competition? Or do you mean you have a product that you want to distribute through existing children stores? I think there are actually several of them around, they're just kind of dispensed about the town, making them hard to spot. If it's the latter, what kind of product is it? Maybe it's something you could market as a children's item but distribute it through a larger local venue. Have you tried the flea market by Shaw on the weekends? What about EBay (which would allow you to work from home)?

I think if we remain patient we'll see some growth around Sumter in the near future. They started breaking ground on Shaw for the Army's 3rd ID on Monday which means they'll be here shortly, and bringing with them more cash flow for the economy (and probably rising house values/costs). I don't think anyone out there thinks that a single Walmart is all we need. They're just waiting for the right opportunity.

We've been to the fair every year for the last 5 years and have never had a problem, nor felt like there was trouble brewing. I wouldn't have subjected my daughter to it if I thought there was. In fact there is a very present group of law enforcement patroling the fair grounds.

The Chinese place across from Shaw isn't very good (though, oddly, it's *alway* packed), but it's nowhere near as bad as the place in the shopping center with Value City Furniture or the one on the corner of Miller & Broad across from AutoZone.

Sassy, I hope you're able to find success in your business and stay in Sumter. I really do think things will turn around soon and know that Sumter has a lot of potential. As I've said, there are a lot of events and attractions in & around Sumter, you just have to really dig to find out about them.

Why thank you! And I do not want my own store, yet, could never afford it lol! I make diaper cakes, diaper wreaths, and baby shower favors and would like to have them in several stores, but I am not even sure if that is a great idea because then people would see them everywhere they go, considering there aren't many of them. Right now I have my items in Lil' Darlins on Wesmark and in Flowers and Baskets Inc across from the hospital. Lil' Darlins has sold a couple of things, but I think my best bet is a baby boutique, such as Miss Kitty's on Guignard (used to be Maternity Wonderland and I had my items in there,haven't got them in this new place yet). I do sell on eBay, and do very well BEFORE all the fees they charge you. It is killing me. I also do craft shows, I have my second one on Saturday in York county, and my first one was the Iris Festival at Swan Lake and was very disappointing, there were not near as many attendees as anticipated. My items are definitely not flea market items, I think most people go to the flea market looking for junk, but I have not been to the one in Sumter, just because every time I have drove by there, there has been no one there, even during open hours. I have been to the Barnyard Flea Market and US Metro 1, both in West Columbia, they get very packed, and I didn't even make back the money I spent on my table. My prices are absolutely not high or I would know what the problem is, it is just that i am having a hard time reaching the people who need this stuff! Especially here, I wouldn't even know where to begin! Any ideas? My website is in my profile if you would like to see what I have and maybe you can think of something I haven't thought of. I have only been in Sumter about 2.5 years and I usually stay home so there could very well be places I do not know about. Also, another thing I HATE about Sumter is the fact that there are absolutely no craft stores, and our Wal Mart just got rid of 99% of their craft section too.

[Woodlands]

Originally Posted by Sassy8722

Why thank you! And I do not want my own store, yet, could never afford it lol! I make diaper cakes, diaper wreaths, and baby shower favors and would like to have them in several stores, but I am not even sure if that is a great idea because then people would see them everywhere they go, considering there aren't many of them. Right now I have my items in Lil' Darlins on Wesmark and in Flowers and Baskets Inc across from the hospital. Lil' Darlins has sold a couple of things, but I think my best bet is a baby boutique, such as Miss Kitty's on Guignard (used to be Maternity Wonderland and I had my items in there,haven't got them in this new place yet). I do sell on eBay, and do very well BEFORE all the fees they charge you. It is killing me. I also do craft shows, I have my second one on Saturday in York county, and my first one was the Iris Festival at Swan Lake and was very disappointing, there were not near as many attendees as anticipated. My items are definitely not flea market items, I think most people go to the flea market looking for junk, but I have not been to the one in Sumter, just because every time I have drove by there, there has been no one there, even during open hours. I have been to the Barnyard Flea Market and US Metro 1, both in West Columbia, they get very packed, and I didn't even make back the money I spent on my table. My prices are absolutely not high or I would know what the problem is, it is just that i am having a hard time reaching the people who need this stuff! Especially here, I wouldn't even know where to begin! Any ideas? My website is in my profile if you would like to see what I have and maybe you can think of something I haven't thought of. I have only been in Sumter about 2.5 years and I usually stay home so there could very well be places I do not know about. Also, another thing I HATE about Sumter is the fact that there are absolutely no craft stores, and our Wal Mart just got rid of 99% of their craft section too.

I have no experience in small business operation.. but maybe you should consider taking a marketing class or two at CCTC or even at Midlands Tech in Columbia? They often have classes that cater to people seeking to start a small business or even a home based business.. which sounds like what your are currently doing. After that maybe you get talk with someone on how to set up your own web page and run a web based business in addition maybe getting an "arrangement" with places/stores/hospitals/daycares etc where new and current parents with young children may frequent to get your information out there?????Just some thoughts.. good luck