Anyone from the "north" recently move to Columbia? (Irmo: crime rate, hotel)

[jegonda]

Originally from NE Ohio, looking to be in the Columbia area in the Spring, due to a job change. Always loved the city when I have visited, but was wondering if someone can share their personal experiences with me? Are you glad you relocated there? Plusses? Minuses? Advice?

[Chi2Midlands]

I am orginially from Chicago, lived for a few years near Washington, DC, and have lived in Columbia for 2 years. My wife and I are pretty happy here. It's a good place to raise a family (at least in some of the suburban areas like Lexington, Irmo, Forest Acres, and Northeast Richland) and still have some benefits of living near a city. We are happy to raise our 1-year old son here.

Major plusses are low cost of living, (mostly) good weather, good combination of friendly Southern culture and progressive professionalism (this is largely a white-collar town with the state capital and university), relatively light traffic, suprising level of diversity, and not being too big/crowded.

Major minuses are a relatively high crime rate (overall for the metro and city, but there many safer areas to live) and oppressive heat/humidity during certain times of the summer.

Let us (or me) know of any more specific questions - it would help us know your situation in terms of career, family, personal tastes in lifestyles (e.g., what do you want in a community? what shopping preferences? etc.).

[Can'tWaitToMove]

What are the safest places to live happily bringing up kids in the area? Are lexington, irmo, chapin a few examples? Or are there 'pockets' to stay away from in these areas as well?

Silly but have to ask; does the a/c help a lot or a little? Meaning is it so hot and humid that even a/c's don't work that well? Or would you need to simply have an excellent system to carry the load?

What are the nicest family oriented/great school places to raise a family? That have trees etc.? I seem to find many subs that have bulldozed everything and to me (my opinon) it's not very 'pretty'. There isn't any natural privacy between neighbors.

Thanks fo the info

[GoPadge]

If you're looking at new construction take the option for the most insulation you can get, and the highest SEER rated A/C system the builder offers. The cash up front will be well worth it in the long run. A product that's becoming standard for new construction out here in Texas is radiant barriers. The claim is that they prevent a lot of the heat from ever reaching your attic, and can lower your cooling bills significantly. (But I'm not sure if they're available in SC.)

If you're looking at an existing home, as the homeowner what their average summer bill is like, get the thermostat setting and find out how often the doors are open. (Kids you know....) If the A/C system is old, you may want to start setting aside a bit of cash each month for a good replacement.

[sgfludd]

AC is NOT an option in SC - when I moved to the LA Westside and realized most places don't have AC I was shocked. You can't imagine 100 plus degree days with humidity in the 90s. If you've ever been to the Caribbean or FL in August - you'll know what it feels like.

[mpaquette]

I'm originally from SE Michigan, moved to Lexington last year. Pluses: We love it here, weather, people, our jobs, weather, close to the beaches, close to the mountains, I think I already mentioned the weather. Minuses: See the thread on Columbia drivers. It's already been mentioned, but I'll say it again, it gets hot here in the summer and AC is a must. We live in a new house that has tons of attic insulation and a fairly large, efficient AC unit and when it gets hot, the AC runs a lot. I can't imagine what it would be like in an older, not so well insulated house.

[waccamatt]

I've lived in Columbia for a while, but I'm a native of New Jersey. The heat is bad, but its bad over most of the Eastern Seaboard. I hate hot weather, but I stay in air conditioning when its unbearable. I think the driving thing is a bit overrated. I've driven in NYC and Boston plenty of times and it is a lot easier to drive here. The weather is my main complaint. There are some things I complain about as far as state government is concerned, but that doesn't really have anything to do with the city.

[anonymous]

Originally Posted by sgfludd

AC is NOT an option in SC - when I moved to the LA Westside and realized most places don't have AC I was shocked. You can't imagine 100 plus degree days with humidity in the 90s. If you've ever been to the Caribbean or FL in August - you'll know what it feels like.

I agree it's hot, but 100 degrees and 90% humidity? That would give you a heat index of 175 degrees.

[mpaquette]

Originally Posted by anonymous

I agree it's hot, but 100 degrees and 90% humidity? That would give you a heat index of 175 degrees.

I think people tend to "over estimate" how high the humidity really is. For instance yesterday, late afternoon, it was 93 at my house. The humidity was in the high 30's low 40's. It felt like a sauna outside. Dewpoints have been hovering around 70.

[sgfludd]

My bad - I didn't mean 90% humidity - I meant 90% chance of rain - for the summer months it's frequently in the 100s - and the chance of rain is usually in the 90s - lots of afternoon thunderstorms - so it is quite sticky - despite my lack of knowledge in meterology. BUT - believe it or not - you acclimate in a year or two. When I moved to Cali - I laughed when these people started wearing coats and gloves when the temp hit 60 degrees. But after year two - I started feeling cold in the 60s as well. Conversely - I spent a miserable weekend in Rancho Mirage last summer - where it was 119 degrees - the pool felt like soup - and I asked the staff at the hotel how they could stand it - hell - they were barely breaking a sweat - there bodies had adjusted. I believe the quality of life in the Southeast outweighs the miserable summer heat - but hey - to each his own.