Sumter housing help (Welcome, Central: appointed, for sale, apartment complex)

[MI.SC]

Hello all,

I am relocating to Sumter from Michigan at the first of the year and I haven't had much of a chance to check out the area. I am thinking about living in temporary housing for the first week or so then getting an apartment. I would like some advise from someone in the area. First, What are some temporary living options that are affordable?
Also, can anyone provide info as to what are "good" areas or places to avoid?
I would like to live close to the YMCA or a fitness facility. A place with storage area and washer & dryer hookups would be a plus. I am a single 26yrld looking to spend as much as $650/month. Thanks in advance for your help.
~MISC

[rubber_factory]

I'd start looking in the northwest side of town. In the general vicinity of the Alice Drive schools or Wise Drive. Its not the only good place to live, but it is a nice area. The YMCA in Sumter is a good one, I'd definitely recommend it.

[Ceezer]

Originally Posted by MI.SC

]from Michigan

We don't want your kind here...

Lol, just kidding (*points to 'my status').

The YMCA (which seems to be really high priced here) is down on Miller Street. I don't think you'd want to be in an apartment in the immediate area, but if you cross over Guignard and get in/around the area behind CCTC (Central Carolina Technical College) then you can probably find a decent apartment or rental in your price range. The "good" areas are going to exceed that. When we first moved down we lived in Companion Court on Carter and a 3BR apt cost $895 ($75 of that was a garage for storage) per month.

There's a gym on 521 but when I was a member there 4 years ago it sucked because the equipment was always breaking (they bought old used stuff abandoned by other gyms) and nobody was ever around to fix it. I see they have a new owner now, so hopefully that has changed.

There's a Curves, or something, in the shopping center at Alice & Broad (by the TJ Maxx). I believe there may be a small place on Rast St, behind the mall, but it may have closed.

As someone who enjoys fitness, I'll be the first to admit that I'm severely disappointed in the options around here. I'm sure it's due, in part, to the fact that the Air Force people here can use the gym on base (which is very nice; much nicer than anything we ever had in the Corps) for free.

The YMCA here IS nice, but like I said, it's quite pricey. I looked into it 2 years ago and for a family membership they wanted $79/mo. That's much more than I wanted to pay for my gym rights and my daughter maybe playing in the occasional basketball league.

Do you not have a car (I know some guys in the Detroit area that never got their license because they never had a reason to)? Is that why you want to live close to a fitness facility? That might help narrow down some of the areas that would be a good fit for you.

[Captain Worley]

There are a lot of homes for sale not too far from the downtown area. Some of the areas are a little sketchy, and some require work, but there are some nice homes to be had.

[MI.SC]

Thanks for the replies. Will rent in the area really be above $650 for a single apartment? I though the cost of living in the area was supposed to be cheap, respectively.
Can anyone recommend some specific apartments to check out. I want to start calling around.

[Ceezer]

MI.SC, are you going to have transportation available or do you need to be right next to a fitness facility? As I stated, we paid $820/mo for our apartment but that was for a 3BR. And those apartments were new, and about the best option in the area at the time. Many more have been put up since then so you should be able to find one for under $650.

Palmetto Pointe Apartments might fit your requirements - Welcome to Palmetto Pointe Apartments

They're pretty nice (we looked there when we initially moved into the area but the only 3BR they had available at the time was on the 3rd floor and we had too much crap to haul up those steps...) and are located in a good area. It looks like a 1BR is right around $650 (I looked at the ones on Carter road and they're all $650-700 and would put you further away from things). Not only would you be right around the corner from the YMCA, but these are located right next to the little league fields / tennis courts. There are some decent low-traffic roads in that area if you were wanting to run, there's a nice pool in the apartment complex, and Rascals is right there with $1 batting cages. Oh yeah, I remember too that the apartment office was currently undergoing construction to rebuild a bigger, better gym for tenants. The one we had at Companion Court sucked, but from what the manager there was telling me it sounded like they were going all out.

That's probably definitely the place I'd check out first. You might find some cheaper options out there, but as for a total package, this is probably your best bet.

[MI.SC]

Ceezar,

Yes I do have transportation but I used to live in walking distance to the gym and found it very convenient. So I would prefer to be in walking range but not a must.
Can you tell me anything about the Patriot Court or Patriot Park apts on Harry and Radcliff st? They’re about a block or so from the YMCA. is that a decent area/ apartment ?

[MI.SC]

Thanks everyone for your help. Relocation was a success.
If anyone is looking for information on the apartments in the area let me know.

[Ceezer]

If you don't mind me asking, where did you end up going?

[danheit]

I am actually VERY interested in apartment info for the area. My wife is the fitness nut, so I am also curious to see where you chose. Her biggest request is somewhere with an indoor running track, but I doubt that I will find one of those reasonably close to Sumter. We will be looking to relocate in the next few weeks, pending my final interview processes for my job. Thanks!