Thinking about move to Columbia - will we fit and make friends? (Charleston: fit in)

[drjoe66]

I have an job related offer to move to Columbia with my wife and 8 year old daughter. We currently live in northern Delaware and are originally from Germany, like ballroom dancing and classical music, are non-churchy, like modern furniture, etc.
Sounds like we are exactly what the SC is not. But thats exactly what we are trying to find out. Are the things one hears about SC it just a cliche or is SC a bad fit for us? Would we remain "lonely" in Columbia or is there hope to make friends?
I am sorry for being so direct, but we are happy in DE. The offer is excellent, but we do not want to make a huge mistake.

[jlboney]

Columbia has a lot to offer, as to whether or not it's what you are looking for, well that would really depend on how you feel about the place. I suggest you come and visit and see what you think of it.

[Intergalactic]

Columbia has a number of dance troupes and the South Carolina Philharmonic. There's a ballroom club in Florence, and a ballroom waiting list on Meetup.com for Columbia. Many times my friends have complained about having to drive to Atlanta to get to IKEA--but they went. USC attracts non-churchy types, and 7% of the state's population is non-religious. The original settlers of Dutch Fork (NW of town) were German and remain Lutheran to this day.

Columbia, South Carolina - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
South Carolina SC - Recreational Dance Organizations, Clubs
Find a Meetup Group Near You! - Ballroom Dancing Meetups - Columbia
South Carolina - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dutch Fork - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Columbiadata]

You'll love the Philharmonic, the ballet companies and other dance troupes. There'll be staged theater and the Nickalodeon Theater. My partner can tell you all about modern furniture. He sells it. There a lot of non-churchy people here, including my partner and me. Columbia and Richland County are very "live and let live." There are all types here.

[waccamatt]

Originally Posted by drjoe66

I have an job related offer to move to Columbia with my wife and 8 year old daughter. We currently live in northern Delaware and are originally from Germany, like ballroom dancing and classical music, are non-churchy, like modern furniture, etc.
Sounds like we are exactly what the SC is not. But thats exactly what we are trying to find out. Are the things one hears about SC it just a cliche or is SC a bad fit for us? Would we remain "lonely" in Columbia or is there hope to make friends?
I am sorry for being so direct, but we are happy in DE. The offer is excellent, but we do not want to make a huge mistake.

You'll fit in just fine in Columbia; there are many Columbia residents from different cultures and the Vista Ballroom, albeit small, has regular ballroom dancing that you may enjoy. As far as modern furniture, you will love the Bohemian on Devine Street in the Shandon area.

[Buckeye in SC]

Originally Posted by Intergalactic

Many times my friends have complained about having to drive to Atlanta to get to IKEA--but they went.

FYI...IKEA just opened a new store this spring in Charlotte off of I-85, so now you only have to drive 90 minutes rather than 3+ hours to Atlanta.

[waccamatt]

Before driving to Ikea, I'd highly recommend checking out the Bohemian on Devine - they have awesome modern furniture and accessories.

[lisake]

We're in COLA this weekend for a house-hunting trip ahead of our relocation, and we've really enjoyed the city thus far. The people are extremely friendly and helpful, the flora is beautiful and we've got an entire summer of activities planned around the area's many attractions. Our children (ages 6 and 4) will enjoy walking by the river, the many parks and playgrounds, the puppet/marionette theater, the children's museum and the zoo. We also plan several day/weekend trips to Charleston, Charlotte, Hilton Head and the many state and national parks within a few hours of Columbia.

We've loved driving around town and seeing beautiful neighborhoods like Rosewood, Shandon and Forest Acres, and we can't wait to discover more of the area when we move here next month. They amenities here rival those of much larger cities with much less traffic and congestion (though we've not driven in rush hour).

The city also seems much less segregated than our hometown of Memphis, and probably more than half of the people we've met and talked to are transplants who all rave about the area. We're from the Southeast so won't really experience climate shock, but I've heard a couple of Northern transplants lightly complain about the hot and humid summers and the lack of snow. We're also non-religious people but I don't foresee that being a problem here.

I agree with jlboney--come see the city for yourself to get a feel for the fit. Best of luck to you.