Charlotte or Columbia? (Greenville, Irmo, Lexington: travel, work, new home)

[Charleston native]

I knew it...I say my opinion, and it is too "negative". Did you read my entire post? I said that Cola isn't bad, but I just don't prefer it.

Matt and others, please don't try to convince me that Cola is paradise on earth. Why do you think this thread was started? Some people will like one city more than another. I'm just saying why I like Charlotte more than Cola, in a comparative sense. I think Charlotte has more to do, has a better atmosphere, has better drivers, and is economically more attractive. Sorry, it's my opinion. I've lived here in Cola for more than 4 years, and I'm ready for a change. However, I will have to wait for a better job to become available in another city before I can make that change.

My response was a sarcastic one to qcdiva's. Hence, the smileys and the like? Carolina, how about read the majority of my posts. You will find that I am more positive than you think.

[illuminatedeye]

Originally Posted by Scathy

Which city is nicer? greener? more cultural? a better place to raise a family?
Is the weather much hotter in Columbia? What is the IT job market like it in Columbia?

I've lived in both cities, but I currently reside in Columbia. I won't say I love it, but I don't hate it either. Both cities have their ups and downs.

Charlotte has more of the upscale, business-minded, and banking culture, whereas Columbia probably would be better for IT. I heard tale of Google opening a data center near Blythewood which would certainly offer plenty of jobs.

Charlotte is probably 10 degrees cooler than Columbia and yes, Columbia is much hotter, especially during the summers. I was born in Seattle and moved out east because of the military so I'm a bit bias against the sweltering hot weather down here. I personally can't stand it.

People in my "circle" call Columbia "the armpit of the south" because the city basically sits low and there really isn't a regular breeze so during the hotter months the air gets somewhat stale and very damp. Humidity is horrid down here.

But, it gets bad in Charlotte to.

There is certainly more to do in Charlotte, being that it's a much bigger city. Nightlife is great in Charlotte with a ton of very diverse people.

Aside from the heat, my biggest gripe in Columbia is the racism and lack of diversity. Here you're either a USC fan or a Clemson fan and if you're neither, like myself, you really don't fit in with the people. There's a trend going on right now where many of the whites are sprawling more towards the northwest of Lake Murray trying to "get away from the blacks". Downtown displays more tolerance to color, but the further you get the racism increases exponentially.

Cost of living is lower in Columbia.

There's only really one good school in Columbia.

Downtown is fairly small. I don't know if you care much about the core, but Columbia is very spread out, like Raleigh. There are a ton of homeless people here and instead of the city trying to help or prevent them, they open up shelters for them encouraging them to conglomerate downtown. No worries though, they don't generally cause trouble.

All in all I'll admit Columbia has grown on me, but it's taken a good two years of being here for me to say that. Do I love Columbia? No. Do I hate it? No. Would I prefer Charlotte over Columbia? In a heartbeat. Will I stay here forever? Certainly not? I'm not a small-city kind of guy. Nor am I a southern kind of guy. I'm trying to move up to the Northwest asap.

But for IT, I'd say come to Columbia.

[Tommy1981]

Being an IT Professional, I can say there are IT Jobs in both cities. I'd say the number of jobs in Columbia is definitely lower than in Charlotte because its a smaller city, so the absolute number is lower. I'd bet the percentage of jobs in IT in Columbia is higher than in Charlotte because of all of the Banking and other industry in Charlotte that isn't in Columbia.

If you've got the choice, I'd say you should consider Greenville, SC or Raleigh, NC/Research Triangle. Raleigh is kind of a hub for Engineering Research and Development. There are tons of businesses there that are up on the latest IT Technology.

Greenville is similar. There are many technological businesses in town. Synnex has a large sales office in town, so they're obviously selling IT products to business in and around Greenville. Greenville is a target for alot of national companies that don't have offices in the south. They debate for a while over Atlanta or Charlotte, and in the end choose Greenville/Spartanburg because it is almost in the middle of both and they can get away with one office to have a 2hr drive to both places.

I agree with the sentiment that Columbia is the "Arm pit of SC". I joke all the time that the only thing between Columbia and H*** is a screen door. It is very hot here in the summers, but its hot just about any where at this lattitude. Greenville like Charlotte is roughly 10 degrees cooler just about any given time. Greenville is also very close to the few SC mountains and not far from the NC mountains. Paris Mtn State Park is "in town" just about 15 miles or so from Downtown Greenville. Its roughly 90 mins to Asheville from Greenville, with tons of state parks and mountains in between. If you like the mountains, I'd say Greenville has the best outdoor stuff to do. They're also a fairly large cultral town, hosting all kinds of festivals year round like Artisphere, Freedom Weekend Aloft, Downtown Alive, Main Street Jazz, etc. Give google a whirl with any of those titles and Greenville, SC. You'll find plenty to do in Greenville.

I recently moved to Columbia from Greenville after I got married. My wife was more established in Columbia. I guess only a woman would make me leave Greenville. If my wife weren't a particuarly rare type of engineer I'd be looking to find my way back to Greenville.

Being a Clemson Alumn, I can agree that the Clemson/Carolina issue is very polarizing in Columbia, and in SC in general. We're all southern though. There's a certain amount of hospitality that would be extended no matter your race, religion, or Clemson/Carolina preference. Since Columbia is the home of Carolina, and the Clemson fans that are here are particularly outspoken, it makes it seem that is more of an issue than it really is.

[waccamatt]

There seems to be a lot of misinformation about the weather differences between Columbia, Charlotte and Greenville, so I've posted averages from the 3 National Weather Service offices as a comparison. As you can see, the average high in Columbia during the hottest month (July) is 92 while the average high in Charlotte is 90 and in Greenville is 89. This is hardly a 10 degree temperature difference.


Columbia:
Average Weather for West Columbia, SC - Temperature and Precipitation

Charlotte:
Average Weather for Charlotte, NC - Temperature and Precipitation

Greenville:
Average Weather for Greer, SC - Temperature and Precipitation

[Akhenaton06]

Originally Posted by illuminatedeye

There's a trend going on right now where many of the whites are sprawling more towards the northwest of Lake Murray trying to "get away from the blacks". Downtown displays more tolerance to color, but the further you get the racism increases exponentially.

Ummm, how is that different from any other city in America? And Blacks are part of the "exodus" as well, and in increasing numbers.

There's only really one good school in Columbia.

I'd say that's a bit of a stretch.

There are a ton of homeless people here and instead of the city trying to help or prevent them, they open up shelters for them encouraging them to conglomerate downtown. No worries though, they don't generally cause trouble.

Actually, the city is indeed helping the homeless beyond just placing them in shelters. It's getting ready to launch the Housing First pilot project where up to 15 homeless people will be placed in apartments around the city. They will receive medical, mental and other care in the apartments.

[Chi2Midlands]

Originally Posted by illuminatedeye

Aside from the heat, my biggest gripe in Columbia is the racism and lack of diversity. Here you're either a USC fan or a Clemson fan and if you're neither, like myself, you really don't fit in with the people. There's a trend going on right now where many of the whites are sprawling more towards the northwest of Lake Murray trying to "get away from the blacks". Downtown displays more tolerance to color, but the further you get the racism increases exponentially.

As a Northeast Richland resident, I think this statement is way out of proportion. It makes it sound like there is a tiny cosmopolitan core surrounded by a bunch of confederate-waving yahoos. This is far from the truth. Yes, there has been white flight during the 1970s-1980s in Columbia like any city, but frankly race relations are far superior here to many cities, including to cities up north, and especially to older industrial northern cities where widespread de facto segregation and racial tensions occurs. I will take the race relations of Columbia to Detroit, Cleveland, or even my hometown of Chicago any day. And the presence Fort Jackson signficantly contributes to Columbia's sense of diversity and racial tolerance - there are far more mixed-ethnicity couples and families in Columbia, especially on the eastern side of the metro where Fort Jackson is. State government and the university employees also contribute to open-mindedness - and they don't all live in down (you will find them from Lexington to Irmo to Blythewood).

There's only really one good school in Columbia.

Could you share with us which school this is? I personally think there are many, many good schools in Columbia. Unfortunately there are many not-so-good ones, too.

[the 7 oh 4]

Originally Posted by waccamatt

There seems to be a lot of misinformation about the weather differences between Columbia, Charlotte and Greenville, so I've posted averages from the 3 National Weather Service offices as a comparison. As you can see, the average high in Columbia during the hottest month (July) is 92 while the average high in Charlotte is 90 and in Greenville is 89. This is hardly a 10 degree temperature difference.


Columbia:
Average Weather for West Columbia, SC - Temperature and Precipitation

Charlotte:
Average Weather for Charlotte, NC - Temperature and Precipitation

Greenville:
Average Weather for Greer, SC - Temperature and Precipitation

Waccamatt you know I love your post and I am ooking forward to coming to Columbia to check it out and visit Riverbanks.

However as far as temps go...you are only speaking of averages. I have seen it 10-15 degrees hotter in Columbia many many times. Especially in the winter. Not saying that is average or normal (who is to what is normal now a days as far as weather).

Sometimes in summer Charlotte has cool fronts (rare) that sometimes don't make it all the way to Columbia. Wish they owuld happen more often in JUly/August.

Same as going North of Charlotte. My parents live in Winston-Salem (75 miles from Charlotte) and even they can be 5-10 degrees cooler on any given day. You just never know!

[waccamatt]

704, yeas, you're right, there are many times when there is a 10 degree temperature difference, but then there are days with almost no difference. As someone who hates hot weather, I still find it amazing how Columbia's heat is so exaggerated. I've felt much more miserable weather in Houston, New Orleans and even downtown Charleston.

[Nausikaa]

Originally Posted by waccamatt

704, yeas, you're right, there are many times when there is a 10 degree temperature difference, but then there are days with almost no difference. As someone who hates hot weather, I still find it amazing how Columbia's heat is so exaggerated. I've felt much more miserable weather in Houston, New Orleans and even downtown Charleston.

Right!

Every time I go to Greenville to visit friends, when I meet someone new they will say. "You live in Columbia! Oh, I've heard it's SO HOT there." After I'd heard this about 10 times, I realized it was "folk lorel" to make Greenville sound more livable than Columbia!! At first I just laughed - Greenville is as hot as hell! Greenville is also 90 miles from Columbia, and Charlotte about the same. How much difference could there be?? I've looked at the weather charts in summer, and There will be a 2 degree difference. Um, when it's 92 outside, does it matter if there is a 2 degree difference? The big difference comes in WINTER, when it can be 10 degrees colder in Greenville/Charlotte than Columbia.

[sandlapper]

Well, Columbia isn't for everyone. I'm well aware of the negative perceptions of Columbia, (which I still can't figure out for the life of me why if something happens, is newly built, or promotes the city its supposed to be flawed, non-valid, or ordinary, but if the exact same thing happens in one of Columbias peer cities, state wide or regional, its supposed to change the way the rest of us live and look at life, go fig?) Most cities have there pluses and minuses and I still haven't seen that big of difference in either city (Columbia or Charlotte) for me.
Issues I consider before moving to a city 1) job prospect 2) socially aware and educated population 3) outdoor activities 4) then, entertainment and shopping options (nightlife, movies, concerts, ball games, malls etc.)