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We are a family of seven from rural Maine looking to escape the icy cold, long winters, the swarms of black flies and mosquitoes and the lack of just about everything (good shopping, cultural and sporting events, parks, zoo's etc, etc.) As is the case with most folks, employment opportunities, cost of living, schools and climate are very important. After doing lot's of research we've decided SC would be a good fit for us, we just cant seem to narrow it down to one area........ Columbia, Greenville, Charleston or anywhere in between???? If anyone cares to chime in it would be much appreciated. Thanks.......
Tell us what kind of work you are qualified to do and then people will be able to point you in the right direction. You might want to read through some of these threads and notice that there is already a high rate of unemployment in SC. Good luck.
We relocated from WI, chose the Columbia area for many reasons, from the wonderful zoo, a great lake for what we like to do, good shopping and eating options; and a 2 hr drive to Charleston so the beach and a beautiful historical city can be had in a day trip.
This area gave us most of what we had back home, but again the lake was a big factor in our choice, the main reason we didn't head towards Greenville ( which we've enjoyed when 'visiting' ) or Charleston for living.
good luck!
Yes, I've read through several threads about areas from Charleston,SC to Tucson,AZ and high unemployment rates seem to be the common theme. My wife is an army veteran and has a degree in business and I have worked in manufacturing/production in a paper mill for 25 yrs. Thanks for replying.
That's good that you have marketable skills and experience! So many come on these boards without education/skills and seem to think the Carolinas are some sort of miracle panacea.
I'd say read through the city threads -- many have articles about companies relocating or expanding (i.e. Boeing to North Charleston Boeing news | Boeing picks Charleston for new 787 line | Seattle Times Newspaper, or Proterra in Greenville Proterra Picks Greenville, Generating Jobs - Greenville News Story - WYFF Greenville (http://www.wyff4.com/news/22465897/detail.html - broken link) )
Then, of course, nothing replaces an actual visit!
I was only in Maine once for a beautiful early Autumn visit. Can't imagine it in the winter though! And about those mosquitos and black flies -- you'll trade those for the dreaded palmetto bug! No place is perfect. Good luck.
Thanks so much for the info LynchburgLover. We are planning to visit SC for a few days in March or April to take a good look around. Hopefully we'll like what we see. I've heard about this "palmetto bug", and also the abundance of snakes.......! Which is a bit scary with five young kids. Thanks again.
the palmetto bug was expected ( glad this internet thing is here for research! ), but it's size can startle you when it's not the norm ( sure didn't grow them up in WI ). But we spray our home, and if we do see one it's on it's back. We don't worry about the snakes, we had rattlers back home; though yes there are other species down here to watch for. I'd suggest more with small kids to make sure your yard is treated for fire ants.
I'd also suggest for your visit to do thinks that would be of interest if you lived here--go to the zoo, etc -- along with some driving around checking the various cities/towns and neighborhoods to get a feel for what you like and what your $$ can get you here. We actually hooked up with a realtor when we made our first visit to help get some solid feedback on the area in general, was a big help.
After 40+ yrs in WI, we love it here. Been a year now so still somewhat newbies, and no regrets at all. And we do NOT miss all the snow and sub zero temps...
The Upstate of S. Carolina (includes the cities of Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson) has 4 full, true seasons and fewer snakes and other critters (although there's no shortage of bugs during the summer). Although there's plenty of history in the region, it's more of the "new" S. Carolina with more modern industry and research going on. It's close to the mountains (indeed there are mountains in the Upstate itself), has wonderful topography and a diverse collection of people from around the country, and around the world. Lakes Hartwell, Keowee and Jocassee form what's called S. Carolina's Fresh Water Coast, with many opportunities for recreation. There are also great schools and universities in the Upstate, with the town of Clemson becoming a draw not only for college students, but also retirees.
Thank you all for the helpful information and interesting perspectives. My wife and I are planning a trip to SC soon to get a "hands on" feel for the place. We have friends in Myrtle Beach and Pawley's Island we plan to visit, but will be focusing our attention in areas between Columbia and Charleston. This appears to be a nice area from what I've read and hopefully we can both land a job. I hear there's an IP mill and a Boeing plant in the Charleston area........
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