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I have been thinking over the past few weeks of a place to move where I can enjoy a low cost of living.
My Mom lives just outside Asheville, NC in Hendersonville, NC.
I was thinking Greenville would be ideal because it's within and hour of my family.
Right now I'm living in Santa Fe, NM, and loving the dry weather. There are four seasons here (it ain't AZ for sure, it's the mountains, more like CO) and the weather is picture perfect. But...it's expensive. I couldn't buy a nice house for less than $400K
I grew up on the east coast spending most of my life in Boston, MA, NYC and Princeton, NJ. I am not a fan of humidity. I tend to wilt when it's really muggy and get all grouchy.... it's the truth.
My mother tells me Greenville is much hotter, flatter and more rainy/stormy than where she is. She also says there's lots of crime...probably from watching her local news... Is this true? Is it really so different being 1 hour away?
I notice a Trader Joe's might be coming to Greenville - that is a huge bonus for me as I've shopped there in every city I've lived. I honestly couldn't live without a TJ's!!
Downtown Greenville looks charming and lovely. Housing prices seem too good to be true.
Is the weather the biggest downside? Is it as hot as Atlanta? How far is the drive to Atlanta and which would be your major airport being from Greenville. Do you like the proximity to other major cities?
Are there a lot of transplants in Greenville from other parts of the country? I would feel more comfortable if I weren't the only "yankee!"
Any insight would be greatly appreciated, thank you.
I have been thinking over the past few weeks of a place to move where I can enjoy a low cost of living.
My Mom lives just outside Asheville, NC in Hendersonville, NC.
I was thinking Greenville would be ideal because it's within and hour of my family.
Greenville is definitely a great option near Hendersonville.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wanderer71
I grew up on the east coast spending most of my life in Boston, MA, NYC and Princeton, NJ. I am not a fan of humidity. I tend to wilt when it's really muggy and get all grouchy.... it's the truth.
Humidity is a major part of the Southeastern U.S. ecological climate. You will learn to love modern air conditioning during the summer months, regardless of your ultimate destination.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wanderer71
My mother tells me Greenville is much hotter, flatter and more rainy/stormy than where she is. She also says there's lots of crime...probably from watching her local news... Is this true? Is it really so different being 1 hour away?
First, Greenville is only approximately 45 minutes away. Second, Greenville is not much hotter than Hendersonville or Asheville on any given day. You must climb to higher elevations (like Highlands, NC) to enjoy the more comfortable temperatures during the summer. Third, regarding storm activity, there is very little difference between the Upstate and WNC. One difference I have noticed is the greater amount of fog in the WNC mountains and valleys, which can last well into midday.
The Upstate is a much more populated region than the WNC mountains. With more people comes more good and bad elements. As such, I can see how someone living in a smaller city or town would think of a larger place as being worse because of the crime reports on television.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wanderer71
Downtown Greenville looks charming and lovely. Housing prices seem too good to be true.
Part of the reason is the fact that this is South Carolina. We enjoy a relatively stable real estate market compared with the rest of the nation, however the economic recession has affected the prices and availability of properties here as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wanderer71
Is the weather the biggest downside? Is it as hot as Atlanta?
We are rarely as hot as Atlanta, although the temperature difference may not seem significant. Always check the heat index during the summer months.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wanderer71
How far is the drive to Atlanta and which would be your major airport being from Greenville. Do you like the proximity to other major cities?
Greenville's proximity to the mountains and quick access to Atlanta and Charlotte are good reasons to consider living here. The drive to ATL is approximately 2.5 hours. Local residents often travel to Atlanta and Charlotte for better airfares, but GSP International Airport will soon be offering low airfare flights via Southwest Airlines.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wanderer71
Are there a lot of transplants in Greenville from other parts of the country? I would feel more comfortable if I weren't the only "yankee!"
YES! There are lots of transplants in Greenville from all over the country and the planet. I would bet that we have as many or more transplants from other parts of the country than local natives in the Greenville metro area. The amount is quite surprising to newcomers.
Hi and welcome! I think weather is relative.... I grew up on the Gulf Coast, so I think Greenville's weather is fantastic! 4 true seasons (fall and spring tend to be gorgeous). There can be humid periods during the summer, but it all depends on weather patterns. It doesn't stay humid here for very long, but it can get hot at times. But that's why we have a/c, right?
So many people think crime is bad in this area, and it just surprises me... I've been here 10 years, and never experienced anything more than a man looking for a handout downtown.... And that only happened once. You see bad things on the local TV news all the time, but, well, that's NEWS, right? You see that everywhere you go (at least everywhere I've ever lived). But I'd say crime is much less here than in places like Birmingham or Atlanta, where I've lived in the past.
Other than that, the Greenville area offers the same amenities that any decent-sized metro could. I think we have a great arts scene. lots of activities and events through the year, and really good shopping. If you need Gucci or Burberry, Charlotte & Atlanta are an easy drive either direction.
With its easy access to the mountains (you can see them from all over Greenville depending on the weather, and Paris Mountain has a state park right here adjacent to the city itself), being a 3-ish hour drive to the coast, and easy access to Atlanta or Charlotte via I-85, Greenville is in a great location.
Others here will probably be able to direct you to websites with crime statistics, etc if you need to check that out in detail. Otherwise, good luck, and welcome!
As I've been here more than 2 years, I'll give you some pros and cons of Greenville (and the Upstate):
Cons:
Humid - yes, quite humid - from late May thru early Sept - this summer has been especially brutal (as it has been on the entire east coast) - Greenville (although only 45 minutes south of Asheville) is 5-8+ degrees warmer than the Southern Highlands of NC
Urban Sprawl - see Laurens Road and Wade Hampton - miles and miles of endless strip stores
Auto Property Tax - "ad valorem tax" on autos and most everything that has wheels - can be expensive with new cars
Pros:
Downtown Greenville - need I say more
Great Biking - see the Swamp Rabbit Trail
Green everywhere - much greener than Santa Fe (I've been to Santa Fe/NM several times)
Easy access to Hendersonville/Asheville/Southern NC mountains (without having to live there)
Trader Joe's - opens 10/22 on Woodruff (the only SC store)
Diverse - Greenville/Upstate is the North America headquarters of Michelin and BMW - lots of German and French spoken here
Southwest Airlines (coming Spring 2011)
Low cost of living - reasonably priced real estate
Very family friendly area
Publix (can't find that in NC)
If I had to compare the weather to Atlanta: touch cooler (generally 2-3+ degrees, some exceptions) with a little more ice and snow in the winter (Atlanta averages 2 inches yearly and Greenville 6 inches).
I've recently had job opportunities in both Hendersonville and Greenville - I ultimately choose Greenville - see this thread (in the Western NC sub-forum) regarding my decision
I admit I've been thinking about different regions of the country (some vastly different, such as Pacific NW and Las Vegas, etc.) as well as other spots in the southeast such as Savannah and Chapel Hill, NC and Sarasota, FL. I've got to thank you all so much because this is the most EXTENSIVE and FRIENDLY response I have received yet! This sort of response must be indicative of the people of Greenville
I have a few questions from reading your response:
what is "upstate"
and what is "publix" (is that inner city public transportation system?)
Also, I'm thinking that perhaps my mother's bias towards NC over SC might be a regional thing. I grew up in MA and we from MA always thought it was so much better in MA than NH. A rivalry of sorts! Same when I lived in NJ -- there was the NJ vs PA vs NY rivalry. Am I far off in thinking that folks from NC might just think that NC is better so they "poo poo" SC (which is what my mom might inadvertently be doing...)
Q re property taxes: I have lived with the highest property taxes in the world!! Massachusetts, New Jersey and now New Mexico are all high. Does anyone have an exact figure or could give me a generic example of their property taxes (such as: $250K might generally mean $xxxx in property tax). I'm pretty sure SC will be lower than I've ever imagined, but I'd just like a solid idea of what my mortgage + property tax would be.
Honestly, even though New Jersey is so much farther north than SC I have lived with super muggy humidity during the summer. Central AC is the only way and if an area has so much else to offer, well, I guess I could adjust to the few months of nonstop AC :-/
Am I far off in thinking that folks from NC might just think that NC is better so they "poo poo" SC (which is what my mom might inadvertently be doing...)
You are a wee bit off *grins* As a transplant from NC, I never thought that about SC.
Publix ( about the transportation remark) - fantastic grocery store chain based out of Florida (often compared to Wegman's) - Publix cannot be found in NC - and, yes, it's better than Harris Teeter
We moved here from Los Angeles and absolutely love it here. We live in a suburb called Greer, only about 25 minutes from downtown Greenville, but we're in the "blue ridge" area of Greer, so we have less humidity being closer to the mountains. Back in '07 we bought a brand new 2100 sqft 3 bedroom, 2 bath with a bonus room, vaulted ceilings, hardwood floors and crown mouldings on a 1/2 acre backing up to the woods, and you can see the Blue Ridge Mtns. from our development all for the whopping price of........$181.5k; lol. We're about 35 minutes from Hendersonville, as well.
Publix ( about the transportation remark) - fantastic grocery store chain based out of Florida (often compared to Wegman's) - Publix cannot be found in NC - and, yes, it's better than Harris Teeter
Sorry, IMHO Publix can't hold a candle to Wegmans, how I wish we could get the first Wegmans in the Southeast! A Trader Joes and a Wegmans, I would think I was truly in heaven.
As far as my answers to the OP, my parents have a place in Hendersonville and it takes about 35-45 minutes for them to get to my home in Greer from downtown Hendersonville.
Born and raised in SOFLA, I can tell you, it's hot in SOFLA, but we never get over 100, I've never seen that happen in my entire life. It gets hotter in Greenville, but it seems more bearable than the lower summer temp. in FL
Being new to the area, I've met so many people that are from other areas. Many people I've met have chosen to live in the Greenville area and are very happy with the decision they made, whether they moved 3 years ago or 30.
My property taxes in SOFLA with Homestead Exemption is about $3k, I haven't received the Greenville taxes for the new year (purchased home recently) but it's about half that, I think. My Homeowners ins. in FL is about 85% more than what it is on the house in Greer. I know auto insurance will be less as well.
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(can't find that in NC)
about the transportation remark) - fantastic grocery store chain based out of Florida (often compared to Wegman's) - Publix cannot be found in NC - and, yes, it's better than Harris Teeter
