Pros and Cons of living in Lake Keowee/Seneca area, Oconee county (Columbia: renting, crime)

[Pat Grissinger]

I agree that the stores I am familiar with are on 123. There is a Bi-Lo across from Oconee Memorial as well. It is quiet except on summer weekends. The steak house I was referring to is Mountain View. Never been there but my friends love it. It would be great to see more jobs but a lot of the homes on the lake are summer homes. Duke Energy says they did not design it t o be a recreational lake but they sure sell a lot of land so people build. This year the water level has been the best I've seen since 2005, thanks to the rain. If you live in a cove you could have very little water at times.

[libellula]

Originally Posted by drfranklin

I know of no regular posters on C-D that now live in Oconee County.

I lived just north of Seneca on Lake Keowee (moved away about 7 years ago) - I loved it but my wife hated it (so, now we live 5 min south of downtown Greenville).

Pro's

Quiet
Access to the SC/NC mountains (Highlands, NC is only 45 min drive north - incredible scenery - great escape from Seneca)
Lakes Keowee and Jocassee (pristine lakes with abundant activities)
Cost of living

Con's

Too quiet
Lack of children's activities
Lack of diverse/upscale dining and shopping (this is slowly changing)
No Publix anywhere in Oconee County
(As noted above) no YMCA or decent health-club facility (this is a must for my family)
(As noted above) lack of easy interstate access (but 123 offers easy access to Greenville)

Other comments

The Oconee Nuclear Station didn't phase us at all while living there - but, prior to moving to Seneca, we asked our real estate agent why there were numerous sirens surrounding Lake Keowee - he informed us they were for nuclear (not weather) emergencies

The average temperatures are actually slightly warmer in Oconee County (compared to Greenville) unless your sitting at a higher elevation in far northern Oconee County. Overall precipitation is uniform across the Upstate (again, depending upon elevation - but very few people live at higher elevations in SC).

Oconee County attracts LOTS of retirees - esp in Keowee Key. I disagree with the comment made re the disparity between rich and poor - didn't really see that and I thought the middle class housing stock was robust - but things may have changed in 7 years since I've lived there.

Too quiet sounds great! I'm very introverted and love my peace and quiet- where we live now is starting to really grate on my nerves- just the traffic alone that wakes me all night, whether it's a screaming motorcycle, a car with a bad muffler, or a low-flying jet on approach to the airport. Sometimes I feel like I can't get a minute's peace (unless I drive to the mountains or lakes, which happens about 3-4x a week)

I lived in Hilton Head for about 10 years and the peace & quiet there was actually one of the only things I really miss about it. That, and the dark night sky. There was very little light pollution there and I could see the stars really well at night. Greenville area- yellow and hazy, can only see major stars- telescope is gathering dust.

Not a fine dining or upscale shopping person, really- I've been told many times that I'm not a "typical woman" (whatever that is...!) Lived in Hilton Head (Hilton Head Plantation- which I suspect might be similar to Keowee Key in certain respects) for a decade- there's relatively little shopping there- you have to leave the island (a 20-25 minute trek) to get to major stores (only a Walmart available on the North end of HHI).

When you lived there did you recall any weekend markets or farmer's markets?

In your opinio'n is the area extremely touristy in the summer? Swamped by college students or young people- i.e. a "party atmosphere"? Not into that, but if it can just be avoided, all fine.

Never use a gym, as hiking, paddleboarding, kayaking are what I do now and this will all be even closer and more accessible there.

When you mention lack of children's activities, do you mean young kids? My Son is 11 and he's mostly into hiking and the outdoors. The children's activities we initially participated in in Greenville he has really outgrown (like the children's museum, roper mountain science center...) He's looking forward to trying out the new trampoline park that is opening here in Greenville, but that could easily be a day trip thing, as I suspect we'd probably get to Greenville about 2x a month.

Thanks so much for your feedback, it is greatly appreciated!

[Pat Grissinger]

I believe they have a market near Downtown on Saturday.

[drfranklin]

I would never call Oconee County touristy. The three major lakes (Hartwell, Keowee, and Jocassee) do attract many locals (especially on Lake Hartwell during the Summer). Jocassee is the most isolated lake but very scenic. You'll never see throngs of young people on Keowee/Jocassee "partying" LOL (maybe Hartwell). In fact, Clemson is somewhat deserted during Summer break - and, a great time to visit the campus.

Yes, when I mention children's activities, it's very limited for those < 12 yo. If you child is into outdoor activities - well, it's almost unlimited.

I know nothing about local farmer's market's in Oconee or Anderson counties.

I'd imagine that the night sky, especially in northern Oconee County (higher in elevation), would be spectacular. Like you, I'm heavily into astronomy - but Greenville proper is just awful with light pollution.

Side story: I moved to Oconee County in 2003 from downtown Birmingham, AL (lots of noise, traffic, activity, etc) - during my first night in Seneca, I could not believe the profound silence - it was amazing.

Good luck!

[diddlydudette]

libellula, you sound like me. Too quiet sounds great...definitely not a 'con'. I hate traffic too. I hate shopping and could live without formal dining...not high on my priority list. I would prefer to be out of the college crowd area and partying.

My family goes up to Lake Jocasse/Keowee twice a year. We all love it. It is so peaceful and laid back. I once thought it would be so nice to just live in that area and work at the little gift shop at Lake Jocassee. I could be completely happy.

I'm a hiker/walker too and love the outdoors. I don't have a dog but as much as I walk/jog, I get bored easily if I walk the same area too much. I like to see other parts of the area and discover new places tucked away here and there.

Just the other day I had to go to this house to pick up some moving boxes. I had never gone back in this part of Simpsonville before but fell in love with it. It was out in the country and the houses were nice and about in the 1/2 million dollar range. The houses had 3-4 acreas each. The house I went to had so much land I just fell in love and wished I could live there. The houses weren't anything to write home about, but the land each house had was impressive. lol I might not live there but I found a new place to walk around before I leave the area.

I sometimes just drive around and if I see an interesting area, I drive around and see if there is a place to park and I'll just get out and walk. I've found more road shortcuts and different things about the area that I live. All I can say is thank goodness for the gps.

Sometimes I will park somewhere close and sneak in a gated community. Wrong, but I still do it. :-)

I used to work with a guy that built a log cabin on 40 acres near Table Rock. He and his wife love it. They had a lot of issues when building the house, but after it was all done, they said it was well worth the trouble. Such a nice place to go to after a hard long day at work.

I'm getting ready to move to the lowcountry and I will be living in a little cottage. It's in a nice neighborhood but the cottage is tucked back in the woods. My dirt driveway will be about 1/4 of a mile long. It's completely private and quiet with nothing but nature all around. I'm looking forward to living there as right now where I live all the houses are close together and no privacy at all.

Anyway good luck to you and I hope you find the perfect place to live. I don't think you could go wrong in that area as I can't think of many cons.

[Shadetree930]

We split our time between houses in Greenville and Lake Keowee.

I am not sure I would want to live in the Seneca area year-round. Its a great place for the profound silence and solitude you find at night on the lake, but with respect to dining options, it is pretty slim pickings. If you are truly a loner, Oconee county is the place to be. With an 11 year old boy? Hmmmm .... lots of better options in my opinion. It really depends on what life balances you are looking to make.

[lyricamphibian]

There are no farmers markets in Oconoee County that I know of. However, the state operates three farmers markets, one of which is on Rutherford Road in Greenville. The TD Saturday Market operates in downtown Greenville from the beginning of May through October. There are many other community-based farmers markets throughout the region - more than 100 statewide - including those in Pendleton, Anderson, Williamston, Clemson, Easley, Six Mile and Travelers Rest. See South Carolina Department of Agriculture - Community-Based Farmers Markets

[libellula]

Thank you all so much for your input- was able to see many different perspectives to help in the decision. Which is definite now- we're going to be moving to the Seneca/Salem area!

[Pat Grissinger]

Well, I wish you all the best. If you want to know what's going in the area, just join the Newcomers Club. You don't have to participate but you will get the newsletter. Look for the yellow Tahoe & I will be sitting up front waving! Lol.

[libellula]

Thanks Pat! I saw a link to the Newcomers Club page on the Oconee County website. Sounds like a nice thing. As an introvert, I can always use the extra help in finding others with shared interests!