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I am contemplating making the move from Wisconsin to South Carolina, and no matter were I look, I seem to get such conflicting information on whether or not it is a good idea. So, I am hoping that I can get some information from folks who have made the same move, or from the locals. This may be a little lengthy, but I want to provide as much information as possible in hopes of getting as much accurate information as possible.
I was born and raised in a small New Hampshire town, until work brought me to WI, namely the Green Bay area 4 years ago. I miss New England and everything it offers. I miss the people. I just miss it. But, cost of living is out of control. Green Bay, on the other hand, is a different story. The winters are horrendous(Seriously, worse than New England's), the economy is deteriorating, the taxes are insane, it's dangerous, and the people are some of the most close-minded, bigoted, rude, unwelcoming people I've ever come across. Prior to moving to the Midwest, I was told how humble and polite the folks are, and my experience has been the opposite. They may be the nicest people to their own kind, but outsiders are usually shunned. A co-worker of mine was from Arizona and I think she had it worse than I do...
Anyway, I absolutely cannot tolerate another winter here, and I don't care to stick around much longer. I've been looking at the Spartanburg-Greenville-Anderson area as a possible move. I've visited twice now and was astounded at how beautiful the Greenville area is! The people were friendly, the downtown area was so quaint and cultured, and it just seems to have so much to offer. Plus, call me crazy, but give me the long, humid summers any day over -60* winters with five feet of snow.
However, as I started doing some research, I was shocked by what I found. A good portion of people seem to love it, but I've found an alarming number of posts that advised that, as a northerner, I will likely have a difficult time adjusting. Religion seems to be something that is brought up, as well as the fact that I'm a "Yankee." I know that there are parts of the south that seem to get a bad rap for being racist and homophobic, but I really did not get that vibe from my visits. I know that religion, especially in this area, is highly practiced, but is it something that will be pushed down my throat if I don't abide?
I want to believe that a lot of this is still the old school "southern stereotype" that died years ago, but the amount of info I've come across seems like a lot. Keep in mind, Wisconsin is home to one of the most segregated cities in the nation, so I have a hard time believing it is THAT bad.
So, I'm hoping someone local can provide me with some real-life experiences and information. I am a 31 year old single male with no intentions on starting a family, so schools are not that important to me. I tend to lean more so toward the liberal side of things, but I would never push any of my beliefs on someone else and I would hope for the same. I'm pretty active, I like to explore the city, hike, good food and all of that. I do identify as an atheist, but I don't go out of my way to scream it to the world. I'm looking for honest opinions on whether or not this would be a good place to make the move to. And if so, are there neighborhoods I should seek out or avoid? Any feedback is much appreciated! Thanks!!
I don't live in SC but do have family and connections there so we visit on a regular basis (about every 3 to 4 months). I will just point out to you that visiting a place and living there can be quite different.
Downtown Greenville is wonderful but a lot of it is tourist oriented -- shops, restaurants, hotels. While there are still plenty of locals, what you experienced was as a tourist. The people working those hotels, restaurants, shops etc see you for your tourist dollars. The same is very true of Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Savannah, Hilton Head etc.
You need to go spend a week NOT in downtown Greenville unless you know for certain that is where you want to live. Then do your routine things, grocery, drycleaner, library, whatever. If you have a favorite hobby, go seek it out and talk to the people. For instance, if you swim regularly, go to one of the YMCAs or rock climbing, find a shop and talk to them. You'll get a much truer picture of how people interact with you.
If you can relocate with your job, go talk to them and see the neighborhoods near it. Be sure to have a job lined up before you move.
As a dedicated winter-hater, I understand your pain but choosing a place to live is much more than just weather.
Don't listen to any of that crap, you will be just fine here. And speaking about WI and the Green Bay area, I think everyone had their own experiences in every part of the country. You will hear good and bad things about every area. I have a black brother in law and brought him to a Colts Packers game in Green Bay. He was treated so nicely as a minority and a Colts fan and people made a point to talk to him and show him a good time. Just wanted to point out that there are good/bad people no matter where you are.
I just moved here a year ago. The posts that try to scare you and generalize a whole region by a few people's individual experiences are crazy. I could say all of New England sucks because I met some d-bag in Boston, but that would not be fair to everyone else. Greenville is awesome and you would really love it here.
Greenville is not perfect but as a former New Yorker I can tell you that I have not experienced any issues. People are friendly just about everywhere I've been here. I greatly dislike finding new doctor and dentists but that has been easy and I have found ones that I am very happy with. And BTW there is an atheist group here; I know some of the members and could introduce you. I am not an atheist but am also not of the majority religion, and again, have had no issues since leaving my former office about a year ago.
My husband and I live in Chicago, and we're looking for a vacation home to eventually move to. We think the Asheville area would be a little to cold, so we're looking a little further south. High on our wishlist is nice mountain views and being relatively close to hiking trails. Are places like Travelers Rest or Pickens something we should look at? It seems like north or northwest of Greenville would get us better views and closer to trails. Thanks for any info!
Welcome, HelenJim. I think Travelers Rest and parts of Greer would fit the bill. Pickens possibility as well, if you don't mind having to travel a bit to shop.
Am I right that Greer is a little further from the mountains than Travelers Rest, so farther from trails and not as good views? Do both of those towns have enough of a downtown in terms of restaurants, shops, and a cool "vibe"? I'm assuming Pickens is smaller, not as much to do. Thanks!
Parts of Greer have wonderful views and are less than an hour from great hiking. My son and I and like to visit the Chestnut Ridge Heritage Preserve and that is very close to the section of Greer I am thinking about. You would be a bit further from the state parks than you would be in Travelers Rest. TR also has the Swamp Rabbit Trail, which is great for walking and biking. Greer and Travelers Rest have great little downtowns, and both are growing. I would say they both have a cool vibe, but have different favors. Come visit and you will see!
Am I right that Greer is a little further from the mountains than Travelers Rest, so farther from trails and not as good views? Do both of those towns have enough of a downtown in terms of restaurants, shops, and a cool "vibe"? I'm assuming Pickens is smaller, not as much to do. Thanks!
Travelers Rest is pretty small but the downtown is vibrant thanks to being on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. Greer is a little bigger and has a nice downtown as well. Both have can have views of the mountains depending on where you are in town. Both would be convenient to the mountains although Travelers Rest (or TR for short) is closer to places like Jones Gap and Table Rock State Park
Pickens is primarily an old mill town. There are some areas that are ok but also some run down parts. They are just now starting to finish some projects to revitalize their downtown. They have a park with walking trails and a newly completed mountain biking course (Town Creek Park). They also just finished a rails to trails project to connect Pickens to nearby Easley. None of these projects have done much to spur revitalization yet because they were just finished within the last year. Pickens is closer to lakes Keowee and Jocassee and is near a lot of relatively undeveloped but beautiful state lands just north of Pickens called the Jocassee Gorges.
Another town to consider might be Clemson. It's a smaller college town but offers a lot of cultural activities and amenities you don't often find in smaller towns (parks, walking trails, concerts, etc.). Clemson is also close to the lakes and mountains. Parts of Clemson are on Lake Hartwell. It has enough shopping for day to day and is close enough to Anderson and Greenville for the bigger stores.
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