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I have lived here a while but am planning to move away, and am looking for a smart-growth town in a warmer climate as well. Maybe certain parts of Florida?
Florida is one of the most sprawled states there is...
PhotogGal, where in the Chicago area are you from? We're in the western suburbs and are flying out this week to check out the Greenville area for a vacation/retirement house. Can't wait! Greenville sounds like it has enough going on for us since we don't get to the city of Chicago often; we're pretty happy with amenities in our suburb and the surrounding ones.
Travelers Rest has hills. It can be rural 10-20 minutes out from there. You might not get a job there, though as it is so small. Maybe at a nursing home but it doesn't have a big hospital. A lot of the good paying jobs here are in the Greenville metro which, its not Chicago, but it sure ain't rural.
I think Travelers Rest and surrounding areas are definitely rural. There's a hospital there as well. It's also hilly and definitely not sprawl. You can be in downtown Greenville in 15 mnutes give or take depending where you live. Also, check out Tigerville, Lake Robinson or parts of Greer on Locust Hill Rd and 14. These areas are all rural. I say give it a chance and decide from there. The other areas you mentioned are similar in size but definitely will be colder and have snow.
And its complicated because I feel everyone seems to have a different definition for "sprawl."
For some its bedroom communities where commuting is necessary, for some its anywhere that features prominent single family housing and winding roads with strip centers on the corner, and for others sprawl is basically every part of a city that's not downtown.
I think eastern Greenville/Powdersville/Easley areas is fine. Yes if you absolutely hate sprawl then of course Taylors/Wade Hampton is the last area you'd want to be in.
And its complicated because I feel everyone seems to have a different definition for "sprawl."
For some its bedroom communities where commuting is necessary, for some its anywhere that features prominent single family housing and winding roads with strip centers on the corner, and for others sprawl is basically every part of a city that's not downtown.
I think eastern Greenville/Powdersville/Easley areas is fine. Yes if you absolutely hate sprawl then of course Taylors/Wade Hampton is the last area you'd want to be in.
I suppose "sprawl" can be somewhat subjective. I think a good example of what I'm looking for would be Charleston, WV. At least what I saw of it. I remember driving south from Ohio into West Virginia. Not much going on, pretty rural, and then I look up and see lights and the Capital building. Then another 10-15 minutes or so it seemed I was back into a semi-rural or rural area. I just don't want to be that far north. Cape Girardeau, MO is another example of being in the "country" by driving just 10-15 minutes from the core. Too bad it doesn't have hills/mountains around it. It would have everything else I would need or want.
I just heard from a former co-worker who happens to be on vacation and stopped in Greenville for some concert (Pearl Jam?) She said it is a beautiful area. I asked her to look into the questions I have while she is there. And thanks to all of you who have answered. As I said in a previous post, I anticipate taking a trip to Chattanooga and hopefully will be able to head to Greenville while I'm that close to scope it out.
I'll give an example of an area I'm talking about. Cape Girardeau, MO. A town that has two full-service hospitals that can handle a lot (trauma/open-heart/neuro/etc.), a mall if you need it (I rarely do but nice to have the anchor stores), and enough restaurants to keep you satisfied. If you drive about 15 minutes away you're basically in the "country." That's what I'm looking for. However, I want out of Missouri and near hills/mountains. I should also mention that I feel that Charleston, WV fits. Beautiful area. But too far north. I don't think I would like the winters. I was out of Charleston and into a semi-rural area in no time. St. George, Utah may fit my criteria, but I don't like the day/night temperature variations and the cost of living is so much higher out west. I really like the south from my previous travels. Surely there has to be some place in TN, SC, or wherever near the hills that fits my criteria.
Come to Greenville for sure; everyone who visits is very surprised at what a beautiful city it is. It sounds to me like you are looking for the Traveler's Rest area. It is a smaller town with all kinds of nice little cafes and coffee shops, surrounded by mountains, forests, winding roads with mountain views, and homes on acreage - a quick 15 min drive from downtown Greenville. Most of the stores like Costco, Trader Joes, etc., that are found in much, much larger cities can be found here.
Most of the minivan subdivision sprawl is kinda on the east-ish side of Greenville. Check out a channel on YouTube called "Drone South" and view their downtown Greenville video to see a very accurate aerial street view of the city. Not many US cities can beat Greenville, in fact other cities send their representatives here to study the city planning and take what they learn back to their home states; Greenville is sometimes used as a poster child for urban revitalization in that regard.
Hi,
Moving to Greenville from sprawling, expensive coastal Fla! Our children at Clemson Uv, Anderson is ten miles from Clemson. Chattanooga has a great downtown, there are undeveloped areas and there is snow! Definitely colder but short winter. Good luck!
As soon as you get north of Travelers Rest, it is fairly rural. We are in Tigerville, exactly 15 miles from the center of Greenville, and it's definitely rural out here. I lived in FL for 30 years, and the only rural areas are very small towns way out in the country. Near any city, there is a LOT of sprawl, at least compared to the Greenville area.
PhotogGal, where in the Chicago area are you from? We're in the western suburbs and are flying out this week to check out the Greenville area for a vacation/retirement house. Can't wait! Greenville sounds like it has enough going on for us since we don't get to the city of Chicago often; we're pretty happy with amenities in our suburb and the surrounding ones.
HelenJim, I spent much of my early years in Elgin, went to college in Naperville and then lived in Park Ridge before moving to Greer about 8 years ago. I could not be happier except for the fact that my kids, who talked me into moving here, ended up moving out of state. I was too happy here to follow them but do miss having family close by.
As for amenities, I have far more close to home here than I ever did in Illinois. And you will find that Greenville has some top-notch restaurants that rival those in Chicago too.
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