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My family and I are thinking of moving down to the Greenville area. I've seen many people rave about this area but I've been looking up statistics and the crime rates seem pretty high. Are there any specific towns or areas we should avoid? We've been in small town PA for the past 5 years where nothing ever happens and we like that but there is nothing nearby as far as shopping/entertainment. So I guess I'm looking for a quiet, small, safe and affordable town preferably within 20 minutes or so of shopping. Tall order I know but any help or advice is much appreciated!
Also any information anyone can give on homeschooling option 3 would be appreciated. I've read the basic laws and everything but I'm wondering if anyone can share their own experiences. How involved is the state? Do you have to turn in your children's work/test scores? Are there any large homeschooling communities near there? Thank you!
My family and I are thinking of moving down to the Greenville area. I've seen many people rave about this area but I've been looking up statistics and the crime rates seem pretty high. Are there any specific towns or areas we should avoid? We've been in small town PA for the past 5 years where nothing ever happens and we like that but there is nothing nearby as far as shopping/entertainment. So I guess I'm looking for a quiet, small, safe and affordable town preferably within 20 minutes or so of shopping. Tall order I know but any help or advice is much appreciated!
Also any information anyone can give on homeschooling option 3 would be appreciated. I've read the basic laws and everything but I'm wondering if anyone can share their own experiences. How involved is the state? Do you have to turn in your children's work/test scores? Are there any large homeschooling communities near there? Thank you!
I like your user name We lived in PA for a good part of our lives. The crime statistics are skewed. Of course there are pockets of crime but for the most part, Greenville is safe. There are plenty small towns around that could suit you. What do you consider a small town? Do you know where you would be working? That can play a lot into choosing a town. I can't comment much on homeschooling but I do know that people do it here. I can tell you the weather is much better here
I'll agree; crime statistics are somewhat skewed. For one thing, city limits are rather small, so when you look up 'Greenville', it looks like a lot of crime because it's part of a much, much bigger metro area. Like anywhere, there are bad neighborhoods. Also, for some reason, domestic violence seems to be prevalent in the southeast which also raises the numbers without really affecting most folks.
The first town that comes to mind is Travelers Rest. It's close to Greenville (10 miles), and is one of the few small towns that are booming. There's a nice Main St. area with local shops and restaurants and a nice farmer's market during the warm months. It's also convenient to the mountains and outdoor areas, with nothing to the north to slow you down. TR, as it's called locally has benefitted from the Swamp Rabbit trail, an old railroad corridor that has been paved, and connects bikers and joggers with downtown Greenville.
Greenville itself is a very accessible city. Easy to get in and out, and not so big as to be overwhelming. You'll have to go to Charlotte or Atlanta for major league sports, but there are minor league sports. Decent concerts and shows come through the area. Shopping is subjective, but we've never wanted for anything here. Much of the shopping is clustered around Woodruff Rd., a bit of a ride from TR. We go there every couple months to stock up. There are supermarkets, home centers, and Wal-Mart all over the place. Just in TR, there is Wal-Mart, Bi-Lo (supermarket), Tractor Supply, 3 auto parts stores, and most fast food joints. A few miles down the road is Publix (supermarket), Lowes, Home Depot, and Ingles (supermarket).
What are these areas that should be avoided? If we go visit I don't want to stay in the "bad" part of town. Where I am now the town has about 4500 people which is nice and that's what I'd consider a nice small size. My husband and I both generally work from home but he will need to find new clients (he does computer services). I've been reading more forums/reviews/comments and some people have some really horrible things to say! I've seen a number of people mention drug problems and police/judicial corruption among others but then I see people saying it's the greatest place ever. I'm also concerned about the cost of living. Many people mentioned how cheap it is but we now have an 1800+ sqft house on 85 acres and pay $800 a month. It doesn't look like that's possible down there. We don't need that much land but would like to have some for a small veggie garden. I guess it's just a love it or hate it type of place lol
I have lived, been raised and currently raising a family on the East side of Greenville for 36 years and have really enjoyed it. We live in a well established neighborhood that is quiet and filled with a diverse group of families and retirees. We have great schools with shopping and entertainment nearby in all directions. I agree with others here that our crime stats are skewed. The best info I could find and believe in is form the police website Crime Map : Greenville County Sheriff's Office Home Schooling is well covered here, The Ultimate Homeschool Guide to Greenville
I hope this information is helpful and welcome home to Greenville.
What are these areas that should be avoided? If we go visit I don't want to stay in the "bad" part of town. Where I am now the town has about 4500 people which is nice and that's what I'd consider a nice small size. My husband and I both generally work from home but he will need to find new clients (he does computer services). I've been reading more forums/reviews/comments and some people have some really horrible things to say! I've seen a number of people mention drug problems and police/judicial corruption among others but then I see people saying it's the greatest place ever. I'm also concerned about the cost of living. Many people mentioned how cheap it is but we now have an 1800+ sqft house on 85 acres and pay $800 a month. It doesn't look like that's possible down there. We don't need that much land but would like to have some for a small veggie garden. I guess it's just a love it or hate it type of place lol
I don't know where you were reading the horrible reviews. Greenville may not be the perfect place to live but it's far from horrible. It will be bigger than you are looking for. Travelers Rest maybe a good option as mentioned. You can also check out Tigerville, Duncan, Lyman, Wellford, Liberty, Pelzer, Marietta/Slater and maybe Fountain Inn. These are all decent areas.
What are these areas that should be avoided? If we go visit I don't want to stay in the "bad" part of town. Where I am now the town has about 4500 people which is nice and that's what I'd consider a nice small size. My husband and I both generally work from home but he will need to find new clients (he does computer services). I've been reading more forums/reviews/comments and some people have some really horrible things to say! I've seen a number of people mention drug problems and police/judicial corruption among others but then I see people saying it's the greatest place ever. I'm also concerned about the cost of living. Many people mentioned how cheap it is but we now have an 1800+ sqft house on 85 acres and pay $800 a month. It doesn't look like that's possible down there. We don't need that much land but would like to have some for a small veggie garden. I guess it's just a love it or hate it type of place lol
You're not going to get the low crime in a metropolitan area like Greenville that you have in a small farming town in Penn, not going to happen. In general, the eastern side of Greenville is a safe area. I personally love the downtown area and lived there when I was working in Greenville, of course you will see more vagrants and more craziness downtown. I would sum up crime to say Greenville is lower than most cities in the south but there is definitely a criminal element that you have to be aware of....that being said, I bet the overwhelming majority of people in Greenville have not been victimized by crime.
The things I like about Greenville is the relatively moderate climate, nice size with enough going on to enjoy it, nice restaurants, overall vibe of life there. When I say Greenville is cheap, it's compared to where I live in Seattle.
From the sound of what oP has said, you seem very happy where you are in a small farm in Pennsylvania (though I would loathe it), that being the case, why move?
As far as the bad reviews I've been seeing, some of them are here - Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed . I've seen more similar but this is a good example.
Quote:
Originally Posted by American Expat
From the sound of what oP has said, you seem very happy where you are in a small farm in Pennsylvania (though I would loathe it), that being the case, why move?
We're looking to move because of the non-friendly homeschooling laws PA has, the horrible winters (especially this one!), our quiet little town is also FLOODED with tourists in the summer which is becoming a real pain and there are little to no work opportunities for my husband. It's mainly the first and last reasons. I would love to find something just like this somewhere else but a little closer to shopping. I've also been looking at Kentucky but I guess that's another thread lol
As far as the bad reviews I've been seeing, some of them are here -Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed . I've seen more similar but this is a good example.
We're looking to move because of the non-friendly homeschooling laws PA has, the horrible winters (especially this one!), our quiet little town is also FLOODED with tourists in the summer which is becoming a real pain and there are little to no work opportunities for my husband. It's mainly the first and last reasons. I would love to find something just like this somewhere else but a little closer to shopping. I've also been looking at Kentucky but I guess that's another thread lol
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We lived in PA for a good part of our lives. The crime statistics are skewed. Of course there are pockets of crime but for the most part, Greenville is safe. There are plenty small towns around that could suit you. What do you consider a small town? Do you know where you would be working? That can play a lot into choosing a town. I can't comment much on homeschooling but I do know that people do it here. I can tell you the weather is much better here 
