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A little about me and what I'm looking for in a place to live...
My wife and I originally emigrated from Long Island, NY to the Washington Metro area for employment and to raise a family, far away from the crime ridden and filthy New York area. That was 1977. Gaithersburg was a small town, known mostly for the "National Bureau of Standards" (NIST), and IBM. The major interstate into DC was 2 lanes each way, and there was some semblance of a rush hour. Now, the kids are grown and starting their own families. I'm 63, retired from IBM almost 2 years now and strongly considering relocating away from the East Coast, Gaithersburg, MD specifically, heading further inland and South to either Tennessee or South Carolina.
What I'm trying to get away from: The COLD, SNOW, Sanctuary Cities and Counties, increasing congestion, loss of rural / farm areas, large towns where people don't even look you in the eye anymore. I own an ocean front condominium in Ocean City, Maryland, but the three-hour hell-ride through or around Washington, DC to get there, and the throngs of tourists render it almost unusable. Out of control land development is rampant, just for the sake of increasing the tax base. Old farmers are dying and in their stead are signs that read "GRAND OPENING! THOUSANDS OF LUXURY TOWNHOMES" with undersized garages and inadequate parking as far as my aging eyes can see.
What I am trying to find: Warmth, in both climate and the people. Rule of Law, Small towns, where you recognize neighbors, and they talk to you. Water, lakes, fishing (sometimes), the right to not feel guilty about owning a gun and use it if need be to protect myself. Open roads.. I enjoy (quiet) motorcycling through the rural countryside, seeing barns, horses, cows, streams, located between old historic down-towns. NO major commercial corridors that will draw millions of new job seekers.
I don't care anymore about access to museums, theater, ballet, operas or orchestras.. or gyms. A reasonable drive to an airport would be nice, so I can threaten the kids with an occasional visit.
I'll probably add to this as I think of more. So tell me, do I have any hope of finding my refuge in South Carolina?
The weather in Greenville is certainly warmer and less snow than DC, but is it warmer enough to uproot?
According to Wiki (other web sites vary a little):
DC Jan Avg - 43/28
DC Snowfall - 15 inches/yr
DC Snowy Days - 8
Greenville Jan Avg - 52/32
Greenville Snowfall - 5 inches
Greenville Snowy Days - 3
It doesn't take much north of Greenville for those numbers to get colder.
There was mention of western NC earlier in the thread, so for the heck of it:
Asheville Jan Avg - 47/27
Asheville Snowfall - 10 inches
Asheville Snowy Days - 6
Some areas of western NC are colder/snowier than DC.
Again, it is warmer down here, but this ain't exactly no tropical utopia.
That being said, been to DC many times. Absolutely fascinating/unique place. Great to visit. Lots to do. But in my extremely biased opinion, it's hard to beat the western Carolinas.
Laurens? I'll definitely check this out. THank you! I've been eye-balling Tryon for a while now. Seems like a nice place. Probably an overnight trip for us, splitting it in Roanoak, VA
The weather in Greenville is certainly warmer and less snow than DC, but is it warmer enough to uproot?
Some areas of western NC are colder/snowier than DC.
Again, it is warmer down here, but this ain't exactly no tropical utopia.
Agreed, not a tropical utopia, but Tryon, NC is within a reasonable distance from "the kids", and it seems to average 10+ warmer than here in DC. Now I need to see if it gets as HOT as DC in the summertime.
Agreed, not a tropical utopia, but Tryon, NC is within a reasonable distance from "the kids", and it seems to average 10+ warmer than here in DC. Now I need to see if it gets as HOT as DC in the summertime.
People in the Carolinas don’t understand how miserable DC can be in the middle of summer. Lol. They think they own heat/humidity. Having experienced both, I’ll say Columbia’s the worst, DC second and Upstate third.
All are miserable though — thank goodness for a/c.
Good luck with your move. You couldn’t pay me to move back to Quince Orchard. We’re loving Spartanburg.
Good luck with your move. You couldn’t pay me to move back to Quince Orchard. We’re loving Spartanburg.
Go ahead, keep rubbbbbbing it in... LOL I'm out in Ocean City this week. I have a pillow under my feet as I am typing this message, to buffer the cold floor...
Do you know anything about the Tryon, NC area? Did i already ask this? If so, please forgive me - i'm reaching that age.
Go ahead, keep rubbbbbbing it in... LOL I'm out in Ocean City this week. I have a pillow under my feet as I am typing this message, to buffer the cold floor...
Do you know anything about the Tryon, NC area? Did i already ask this? If so, please forgive me - i'm reaching that age.
Can relate completely re forgetting and cold feet. Lol
Sorry, I don’t know too much about Tryon. We were not at all interested in the mountains or NC. Don’t get me wrong, they are gorgeous — in warm weather. But I detest cold and snow and knew they got more than I wanted of both.
There is a large equestrian community and center in that area. We were up in Landrum a week or so ago. It’s beautiful country but too rural for us. Be sure to look into hospitals in that area. Some of those back roads get treacherous in the winter. We’re pretty healthy but as we age, I wanted medical care close by.
As we aged, I wanted a larger, “small city”. That’s why Spartanburg is working so well for us. Reasonably priced neighborhoods, medical, retail all close by. Two good-sized colleges — we’ve already attended several free cultural events (a string trio and a play by Tennessee Williams). Totally free. There’s a surprisingly active cultural/arts community here. Last night we even went to a free wine tasting at a downtown store. Four wines, even with seconds! After QO, we moved to Loudoun County that had zillions of vineyards but a tasting always cost several dollars each.
Anyway, come on down and just remember, mind your manners and don’t ever start a sentence with “in Maryland, we . . .”
Tryon is a small, generally peaceful place with a lot of charm. Once a year they hold the Steeple chase event and the place becomes a bit of a zoo. A good friend was once the executive chef for a local Tryon inn. Being from Seattle, the lack of night life nearly drove him around the bend, during the rest of the year.
It's beautifully nestled in the very edge of the mountains and every sort of outdoor activities are a no brainer, starting right outside your back door. I don't envy many things in life, but the lucky sods who live on Tryon's Lake Lanier are living one of my dreams. Saluda NC is just up the hill while Landrum SC is a short 5 minute ride the other way. Both are picturesque as only small slow paced towns can be. Small, but excellent independent restaurants are liberally scattered across the area, generally outnumbering the chains, unless you venture near the interstate. Long and short of it.... fast paced city hustle and bustle it is not.
The entire area, from Flat Rock NC all the way to Chesnee SC... it sounds as if you're writing the relocation brochure for the region. Anything on either side of hwy 11, from the state line to where it reconnects with 1-85 at Gaffney SC and all along hwy 9 is worthy of having a look, based on your list of desirable offerings.
Tryon is a small, generally peaceful place with a lot of charm. Once a year they hold the Steeple chase event and the place becomes a bit of a zoo. A good friend was once the executive chef for a local Tryon inn. Being from Seattle, the lack of night life nearly drove him around the bend, during the rest of the year.
It's beautifully nestled in the very edge of the mountains and every sort of outdoor activities are a no brainer, starting right outside your back door. I don't envy many things in life, but the lucky sods who live on Tryon's Lake Lanier are living one of my dreams. Saluda NC is just up the hill while Landrum SC is a short 5 minute ride the other way. Both are picturesque as only small slow paced towns can be. Small, but excellent independent restaurants are liberally scattered across the area, generally outnumbering the chains, unless you venture near the interstate. Long and short of it.... fast paced city hustle and bustle it is not.
The entire area, from Flat Rock NC all the way to Chesnee SC... it sounds as if you're writing the relocation brochure for the region. Anything on either side of hwy 11, from the state line to where it reconnects with 1-85 at Gaffney SC and all along hwy 9 is worthy of having a look, based on your list of desirable offerings.
Is there a sense of "community" there? Do people get to know each other and say "Hello" to each other in town? I loved the small historic town of Saluda, but unfortunately it was freezin-ass-cold up there while we visited on NYE and everything was closed.
Although I don't live right in the area, I and a few friends often go through there to drive our sports cars. I've always encountered a warm open attitude, prevailing in all of the surrounding areas. Hard not to have a sense of community when the community itself is so small. For the most part, you are likely to be easily accepted as long as you are open, engaging and friendly.
Can you get off on the wrong foot?... oh hell yeah. Being a small community, everyone knows everyone or is related to them. It can become quite cliquish if you come into the picture with a sense of superiority or a rude attitude. If you come with a mission to help the locals see the error of their ways, you will wind up more isolated than a Maytag repairman. Offend someone and you could be offending a large segment of the community. Be sure you know what you're getting into before you make the choice to try small town life. It can be a purely delightful experience, but it can also be a bit hellish if you screw it up.
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