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I too like Becky had moved to the Upstate from Orlando.
Car insurance is much cheaper. Rent/mortgage a little bit better. Everything else was the same or cost more in SC (except gas).
Flights, groceries, medical care, entertainment was the same if not more.
What ultimately did it for us was pay. My wife was starting as a 1st year teacher at the time after graduating at USC Upstate. If we had stayed in SC for 5yrs they would have paid off her 30k student loan. In Orange County they started her at 10k more per year so after 5 years back in Orlando we paid the loan off and pocketed 20 for our wedding and home down payment.
South Carolina is the only place I've ever lived with state income tax for Pete's sake!
Family would remark how crazy expensive Florida was and we were like no, not really. Moral of the story is that SC is not for everyone.
Becky is right about the people not being as friendly as FL and it gets really annoying being asked what church you go to all the time.
I want to give you credit once again You are the person who told us about Greenville or we would have never found it We enjoyed it while we lived there and don't regret it. My daughter and grand kids are still in Greenville so we visit frequently. I do miss FL for the reasons I mentioned. Since my family lives here, I will stay here and enjoy it for now.
It's so lovely to read everyone's experience and feedbacks about SC. I am currently in Orlando, FL and we are considering moving to Easley. My husband has an aunt that moved to SC about seven years ago, and she loves it. We are sick and tired of Florida, the heat, the traffic which by the way it has gotten pretty bad, even during summer break there's a lot of traffic tired of paying so much for gas, and the tolls are insane over here, and rent has gone up a lot. We are currently paying 1300 for a 2 bedroom and 2 bath 1 car garage condo, granted, we live in Lake Nona which is considered a "richy" neighborhood, and the schools are excellent, but our rent is sucking the life out of us. Every time I search a different area in Orlando to move, the rent is equally or more than what we are currently paying. We want a more family oriented area, we have a 14-year-old and a six months old baby, so a safe neighborhood and a good school is important to us.
Thank you again for all of your posts
Greenville might actually be a great fit for you. There is almost no traffic (by comparison), and I can't remember many if any tolls. Gas will be cheaper but it's not like FL gas is CA gas in terms of price. It's been too long and I can't speak about rent rates in today's Upstate market, but I do have some doubt that you've checked all of Orlando out if you can't rent cheaper than Lake Freaking Nona!!! Honestly, there are plenty of family friendly close in suburbs where you could rent an entire house with a yard for that price or buy for hundreds less per month. I get it if you're just ready to leave but I digress...
Quote:
Originally Posted by beckycat
I want to give you credit once again You are the person who told us about Greenville or we would have never found it We enjoyed it while we lived there and don't regret it. My daughter and grand kids are still in Greenville so we visit frequently. I do miss FL for the reasons I mentioned. Since my family lives here, I will stay here and enjoy it for now.
I'm so glad to be reminded how my suggestion helped. Kinda makes my silly rants on the vs. forum seem worth it .
In all seriousness though the Upstate fit the bill completely for what you were looking for at that time. Can't deny that at times when sitting in the sun-baked traffic of I-4 that I don't day dream about moving back. BUT I totally get what you mean about Asheville fitting your personality a little more, especially when coming from a much larger metro and more purple state of Florida. The nice thing about Asheville is that if it goes a little too far to the opposite side of the spectrum than Greenville all you have to do is venture a little farther out of town and you're back in dixie.
As much as I would normally advocate a move back to the Sunshine State for just about anyone who misses it (I'm sure a lot of people in WNC would thank me for helping to keep the Halfbacks away), have fun with your family. It's a perfect place to raise one !!!
Last edited by OrlFlaUsa; 06-21-2018 at 05:03 PM..
Greenville might actually be a great fit for you. There is almost no traffic (by comparison), and I can't remember many if any tolls. Gas will be cheaper but it's not like FL gas is CA gas in terms of price. It's been too long and I can't speak about rent rates in today's Upstate market, but I do have some doubt that you've checked all of Orlando out if you can't rent cheaper than Lake Freaking Nona!!! Honestly, there are plenty of family friendly close in suburbs where you could rent an entire house with a yard for that price or buy for hundreds less per month. I get it if you're just ready to leave but I digress...
I'm so glad to be reminded how my suggestion helped. Kinda makes my silly rants on the vs. forum seem worth it .
In all seriousness though the Upstate fit the bill completely for what you were looking for at that time. Can't deny that at times when sitting in the sun-baked traffic of I-4 that I don't day dream about moving back. BUT I totally get what you mean about Asheville fitting your personality a little more, especially when coming from a much larger metro and more purple state of Florida. The nice thing about Asheville is that if it goes a little too far to the opposite side of the spectrum than Greenville all you have to do is venture a little farther out of town and you're back in dixie.
As much as I would normally advocate a move back to the Sunshine State for just about anyone who misses it (I'm sure a lot of people in WNC would thank me for helping to keep the Halfbacks away), have fun with your family. It's a perfect place to raise one !!!
Hmmm. I only have concern with one part in this post. The back in dixie part. Makes the Greenville area sound like backwards dixie while Asheville is forward moving. Couldn't be farther from the truth to me. Greenville is a flourishing metro area that is quite a great deal larger than Asheville. More stuff in Greenville. Better jobs, etc. I think just because a place is extreme liberal doesn't necessarily mean it's growing or flourishing more. I tend to be more in the middle and find Greenville fits me just fine. I have friends from both sides of the aisle, including ones in the middle like me. Both sides can go way too far. I like neither extreme.
Hmmm. I only have concern with one part in this post. The back in dixie part. Makes the Greenville area sound like backwards dixie while Asheville is forward moving. Couldn't be farther from the truth to me. Greenville is a flourishing metro area that is quite a great deal larger than Asheville. More stuff in Greenville. Better jobs, etc. I think just because a place is extreme liberal doesn't necessarily mean it's growing or flourishing more. I tend to be more in the middle and find Greenville fits me just fine. I have friends from both sides of the aisle, including ones in the middle like me. Both sides can go way too far. I like neither extreme.
You're reading way too much into my comment. Each metro is unique in it's own way despite being on opposite sides of the political spectrum.
Also Greenville doesn't feel much bigger or any bigger than Ashville which actually feels more urban at street level.
Both good small cities/big towns!!
Last edited by OrlFlaUsa; 06-21-2018 at 08:39 PM..
You're reading way too much into my comment. Each metro is unique in it's own way despite being on opposite sides of the political spectrum.
Also Greenville doesn't feel much bigger or any bigger than Ashville which actually feels more urban at street level.
Both good small cities/big towns!!
You may think not, but it is by a good margin. More people in Greenville county than Asheville's whole metro area. Traffic also seems to feel more congested in Greenville at rush vs Asheville. Especially I-85. Asheville doesn't feel more urban to me. It feels more curvy and hilly. Good place to visit though. Greenville also has more people per square mile. I assume by the term more urban, some really mean more gritty. Greenville's downtown is polished, but it was once gritty and a place you didn't want to go to.
I think Greenville feels more Southern/Dixie because of the general way people dress/look. It’s more Lilly Pulitzer/Southern Tide/Orvis. It also seems more into football, with Carolina-Clemson merchandise all over the place.
Asheville, to me, seemed more hippy/alternative style/crunchy. Do they even play football in NC?
Last edited by LynchburgLover; 06-22-2018 at 07:29 AM..
We also make a conscious effort to blend in, and not tell everyone how much better XYZ was where we moved from.
+1. This, all day long.
What many of you fail to realize is when you relocate to a new area, YOU are the outsider, the oddball, the weird one. It's up to you to assimilate, adapt and blend in with the locals.
As I've told folks, especially from parts up north, do not talk about how things are better or even different back home. Do that and your only "friends" will be other transplants who make the same mistake (misery loves company, etc). Do not discuss or force your blue state politics on us...SC is fiercely independent and red through and through. If you can't change your views, you will have very hard time here. Seriously.
If you must have those special bagels, can't wait for Bernie to run again, or wonder why everyone talks funny, SC isn't for you.
I think Greenville feels more Southern/Dixie because of the general way people dress/look. It’s more Lilly Pulitzer/Southern Tide/Orvis. It also seems more into football, with Carolina-Clemson merchandise all over the place.
Asheville, to me, seemed more hippy/alternative style/crunchy. Do they even play football in NC?
Okay. I'll admit. This is a fair assessment. I love football, specifically Clemson. But I dress more business casual. Golf shirts, slacks, etc. I'm far from ultra conservative. I still prefer Greenville and what it's doing.
There are more people at football games in NC than at basketball games.
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You are the person who told us about Greenville or we would have never found it 
We enjoyed it while we lived there and don't regret it. My daughter and grand kids are still in Greenville so we visit frequently. I do miss FL for the reasons I mentioned. Since my family lives here, I will stay here and enjoy it for now. 
tired of paying so much for gas, and the tolls are insane over here, and rent has gone up a lot. We are currently paying 1300 for a 2 bedroom and 2 bath 1 car garage condo, granted, we live in Lake Nona which is considered a "richy" neighborhood, and the schools are excellent, but our rent is sucking the life out of us. Every time I search a different area in Orlando to move, the rent is equally or more than what we are currently paying. We want a more family oriented area, we have a 14-year-old and a six months old baby, so a safe neighborhood and a good school is important to us.
!!!
