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Thread summary:

Seeking information on Greenville government, Greenville city council, Greenville County, Pickens County, Oconee County, Greer, Easley, Seneca, quality of county governments

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Old 07-01-2008, 08:32 AM
 
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No one else has any thoughts, opinions, information on this? I was so hoping, given the number of Greenville-area residents here and how helpful they are with other posts, to get some input as my husband and I keep researching which areas to focus on in these counties for our retirement home.

It's true that we'd prefer something a little more rural than Greenville proper, but there are five or six areas that all look so good on paper and in their demographics. And they're in the different counties, which means (wouldn't it?) that everything would be different: taxes, services, public transportation, mind-set(s) of those in the councils, costs... And since actually living there beats all the demos in the world, I thought it would help to get your input.

Is the question too large? Too specific? Too ...?

Help?
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Old 07-01-2008, 02:25 PM
 
Location: Piedmont SC
131 posts, read 694,818 times
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I will try to help you as much as I can. Your questions are a little broad-meaning unless you live in one of these towns you will not hear what city councils meetings will be about or how they are planning for the future. The only city council that is ever talked about on this forum is the City of Greenville. Based on your listed cities and counties I would choose them in this order:

1. Travelers Rest (TR). Close to the mountains and Downtown Greenville. The city is growing at a relatively fast rate and new investments into businesses and infrastructure will help TR grow. No public transportation, but the swamp rabbit trail will connect TR to Downtown Greenville. Being so close to downtown Greenville this city and surrounding area has just about anything you could need or want. Easy cable and internet access. Swamp Rabbit Trail: Reedy River Greenway: From Vision To Reality

2. Greer. Located near GSP/Easy access to I-85/ Located near Downtown Greenville, Spartanburg(relatively) and BMW. City has made a huge push in revitalizing downtown Greer and it shows. New stores/buildings/police station/city hall etc. Greer is one town in the upstate that is definitely booming and will continue to grow. No public Transportation but a huge new hospital is being built nearby. Easy internet and cable access.

3. Easley. City is growing very fast. New stores are opening all the time and just about anything you would need is available in Easley. A lot of the residents commute to Greenville everyday. No public transportation (a theme here in the upstate) Internet and cable access just about everywhere.

4. Powdersville- Growing very fast again. Lots of stores and fast food restaurants. Everything mainly located on Hwy 153. Easy access to I-85/Southern Connector but no public transportation. District one just approved a new high school to be built in Powdersville to help the overcrowding at Wren high. Should be able to get internet and cable in most areas, some of Powdersville is rural.

5. Clemson. College town. Those two words pretty much explain the town. Lots of students and faculity. The town feels deserted when school is out of session. Lots of fast food resturants and stores. Everything a college student would need. Amtrak
station in town with easy access. Public transportation is available. CAT is the largest fleet of free public transportation in the US? or East coast? one of the two. Goes from Clemson to Anderson and Tri-county tech. There are also more stops but I have never used it. Easy access to mountains and Lake Hartwell which is on the edge of town. Internet and cable access is easy due to the college students. Watch out for Clemson home football games when 100,000+ fans invade the town.

6. Seneca. Nice size town but kind of out in nowhere(IMO). Has all the main stores one would need and has very easy access to the mountains and Lake Hartwell, Lake Keowee, Lake Jocassee. I know the least about this town, maybe that is why it is last? Lots of Clemson students also live here and commute to Clemson. Mainly only go to this town passing thru on my way to the mountains.

Counties

1. Greenville County. Lots of planning by county council but has a lot more to go. Most populated county in South Carolina.

2. Pickens County. Growing fast due to Easley and other communities. A lot of rural land still available.

3. Oconee County. Known more for the beauty of the mountains and lakes than for anything else. Lots of rural land available.

My top pick would be TR or Greer in Greenville county. Again unless you live in one of these towns you will probably not hear anything about what the city or county governments have planned for the future. I have lived here (Upstate) for 25+ years and this list was kind of my off-the-top-of-my-head response. I don't live in any of these towns, but these are my impressions from visiting these towns. Sorry I couldn't help you more on the city and county governements. If you have any other questions feel free to ask! Good luck!

Just my $0.02
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Old 07-01-2008, 03:26 PM
 
Location: Travelers Rest SC
745 posts, read 2,226,832 times
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Although I don't yet live in the Upstate, I'm a big fan of the area, and we have acreage out past Travelers Rest. I love the rural feel of the area, and hope it doesn't get gobbled up too quickly! We hope to move in a couple years, and build on our land. TR does have a plan for the future:City of Travelers Rest, South Carolina | Overview
Browse the site to see what they are planning.
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Old 07-01-2008, 05:23 PM
 
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SCSkier, thank you so much for taking the time to give me your thoughts on these towns! I've printed out your post to study, for my husband to look at, and to staple in next to the communities I have packets on in Greer, TR, and Easley, especially.

I am wanting to keep an open mind about all the towns I've looked at online and on the map, but TR and Greer are gaining on me. I'm very curious about Powdersville and Easley, but once I'm there and we can drive around and see how far things are from other things, it may become easier on that score, at least, to determine what's better for us.

I understand what you say about city/county councils and so on--not everyone gets that involved in the bureaucracy. But it's just as helpful to get a sense of stuff like the ease of cable/internet/similar services, public transportation (Clemson seems to have the lead here), and property tax differences, or lot size with houses.

And flgargoyle, thanks for the tip about the TR overview! I had the home site bookmarked, but hadn't looked at that section; now that I have, it sounds as though they're aware of what the next five to ten years will likely bring. I might call their city hall phone number and see if anyone there can/would give me a newcomer's-eye view about life/living in TR.

Many thanks, you guys.
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Old 07-01-2008, 09:07 PM
 
Location: Greenville, SC/Greensboro, NC
1,997 posts, read 4,589,411 times
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Had to jump in here - lived in Seneca and Oconee County for several years - now live in Greenville. Just wanted to add info to SCSKier's post.

Seneca (and Oconee county) are FULL of retirees from the Midwest and Northeast. Very safe area. Picturesque: beautiful mountain backdrop against Lake Keowee/Jocassee. Gorgeous waterfalls scatter about the area. Nearly unlimited outdoor activities. Very short drive to Highlands, NC (45 minutes drive, elevation > 4000 ft, guaranteed 15-20 degrees cooler than Seneca).

Oconee Medical Center (where I've worked in the past) is building a new patient tower with all private rooms. The hospital staff are experienced and dedicated. Seneca has a wide variety of specialists.

As noted in other posts, shopping for the area is actually above average. Numerous grocery stores (decent ones, in fact) - Bloom is very close to Seneca. I even here that Publix may come to the new shopping development in Clemson. There is a small Belk in Seneca. I don't recall a decent cinema (stadium seating, digital sound, DLP) in the area, though.

Cable and high speed internet were spotty when I lived in the area (moved in 2006). I had cable in an older neighborhood north of Seneca on Lake Keowee - high speed internet access was not available to me until late 2003. Very surprised to find several "upscale" neighborhoods (even on the lake) had no cable at all. Charter and Northland Cable are the main players in the area (we had Charter). Satellite dishes are found at many homes. It is my understanding that DSL (thru BellSouth) is very rare in Oconee county.

Here are several older posts regarding the "Golden Corner":

Seneca, SC & surrounding areas

Senca?? Skyliner are you there??

Towns w/ Charming Historic Downtowns in NW South Carolina?

Relocate to Walhalla from Lowcountry?
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Old 07-02-2008, 10:58 AM
 
5 posts, read 18,942 times
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Thank you, drfranklin--I appreciate this information, particularly about Seneca, since I believe an earlier post mentioned it as being a higher-crime area than the others (which gave me pause). I'll continue to keep an open mind about it.

It's funny...I'd read all the links you gave me, but earlier, when I first learned about this subforum. Now that I've reread them, thanks to you, they are much more helpful--since I'm a bit more informed about the areas than I was then!

Again, thank you....

--Sona
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Old 07-03-2008, 02:15 PM
 
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Overall, I would add that Oconee county in general is a very special area. Between three large lakes that makes up the Eastern boarder of the county (Jocassee, Keowee and Hartwell from North to South), The wild and scenic Chattooga River, The Blue Ridge mountains (Yes, in South Carolina), the waterfalls, hiking trails, and so on, the natural setting is hard to beat. I personally enjoy the small town of Walhalla which is situated about 7-8 miles west of Seneca (and all the convenient shopping) but retains a small town, rural feel. I doesn't hurt hurt that this German settled town sits at the base of the Blue Ridge mountains.

In any case, Oconee County is worth real consideration. The County is currently working on, and will likely pass soon, a comprehensive land use plan. The drive to Greenville is not bad (45 min.- 1 hour) and beautiful highlands/cashiers are very close. If you like amazing natural landscapes and outdoor activities along with the comforts of everyday life, Oconee is hard to beat.
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Old 07-09-2008, 03:31 PM
 
Location: Anderson, SC
1 posts, read 3,575 times
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Default Love this area!

I just wanted to chime in with my opinions about this area.

I am also a transplant (from Cincinnati.) I moved here in 1999 to go to Clemson and fell in love with the area, so much that after I graduated I decided to stay here permanently!

I lived in Clemson while attending the University, and I now live in Anderson, which is about 20 minutes from Clemson. My husband is from Seneca, so I know a fair amount about Oconee county even though I've never lived there.

Depending on your interests, this area really has something for everyone. Greenville is very metropolitan, only without the metropolis! There you can find great dining and entertainment, arts, etc. There is plenty of shopping as well. The downtown area is small but there really is a lot to do there, and it's very charming. Every Thursday (or Friday?) night, they host a block party downtown, with live music, food, drinks, etc. They block the street off to cars so there's only pedestrian traffic, which is nice. Plus, it's free!

Oconee county is a nature lover's dream! I won't repeat everything other people have already said, but it's all true. The "Golden Corner," as it's called, is absolutely stunning. Seneca has some really nice neighborhoods on Lake Keowee, though the houses there are super expensive, especially for this area.

Clemson is only about 6 or 7 miles from Seneca. It's (obviously) a college town, but it really is quite charming. The campus is stunning, and it's home to South Carolina's Botanical Gardens, which are beautiful (and free!) There is less shopping in Clemson than Seneca, but Clemson is only about 20 minutes from Anderson, which has all the shopping you could possible ask for. There is a mall and there are several other shopping centers containing just about every major chain store you can think of, as well as most chain restaurants. Someone else mentioned a lack of movie theaters in Clemson and Seneca. That's true, but there are 2 stadium-style theaters here in Anderson, and most movie-goers in Clemson and Seneca come here when they want to see a movie. In short, their proximity to Anderson makes it easier to live in such a small town as Clemson or Seneca.

That said, bear in mind that all of the towns around here are pretty easily accessible to and from one another, so if you want to live in one town but there are things you like to do in another, it's no problem. You can do both!

You mentioned you are planning a trip in January. It's a great idea to visit the area, but may I suggest another trip in a different season? There's so much natural beauty around here that just doesn't show in the winter. Spring is beautiful, but bring the benadryl if you have allergies! You can literally SEE the pollen in the air, (but only beacuse we have so many flowers ). Winter is not too bad. We rarely see any snow, but we do get the occasional ice storm. It does get pretty cold, though. Summer is hot, but with all the lakes it's easy to find ways to cool off. Fall is my favorite. It's crisp and you can't beat the colors, especially in the mountains.

Sorry to ramble on so long, and good luck with your move!
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Old 07-10-2008, 09:41 PM
 
1 posts, read 3,543 times
Reputation: 10
Quote:
Originally Posted by drfranklin View Post
Had to jump in here - lived in Seneca and Oconee County for several years - now live in Greenville. Just wanted to add info to SCSKier's post.

Seneca (and Oconee county) are FULL of retirees from the Midwest and Northeast. Very safe area. Picturesque: beautiful mountain backdrop against Lake Keowee/Jocassee. Gorgeous waterfalls scatter about the area. Nearly unlimited outdoor activities. Very short drive to Highlands, NC (45 minutes drive, elevation > 4000 ft, guaranteed 15-20 degrees cooler than Seneca).

Oconee Medical Center (where I've worked in the past) is building a new patient tower with all private rooms. The hospital staff are experienced and dedicated. Seneca has a wide variety of specialists.

As noted in other posts, shopping for the area is actually above average. Numerous grocery stores (decent ones, in fact) - Bloom is very close to Seneca. I even here that Publix may come to the new shopping development in Clemson. There is a small Belk in Seneca. I don't recall a decent cinema (stadium seating, digital sound, DLP) in the area, though.

Cable and high speed internet were spotty when I lived in the area (moved in 2006). I had cable in an older neighborhood north of Seneca on Lake Keowee - high speed internet access was not available to me until late 2003. Very surprised to find several "upscale" neighborhoods (even on the lake) had no cable at all. Charter and Northland Cable are the main players in the area (we had Charter). Satellite dishes are found at many homes. It is my understanding that DSL (thru BellSouth) is very rare in Oconee county.

Here are several older posts regarding the "Golden Corner":

Seneca, SC & surrounding areas

Senca?? Skyliner are you there??

Towns w/ Charming Historic Downtowns in NW South Carolina?

Relocate to Walhalla from Lowcountry?

drfraklin....did you really have charter in seneca? Because I am in Central and would like to get it. Northland is not offering enough options for me to keep them
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