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My boyfriend and I are looking to relocate away from the cold New England weather in Massachusetts and are a little unsure of where to go. Here are the factors we would like to consider, any insight would help!
We have no children, so school areas are unimportant to us.
We would like to be within a half hour of the ocean, but not in a tourist driven location.
We want mild winters, not too cold and snowy/icy
I don't want excessively hot and humid summers
Beautiful scenery and things to do is a plus
Are there going to be bugs the size of my head?
My boyfriend and I are looking to relocate away from the cold New England weather in Massachusetts and are a little unsure of where to go. Here are the factors we would like to consider, any insight would help!
We have no children, so school areas are unimportant to us.
We would like to be within a half hour of the ocean, but not in a tourist driven location.
We want mild winters, not too cold and snowy/icy
I don't want excessively hot and humid summers
Beautiful scenery and things to do is a plus
Are there going to be bugs the size of my head?
Thank you all!
Greenville is a great city, with plenty of transplants from New England like yourself. I think you would really like it. Greenville is nestled in the foothills of the mountains, has four distinct seasons, mild winters, but hot and humid summers (not as hot or humid as more coastal areas of the state, but still hot like the rest of the South). The scenery is beautiful, with a great downtown, lots of outdoor options within 30 minutes to an hour from the city, and very friendly people. Bugs are not bad at all, especially compared to the Lowcountry (closer to the coast). Greenville is about three and a half hours from the closest beach, so if being 30 minutes from the beach is your #1 priority then Greenville is not what you are looking for.
I would say the greater Charleston area would be for you. Charleston itself is tourist driven, but there are places like Summerville that would suit you. The summer temps in Charleston are actually comparable to Greenville, but the winters are warmer on average. Also, summer is going to be hot and humid on many days almost anywhere in SC (unless you are sitting on the beach with a breeze!).
There are large bugs here called palmetto bugs. They are not biting bugs, but just dirty and creepy (IMO).
I would make a post on the Charleston forum to get some info on the lowcountry area of the state (since being near the ocean is part of your criteria).
well, the cockroaches in Mass are pretty small compared to palmettos. the palmettos are usually more like 2 inches long. pretty disgusting. but not a reason not to move south!
Greenville is a great city, with plenty of transplants from New England like yourself. I think you would really like it. Greenville is nestled in the foothills of the mountains, has four distinct seasons, mild winters, but hot and humid summers (not as hot or humid as more coastal areas of the state, but still hot like the rest of the South). The scenery is beautiful, with a great downtown, lots of outdoor options within 30 minutes to an hour from the city, and very friendly people. Bugs are not bad at all, especially compared to the Lowcountry (closer to the coast). Greenville is about three and a half hours from the closest beach, so if being 30 minutes from the beach is your #1 priority then Greenville is not what you are looking for.
This information is good; however, can you provide clarification on the hot and humid summers? I'm originally from an area 50 miles north of Charlotte, NC where the summers were extremely humid (take a shower, dry off, step outside and you need another towel) quite similar to Myrtle Beach, SC where my husband and I met and lived for several years. Being in the military for 22 years, we wound up in Phoenix, AZ where the summers can get over 120 degrees with 60% to 70% humidity during the monsoon season (by the way, not much rain with that monsoon season.....just lots of dust storms!).
We're planning to move back east and are looking at Greenville, SC. We want to get out of this overheated "rat-race" in Maricopa County (AZ). He'll be able to "retire" in a few months, and we'll both be looking for jobs and a home with land. We have an 8-year old daughter with cerebral palsy that will require physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. She has her challenges; however, she is currently in the 3rd grade right along with the other kids and doing alright. She uses a walker to keep up with her friends, and is a whiz on the computer or playing video games. She does not do well in this heat.....it drains her energy. We're aware that there is a Shriner's Hospital for Children located there and that the area also has a very good Children's Hospital.
Is there anything more you can tell us about the heat and humidity, the area, housing/land, and job opportunities? We are constantly searching the SCGOV website and the local City website as well. My husband will be retiring from the County Sheriff's Office and I am presently the Public Records Administrator for the Clerk of Superior Court. We would appreciate anyone with any information to please post.
This information is good; however, can you provide clarification on the hot and humid summers? I'm originally from an area 50 miles north of Charlotte, NC where the summers were extremely humid (take a shower, dry off, step outside and you need another towel) quite similar to Myrtle Beach, SC where my husband and I met and lived for several years. Being in the military for 22 years, we wound up in Phoenix, AZ where the summers can get over 120 degrees with 60% to 70% humidity during the monsoon season (by the way, not much rain with that monsoon season.....just lots of dust storms!).
We're planning to move back east and are looking at Greenville, SC. We want to get out of this overheated "rat-race" in Maricopa County (AZ). He'll be able to "retire" in a few months, and we'll both be looking for jobs and a home with land. We have an 8-year old daughter with cerebral palsy that will require physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. She has her challenges; however, she is currently in the 3rd grade right along with the other kids and doing alright. She uses a walker to keep up with her friends, and is a whiz on the computer or playing video games. She does not do well in this heat.....it drains her energy. We're aware that there is a Shriner's Hospital for Children located there and that the area also has a very good Children's Hospital.
Is there anything more you can tell us about the heat and humidity, the area, housing/land, and job opportunities? We are constantly searching the SCGOV website and the local City website as well. My husband will be retiring from the County Sheriff's Office and I am presently the Public Records Administrator for the Clerk of Superior Court. We would appreciate anyone with any information to please post.
Since we're in the northwest corner of the state; i.e closer to the mtns, thus higher elevation, the humidity here is barely noticeable. We went to Myrtle Beach last month and it was waaaay more humid then it is here. I was also in Houston last week and the humidity here doesn't even come close to Houston's. All in all, we have some of the best weather in the country year round.
The weather here is distinct four seasons with a long fall and spring. Summer is (for the most part) hot and humid - just like to rest of the South. The only real escapes from humidity (and heat) in the Southeast are far eastern TN, western NC (including Asheville), and southwest VA - there is a recent thread re humidity in Asheville: Does Asheville get humid in the summer?. I really think elevations > 4000 feet give a great break from the summer heat (Highlands, NC [elevation 4100 feet] rarely gets above 80 degrees in the summer - short drive from Greenville). Snow in Upstate SC is a rarity - although, we did get "thundersnow" on March 1st of this year. Ice is much more common (and the Greenville area can get some tremendous ice storms). Tornadoes are very rare in this area (when compared to "Dixie Alley": Dixie Alley - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).
I really enjoy the long Spring and Fall months. The transitions between seasons are quite gentle. Wild temperature swings (like in the West) are unheard of here.
Since we're in the northwest corner of the state; i.e closer to the mtns, thus higher elevation, the humidity here is barely noticeable. We went to Myrtle Beach last month and it was waaaay more humid then it is here. I was also in Houston last week and the humidity here doesn't even come close to Houston's. All in all, we have some of the best weather in the country year round.
Huh???
You should get out more. The humidity right now as I type this is 96%. That's down from the 99% it has been in the mornings this week. The humidity should drop down to 94% by this afternoon. Woohoo!
Just for comparison, Houston is running at 85% humidity today and should drop to 75% as the day continues today.
The average level of humidity for Houston for the year is 70.9 % while Greenville averages out at 75.9% for this year. Those are facts, not perceptions based on one week-long visit.
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From Phoenix to Greenville
