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I'd like to get an idea of what those who've moved to the MB area think about their decision. It doesn't matter how long ago it was or where you came from (though It'd be interesting to hear). Are you happy, content, dissapointed or ready to try somewhere else or head back to where you came from?
I may be in a position to relocated there and wanted to know what others who've already moved think about living in Myrtle Beach.
This is just my opinion/experience and you can have a totally differnet one once moving here. (don't get mad at me people) I moved here 2.5 years ago from NJ and if I could I would probably move back. It's not so much that I don't like it here it's more that I miss where I'm from. It's very different and even though I did fly down several times looking at houses, I didn't realize how different until I moved here. I'm more of a city "type" person and this is not the city. Maybe I should have looked more into Charleston before moving, I don't know. There are great things about living here I really appreciate and no place is perfect, that's for sure. The weather is fantastic and of course being from NJ the low taxes are great. Beautiful trees, birds but lots of bugs, snakes and lizards. I don't want to make a list of what I don't like but if I could do it over I would have stayed in NJ. Keeping in mind, I moved here right when the economy went down the tubes, I also started to have health issues and it's hard to make new friends when you work from home, so some of my discontent has nothing to do with this area. All I can say is do a lot of research, list things that are important to you and what doesn't really matter if you don't have it any more. See how that all fits in to this area by asking questions. If you're not buying a house right away or moving with a family, then you can always easily move back to where you're from if you don't like it. Good luck!
Moved here about 4 years ago from Maryland. My wife and I are in our mid-fifties and were ready to retire. In Maryland we lived about halfway between Baltimore and Washington. Our entertainment in that area was big city things like Orioles and Ravens games, fireworks on the mall in DC, concerts at the Meyerhoff in Balt., etc. If you're used to these big-city types of things, the Grand Strand can be a little dull. Charlotte is about 3 1/2 hours from here, Atlanta is 6.
Now having said that, where we live (a development near Murrells Inlet) it feels like I have moved to New Jersey. Everyone on my street has moved here from either New Jersey or New York and complains about how nothing here is as good as it was up north. Which brings up the local's refrain, "we don't care how you did it up north."
Now, I should preface all this by saying that our interest in moving here was inspired by two things, living near the beach (we go maybe twice a week in April-October) and wanting to live in the South. Over the years we always vacationed in the South. We found warm weather, warmer people, and beautiful surroundings. When we arrived here we knew we would want new friendships, so we got involved in church activites. As a result of our son being in the high school band, we got involved in band boosters and met some great folks. The northern transplants on our street were also looking for the same thing, so we have friendships with lots of those folks. The move for us has turned out to be great in that we can reconcile with smaller-town life. Coastal Carolina sports and the MB Pelicans can scratch my itch for sports, there are several local theater groups and/or small symphonies, there are lots of stores for shopping and restaurants here, and Charleston is only 1 1/2 hours away, though Charleston is a small, but very beautiful city (Pop. 70,000 or so).
To sum up weather here is great (your winter coat will be a hoodie), housing costs and real estate taxes, if your moving from the northeast, are very attractive. The friends you make will be "on you" just like anywhere else you would move. If you need to work though, make sure you have a position before you come, as currently jobs openings are nonexistent here.
The first thing you'll realize is that living at the beach is very, very different than vacationing at the beach. Rather than being a tourist, you'll realize how annoying tourists can be. We moved here about 10 years ago from another part of the Carolinas. The honemoon lasted about 3 years. Since then, we have at least 1 or 2 "it's time to move" discussions every year. Falling home prices have put those discussions on hold, but I'm sure they'll resume. We don't regret moving here, but not sure we want to spend the rest of our lives here. It's very much a love/hate situation.
When we vacationed here, we loved being on the beach. Now, we try to make ourselves go at least once/week, whether we really want to or not. There are a wide selection of excellent restaurants, but you'll soon realize you will be frequently sharing them with (1) crying babies whose parents have kept them out too long, (2) a loud group of drunk golfers who are just having a good time, or (3) visitors complaining because they can't get something nearly as good as it is "back home". All of that is acceptable because they all are tourists, and the primary drivers of our economy. Then you'll run into the restaurant manager with the "head 'em up and move 'em out" mentality because his pay is based on volume. That is NOT acceptable but is still too often the norm. Oh yeah, forget about making left turns on main roads during summer months. The good side is, as a local, you'll soon learn some backroads to help you survive.
I was going to avoid the north/south thing, but since Teddyterp brought it up.... If you move here, you should not expect to find a Southern culture. Other than the heat and humidity, there is really very little of the South left in this area. Most Southerners view it as an expensive place to live, most northerners are amazed by the "low" cost of living. For that reason, most Southerners choose to come here for vacation, then go home. As Teddyterp said, it indeed often feels like living in a part of NJ that broke off and floated south. Whether that's good or bad is strictly a personal opinion.
Am a ready to leave? Yeah, but it's almost August, and it's been a long hot crowded summer. Ask me again in late October or November, and more than likely you'll get a very different answer.
Some very good feeback, thanks. We did live in VA Beach for 4 years, so in a way I kinda get what you're all saying. MB will be smaller of course, but the transplants and tourist thing is similair. Keep em coming if there are more of ya.
We lived in MB for 7 years and left for bigger city living in Charlotte. I loved the beach and the laid-back lifestyle down there, but we had had enough with the slow, slow pace (read: laziness), nepotism, and complete lack of culture. It is like a different world down there where the trends that are popular in other parts of the country come years late. There are still times I miss it, especially the beach, but it is nice to live in a city where you don't run into someone you know every time you leave the house.
It really depends on where you are coming from and what you are looking for. I did not find all the northern transplants another poster talked about. I did find some sweet, albeit extremely narrow-minded Horry county southerners, and I can honestly say I'm happy to be living in a slightly more progressive area of the south. I think if you are a go-with-the-flow type of person who doesn't mind living somewhere that is about 10 years behind larger cities as far as infrastructure, local government, style, culture, etc is concerned, then you might be ok there. I don't mean to sound so negative...it's very hard to explain, but I think some other city transplants would probably know what I mean. Good luck, and I'd be happy to answer any specific questions you have!
We moved from NJ 2 1/2 years ago - if I could move back I would! But my husband loves it here and wouldn't move back.
The good things - our house is paid for, with selling our home up in NJ we were able to pay for our home in SC. Our taxes are much lower, love the weather in the winter, our car insurance is less, love being close to the beach.
Our son is in school, and I really do miss the schools in NJ.
There is more that I miss about NJ then the good things here. We lived about 20 min. outside of NY - not that we went that much but I miss the opportunity to go.
Most of my neighbors are also all from NJ/NY area -
Comment about transplants: I know there might be a lot in some parts of the area but in other parts there are not. Most of the people that live around me are not only from SC but from this area, so I don't have the NE transplants others have talked about.
About slow pace: People say it's a slower pace. I haven't see slower here at all. I think service (for the most part) is excellent here and fast and people drive faster then what I was use to, so I never see that "slow pace" thing people talk about.
Last edited by Global Friend; 08-01-2009 at 09:39 AM..
I think the slow pace most people refer to (in my case as well) is more about just life in general and not driving. People drive fast all over the south. It's more slow service (not necessarily bad service, just slower than northerners or city people are used to), more relaxed atmosphere in general. The quality of life we had down there was actually quite good because the general atmosphere of southern beach living is so laid back and relaxed. Nobody is in a hurry for anything, so you usually aren't either.
It's such a hard thing to explain, you really have to live it.
I've been here about 5 months after moving from Maryland. I have lived in NY, SF bay area and Iowa. If you are looking for high culture this is not the place. You could go to Charleston for a day or a weekend trip for that. I have to say I do like it here. I'm semi retired and for me this is a very good place to live. I'ts not perfect but what place on Earth is? It's not hard to avoid the traffic if you plan accordingly. The beaches are great and the water is just the right temp. to cool you off. The ocean breezes are great too. Yes the people living here are laid back. When I had a contractor paint the inside of a house it took a few days longer to have it finished. No big deal. If you want a hectic pace and cooler weather, there are lot's of big cities in the North East and Mid West to go to. Of course thern you have ice and snow too. This is the place to slow down and take it easy. So it's hot and humid for a few months. You'll get used to it. That's what they made air conditioning for! But it's not for everyone. Jobs have low pay mostlly. If you are a professional, self employed or have another income stream it would be better. I know nothing about the schools. Some of the newer developments look to be less than well built but I think that's everywhere, not just here. Housing is less expensive than in most big cities and suburbs. About half as much where I last was in Maryland. People are very friendly here too, I have found. You usually get back what you put out, as they say.
Good luck with your choice,
B
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We moved here about 10 years ago from another part of the Carolinas. The honemoon lasted about 3 years. Since then, we have at least 1 or 2 "it's time to move" discussions every year. Falling home prices have put those discussions on hold, but I'm sure they'll resume. We don't regret moving here, but not sure we want to spend the rest of our lives here. It's very much a love/hate situation.
