Thinking of Relocating from NJ to SC- please help!
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Wow, what a treasure trove of resources- thank you! I will look at the links more in-depth later, but just from a quick scan I can see that the Black Mountain area is absolutely gorgeous and right up my alley.
I really appreciate your insights and very much share your understanding of rural cultural backwater vs. rural gorgeous and peaceful.
I will absolutely do more research on these areas and I thank you again very much!
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,809 posts, read 34,645,152 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by MJD27
Wow, thank you all so very much for your responses and for sharing your knowledge and insights with me. This forum is truly a wonderful place to get a real idea of what life is like where you want to relocate, and I'm very grateful for its existence!
southbound:
I will certainly look further into the I-85 areas you mentioned that are loaded with my fellow Yankees. One thing I did notice in my research, however, is that whenever I looked up Atlanta metro areas or Charlotte metro area (GA, NC, SC, and FL were original starting points in research), crime rates were mentioned as being a problem. It was actually something that was mentioned frequently enough to sort of steer me in another direction. Do you find this to be the case? I know that sometimes statistics can generalize and be off the mark, since they might be referencing Atlanta itself, not the surrounding areas. Thank you so much, southbound!
BobKovacs:
Thank you very much for your insight. I may be better off sticking to GA or NC, then, but can you tell me what makes SC more "old South", at least by your definition?
And I wholeheartedly agree with you and will certainly be visiting whichever area we decide on numerous times before making the big move. I'm going into this process with the intention of doing mounds of research and uncovering as much information as I can, which is why I'm starting about one or two years beforehand.
Once again, thank you so much for your response.
Rollingon:
Thank you so much for your response and for sharing your knowledge. Some people have already mentioned Fort Mill to me, so that is a place I will look into. Charlotte may be an area that I would like, as well- I will do more research. I wasn't aware that SC is more rigidly conservative than NC- thank you for mentioning that.
Although I have gone to concerts and visited museums in NYC, I must admit, I am not an avid citygoer and so the "big city" options and feel doesn't particularly matter to me. It's nice to visit but it's not a necessity for me. I prefer peace and quiet and seeing and having some land, personally. I like the "less hectic" part that you mentioned, as well. Do you think I should post this question in the NC forum or GA forum, as well?
Thanks again, everyone, for your input!
I'm 30 miles west of Charlotte in a small town called Kings Mountain. It's on I 85 & I can be into most of Charlotte in 30 minutes to an hour, depending where. I'm also 40 miles north of Spartanburg SC.
The native North Carolinians who I've met in this area don't like SC, in general, but they don't have a problem going to Spartanburg. I've heard this comment more than once: Humph! South Carolina! Going there is like going back in time!
I've made a few very short trips down & back & my observation is that the people are decidedly less friendly. This is before I open my mouth, & the most that they might be aware of is that I have a NC tag on my car. I have not been to Spartanburg, though, yet.
There is a lot of automotive industry around Greenville & Spartanburg, because of the BMW plant in Greer, SC. However, I'm not aware of NASCAR stuff in that area.
When coming south, you get on 85 in Petersburg, VA (The last WaWa is there). There's a whole lot of nothing until you hit Henderson, NC. There's a slight gap between Henderson & Durham, then a small gap & you get to Burlington After a small gap you hit the Triad (Greensboro, Winston-Salem, & High Point + some other smaller towns) There are a series of small towns between the Triad & Charlotte. Mooresville is one of those towns & Concord is another (The big NASCAR track is there.) after Charlotte, there are several small towns & then Gastonia. My town is just after Gastonia & is 10 miles from the state line. You might not always see something as you travel along I 85, but it's almost nonstop of cities & towns through NC, once you hit Henderson. Most places have their own personality, as in NJ. Many are hurting right now because of losing so many mills & furniture factories to offshoring. The state is being proactive, trying to get new businesses in.
Crime is everywhere, but there are ways to check on it, so when you start focusing on some areas, ask.
Last edited by southbound_295; 02-05-2011 at 06:34 PM..
Reason: typo
. Best to lose your accent before you come if possible.
Hi, I'm the OP's Mom!
I am excited to move out of NJ, for all the reasons my daughter mentioned. It is becoming far too expensive to live here, and since I'm somewhat close to retirement, I would love to relocate to a warmer climate. (California? One can dream...)
Sgoldie, thanks for your input; however, I just wanted to clarify:
Spoiler
We don't have accents, you do! Seriously, we sound the same, except for maybe a few words here and there. And I wouldn't "lose" the accent I allegedly have for anything.
I can't honestly pinpoint why I wouldn't recommend SC. I drive through it regularly, and see very little in the way of building going on. They have been doing roadwork on I-85, and it's much better than it used to be, but a speed trap is almost guaranteed as you pass from county to county. I do know the schools are generally not highly regarded, and since you are pregnant that's something to consider. There are lots of confederate shops, firework outlets and chain stores, but not a lot of charm.
My parents moved from NJ to Hendersonville, NC. That's another place that probably has more transplants than natives. They adjusted very quickly and never regretted their choice. Asheville is close by, with lots of things to do, but it isn't really a bargain area, as it caters to many tourists with all the art galleries, shops and the Biltmore House.
Can you stand to be far away from the beach after living in NJ? That's what I miss the most, although living close to the ocean is certainly an option in NC, SC or GA.
We ended up in GA (after a few years in FL) due to a job transfer. We are north of the city, in a very pretty city called Milton, which reminds me of western NJ. I do not consider crime a major issue at all. We had more burglaries in our gated neighborhood in FL. The schools on the north side of Atlanta are all very good.
I have been doing more research, hence the reason why I haven't posted in a couple of days, and I've narrowed down a few things.
First, after looking at stats for NC, SC, and GA, and after considering the posts on these forums and lots of research, it seems to me that NC has the right mixture of things we are looking for- home prices, cost of living, political/social/cultural environment, etc. After looking at the different areas of NC, it seems that the "Piedmont" area specifically would be ideal for us. Thank you very much, southbound, for your insights and for pointing out the differences between SC and NC for a northeasterner such as myself. There are some things that books and research just don't tell you. Mattie, thank you also for shedding light on the schools and general vibe of SC. Thank you also for pointing out Hendersonville, though it seems that the Asheville area is a bit higher in price than we're looking for, as you mentioned. I can handle being far away from the beach- it takes us a couple of hours now (with NJ traffic) to get there anyway, so it won't be a huge sacrifice for us. After visiting other beaches in other states, the Jersey Shore isn't the best anyway- especially now that the terrible parts of it are broadcast for all to see on national TV .
Some of the best rated places in NC are Cary, Matthews and Charlotte area, and Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill areas. Both Cary and Matthews turn up consistently in "Best Places to Live" lists for education, crime, cost of living, etc. I have looked up home prices in these areas, and all seem affordable within our budget, though in Cary and generally the Chapel Hill area seem a bit higher than I would like. In these areas, it does seem that there are a lot of transplants, and it also seems that the lifestyle and political/social climate are more to my liking, as well.
These are my preliminary findings (I'm still doing research) so I would appreciate it if anyone could give me their opinions or observations on these areas.
For instance, would you recommend the Charlotte metro area over the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area or vice versa? And why? Are there any specific things that I should be aware of that may not turn up in my research (intangibles)? Let me know your thoughts in general!
As always, thank you SO much for your help and opinions- as I mentioned, there are some things that books don't tell you about a particular area, and that's why this forum is so great!!!
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,809 posts, read 34,645,152 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by MJD27
Hello all (especially Mom)!
I have been doing more research, hence the reason why I haven't posted in a couple of days, and I've narrowed down a few things.
First, after looking at stats for NC, SC, and GA, and after considering the posts on these forums and lots of research, it seems to me that NC has the right mixture of things we are looking for- home prices, cost of living, political/social/cultural environment, etc. After looking at the different areas of NC, it seems that the "Piedmont" area specifically would be ideal for us. Thank you very much, southbound, for your insights and for pointing out the differences between SC and NC for a northeasterner such as myself. There are some things that books and research just don't tell you. Mattie, thank you also for shedding light on the schools and general vibe of SC. Thank you also for pointing out Hendersonville, though it seems that the Asheville area is a bit higher in price than we're looking for, as you mentioned. I can handle being far away from the beach- it takes us a couple of hours now (with NJ traffic) to get there anyway, so it won't be a huge sacrifice for us. After visiting other beaches in other states, the Jersey Shore isn't the best anyway- especially now that the terrible parts of it are broadcast for all to see on national TV .
Some of the best rated places in NC are Cary, Matthews and Charlotte area, and Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill areas. Both Cary and Matthews turn up consistently in "Best Places to Live" lists for education, crime, cost of living, etc. I have looked up home prices in these areas, and all seem affordable within our budget, though in Cary and generally the Chapel Hill area seem a bit higher than I would like. In these areas, it does seem that there are a lot of transplants, and it also seems that the lifestyle and political/social climate are more to my liking, as well.
These are my preliminary findings (I'm still doing research) so I would appreciate it if anyone could give me their opinions or observations on these areas.
For instance, would you recommend the Charlotte metro area over the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area or vice versa? And why? Are there any specific things that I should be aware of that may not turn up in my research (intangibles)? Let me know your thoughts in general!
As always, thank you SO much for your help and opinions- as I mentioned, there are some things that books don't tell you about a particular area, and that's why this forum is so great!!!
Raleigh/Durham (The Triangle), The Triad, & Charlotte are the 3 Piedmont metros.
Matthews is on the east side of Charlotte, in Mecklenburg County. Cary is in the Triangle.
If your husband wants to get into working at a dealer or a garage, you can pick any of the 3 & be perfectly happy. NC has an extensive university system & each metro has a campus of UNC.
If he wants to get into something NASCAR related, the Charlotte metro or the southern end of the Triad is best. Even if he decides to go with a dealer, but wants to work on getting into NASCAR, look in an area that will allow that without relocating. There is a lot of NASCAR stuff in Iredell County in & near Mooresville. There is also some NASCAR stuff in Lincoln County.
The Charlotte metro is huge, so he needs to decide what he's looking for so that you can decide where you're looking.
There's a lot of little stuff to get into, but a lot is covered in posts on the NC board & the boards for the specific metros.
I am from New Jersey and moved down here 10 years ago and have regretted it ever since . If you are about to have a baby I would highly recommend staying in New Jersey. It has a much better school system and the people Down here are ALL Ignorant. But we are two different people .
I am from New Jersey and moved down here 10 years ago and have regretted it ever since . If you are about to have a baby I would highly recommend staying in New Jersey. It has a much better school system and the people Down here are ALL Ignorant. But we are two different people .
The post ypu responded to was written in 2011. Unless the OP is an elephant, she had that baby already long ago.
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- thank you! I will look at the links more in-depth later, but just from a quick scan I can see that the Black Mountain area is absolutely gorgeous and right up my alley.
. One thing I did notice in my research, however, is that whenever I looked up Atlanta metro areas or Charlotte metro area (GA, NC, SC, and FL were original starting points in research), crime rates were mentioned as being a problem. It was actually something that was mentioned frequently enough to sort of steer me in another direction. Do you find this to be the case? I know that sometimes statistics can generalize and be off the mark, since they might be referencing Atlanta itself, not the surrounding areas. Thank you so much, southbound!
Seriously, we sound the same, except for maybe a few words here and there. And I wouldn't "lose" the accent I allegedly have for anything.
.
