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Can anyone say...South Carolina?...as in Columbia...Irmo...Lake Murray....Lexington...Greeneville...the islands off the coast...Isle of Palms...(etc.)...Charleston. South Carolina, is a very inexpensive place to live. It is rated in the top 10 in US News and World Report as one of the best places to retire.
We do not have mold or rampant users of septic systems. Food is not taxed. Social Security income is not taxed. Retired persons receive a huge break on their home personal property tax. For example, I live in a 3700 Sq. ft. house in Irmo, SC (a suburb of extremely low crime; 10 miles from the center of Columbia), and pay less than $1000.00 per year in property tax. Gas prices are some of the cheapest in the nation.
We have many many cultural and recreational opportunities beginning with Lake Murray, a 600 mile shoreline lake (hydro-power), theaters, three rivers converging in the Columbia area with many recreational opportunities; Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens (top 10 in the country); outdoor band concerts weekly in warm weather, held in The Vista, Columbia City Ballet...on...and on...and on...Much to much to note here.
I am a transplant from NY state and have lived here since 1985. I would be hard pressed to live elsewhere....check out SC.
We must live in 2 different South Carolina's! I would move back home to Upstate NY in a heartbeat!
My ENTIRE development are on septic tanks. That's 197 houses each with it's on tank. The lots are as small as .25 acres. A handful are an acre. 95% are .46 acres and under.
No mold? Come visit my bathroom! I live a brand new house and yup there's mold from all of the moisture here.
You're full of it when you say food isn't taxed! The STATE MANDATES a 1% tax on ALL food in stores. Don't know where you're grocery shopping and not paying that 1%.
Yes, we have cheap property taxes, but you get what you pay for. Our school system SUCKS and that is the nicest thing I can say about it. The state colleges are a joke. Tuition is VERY pricey for state schools. Many of the roads are complete crap also. Many are falling apart or have no lines since they've worn away.
There is not ONE nature lake in SC. Every single one is man made. Many of them have nuclear power plants on them and that's what they were made for. That's but I'll take the glacier carved Finger Lakes any day over on with a nuclear power plant sitting on it. Especially since Skaneateles Lake is one of 6 lakes in the country you can drink from that doesn't need filtration and cleaning.
Let's not pretend SC is the greatest place on earth. It works for you, great. But it's NOT for everyone! I admit I was one of those the grass is greener folks. Yeah, well my grass here is dead brown from the drought that's been going on for years. Never had a drought in my 35 years of Upstate NY. Grass was always green and needing mowing.
There is not ONE nature lake in SC. Every single one is man made. Many of them have nuclear power plants on them and that's what they were made for. That's but I'll take the glacier carved Finger Lakes any day over on with a nuclear power plant sitting on it. Especially since Skaneateles Lake is one of 6 lakes in the country you can drink from that doesn't need filtration and cleaning.
Precisely what I was telling my wife earlier today on the return trip from upstate NY. There is not one lake in the southeast that compares with the lakes in upstate NY. Lake George, Otsego Lake, Cayuga Lake, it's all good!!
My wife heard the other day that people that moved down south from ny are now moving back. has anybody you know (yourself included) done this? If so why? We're wondering because we've thought from time to time about moving down south but would like to know the downsides that other northerners have experienced.
Hi, I'm not from NY, but I was raised in Rhode Island, moved to Ft. Lauderdale, FL 30 years ago, and now live in Lake Placid, Florida. Love both places.
First, keep in mind that some people complain: it's what they do. It is possible that the people who complain about living in the South do just as much complaining about living in the North. Yes, when they are complaining about the South, they'll have wonderful things to say about the North; but when they're not complaining about someplace else, they're usually complaining about where they are.
Second, it depends on the exact location they lived in Florida - not the town, not the area: the exact location. Florida changes from block to block. Example: in Lauderdale by the Sea, there are million dollar condos on the beach and $600.00-$800.00 rental apartments 5 blocks inland. You can have a beautiful house at the end of the street, especially if it's on water, and plain, inexpensive houses at the beginning of the street.
In almost all the coastal towns in South Florida, crime is kept low on the ocean, and gets higher the further inland you go. However, that also depends on the exact location: I shared a mobile home with a friend in a mobile home park in the middle of a very high crime area, and the worst thing that ever happened was petty theft such as bicycles stolen from the driveway/carport, and that was rare; and I felt safe walking my little dog anytime of the day or night - which for me included the hours between midnight and 6:00 am.
When you pass that high-crime area, and head much further out, i.e. Plantation or Weston, except for the heat and the palm trees, it's not like living in Florida, IMO; you could live in any busy suburban area in almost any State, and have the same housing, shopping, chain restaurants, etc., BUT there are people who love living out there.
Third, if you wait patiently through the litany of all the reasons they don't like Florida, the majority of people will finally get to, "my kids live up North," or "my parents are getting older and need my help," or "my husband/wife died, and I want to go home so I'm not alone," some variation of missing family and friends. Even though many people complaining about Florida put that at the end of the list, I think it's the primary reason. Either personal circumstances changed, or they thought living in Florida would be worth being away from their family, and it wasn't.
Finally, some people miss the change of seasons; and believe it or not, some people even miss the snow. *insert shocked-face emoticon here* :-)
Last edited by LovingLakePlacid; 05-12-2012 at 10:29 AM..
Reason: Too many to list.
I lived in Texas for a few years, and I chose to move back to Buffalo (Specifically) because I couldn't tolerate the backwardness of that state, in general.
I liked most about living there, other than the people. Racism was rampant, nepotism is the rule, and people felt the best way to solve issues was through violence.
I agree with that. Not a lot of northern transplants in the areas you mentioned CK (well Nashville has some but nothing like the Carolina's).
swtchft77, The heat & humidity are going to get you no matter where you go south but as long as you stay out of Texas & the southern half of the Gulfcoast states its not going to be unbearably hot but you will need to run the A/C more often than not. Outdoor activities are entirely possible all summer long but that will be up to you. I lived in Central Texas for years & ran 3-5 miles outside every day & went hiking all the time. I wouldnt recommend it in mid afternoon when its 105+ but you can easily adjust your schedule & make time early in the morning or later in the day if it is something that is important to you. Some northerners either don't mind the heat or get use to it fast & do stuff outside all summer long ...... others choose to sit in their house all summer & complain about the heat ..... its really going to be what you make of it. One sure fire way to get on the bad side of the locals is to constantly complain about the heat & humidity.
Ive never heard that you couldnt swim in the lakes down south, in fact Ive boated & swam a lot in the south. Now there are lakes I wouldnt get into because of Water Moccasins/Cottonmouths, Crocs & Gators but thats another issue all together.
I lived in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. I decided to move back to NY this year. The weather was pleasant most of the year but don't let them tell you it doesn't get cold or snow in the Winter down there. Also they have wicked storms and tornadoes. The Summers were brutal especially in Alabama and Tennessee. Southern hospitality is overrated. People will speak to you on the street but most of the time you're in your car. In Memphis they said only 3% of the population had college degrees. I found it hard to get anything but teaching jobs there. The racial divide is ridiculous! I heard the term yankee thrown around and I didn't like it. Are African-Americans yankees? After a while living in these places got to be boring, repetitive and unexciting. After leaving them I've never missed any of these southern places. I never swam in the lakes but what with the Water Moccasins, Crocs and Gators mentioned I'm glad I didn't.
You're an African-American & they called you as Yankee?? Wow. Speaking of Yankees, I always found it a little unsettling how in just about every small town in the deep south they seem to have a monument or memorial celebrating the racists & traitors of the CSA as national heroes.
I moved back to NY from FL because southerners live life differently than the way I prefer to.
- They talk way too slow.
- Constantly ask me why I "talk funny". At least I don't say "ya'll" or other stupid terms like that.
- They drive either like maniacs or way too slow.
- The bugs are disgusting and literally make me want to scream like a little girl.
- Most southerners are very close-minded to anything new and I don't like that. I'm not saying I'm super-liberal, but jeez, they didn't even like the way I tied my shoes (long story).
- There isn't too much to do in the south unless you're a tourist. Sure, living next to the ocean is ok but there really isn't much to do besides that unless you LOVE hanging out at the local fast food joint.
- North Carolina smells like fried chicken every morning and that got old after about 2 days.
- South Carolina's roads shouldn't even be considered roads.
- South Carolina is also the dirtiest state in the nation if you ask me. I stopped in multiple places there and everywhere I went was a complete dump.
- Virginia is very dirty as well (Richmond area is where I was) but the people are a little more tolerable.
- Kentucky and Tennessee should just be renamed the Confederacy.
- The most annoying the about southern people is whenever they need to end a conversation with you, they'll just say something like "Well I'm done talking to you so go back to NY." Like seriously man, what is your deal? Did I really bother you that much by asking a question? Next time I'm walking down a street in NY and encounter a southerner I guess I'll shoot them the same respect back which they seem to think is ok to give. GO BACK TO THE SOUTH!
Ok, the last one was a bit ranty but really it's happened to me before, quite often.
Overall, I'd rather be brutally nailed by snow in the face every morning on my way to work during the winter instead of putting with all the South doesn't have to offer me.
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Summer in the South
