Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
As a whole, Virginia. I grew up and spent most of my life in NC from 1995-2009 and even though I've been living in VA since 2009 due to a sick family member (long story), I preferred VA (compared to SC, not NC) even before I moved here. The scenery is really great, especially in the Shenandoah Valley during the fall when leaves are turning color and I love visiting the Civil War battlefields at Chancellorsville, Spotsylvania, Petersburg and of course, Appomattox Court House. I been to SC a few times and wasn't real impressed, except for Myrtle Beach. The only thing I hate about traveling in VA is their notorious speed traps. Emporia and Hopewell are the worst. Drive through Emporia on I-95 or Hopewell on I-295 and you'll see what I mean. Nothing but revenue. Google "Hopewell va speed trap". NC might have speed traps of it's own, but VA's is worse IMO.
Today, North Carolina is practically a countrified and more suburban version of Virginia. South Carolina is a little like North Carolina but Deep South, we don't have anything in NC along the lines of the Low Country down in South Carolina and Georgia. Areas like Raleigh/Durham and Greensboro/Winston-Salem are more like Virginia over South Carolina, you can make comparisons along the lines of the Research Triangle/Northern Virginia and Winston-Salem/Richmond. However, head south of Raleigh (Fayetteville, Wilmington) or go to Charlotte and it's more like South Carolina or even Georgia. Overall, I'd say we're definitely more like Virginia but we have more of a good ol' boy/redneck-ish image while Virginia is kind of "sophisticated southern." That good 'ol boy reputation is definitely disappearing in some parts of North Carolina, though.
Today, North Carolina is practically a countrified and more suburban version of Virginia. South Carolina is a little like North Carolina but Deep South, we don't have anything in NC along the lines of the Low Country down in South Carolina and Georgia. Areas like Raleigh/Durham and Greensboro/Winston-Salem are more like Virginia over South Carolina, you can make comparisons along the lines of the Research Triangle/Northern Virginia and Winston-Salem/Richmond. However, head south of Raleigh (Fayetteville, Wilmington) or go to Charlotte and it's more like South Carolina or even Georgia. Overall, I'd say we're definitely more like Virginia but we have more of a good ol' boy/redneck-ish image while Virginia is kind of "sophisticated southern." That good 'ol boy reputation is definitely disappearing in some parts of North Carolina, though.
The Outer Banks and barrier islands of NC remind me much more of the VA coast than SC...pretty much everything north of Wilmington. In the Triad area there is a lot of interaction between Roanoke/Danville/Martinsville when it comes to shopping and entertainment. Pretty much all of northwest NC is very involved with VA, and really so is north central and northeast NC. I have a lot of family in VA, so I always felt more connected to it than SC. We always vacationed on the SC coast though, so I did have that connection too. I'm not sure I even realized we had a border with GA or TN until I got older, but I'm sure people who live near those borders feel connected to those states.
The Outer Banks and barrier islands of NC remind me much more of the VA coast than SC...pretty much everything north of Wilmington. In the Triad area there is a lot of interaction between Roanoke/Danville/Martinsville when it comes to shopping and entertainment. Pretty much all of northwest NC is very involved with VA, and really so is north central and northeast NC. I have a lot of family in VA, so I always felt more connected to it than SC. We always vacationed on the SC coast though, so I did have that connection too. I'm not sure I even realized we had a border with GA or TN until I got older, but I'm sure people who live near those borders feel connected to those states.
Tennessee and Georgia are basically those far off neighbors we rarely think of or interact with. Even from Asheville, it's still a trek driving over the mountains on I-40 and getting to Knoxville. Georgia, forget it. Most people in NC forget we even border Georgia, and it's probably vice versa.
The Outer Banks are more similar to Virginia and even Maryland over South Carolina. The Wilmington area has a slight Deep South flavor like South Carolina, but that doesn't really exist along the coast north of Morehead City or so. Although people around these parts vacation in South Carolina frequently, I feel like Raleigh/Durham is more connected to Virginia. For example, I rarely ran into people from South Carolina growing up in Raleigh while I encountered Virginians frequently. We're closer to the Virginia border, and you see far more Virginia license plates in the Research Triangle. Some folks who live in Virginia towns like Clarksville and South Boston even commute to Raleigh/Durham for work! A similar case for Greensboro/Winston-Salem and Danville/Martinsville.
Of the two you named, Virginia by far. Charleston is really very beautiful and I love visiting, but I have an extremely low opinion of the rest of South Carolina.
Of all our neighbors, though? Tennessee. I went to App State and visited Tennessee a number of times and found it to be a beautiful state with some extremely hospitable people and all sorts of wonderful draws. My wife and I have talked about moving to Nashville many times.
Of the two you named, Virginia by far. Charleston is really very beautiful and I love visiting, but I have an extremely low opinion of the rest of South Carolina.
Just out of curiosity, what other towns and cities in the state have you visited?
Speaking just for two of the things I love... Virginia for trains, especially Ashland, Danville and Lynchburg. South Carolina for urbex, there is sooooo much abandonment there...
I'm gonna go with South Carolina. Politics aside. Beautiful state, and they're Carolinians also. And they're part of Charlotte. So I'm gonna throw my vote to SC.
Charleston and Greenville are great cities.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The Outer Banks and barrier islands of NC remind me much more of the VA coast than SC...pretty much everything north of Wilmington. In the Triad area there is a lot of interaction between Roanoke/Danville/Martinsville when it comes to shopping and entertainment. Pretty much all of northwest NC is very involved with VA, and really so is north central and northeast NC. I have a lot of family in VA, so I always felt more connected to it than SC. We always vacationed on the SC coast though, so I did have that connection too. I'm not sure I even realized we had a border with GA or TN until I got older, but I'm sure people who live near those borders feel connected to those states.
