Hollywood, SC...anyone from there? (Charleston, Goose Creek: rentals, loft, houses)

[movingtosouthcarolina]

We are moving to SC soon. Hubby will work for the Navy. We are looking to find a rental in the country type setting. We have seen an ad for a place in Hollywood. Anyone have any ideas or thoughts on the area? Good, bad, indifferent? We just want a nice safe place to raise our family. Thanks so much and have a great day!

[wesacat]

Hi Moving,
Hollywood is a very small (one street) town about 30 to 40 min. south of Charleston. It is a poor town with a mostly black population. The schools in that area are not the best either. However, there is a lot of isolated country land there and very inexpensive.
You might want to look at places on the outskirts of Summerville or Moncks Corner. Smvl is closer to Chas, has good schools and is a growing town. The outlining areas are still country though. MC is about an hour from Chas. and is much more rural, although it too is growing. There is a large lake there and a lot of forest nearby.
Hope that helps.

[movingtosouthcarolina]

Thanks for the reply. We are a mixed family, as in some of the kids are bi-racial through adoption. I am curious if they would be well received?? We homeschool, so school isn't really an issue for us. Although we would like to know the kids around us are educated. However, we are open to all walks of life. People have been steering us to Summerville all along. Wonder if that's where we are meant to be, so to speak? It's just quite expensive the close to Chas. you get. Thanks again!

[wesacat]

Well, to tell ya the truth, Im not sure ANYone would be well received in Hollywood. LOL It's kind of a "you aint from around these parts, are ya?" kinda place.
Yes, Summerville is growing rapidly, as are all the small outlying areas of Chas. Try a little further out from town, like say, Jedburg or Givhans. Not sure if they have rental property there though. Moncks Corner is still a good bet also. Kind of a long commute to Chas. though if thats where your husband is going to work. Smvl and MC both are racially mixed and you shouldn't have any trouble. I'd say come live near us in Goose Creek but we aren't country anymore. The city grew up and swallowed our little town.

[movingtosouthcarolina]

LOL okay well that's well said and well received. I need honest truth! I don't want to hate where I live or anything. I would love to come to Goose Creek as that is where hubby will be working at the Weapons Station. If you can find me a rental that is! We need at least 3 bedrooms, 2 baths...we prefer 4 bedrooms, or at least a den or loft in addition to the other rooms. We don't want a long commute as we do that now! I don't mind it not being country for the right neighbors, shopping, and such. I don't want crime, or sloppy yards, junk cars, etc...know what I mean?

[scjj]

If you live in Hollywood it would be a long commute to the weapons station. Very long in fact. Like suggested above, Moncks Corner or Goose Creek is the best location. You might want to look in Hanahan also.

[movingtosouthcarolina]

I have spoken to a few people and also read on this forum even that living near Goose Creek (well ANYWHERE) near the Weapons Station is a big mistake. Hollywood isn't too bad of a commute, but MC seems like it would be...just according to mapquest...but I don't live there, so I don't know about all the connectors and such. We don't want to have traffic that's for sure. We want to live a peaceful life with a nice commute, or live close to his job where he could maybe use public transportation. We don't mind driving 30 miles or so, but if it's not a nice drive, or we don't live in a nice area, it makes it hard! Thanks so much. We are totally open to ideas!

[SCBeaches]

Originally Posted by movingtosouthcarolina

LOL okay well that's well said and well received. I need honest truth! I don't want to hate where I live or anything. I would love to come to Goose Creek as that is where hubby will be working at the Weapons Station. If you can find me a rental that is! We need at least 3 bedrooms, 2 baths...we prefer 4 bedrooms, or at least a den or loft in addition to the other rooms. We don't want a long commute as we do that now! I don't mind it not being country for the right neighbors, shopping, and such. I don't want crime, or sloppy yards, junk cars, etc...know what I mean?

Having taught in and commuted to Hollywood from James Island for 3 years (many years ago) I can vouch that newcomers, no matter what race, aren't well received. EVERYONE is related to EVERYONE else out there and they fight amongst themselves (a lot of shootings out there), but no one else had better step in or say anything about anyone else. Very tight community. On top of that there is a definite racial line in Hollywood, as illustrated with their recent mayoral/town council problems. There was a white mayor (first ever, I believe) but no one would go along with any of his decisions or work with him because of his race - police officers actually had to come to the council meetings to prevent violence, but there were still fights. There is a newly-elected black woman mayor but there are STILL problems making the news. Too much upheaval for me!

Try Johns Island, West Ashley, or even further out the other direction towards Ridgeville, St. George, Reevesville, etc. My brother just bought a house in Holly Hill, which is actually Orangeburg County, and commutes to Mt. Pleasant everyday because he likes the peace and quiet of a small town and also the LOW prices. He bought a cute 3 bedroom Craftsman-type bungalowwith a large porch and 3/4 acre yard for $88,000!! He couldn't have touched this house in the immediate Charleston area for under $250,000. You might try looking in that area. (Very friendly community too...he even had a neighbor lady bring him a homemade pie his second day there - you don't see that anymore!)

[movingtosouthcarolina]

Wow! Thanks so much for your honesty and insight. We aren't going to subject our children to racial problems if we can help it. Of course, it's everywhere in a sense, but we don't want to live somewhere by choice which carries on like that. Thanks for the tip of Holly Hill. I did see a rental out that way, but if I remember correctly, it was quite a hike for a commute. We just want to rent for the first year so we know where we want/don't want to live! Thanks again!

[wesacat]

Ohhh ok..well if he's working in GC and you don't mind not being in the country then I see no problem with Goose Creek. I've lived all over the lowcountry and have been in GC for the past 17 years. I've never had any problems here. I live in an older neighborhood called Boulder Bluff which has a reputation of being a bad place but I've never seen it.
GC has plenty of rental properties. The houses on either side of mine are rentals. It is racially mixed and we don't have a lot of racial strife. There's shopping here...well...walmart. LOL and a few restaurants. All and all its not a bad place to live...unless you are, like my partner and I, of a different sexual orientation. I've had some problems from the city because of that and we've decided maybe its time for us to just leave.
Hope things work out for ya!