Hilton Head Island (North: rent, house, live)

[obrienbluff]

I have lived here all my life. I know a sour puss with a bad attitude when I see one. I am not offensive but when I see one coming I run. Most residents do the same. We do not owe you anything and we really do not care to change this place to what you expect. This goes not just for tourists but for people who move here and can not adjust. My family has been here for over 150 years and we welcome all who come. We do not easily accomidate those who are here to stretch a buck. Quality has a price & I believe you were not willing or able to ante up. Sorry for the tone of this note.

[Baja Boomer]

Originally Posted by DAVID_S

I'm used to manicured lawns, great homes, clean beaches, good restaurants, and nice stores & malls.

I sympathize with your experience. I had a similar experience, very unpleasant, in Miami. God forbid I should ever have to go back to such a rude, phony baloney place again.

If you are used to the 'cosmopolitan' atmosphere you describe and prefer that, then you should be careful to either vacation at home or find other places just like it.

Personally, I travel in order to experience places and people different from what I might be used to. I find it exhilarating, educational and mind-broadening. I suspend my expectations and just take it as I find it; sometimes I'm pleased, sometimes not. It is true that in my travels I have experienced bigotry, rude people and other unpleasantness-- but that has been the exception rather than the rule (except in Miami, lol). I have also found, in the deep south, that the politeness and good manners displayed are often only skin deep, especially in very rural areas. On the other hand, I never heard the "N" word used as often or with such contempt as I did in southern Florida. I was embarrassed to be white sometimes.

Travel is always a mixed bag. You don't seem very open to "different", so I'd advise you to look for "same" next time you vacation. You'll be happier, and so will the people with whom you come in contact.

[imanislandgirl]

dave, its YOUR attitude. You get back what you give out. I lived in NY for most of my life, moved to S. FL, then moved to HHI. There are many incredible places in the world, which I have been to, however, the Lowcountry- Hilton Head, Savannah, Charleston and the surrounding areas and this area by far is the best placed I have lived. Many, many people feel this why which is obvious by the amount of people who have moved here from the north, Ohio, and yes.....S FL.

[sheena]

I met some really nice locals except for that nasty waitress at Bob Evans. She was beyond horrible. My husband was kind enought o tip her 1.50 I would have given her zero.

[paulkramer]

Interesting thread here.......

Of course there are still rednecks in South Carolina - where in the USA are there NOT rednecks.......??

I have to agree that the people in south Florida are much ruder than the people in the Lowcountry. That's usually how people are in a larger, more densely populated area. Not always, of course.

Not much point in responding to the TS' comments, as he's been banned from here.

But, damn. What does he expect? Especially his comments about HHI!

I've never been there, no desire to visit another overbuilt rich community, especially when there is so much charm left in the other areas of the Lowcountry.

Plus, I am a Yankee, and I know a lot of snowbirds that winter on HHI. I don't like them when they're up here in the North - snooty and snotty people, why would I want to encounter them down south!?

[sheena]

Originally Posted by DAVID_S

Oh, rudeness, discrimination and racism are ALIVE AND WELL, thank you very much, in South Carolina.

See, my wife, although a US citizen for the past 25 years, is Spainish. You know, from SPAIN, that country in Europe. Doubtful, though, that anyone in South Carolina has ever been there, but perhaps you can look for it on a globe. Well, her parents, who reside in Spain, and have for their entire lives, were spending a month in the US, and joined us on the trip. Naturally, she conversed with them in Spanish, as they have lived their entire lives in Europe, and have learned very little English. My children, who have spent many summers in Spain, speak Spanish fluently, and of course need to converse with their grandparents. They were very excited to go to South Carolina, as they had heard about it, but never been there.

Well, you should have seen and heard the wonderful greeting these nice, friendly folks received in your state. Everywhere we went, we got dirty looks, rolling of the eyes, and comments. Things like "goddamned foreigners should go home", "they should speak English if they're going to be here", and "this is OUR country, speak English." We were horrified. ESPECIALLY SINCE MY WIFE AND CHILDREN ARE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES, WITH THE SAME RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES AS ANY OF THE BIGOTS THERE. These rednecks made my in-laws, and especially my children, feel very uncomfortable, to the point that they didn't even want to talk to each other in stores and restaurants. At Ft. Sumter, some hillbilly with a long white beard told my in-laws they should "go back to Cuba if you're going to refuse to speak English!" I informed the jerk that they were actually visiting from Spain, and had never even been to Cuba. His reply?? "Spain, Cuba, what's the difference?" Actually got a chuckle out of that moron. We had thought Charleston, being a bigger town, would be different from Hilton Head. It was actually WORSE. So were the other burgs I mentioned earlier, especially Summerville and Mt. Pleasant. We have never had this type of experience in Florida, or anywhere else, for that matter.

It was embarassing. It's too bad. I had brought my in-laws, from another country, and thought it would be great to show them around a little of the South. Now, they've gone home with a very poor opinon of SC. My wife and kids have said they will NEVER go back. During the vacation, my six year old son asked me why everyone there was so mean to him and his grandparents. My wife started crying. No, next time, we'll head for someplace a little more interesting and less dull, where the people are more tolerant, the beaches better maintained, the food better, etc. SC is still stuck in the days of the KKK. You can keep your miserable, backwater, bigot-filled state.

That's how I felt living in North Bergen NJ when the Cubans wouldn't speak English to me. Oh well I complained to my Cuban husband every day. I asked him why they were being so mean to me because I didn't speak Spanish.

So far my Cuban husband has not had a problem in Myrtle Beach, he loves it!!
He speaks fluent English though.

[Southernkomfort27]

Originally Posted by shamus

Clearly no one here visited the Salty Dog Cafe or Crabby Bills (i think thats the name?) or else you would have had positive dining experiences.

Ive been to Hilton Head twice. One year we dined at a place called Crabby Nicks, and it was okay. The next year we ate at The Salty Dog and loved it. There were no tires or other trash on the beach where we stayed, (Folly Beach area). All there was were sea shells, star fish, and an occasional jelly fish.

[rickynlevy]

David S you sound like you are full of hate.. We don't need rude transplants like you around here, so just stay in South Florida and enjoy hurricane central. Charleston rude? Charleston has been ranked the most polite city in the US for 10 years in a row.. He must be on something..

[Analyzer]

We recently went to Hilton Head Island. We thought is was a very busy place, wasn't what we pictured either.. The beach/water was very nice, there was different things to do, and there was a lot of traffic. We found that the customer service people at the hotel, resteraunts, rentals, golf etc.. were extremely nice. Most of the people that were vacationing were unfriendly, pushy and not polite and were bad drivers. We find that most places, the vacationers are unfriendly and self centered. We also went to the Outerbanks and the people were unfriendly, the service people were nice, but kept to themselves. We went to Myrtle Beach also and it was very busy there too. It all depends on what you want to do, when you go and what kind of atmosphere you like. Each place is different. I do agree that for some reason the people (mostly vacationers) were not friendly at all. We also stayed along the coast and went through the same towns and I was not impressed. I didn't think HHI was anything great, but I might have missed something, it could have been because we went to so many different places during the vacation??Who knows, I may go back??

[timelesschild]

Originally Posted by Analyzer

We recently went to Hilton Head Island. We thought is was a very busy place, wasn't what we pictured either.. The beach/water was very nice, there was different things to do, and there was a lot of traffic. ... Most of the people that were vacationing were unfriendly, pushy and not polite and were bad drivers. We find that most places, the vacationers are unfriendly and self centered. ...

Were you, by any chance, at the toe of the island, seeing things in the Coligny/Forest Beach/Sea Pines area? That is the touristy, trafficky area, and I think you are describing things very accurately for that area. Sea Pines is better than Coligny, but still filled with tourists.

The northern part of the island is quiet and lovely, but I don't know whether vacationers can actually rent a place there, which is probably WHY it is quiet and lovely. ... for whatever this is worth ... at least maybe this can help someone out there to understand why some people like Hilton Head, while others find it to be filled with tourists.