Moving to Greenwood - Ninety Six area (Charleston, Greenville: crime rates, house)

[tahanni]

My husband and I visited Greenwood about 7 years ago and we loved the lake area and the subdivisions that had amenties galore. We thought this would be a good place to raise our family. Can you tell me how the economy is doing? Even though we are coming from a big city, Portland, Or. we are not concerned about the culture shock. What advice can you give us?

[redcliffe]

Originally Posted by tahanni

My husband and I visited Greenwood about 7 years ago and we loved the lake area and the subdivisions that had amenties galore. We thought this would be a good place to raise our family. Can you tell me how the economy is doing? Even though we are coming from a big city, Portland, Or. we are not concerned about the culture shock. What advice can you give us?

I'm from Greenwood, so what I say could seem somewhat biased. I moved to the Greenville area in 2004, which is only 50 or so miles north. Lake Greenwood and actual Greenwood are fairly different. I moved for better opportunity for my kids and myself. They were having issues, but I won't blame it on the schools. They now attend in Simpsonville and both are happier. City-Data.com and some other sites have much of the info you need. I think there is one poster that lives there currently, that poster can give your more current info. Hope you find what you are looking for.

[Tinabean]

Hi Tahanni! From Portland, huh? It is beautiful there. Having spent time here I'm assuming that you are familiar with our humidity and mosiquitoes (the unofficial state bird). People joke about it and, frankly, I love the humidity but if you are not accustomed to it, acclimating can be brutal. You don't mention your employment situation and if you will be bringing your job with you (telecommuting). Employment in this area, and SC in general, should be the first concern. I would strongly recommend having employment CONFIRMED before moving. Lake Greenwood is about 50 minutes from Greenville, SC which offers much more in terms of employment and entertainment, if either is a concern. Greenville is listed on so many "best of" lists they can't all be noted here. You can research further in that forum if you have an interest. Greenwood itself is a nice place for families with children and retirees. It is not the place for active singles at all. There are some award winning public schools in Greenwood and I hear the ninety-six area school system is, arguably, even better. The best way to decide is to research the school rankings and ask your realtor for neighborhoods zoned for the best school district. Lake Greenwood has some phenomenal buys right now. You can get a lot of house for the money because the economy hit developers everywhere. Stoney Point happens to be one of my personal favorites....it is in a golf course community, gated with tennis courts and a great new pool complex. There is also Charleston Place, which looks like an interesting "green" community concept and Grand Harbor, which has had some rough patches financially so be sure to do your research. There are others as well and a good local realtor will review all of your options. Let me know if you need recommendations for a few good realtors.

I have lots of connections to the ninety-six area and love the sleepy town feel. Folks are really nice and it reminds me of Mayberry. But... there is little to do and few restaurants and the trek to Greenwood (on heavily policed and ticketed little country roads!) can be 20 minutes or so. Depending on the ages of your kids, running back and forth to Greenwood to the YMCA for events, etc.. is a complaint I hear pretty frequently from friends.

Lastly, regarding the economy, everyone has an opinion but I always tell folks to get the facts. It only takes a few minutes to research crime rates per capita, unemployment rates (and trending over the last 5 years), average household income, etc... from reliable sources (labor bureau, census data, etc..)

Even though there is enthusiasm now because four new retailers recently opened - TJ Maxx, Hobby Lobby, Michaels and a shoe store, employment seems stagnate. I haven't looked at the unemployment stats recently but Greenwood's was hovering around 13% at one point. Google Greenwood SC and the NY Times article about the economy. That will give you sources for stats and you can do the research.

As with most areas there are pros and cons. Only you guys know what is right for your family. I'd widen my search to include Greenville and the surrounding lakes there as well. Good luck wherever you land!

[lagoon7]

Originally Posted by Tinabean

I have lots of connections to the ninety-six area and love the sleepy town feel. Folks are really nice and it reminds me of Mayberry. But... there is little to do and few restaurants and the trek to Greenwood (on heavily policed and ticketed little country roads!) can be 20 minutes or so. Depending on the ages of your kids, running back and forth to Greenwood to the YMCA for events, etc.. is a complaint I hear pretty frequently from friends.

Yes.

[Tiger17]

Where are the police on backroads in Greenwood County? I've been up and down 25 and a few other roads around Ware Shoals and headed to Due West and the only time I saw a state trooper was 25 bypass near Emerald HS.

Is Greenwood growing? I know Emerald and Ninety Six both move up a classification in 2012 based on their enrollments.

[redcliffe]

Originally Posted by Tiger17

Where are the police on backroads in Greenwood County? I've been up and down 25 and a few other roads around Ware Shoals and headed to Due West and the only time I saw a state trooper was 25 bypass near Emerald HS.

Is Greenwood growing? I know Emerald and Ninety Six both move up a classification in 2012 based on their enrollments.

There are police always on hwy 25. They hang out in the stretch around Goodrich up to the Ware Shoals stretch. That is a fact! Be warned.

[tahanni]

Thank you for the information. We are visiting in a couple of weeks to get a feel for the lay of the land. We are going to look between Greenville and ninety six, to see which area has the right feel to us. We were originally going to look around the lake Norman area, but o my goodness, that traffic is awful. We might as well stay in Portland. Looking for a small town that doesn't have the hussle and bustle. But within distance of a nice family night out. We are looking for waterfront lots, with owner financIng, if you know of any, send my way! We are excited to visit again. Hopefully, we get the same cozy feeling.

[Tondia12]

Hi I am interested in moving to greenwood for a better place to raise my kids,I am moving from Miami but I enjoy the quiet towns that are family orientated. where should I start looking?