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Hello Everyone!
I'm looking to move to South Carolina, but know nothing about it. I've been to Charleston once and myrtle beach once... That's about it. I currently live in Maryland and I'm ready to move!!! I'm tired of the cold gloomy winters, the high crime/drug problems and the high cost of living. Where I'm at, there's nothing really to do unless you travel. I'm ready for beautiful scenery, friendly people and warmer weather. It would be my boyfriend and I that's moving. I know he's trying to stay close to a city and When I mean close, I mean not over an hour away because both of us or at least he would probably be commuting for work. Obviously somewhere that has job opportunities near by. I don't want to live in the city but I'd like to be somewhat close for shopping, restaurants, job opportunities ..etc. I would loveeee to live in a historic town!!! I'm not a big bar person but having a couple of nice local choices would be nice. I would like to be somewhere that has horse boarding stables near by ( no more than 30 mins away). I know my boyfriend would love to live close to the water but i am nervous about that because of the possible hurricanes. Having pets that are hard to move quickly in an emergency, is my fear. I also love the countryside! He likes golfing, playing baseball and anything water related. I like the water as well and i'm the animal nut. Were 27 and no kids, so living in a retirement town would not suit us but neither would a college town. We don't have any friends down there, so we would be hoping to meet new people around our age and older. Don't get me wrong, I love the Older southern folks and would have no problem living next to them but I've heard some places are nothing but retirees. I'm sure I'm leaving some things out but we're still trying to figure out what we want and don't want. I think it will be just a learning experience. We are thinking about also looking into Tennessee but I think we're both kind of set on South Carolina. We're hoping to narrow down the choices and come down to check them out. We also plan to rent for a year to make sure we like it before we commit and buy. If anyone could help us out with some suggestions, I'd appreciate it!
Thanks! I'm actually trying to go somewhere that doesn't look like Maryland lol. I've been here all my life and I need some good change! But I know what you mean. When I say historic, I mean look and have some historic buildings or plantations..etc. I know he looked into Beaufort, but that's all we really did was just research it. I'm open to all suggestions. I loved Charleston but I couldn't live in a city and the tourist trap would burn me out quick.
Charleston and Beaufort would be my choices with Charleston probably taking the lead. It is a big enough town that you'll have job opportunities as well as things to do on your off time. There are plenty of towns around Charleston (Summerville, Mt. Pleasant, Moncks Corner) where you could look for a place to rent that won't be in touristy areas but are close enough to Charleston that it wouldn't be a far drive. Beaufort is very nice but it is a smaller area and depending on what you do for work you might not be able to find jobs there. I highly recommend you come to visit and when you visit to do all the things that you would do if you lived there. Don't do tourist stuff, go to the grocery store, go to the mall, etc. to get a feel for what it would be like to live there everyday. Also make sure you have jobs nailed down before you move. There are a lot of folks like y'all that are looking to move south so your going to have to stay competitive to get employed. Best of luck.
Thanks so much! That's s great idea about doing things we normally would, not tourist stuff. We do plan on coming down as soon as we narrow down to a few places. He would have a job when we move, it's me that would be searching. I'd more than likely would be looking for administrative work. I work as a government contractor right now. It's hard up here to find jobs and Most jobs you have to travel, especially if you want to get paid enough to survive. Thanks for the help!
Check on Aiken, SC.
Some people on here would argue about it being a 'retirement community' but it isn't. My husband and I just moved to Greenville from Aiken due to a work change, and we both lived in Aiken our entire lives (we are both 26 years old). It has a big horse community, a beautiful historic downtown, and is safe. We never were really bored in Aiken to be honest. The countryside surrounding Aiken is pretty as well with lots of small towns in the county to explore. There is a University in Aiken, but it isn't really a 'college town'. Most students are commuter students, or they were when I was there. They have events, theater, baseball, and all that there. There is a mall, your standard stores, WalMart, etc. Aiken County sits on the GA-Carolina line against the Savannah River which is popular for boating, kayaking, and canoeing. If you want to head to the beach or mountains, you are looking at a 2.5 - 3 hour drive. If you do want something else to do, Aiken is right across from Augusta, GA and is considered to be in the Augusta metro area. Augusta has a minor league baseball team, bigger concerts come through there, and a really cool downtown as well. There are some cool bars in downtown Aiken, including a brew-pub with a great burger and really good beer. Savannah River Site might offer you some options as a government contractor, it is a DOE site and is a huge employer in the county (10,000+ people work there).
Aiken is an hour from Columbia and I have friends who commute and don't mind it also.
I hope this helps - we love our hometown and I love helping people discover it! It doesn't get enough attention for how awesome it is They even have their own Triple Crown events (polo, steeplechase, trials) twice a year which is a blast!
Thanks so much for the suggestion!! Aiken sounds perfect and the opposite of where we live now, so I will be making sure its on our list to visit. Where we live now its just getting built up with houses, apartments and fast food chains. The only way you will have more than an acre of land is if you own an older home or pay an ungodly amount(not including the house). its too expensive for our generation to even survive here. During the winter there's nothing to do but go out to eat to the few that we have and drink(only 3 decent bars). The summer has more activities like water activities, but I wouldn't get in this water. The crime and drugs are getting worse and worse and theres no way i would want my kids to go to school around here (when the day comes). it's just sad to see where we once loved, go to poo So we're definitely looking for some pretty and affordable scenery. Thanks again!!
Sandy02 - Can I ask what part of Maryland you are in?
We moved to SC about a year ago to escape O'malley-land!
I'm from Southern maryland. Haha i feel like alot of people are getting out to escape O'malley-land! I use to be content here, but the only thing i like about it now is it's "comfortable" to me. I know where everything is and where i'm going and people to hang out with but even that doesn't seem worth it anymore.It's just getting way to expensive here to even survive. I don't know how my generation will be able to make it around here. When i was looking for an apartment i couldn't find anything nice and not a basement apartment or shack that wasn't under 1200...well, unless i wanted to move way out of the way to lexington park or in BFE. The crime here is getting worse and worse and jobs you have to commute to DC or VA to be paid anything decent. Then all the commuting consumes most of your day and its just miserable to me. By the first of the year I want to have a destination in mind to check out and look for a job.
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So we're definitely looking for some pretty and affordable scenery. Thanks again!!
