gay friendly? (Columbia, Charleston, Greenville: home, to live, moving)

[alittlejazzbird]

Sheesh, I don't think smith7 intended to start a discussion about the merits of homosexuality or the "us v. them" discussions that seem to have developed. If we can all just take a deep breath and calm down.....smith7, I know exactly what you are asking. You and your wife are childfree, and you want to find a more progressive southeastern city that will make you feel included and welcome, but not like an old fogey retiree (though I think future generations are going to eliminate old fogeys as we re-define what it means to be retired!).

My husband and I are in our mid-40s, happily childfree, and we are moving to the greater Charleston area in less than two years. I am liberal like you, my husband is slightly more conservative, but we are extremely open-minded and tolerant people who like to be surrounded by a diverse mix of interesting people.

We currently live in the Northeast in a blue state, and we chose Charleston for several reasons: the desire to escape the traffic clogged, ultra high pressure, ultra expensive environment of the sprawling northeast while still having access to a real live city; the desire to finally be rid of northern winters for much milder weather; and the desire to combine a slightly slower pace of life with an attractive, vibrant, culturally alive location, preferably coastal.

Charleston is a visually breathtaking place with a thriving arts and culture scene as well as a major emphasis on historic and environmental conservation and preservation. Where you have a thriving arts and culture scene, you have a population of liberal leaning, tolerant, sophisticated, educated, worldly, and interesting people (the "cultural creatives," if you will). There are visual and performing artists, lots of world-class interior design professionals and architects, foodies (including great chefs), writers, academics, antiques experts, historians, conservationists, environmental activists, and on and on. A portion of them are gay -- this is true in Charleston as it is everywhere else -- just as a portion of them are straight. A good number of them are also happily childfree, this much I know for a fact. From what I have learned about the metro area, they don't tend to congregate in any one neighborhood (though a number of artistic types do live in and near the French Quarter downtown - but it's pricey).

I've lived in lots of places and one thing I have learned, being an educated, artistic and childfree person....we always tend to find each other. The South is generally more conservative, of course, but Charleston has a really interesting mix of creatives and conservatives that you won't find in lots of other Southern cities.

In Charleston, you won't get the population or the fast pace of urban life that you'd find in Atlanta, but you'll get a more beautiful city, much better weather, and in my opinion, much friendlier people in Charleston. You won't get the heat of Miami, but you won't get the extreme crime, either. To us, Charleston was just right -- great weather but not too hot most of the year, big city amenities but not too much of a rat race, wonderful aesthetics, and a nice mix of interesting people -- which is why we're glad we'll be calling it home soon. Hope this is helpful, smith7, and maybe we'll meet you in Charleston in a few years!

[Judy Nolin]

To Smith7
Greenville

[sixinthefamily]

alittlejazzbird-

Great write up you have sold me.

[alittlejazzbird]

Originally Posted by sixinthefamily

alittlejazzbird-

Great write up you have sold me.

Glad to hear it, sixinthefamily -- Maybe our paths will cross someday when we're both living there!

For anyone wondering what the metro Charleston area has to offer culturally and artistically (and really just in general), I highly recommend checking out Charleston Magazine; it's a first-class and highly informative publication that really casts the city and environs in a positive and favorable light. Honestly, you'll want to move there tomorrow!!!!! We've had a subscription for three years now, and I eagerly await each issue, especially the quarterly Charleston Home issues.

Advertising restrictions prohibit me from posting a link here, but do a Web search for Charleston Magazine and you'll get what you need. It does cater to a more affluent subscriber in terms of advertising and somewhat in content, but the magazine itself is very affordable and is great reading.

[FLRich]

I have lived in SC since May and let me give you this view from someone who is still in a "transition" period from having lived both in the NJ and in FL. SC is very diverse and mixed when it comes to population, ethics, income class etc. etc. There seems to be a little bit of everything everywhere which can be quite confusing at times. The one thing that does not seem to change much is religion, most of it is Baptist / Christian there are still blue laws in many parts of the state and do not try to buy "adult beverages" in most places on a Sunday you will not find it but there are some exceptions. On one block you will find $300K+ homes and 2 blocks down the road you will see people living in a trailer that has a portion of the side wall missing with a blue tarp covering it...for the past 5+ months.

Have I seen gay people ? Well I can't tell, I have not seen anyone with a T-Shirt that says "I am Gay" but I can guess I have seen some but again I think that was originally a poor example for the intended question. No it's not a Miami or Key West. A well known area for the gay population is Asheville NC, very NY/San Francisco/Miami type mix of flower children, artists, sierra members, retirees, democrats, practicing witches (next to Salem MA. the largest), and yes open gay community. It is not too far from the SC border but is in the higher elevations, colder and leaning to the expensive side. It is a neat place to visit for the weekend but too rich for my tastes.

You can find anything you want in SC or NC but it may not be as much as you want, everything I have found is in moderation here except Religion which is taken VERY seriously where at an intersection it is not uncommon to find 4 different churches. Everyone seems to exist in peace here but if you are a hard core liberal it may not be for you, we do have the ability to carry a gun if we desire to do so with the proper training and license and this is also a state where automatic weapons are allowed to be owned with proper approval. I would think that someone that is looking to move to a place specificly because it is "liberal" may think twice of a state where the gay marrage law was beaten down strongly, gun laws are not as stringent as in other places and where religion dominates the life of a VERY VERY large portion of this community.

[Prichard]

...we do have the ability to carry a gun if we desire to do so with the proper training and license and this is also a state where automatic weapons are allowed to be owned with proper approval.

Praise God for free states like South Carolina!!!

[GoPadge]

I use to have a very gay friend. (We lost touch more than anything else.) He use to say that Myrtle Beach had a very active gay scene. For some of it you probably had to be gay to find it, but (at least 10 years ago) there was a fairly large population there.

[deibu]

I'm gay and live in Columbia... Like the other posters mentioned Shandon is a good neighborhood, the mayor lives here and he speaks at Gay Pride events. Shandon is full of young straight couples and families as well, and the schools are really good, so consequently the prices are higher... A lot of my friends live in the Earlewood/Eau Claire area - a lot of gay people are quietly moving into that area and fixing up houses. I know a real estate agent who specializes in that area. Property values are very cheap there (bad schools, but like you said, since you don't have kids...) and it seems to be on the up-and-up right now. There are also loft-conversions and new condo construction going on downtown that you could look into.

[goodsandlapper]

Originally Posted by smith7

I am not gay, but because my wife and I are childless and liberal, we often want to live in the same area as gay couples. We are beginning to look at relocating to the southeast, and this is the first look at SC, so we know nothing about it. So are there gay friendly cities/areas in SC?

smith7,

Thanks--we need more folks like you in S.C.! The posters that have suggested Columbia and Charleston are right on. I live in the former today, and lived in the latter for many years. I'm a native of the state, and so I know that those are the most liberal areas of the state.

I knew exactly what you original post meant, and it was refreshing to see it, so thanks again! Straight allies like you and your spouse are the sort of neighbors I would love to have, and hope always will have.

I must say one thing about the frightening intolerance and ignorance exhibited in a few of the above posts: please stay in your suburb--we don't like our environment "polluted" either.

[Allandi]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Exodus
Look out for Greenville, fundamentalists plan to move in. The Southeast generally is the worst part of the country for gays and us childfree too (except for low school taxes).
Asheville NC is your best bet, Charleston probably second.