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I finally made it down to South Carolina from cold, boring Vermont. I am staying with a friend I met on Facebook, they are an older couple and have pretty much adopted me into their family. They are working on selling their house in Aiken and moving to Greenville. I am much more happier near the beach and that is eventually where I want to end up. I read about Bluffton in another post, it seems like it could be a nice fit for me in the long run.
I am looking for something closer to the coast; small town feel, friendly, not highly expensive, and most importantly a safe place. I couldn't have children and would like to foster or adopt so am looking for a great place to raise a family. Somewhere between Charleston and Savannah might be ideal for me.
I am almost 40, single, living life finally and achieving my goals. I will eventually have my own photography business as I was persuaded to finally go after my passion.
Please let me know if you have any suggestions on some towns to look into, living in a safe location is highly important to me, I don't feel all that safe here in Aiken. Getting away from the cold has been my dream for so long, I dislike the cold/snow/ice with a passion!
I relocated from New England to Bluffton 5 years ago so I may be able to help. Bluffton is great; fastest growing municipality in SC, EVERYONE here is a transplant the area had like 1,500 people living here 15 years ago now has 20k, more if you include the surrounding areas which run along 278 that are pretty much considered Bluffton(Okatie, Hardeeville, Parts of Ridgeland) the large retirment community in Okatie Sun City alone has another 12k. Bluffton is affordable(because of the tourism in HHI and Beaufort taxes are LOW in this county), by the beach, has every major big box store imaginable, relatively good schools(a Brand new state of the art high school that looks like a college) and other public services. The centerpiece is the popular hip artsy "old town" area with a great farmers market, a ton of art galleries and bars. Even with the growth that area has maintained it's small town feel. Because everything is so new outside of the Old town area Bluffton can lack character; 80% of the homes are in master planned developments where all the homes are kind of cookie cutter. The regime fees in these communites are generally pretty cheap, Mine are only $65 per month.
Bluffton is generally considered a very safe place. The demo is mostally made up of older retired folks and young families but like any other area has a few small pockets of bad spots. Finding quality employment can be a little tough; although jobs are plentiful most of the jobs in Beaufort County are Construction(with all the growth) or low wage Lodging, F&B, or Retail. A lot of people commute to Savannah for work as it's only really a 40 minute ride. Would be a great place to start a photography business because of the natural beauty of the area and the abundance of young families/marriages not sure how saturated that market is though.
If you have any questions feel free to ask.
Last edited by cttransplant85; 07-21-2017 at 09:59 PM..
I loved living in Beaufort, SC, personally. But it's definitely not a hoppin' place for nightlife (which wasn't a concern for me, but might be for others.) Our home in Lady's Island was about 15 minutes from the beach... Hunting Island, Lands End, Coffin Point... all beaches nearby. There is a neighborhood called Newpoint near Lady's Island that is gorgeous. There is also Habersham which is like a mini-Charleston as far as architecture. The community has its own post office and restaurants, etc. And there are many small communities that are very safe and great for families.
I know that Beaufort has a fairly high crime rate, but I really and truly never felt unsafe while living there. I used common sense and stayed out of areas that are known to be higher crime areas.
It's a beautiful town with tons of history and charm. I also liked Bluffton... has a lot more shopping and things to do, but I really preferred Beaufort because of the close proximity to the beach.
I know it's not in the Charleston/Savannah area, but Murrell's Inlet is a nice little place. Gorgeous beach, with state park. Not far from Myrtle Beach. I like it.
I guess it would help to know what you liked or didn't like about Vermont specifically other than the winter weather so we can help find you something in SC.
I guess it would help to know what you liked or didn't like about Vermont specifically other than the winter weather so we can help find you something in SC.
Extremely hard to get a job, nothing to do, hard to meet people and I have horrible allergies...especially maple trees.
What made you feel that way in Aiken? That's my hometown and it surely has pockets that are sketchy, but overall I think it's a nice place to be.
The couple I am staying with are very strict about where I cannot go, or where I cannot work. The prison is close by and people escape quite often. I am from a small town and could go where I want, when I want. I need a safe, walkable place to call my new home.
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