Aiken, SC (Columbia, North Augusta, North: home, neighborhood, buy)

[catsanddogs]

Would appreciate the most honest answers you can give me regarding Aiken, SC. We are from New Jersey and are both in our late 50s and hope to retire in about four years. We have an adopted daughter who is Chinese. She will be attending college in the near future. Would she have a difficult time in Aiken because of her race? Also, we want to live in a nice area and not too close to any bad areas. We can probably afford a home in the $350K range. Also if you know anything about taxes that would help. Many, many thanks.

[Nausikaa]

Columbia has the University of SC, and there are people here from many different countries. Aiken is a small southern town. I'm sure you would all be fine, but yr daughter might like the diversity of USC. just a thought.

[Racelady88]

USC has a campus here in Aiken. There is Aiken Tech as well.

I have not seen much racism here. My neighborhood has Caucasians, African Americans, Filipinos, Latinos, old, young, mixed.

For $350K you could buy a VERY nice home here. You could buy a nice home here for a lot less.

[wsaiken]

I can't imagine that you'd have any more problem being accepted in Aiken than in Columbia -- Nausikaa is right that you might find more diversity in Columbia because it's bigger with a big school, but I just don't think that anyone in Aiken would even think a thing of your daughter's origin. Aiken's not as color-blind as it might be one day, but we've been accepting people from all over for many, many years.

Here's some anecdotal evidence. As I was registering my kids for soccer recently, I saw a white man with his young adopted black daughter doing the same. Judging by their expressions, the others there seemed to see what I saw -- a cute little girl.

Ditto Evey on the home you can buy.

[bobizzy3]

I do not live in Aiken but have done estensive research on this part of the state. Aiken appears to be a very wholesome community with a diverse population. It has attracted northerners and people from all around the world for many years because of the equine actvities popular in this part of the country. Everything I have found says this is very tolerant communitiy in a variety of areas,,, I have not found any negative information about this community. If you are looking for a small town, with decent schools, good public safety, well run city govenment, good ecomomy, good shopping opportunites, and close to cities like Atlanta, Columbia, North Augusta, Augusta and two hours from the east coast line then you can't go wrong.

Good luck and thank you on behalf of all the orphans of the world for taking the time to share your love with a little person who was in need.

[Nausikaa]

Hi, didn't mean yr daughter wouldn't be accepted. I thought she might find a bigger town and university more interesting. Aiken is a very pretty town - my nextdoor neighbor is from Aiken. But for a college student that is not actually from Aiken, and doesn't have a circle of friends, I thought Columbia might be more diverse. Just a thought.

[Flemings]

Does anybody know what the High schools are like??