Is South Carolina Overcrowded? (Hilton Head Island, Summerville: unemployment rate, neighborhood, quality of life)

[rubber_factory]

Originally Posted by Geechie North

SC's Lowcountry (roughly the Eastern 1/3) has not had "deciduous forest" for at least 10,000 years, or so.

At its pristine (pre-settlement), it contained maritime forest/marshlands near the coast, and open, park-like, Longleaf Pine forests in the Western edge. Check out the Francis Marion Nat'l Forest, and its interface with the sea, along the Santee river.

It has been a long time since I've heard the eastern 1/3 of the state referred to as the lowcountry. Most people these days use that term to describe just the coastal counties from roughly Georgetown to Savannah, excluding counties like Lee, Williamsburg, Darlington, Clarendon, Orangeburg, etc.

Anyway, I agree that the coastal plain is mostly pine, today. However I dispute that it was always this way. I've always been taught that its natural state is a mixed hardwood/pine forest, and that fires, logging and development place it in a semi-permenant state of pine-dominanted.

Forgotten hardwood forests of the coastal plain.

Forgotten Hardwood Forests of the Coastal Plain

[Geechie North]

South Carolina Lowcountry - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The region includes the South Carolina Sea Islands. The commonly accepted counties of the Lowcountry are Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester, Colleton, Beaufort, Jasper, and Hampton counties.
Applied more broadly, the term can also refer to all areas in the state below the fall line, including Orangeburg, Georgetown, Sumter, Clarendon, Lee, Williamsburg and Horry counties.

The Low Country :: South Carolina

"It is a region of waterways (the Ashepoo, the Combahee and the Edisto), maritime forest, history and industry. "

The dominant trees are Magnolia, Live Oak, Pine and Palmetto. None are deciduous.

[rubber_factory]

Originally Posted by Geechie North

South Carolina Lowcountry - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The region includes the South Carolina Sea Islands. The commonly accepted counties of the Lowcountry are Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester, Colleton, Beaufort, Jasper, and Hampton counties.
Applied more broadly, the term can also refer to all areas in the state below the fall line, including Orangeburg, Georgetown, Sumter, Clarendon, Lee, Williamsburg and Horry counties.

I'll tell you, you never know who wrote those wikipedia articles.

I agree with it, though.

The Low Country :: South Carolina

"It is a region of waterways (the Ashepoo, the Combahee and the Edisto), maritime forest, history and industry. "

The dominant trees are Magnolia, Live Oak, Pine and Palmetto. None are deciduous.

Now we're mixing definitions of lowcountry...

"Maritime forests and waterways", obviously they're only talking about the coastal counties.

Anyway, if it makes you happy, you are correct - deciduous forests are not the dominant flora type across the state, I make a careless generalization. I also confused "hardwood" with "deciduous".

[Geechie North]

Hey,

I feel your pain when culturally trying to define the Lowcountry. For example, go to Myrtle Beach or Georgetown and ask for "Shecrab Soup".

Done that. In Myrtle Beach, I got a blank stare. In Georgetown, I got something in a dish that was purported to be the stuff, but which was as authentic as Brooklyn Hoppin' John.


On the other hand, when looking at biomes and geology, it's a bit more cut and dried.
Below the fall line is Lowcountry in that sense, and river gallery forests, such as found far inland in the ACE Basin are the signature Lowcountry forest, the Maritime Forest.

[usc_gal98]

Again, another stereotyping post. If you think that SC natives are the only ones who tote guns, drink beer, ride in trucks and shoot deer, you have obviously never been to other states.

As far as it being overcrowded, yes, in some areas it is.

[Skyliner]

Originally Posted by usc_gal98

...If you think that SC natives are the only ones who tote guns, drink beer, ride in trucks and shoot deer, you have obviously never been to other states...

This is absolutely true. Just visit beautiful Perry County, PA, someday. Of course, not all SC natives partake in such a combination of activities. It is mostly confined to the rural regions in the state.

[Greenville]

Originally Posted by Skyliner

This is absolutely true. Just visit beautiful Perry County, PA, someday. Of course, not all SC natives partake in such a combination of activities. It is mostly confined to the rural regions in the state.

Exactly, but unfortunately for South Carolina (and for much of the South in general), it is assumed that all of it is rural and backwards. Talk about an ignorant and uninformed belief!

[lisalee09]

I know nothing about Mississippi. But I lived in SC for over 20 years and now I'm living in Chicago, probably near the area this guy is referring to. I prefer SC 100% over Chicago. But in regards to SC, if you're looking for a government job, you probably want to live in Columbia where headquarters are likely to be OR close to Charlotte, NC (Rockhill, SC). Sales jobs would likely be in Greenville where there are a lot of car dealerships or perhaps Hilton Head. But Hilton Head is crowded and expensive. Teaching is probably available across the state.

I like SC b/c there is some of everything there. Beaches on the coastline- Charleston, Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach, etc. Tourism is also heavy in those cities listed and there is a lot of history in Charleston and other lowcountry areas.

[Buckeye in SC]

Originally Posted by lisalee09

Teaching is probably available across the state.

I like SC b/c there is some of everything there. Beaches on the coastline- Charleston, Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach, etc. Tourism is also heavy in those cities listed and there is a lot of history in Charleston and other lowcountry areas.

Actually, teaching is not available across the state as this whole stimulus issue has took a lot of the funding away. There were close to 1300 people at the teacher job fair yesterday and only 310 available jobs according to the newspaper. It looks like Sanford is going to be forced to accept and spend the money, so this may help to open up some additional openings before the upcoming school year.

[averagejoe76]

I ve been looking at SC for a while now.
So much to see compared to my current location(Kansas).
Isnt the higher unemployment numbers somewhat due to places like the Lowcountry?