Tampa to Coastal Carolina (Charleston, Summerville: rent, homes, neighborhoods)

[jon]

We are in the process of relocating to South Carolina. My wife is a pharmacist and has an opportunity to work in Georgetown . We are trying to decide where to live. We don't mind a commute, we were looking at Summerville or any other area , we think Georgtown itself is a bit too small for us. We have 2 children ages 12 and 7, and we homeschool. We are very involved in rec sports (soccer, football, gymnastics) any help would be much appreciated. Would love for someone who has relocated from central Florida to South Carolina to give their advice. Thanks in advance, Jon

[PawleysDude]

I'm from SC, not FL, but my best recommendation is don't be in too big of a hurry to buy. Rent for a little while if at all possible, to get a good feel for the area. Georgetown may be small but it's a neat little town with an awfully lot of history and lowcountry atmosphere. You could do much, much worse. When you want "big" and a lot to do, you'll be within an hour of either Myrtle Beach or Charleston. Georgetown is wonderfully convenient to many recreational, historical, and educational opportunities.

IMO, Summerville would be a helluva commute, with very little gained but serious road time. Take a look at Pawleys Island, about 15 minutes from Georgetown, as compared to 1.5-2.0 hours between Georgetown and Summerville. Pawleys Island is also small, a little bit touristy, but with an awfully lot to offer - Brookgreen Gardens, Huntington Beach State Park, etc.

If you absolutely must have bigger, one of the residential areas in Myrtle Beach will still be a shorter drive than Summerville. Regardless, I couldn't imagine driving thru Pawleys Island or Murrells Inlet every day, just to live in MB. Just my $0.02....

[jon]

Thank you for the information. I thought that Summerville would be a bit much to commute. What about Conway? Thanks again, Jon

[PawleysDude]

Hey Jon -

Conway is a also a nice place, but at around 15k population, it's still a small town. It's about an hour's drive from Georgetown.

You should visit both and get a feel for what suits you best. For me, if I had a choice to live in either, I'd choose Georgetown, just as a personal preference. I hate commutes, so if I worked in either one of them, I would be happy to live there. If you like the beach, Georgetown is about 15-20 minutes in light to moderate traffic. Conway is about 30-45 minutes in moderate to god-awful traffic.

[creekgirl4life]

If I were considering an area South of Georgetown I would look at Mt. Pleasant outside of Charleston however Georgetown does have some great neighborhoods that are worth a look. Summerville would be too far IMHO.
If you are looking to get off the coast then Conway might be an option but the commute would be on 701 and it is 2 lane highway.

[jon]

I appreciate all the information. My wife really wants to be closer to Charleston than Myrtle Beach. We are coming up in a week or two for a look. Is Georgetown too small of a place to live? Thanks, Jon

[PawleysDude]

The eternal question - Does size REALLY matter?

IMO, small town Southern living is the only way to go. For some folks, Georgetown may be way too small. Then again, I have some phriends who would suffer claustrophobia livng in a "big" town like Georgetown. Not sure it matters, but Georgetown is the county seat. A branch of Georgetown-Horry Technical College is located here. Also, essentially all of the industry within the county is located in or near Georgetown. Regardless, is Georgetown too small a place for you to live? I'm afraid only you can answer that question.