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I currently reside in Michigan and my job is moving to Aiken South Carolina. I am considering a possible move with my job. My husband and I have been wanting to leave Michigan for some time now due to the economy and just wanting to raise our children in a better place. We knew we wanted to head down south and now that this opportunity has arised it seems this may be our chance.
We have 3 very young children and are in our early 30's.
The pictures of Aiken look beautiful but I am concerned with whether we would fit in. Some of the people at my job who are more bitter about the move (because they don't plan to go) have told me some very unpleasant things about South Carolina; specifically Aiken and surrounding areas.
I have heard rumors of confederate flags, racism, and little to no African American's (which we are). I would hate to move and raise my children in such an environment. We are looking for a place to start our lives over and hopefully my husband will be able to find work. He's been laid off for a year now and we are ready for a positive change.
All of your comments are welcomed and appreciated. Thank you!
My first response is to gush about Aiken but I will try to be fair/balanced. ;-) We lived there for 10 years and moved in 2007 to Dallas.
Housing: every price range, low property taxes, southside is most desirable for school choices.
Schools: Great church pre-schools, very good public education, sports & coaching very good in both HS
Public parks: lots of great choices, rec ball, a skate park, a newly opened dog park, Odwell Weeks did have a shooting last year. (sigh) My personal opinion of Odwell weeks...would feel 100% safe. Hitchcock Woods is AMAZING for those long Sunday hikes with the kids & dogs.
Race Relations: I am sure everyone OPINION is different. I am white, we lived in a majority white neighborhood, AA neighbors...all the kids played, hungout,slept over, rec ball, etc. Boneheads are one both sides of the race fence. Did our neighbors fly confederate flags...heck NO, did I see any in Aiken? Probably. Does the confederate flag fly...yep, does it suck ....yep. I honestly would consider Aiken OR SC a great place to live regardless of color.
Jobs: Tricky topic in 2010. If you have a job that could support your family then I would say it was a fair move. IF it would be a struggle I am not sure the job market in Aiken would be much better than where you are. Aiken is near some larger markets like Augusta, Ga and Columbia,SC.
Local Paper online is Aiken Standard and you can get a pretty good feel of the city there. Aiken is small town USA. Think of it as your quirky cousin....majority of the time fun to hang out with but sometimes can be annoying! I wish you the best in you move/job/family adventure!
City-Data says that the African-American population of Aiken is 30%, which is slightly less than the AA population of the state as a whole. Aiken is in the Augusta, GA metro which is a majority AA city. And South Carolina has one of the highest African-American populations (as a percentage of total pop.) in the nation.
Seriously, you won't see a lot of Confederate flags around. I think people from other parts of the nation who say otherwise have never been to South Carolina anyway and are just repeating stereotypes.
Well, I can't tell you much more than the other posters already did concerning relationships or job opportunities for your husband, but we've been in Aiken for a year and we enjoy it a lot here. Life is peaceful, we are close to many great amenities, either in town or not far (Augusta is really near!). There are plenty of things to do here.
As for confederate flags, apart from the famous one near the State capitol in Columbia, I haven't seen any!
Here you'll meet people from all walks of life, and coming from various states and even countries (we are part of the French community brought here to work in SRS).
Since you may come here for work, don't you have a possibility to come and stay in town for a few days? Maybe there is a way your firm can help you with that? Seeing things for yourself before making a decision could be a good thing!
Let us know!
we are part of the French community brought here to work in SRS
My daughter was able to take French classes while attending school at Chukker Creek. One of her besties is French and it is very cool they still stay in touch.
Cmarie: One of the best times in Aiken is the early spring: steeplechase is in March, Lobster Race, plus so many out door dinning choices!
Cmarie2010,
I don't know what you do for a living. Your company is moving to AIken, Sc?
It must not be a union comapny anyway.
If I were you, I would look into moving to another state. Not South Carolina.
You are a hard working, probably educated, married black woman from what I read.
If you have good job skills, just look really hard to see if there is any chance you can find another job in your state or another state that is possibly hiring.
I am being 100 percent honest with you.
I am giving you advice that I would give my own daughter.
Good Luck to you what ever your decision.
I hope everything works out for you.
CMarie - I hope you moved here - I moved here from LA about 4 years ago and love it. I've lived in the South before so I knew what to expect in a general sort of way but I was amazed how friendly people in Aiken are regardless of race. I can tell you that in LA, if I'd talked to someone of a different race, perhaps in a line waiting for something, they probably would not have spoken back to me. Here, everyone returns your smile and isn't afraid to make conversation with you in the grocery store, Home Depot, etc. - with the cost of living here at 83% VS an American mean of 100% it's also an inexpensive place to live - meaning more money to do fun things with your kids. Best of luck!
Thank you for your advice. Do you mind me asking on what you based your advice? I am taking it all in trust me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Butterfly4u
Cmarie2010,
I don't know what you do for a living. Your company is moving to AIken, Sc?
It must not be a union comapny anyway.
If I were you, I would look into moving to another state. Not South Carolina.
You are a hard working, probably educated, married black woman from what I read.
If you have good job skills, just look really hard to see if there is any chance you can find another job in your state or another state that is possibly hiring.
I am being 100 percent honest with you.
I am giving you advice that I would give my own daughter.
Good Luck to you what ever your decision.
I hope everything works out for you.
My husband has accepted a job in the area too and we will be moving in a month or so. I visited the area, met with a realtor and tried to get a feel for it. Many people have told me not to go to the south but when I inquire about why, many have only held on to stereo types and haven't even been there. I am from a very liberal area. I have two small children.
From my research it seems that SRS (a major employer in the area) brings many people with many backgrounds. I think this lends to a diverse area.
The one thing to be aware of is limits on temporary housing. We are looking into finding a furnished temporary apartment/townhouse/house, and there is a short supply. I've been told that this time of year is harder because all the "horse" people come back during this time of year. Apparently they rent their houses out other times during the year. Unfurnished places seem easier to find.
My husband is very picky about where he will live and even he was happy with the area after visiting.
Good luck to you. We are very exciting about going.
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Thank you!
