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Hi my husband and I are in the Fort Myers, Florida area. Not loving it whatsoever. Too hot, not very family friendly, everything is far. We used to live in NC but relocated here to be closer to our families. We realized we made a huge mistake so now we are looking to move back to the Carolina's.
We have driven through to Rock Hill and fort mill but really haven't spent too much time there. We have 2 young kids and are really wanting a family friendly place to live. We like being outdoors so weather is important as well. One thing that I have seen to be inconsistent when looking into the weather is how much snow these areas get. We like snow and want to make sure it gets a fairly decent snowfall once a year or so.
I have done a lot of research on the neighborhoods etc. But I would like personal opinions. We are planning on coming for a few days in September to check things out. Looking to move in February. So we are trying to make sure we do our research and are confident in our decision before we move. Any opinions or advice would be greatly appreciated! TIA
The area is VERY family friendly. There is always something going on for families to do, many of which outdoors. Fort Mill has the Anne Springs Close greenway which is awesome. They have trails for walking and biking, lake for fishing and horseback riding. They also started an outdoor concert series this summer on Thursdays at a new outdoor amphitheater!
Rock Hill has the Riverwalk which has a trail for walking and biking that runs along the Catawba river. You can put in canoes or kayaks there too. This is an up and coming area with a BMX track and velodrome. Shops and restaurants are starting to be built now along with more housing.
As far as snow goes, well don't expect too much. The Charlotte area only averages about 4-5 inches per year. You may see a big snow from time to time, but doesn't happen each year.
We've lived here for 7 years and are building a new house in the Springfield development in Fort Mill. We love the area and have no plans to ever leave.
We used to live in Venice, Florida so I completely understand wanting a more family friendly place. We moved to Fort Mill 7 years ago from Florida and have never looked back. We LOVE it here - 3 hours to beaches, 2 hours to mountains, 4 hours to TN, etc. One of the things I hated most about Florida was it took HOURS to drive out of the state. Here there is so much within a few hours.
We chose Fort Mill for the schools - we prefer the west side of 77 for Fort Mill. The downside is the traffic. The building is crazy the last few years and the roads were not planned well for it. But we stil love it.
The focus is so family friendly that my parents just can't get over how old they feel when visiting .
A lot of co-workers live in Rock Hill and love it - I'm not crazy about it - but to each their own. Places like Heathwood, etc are really nice. There are some great & some bad areas of Rock Hill. Aside from the great schools in Fort Mill, another thing we like is being close to Charlotte downtown.
You can usually count on one snow day a year with a couple inches. Usually enough for some sledding and then by lunch time it is melted. But the weather is cold enough that my son needs a long sleeve shirt and winter jacket for a couple months a year which I love.
Yes!! That is one of the things we have been hating as well. We got used to going from our home in NC to SC or GA just for a weekend trip. Now it's just so far!
We certainly understand traffic. With snowbird season it gets pretty bad. So traffic doesn't bother me anymore. It's part for the course in so many places these days.
We have been leaning towards fort mill and with both of these responses it's leaning is more toward it. Rock Hill seems like a place we would just drove to for certain things sometimes. How easy is it to make friends as parents? We are planning on homeschooling our kids so we will use sports and other activities for social needs. But we were hoping that neighborhoods there have block parties and events. Like the "old days".
That's good enough for me! I would rather have one snowy day a year then none! I miss wearing jackets and boots. I wore them a few times this past November but had to change by noon because it got too hot. Our kids will use any excuse to wear jackets. So I know they have been missing that as well.
You have been a great help. I really appreciate it! After making a move to Florida and it not working out I just really want to go into this knowing as much as I can!
We have been in Fort Mill for the past 18 years. My children have gone to school here and it is a wonderful place to raise a family. We are now empty nesters and building a smaller house. We will be selling ours we are in a great development with larger lots. Let me know if you will be looking for a house : ) Fort Mill is the right choice.
Fort Mill is a much more up and coming city than Rock Hill and there seem to be a lot more younger families moving there. Both are very good places to raise a family though. You can get a lot more house for your money in Rock Hill if that is important to you. If housing isn't a issue I would probably recommend Fort Mill.
We recently moved to Ashburn, VA from Rock Hill and if we ever moved back to the area which may be very likely as it is a great area, we would most definitely end up in Fort Mill as we have 3 young kids and the schools are great. My wife was a teacher there before leaving.
I think Fort Mill has a lot less homeschoolers than other areas because of our great public schools, but you definiteley won't be alone. I think a lot of people use the neighborhood or sports, etc to meet people. I think as long as you buy in a subdivision you will find neighborhood events. In our place there isn't so much done by the entire 'hood, but more by each street. There are tons of communities to choose from and they will vary.
I am gussing more pepole in Fort Mill go North to Charlotte, South Charlotte, Ballyntyne for things than Rock Hill. All of our doctors are in NC, etc.
Fort Mill is a much more up and coming city than Rock Hill and there seem to be a lot more younger families moving there. Both are very good places to raise a family though. You can get a lot more house for your money in Rock Hill if that is important to you. If housing isn't a issue I would probably recommend Fort Mill.
We recently moved to Ashburn, VA from Rock Hill and if we ever moved back to the area which may be very likely as it is a great area, we would most definitely end up in Fort Mill as we have 3 young kids and the schools are great. My wife was a teacher there before leaving.
Thank you so much for the info! Housing will only be an issue if when the time comes we are having a hard time finding something. We aren't going to be buying immediately. Would like time to get to know the areas before we buy. Finding rentals is not easy! With each response I have gotten we are leaning more and more towards fort mill!
We have been in Fort Mill for the past 18 years. My children have gone to school here and it is a wonderful place to raise a family. We are now empty nesters and building a smaller house. We will be selling ours we are in a great development with larger lots. Let me know if you will be looking for a house : ) Fort Mill is the right choice.
Wow that is so awesome! Do your kids still live there as well? Would you be interested in renting your house? Would love to get some info if y'all would be willing to rent it. I understand if you aren't! Seems liked most people in that area don't rent their homes. It's fairly common down here.
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