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I'm also a Pittsburgher in your age bracket who has moved to Charleston. The road system and traffic aren't as bad as Pittsburgh but there are a lot more "mega" intersections here where one light cycle feels like forever, and you don't always make it through in the first cycle.
I live downtown and haven't had any issues with safety...normal street smarts will suffice although being female your level of comfort may be different town mine. Lots of young professional types living all over downtown though and I have yet to hear any complaints about safety issues although there are certainly areas I'd recommend avoiding.
As far as liberal/conservative, at least in our age bracket I have found it to be just as liberal as any other city with a large college and graduate population. Young people seem a lot more 420 friendly here than Pittsburgh. It was prevalent there but not quite as pervasive as here from my experiences.
Haven't been here for a summer yet, it's what I dread the most. Do people even attend events like Second Sunday when it's oppressively hot out? I know tourists will be out either way, but I'm invisioning a ghost town while the sun is high in the sky because everyone is inside under fans or AC. Does it cool off at night?
Very, very hot in the summer, really it is too hot and you can't even go to the beach except in the morning or evening because of the heat! (i'm serious)
2. Are there any cons to living in Charleston? a few, but they are all covered here in your questions
3. Is safety an issue? In certain areas yes, but there are plenty of safe areas to live, the crime rate for the City is above average as a whole
4. Politically I heard Charleston is fairly conservative, if you are liberal is this a problem?
It is conservative in the bible belt , many churches, gay marriage is banned here, and people are conservative (this is a good thing!)
5. How bad are bugs?! Very , very bad in the fall and spring (nice weather) there are gnats that will eat you alive if you do not put protection on, or wear long clothing.
6. Are the road systems confusing and is there a lot of traffic? Just moderate traffic, as it is just a medium sized city. The roads are not confusing, it is simple to understand. The roads are old though and need repair in many areas.
To answer the last post: No, it does not cool off at night in the summer months. It is still hot at night!!
Humidity is worse than heat... it is really sticky in the summer, which is from May-September here. If you are close to the ocean it's not quite as bad as it is inland.
It also rains a lot here.
2. Are there any cons to living in Charleston?
I sometimes think the cost of living is a bit higher here compared to other cities in SC like Columbia. Also, some places flood. You might have to buy flood insurance depending on where you live (we didn't, though).
3. Is safety an issue?
Like everywhere, you have to be aware of your surroundings. There are places I wouldn't go alone at night, but those places aren't exactly where I'd want to go anyway. Crime is everywhere in every city, but I think Charleston as a whole has done a lot to clean it up. The area had more of a crime reputation when I was growing up (I grew up approx. 1.5 hours away but visited a lot).
4. Politically I heard Charleston is fairly conservative, if you are liberal is this a problem?
It's fairly conservative when compared to the rest of the country, but when compared to the rest of the state, I think it is one of the more liberal areas. Conservatives are nice people and welcoming too. Honestly I haven't met many people here who weren't welcoming to newcomers.
This makes me think, though. Most all of my friends who move to Charleston are more conservative than me, even though I grew up in the South.
5. How bad are bugs?!
Not as bad as Florida... I've always lived in SC so really can't compare bugs to other states except I've visited Fla, and they're much worse there!
6. Are the road systems confusing and is there a lot of traffic?
Within a month or so of moving here you'll know all the major roads (unless you're a real homebody, hehe). Traffic can get bad during certain parts of the day at certain areas, but nothing like ATL or a major city. The main thing is bridges and rivers- unlike other small southern cities that are more inland, we only have a few ways to really get places and they all involve a bridge.
From where I live, there are 2 ways to get to Mt. Pleasant- I-526 and Hwy 17/Cooper River Bridge. Cooper River Bridge was shut down for ice last week... so obviously it would have taken me forever to get to MTP because I would have to take I-526 with everyone else. Some cities have lots of alternate routes, and here, we just have 2-3. But, ice is not a frequent occurrence here...
"It's fairly conservative when compared to the rest of the country, but when compared to the rest of the state, I think it is one of the more liberal areas. Conservatives are nice people and welcoming too. Honestly I haven't met many people here who weren't welcoming to newcomers. "-From ProudPatriot07
I've been looking into some other cities, because I plan on a road trip to the top cities on my list, and by far the city-data forum from Charleston has been the most helpful / welcoming / nicest. I'm not sure if that is indicative of anything, but it is reassuring!
BobMcKelvin: Hi from Pittsburgh! I hope your summer goes well, hopefully it's not TOO hot haha.
Hot as hades; traffic is annoying... People drive under the speed limit... It gets old paying 15 dollars for a burger....there are no really nice gyms; it's safe; conservative; buggy with a side of alligators; roads are easy and not enough
Very, very hot in the summer, really it is too hot and you can't even go to the beach except in the morning or evening because of the heat! (i'm serious)
Now Coastal, you have to admit that's an exaggeration! There are crowds at the beach all day that would dispute it.
Now Coastal, you have to admit that's an exaggeration! There are crowds at the beach all day that would dispute it.
We never head to the beach until 1 or 2 pm. I'm not a morning person, so I will never get there early. We just set up and I head straight for the water.
Ha, to answer the last 3 posts , I have to back up my answer to the OP. I, Coastalbum, live right next to the water, all my life. Hence my name. I live 15 mins from the ocean , 2 minutes from the Stono River. I can't take the heat after 12 noon in the summer at the beach. Either can my wife. We go in the morn or late afternoon. Too hot and humid by noon for us and I lived on the ocean/coast my whole life. Prefer Tidewater/Chesapeake Bay/Va. Beach in the summer to here in Charelston for the summer beach scene. There may be crowds at the beach all day in the summer , sure, I just can't take that heat humidity on me, either can my wife. Coastal people , but it is just not enjoyable to sit or even walk at the beach here in the summer midday. I have to stay in the water the whole time to enjoy it. I do surf, but the waves are tiny most all summer...
"It's fairly conservative when compared to the rest of the country, but when compared to the rest of the state, I think it is one of the more liberal areas. Conservatives are nice people and welcoming too. Honestly I haven't met many people here who weren't welcoming to newcomers. "-From ProudPatriot07
I've been looking into some other cities, because I plan on a road trip to the top cities on my list, and by far the city-data forum from Charleston has been the most helpful / welcoming / nicest. I'm not sure if that is indicative of anything, but it is reassuring!
BobMcKelvin: Hi from Pittsburgh! I hope your summer goes well, hopefully it's not TOO hot haha.
Aww thank you. This is a pretty active City Data forum though. I have seen where we just have a lot more posters in general. I kinda think most people who live in a city but still visit forums like this are nice though, we want to welcome others to the community or at least give advice .
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