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The west ashley area sounds like a good fit for you. Alot of singles. A decent amount of bars/resturants to go out or you can just go across the bridge to charleston which has everything. Also you about 15 20mins depending on what part of west ashley you are in from the beach
It sounds like outdoor activities are more important than activities in town to you. If that's the case, you probably should look elsewhere in the Carolinas. Other towns like Beaufort, Wilmington, Georgetown, and almost any town in the Smokey Mountains would have as many outdoor possibilities as Charleston and would be so much cheaper to live in.
Charleston is expensive,traffic can be bad, and if you truly love the outdoors, you'll constantly be angry at all the developers who want to destroy the natural places around the city.
It sounds like outdoor activities are more important than activities in town to you. If that's the case, you probably should look elsewhere in the Carolinas. Other towns like Beaufort, Wilmington, Georgetown, and almost any town in the Smokey Mountains would have as many outdoor possibilities as Charleston and would be so much cheaper to live in.
Charleston is expensive,traffic can be bad, and if you truly love the outdoors, you'll constantly be angry at all the developers who want to destroy the natural places around the city.
Seconded. I love living in Charleston, but I wouldn't recommend it to someone who is specifically looking for a place to enjoy outdoorsy hobbies. Especially not to someone concerned about rent, traffic, and humidity. There are other towns in the region that would be a better fit.
Seconded. I love living in Charleston, but I wouldn't recommend it to someone who is specifically looking for a place to enjoy outdoorsy hobbies. Especially not to someone concerned about rent, traffic, and humidity. There are other towns in the region that would be a better fit.
Traffic or rent wouldnt be a concerned for somejne comming from cali. Traffic to them is like atlanta or dc traffic. Charleston traffic is a joke compared to l.a. also rents are higher do when someone saids affordable that means anything cheaper than cali which homes can start in bad areas in cali the same price has high end homes in good areas here
Let me tell you, the humidity along with the high temps during the summer are no joke. I have lived in Columbia for years which is comparable in humidity to Charleston. I just spent the week (mid September) in Grand Teton National Park out west so got a sense for myself just how much the humidity can tire you out by finally being in a place that wasn't too bad. To be fair, even though the temps were abnormally warm for out here getting up almost into the low 80s some days and highs in the 70s most days, they were still way cooler than Columbia, so I had more going for me than just lower humidity. But in theory offsetting that was elevation. But I even went for a swim in Phelps lake it was so warm. I was hiking and even jogging at times up steep hills at elevations up to almost 10,000 ft. Even with the elevation and steep climbs, hiking was a breeze compared to hiking in the humidity of the southeast. At least with Columbia and Charleston you have water to cool off in. One advantage of living in South Carolina is you are close to the Appalachian mountains, particularly the Blue Ridge/pisgah national forest which is absolutely beautiful. Lots and lots of fun waterfalls and you can take your dog to Pisgah.
I'm turning 32 and I just got divorced from a seven year marriage with no kids and I'm just looking for a fresh start... somewhere with 1) affordable housing ( compared to California where I live now ) 2) decent job opportunities 3) preferably not horrible traffic because I don't want to spend all my free time driving to and from work 4) i'm a huge nature person. My idea of a great time is being outdoors. Yes I love to go shopping and go to the movies and dinner. But being outside at the beach or ihiking with a mountain veiw or at the river/lake is what it's all about. In California that translates to hikes along the beach , walks around the lakes , pool days. But the reason I'm considering North Carolina / South Carolina is because of the outdoor opportunities . I know that neither place will have the perfect weather of California :/ as a single person California is simply out of my budget even working full-time add a good job ( I have 15 years experience in customer service and sales management ). The North Carolina and South Carolina appeal is having a Hamic out front and enjoying an ocean or river front breeze . And being such a short drive to the beach, although I don't know if the humidity ruins beach days? The beach is a lovely thing here in California. I look at places in North Carolina and South Carolina I find options very similar for 800 to 1000 . I don't have a high list of demands when it comes to housing. I just would like a washer and dryer inside and air-conditioning for the summers and a fireplace for the winters . I was hoping to pay around 1000 for a one bedroom for around 1200 for a two bedroom. But obviously there would have to be a decent job to work and pay the rent. Lastly, As a newly single woman I'm hoping to make some friends in a new area. I lived in Seattle with my husband for a whole six months and didn't make one friend. I think they call it the Seattle freeze... not very friendly. I do love how in California most people are friendly although they can be a little snobby when it comes to money. Hoping to make some down to earth friends wherever I go. And people always say make sure wherever you go you find a job first. Which I know is good advice. But I've been unemployed the last six months here in California so I'm pretty sure I cant have any worse luck somewhere else.
Suggestion: rather than taking on the emotional and financial expense and stress of a cross country location ... and if you like outdoor activities and down to earth people, and you don't tolerate excessive heat and humidity (which you will abhor in Charleston SC), think about going into northern California. You'll save money by being in the same state, less relocation complications, better weather, etc. A very long time ago I lived in Cali near Santa Barbara, loved it. One of the most high dollar places to live in the country now. I've also lived in New England, and FL ... o.m.g. FL is on a par with Charleston SC and FL as to oppressive weather. Now in the Blue Ridge Mtns. of NC, God's country for the past 14 yrs ... this area is very retiree oriented, many outdoor activities and a younger active lifestyle closer to Asheville -- you may want to investigate this area as well. Jobs are not plentiful, however; depending on what you do for a living, you could find something, rents are high though. Think about northern Cali if you haven't already, at the very least because you already live in the state, and investigate an area where you won't want to move after a year.
Search online for a 'cost of living calculator" bestplaces.com has a good one. Figure out the differences in cost of living between areas you like and what you can afford before making a decision. And.... visit each area before getting serious. Best wishes.
What type of skills and job will you be looking for. I would land a job first and have some type of steady income before moving. The biggest adjustment will be the people. I was in the Marine Corp and live in San Diego. It took about two years for the cultural adjustment. I would also search for area outside of Charleston but on the coast like Murrell Inlet and Garden City outside Myrtle Beach, but still close to Charleston and North Carolina. I would be honest about my capacity to manage good relationships, surely everyone in Seattle was non-relational.
I'd like to see the math that makes $15-$20/hr enough to afford a $300k house.
With good credit, it is about $440 per $100,000. 20% down would leave you with a mortgage of ~$1000 or half of a monthly paycheck at $15/hour. I think, you would need to really look closer to a 200K range at that salary - unless you could put down a much larger down payment.
But I agree with you, 300K may be too much for $15/hour.
I'd like to see the math that makes $15-$20/hr enough to afford a $300k house.
Ha ha. It sounds like one of those House Hunters shows where a police officer and a stay-at-home mom say their max budget is $600K.
Of course, some people can get money from other sources. I have friends who got money for big down payments from their parents or from a divorce.
Last edited by Chas4Life; 09-25-2016 at 08:11 PM..
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