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Hi everyone! I'm potentially moving to Charleston from Seattle for work, and trying to do my homework on where I'd want to live. I'll be in the area next week to check out apartments.
My budget: under $1500 a month
My household: just me (female, late 20s) and my dog
My work: Daniel Island
My preferences: commute shorter than 25 minutes, reasonably walkable neighborhood (a few local restaurants or bars rather than having to drive for absolutely everything), and safe enough that I can take my dog out for a walk in the early morning/evening (bonus for nearby parks/trails). I'd ideally also like to live somewhere that has some kind of diversity (ethnic, economic, LGBTQ, etc.), if I'm getting to be picky
It looks like the walkable part of Park Circle is E. Montague by O'Hear, Daniel Island is River Landing Dr., and Mount Pleasant is Coleman Blvd (although I'm not quite sure which part of Coleman?). Am I missing other areas I should be looking into?
My apartment list right now has 17 places on it (all with supposedly decent walk scores), so I'm just trying to eliminate options:
North Charleston: Atlantic on the Avenue, Link Apartments Mixson, Factory at Garco
Charleston: Hawthorne Westside, The Ashley Apartments, Foundry Point, Meeting Street Lofts
Daniel Island: Central Island Square, Simmons Park
Mount Pleasant: Riviera at Seaside, Thickett, Haven at Indigo Square, Parish Place, The Watch on Shem Creek, ARIUM Mt Pleasant, Oyster Park, The Boulevard
I think if I was going to be working on Daniel Island, that is where I would live.
If those don't work out, one of the Mt. Pleasant complexes would be a better option.
In my opinion, West Ashley could be an awful commute that really isn't necessary when there are more convenient places to live.
I personally would eliminate the North Charleston places on your list. Even if the apartments themselves are nice, they can be surrounded by higher crime areas. I'm trying to picture the one on Rivers and if it's where I think it is I wouldn't consider it really walkable to anything worthwhile. Rivers is great for shopping, but it's not a road I would like to live off or walk down.
I think if I was going to be working on Daniel Island, that is where I would live.
If those don't work out, one of the Mt. Pleasant complexes would be a better option.
In my opinion, West Ashley could be an awful commute that really isn't necessary when there are more convenient places to live.
I personally would eliminate the North Charleston places on your list. Even if the apartments themselves are nice, they can be surrounded by higher crime areas. I'm trying to picture the one on Rivers and if it's where I think it is I wouldn't consider it really walkable to anything worthwhile. Rivers is great for shopping, but it's not a road I would like to live off or walk down.
Mt P is great. Riviera at Seaside and The Boulevard are very walker friendly, everything is near or next to those places. Dog parks are closer to Riviera. Thickett and The Watch arent walkable to anywhere without walking on the side of a main road with no sidewalks.
If I was in your shoes Riviera would be my first choice. Very cool little neighborhood with shops, stores, bars literally next to the apartments, close to the beach and parks. Harris Teeter and Target in the same section of shops all walkable.
I also agree with BSJSAS and you might be able to find something nice on Daniel Island. There are a lot of grand houses there that have apts over detached garages that get rented out sometimes. There are also condos that would be in your price range. I don't think you'd find DI to be very diverse though.
Truth is, you are not going to find anything anywhere close to the type of neighborhood you describe in Charleston.
The only neighborhoods with some similar characteristics are Park Circle in N. Charleston and Avondale\Byrnes Downs\S.Windermere in West Ashley. The commute would be a bit of a hassle but relative to Seattle commuting, not bad at all.
I notice the Crimestoppers of America have chimed in with their "Round up the Usual Suspects" chatter. It's as if Park Circle is Dodge City, and Mt P is Shangri-La.
Kelly, if you're working in Daniel Island start your research on the Mt Pleasant area because the traffic is your biggest problem.....not because North Charleston is the Murder Capital of the Western World. The locations mentioned above are good choices and will keep your commute times reasonable. Don't sign a long-term lease until you get a feel for this area.
How big is your dog ?? Some Rentals put a limit on pet size.
Park Circle, in terms of vibe, is about as close to Seattle as you're going to get around here. Be prepared for a bit of culture shock. While the type of diversity you seek is here in pockets, it's not near the levels you find in Seattle, and the culture here isn't quite as identity-centric. Keep in mind that there are stark sociopolitical differences between the two places, and what may be considered "progressive" here is at most, "center-right" in the Seattle area.
I speak from my own experiences of being a native of Georgia (which shares broad strokes similarity with South Carolina in terms of culture) who spent over 13 years in the Seattle area and experienced a sort of reverse culture shock.
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