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i posted this question on the fla forum too. a native floridian (live in orlando) looking at his options...like to get opinions/feedback from both sc'ians and floridians... please note that i have lived in both nc and fla, and i appreciate both states and what they have to offer. i enjoy aspects of both nc/sc and florida.
i have the option to move both places. a job isnt really much of an issue - i could get a (transfer) and both jobs pay about the same. housing in vero bch seems pretty reasonable, but greenville, sc is still cheaper imo.
if i do not transfer into lateral position, a job would be harder to come by in vero bch, i would think. greenville is 3 times the size, with more jobs available. other positives to greenville are change of seasons, hills, and it's just a nice area with friendly ppl, good drivers, lots of floridians live up there now. also havr family in the area. the downside to greenville is that: it isnt fla, not a fan of the weather from oct - march... dreery, cold, grey. no beach. far from family in fla. i will miss fla.
on the other hand i like vero bch as it seemed much quieter, less congested, less crime, and ppl seemed much more friendly and had the ability to actually driver a car and act civil, something that seems hard to do here in orlando, where i live now. although i was only in vero bch for a short period of time, i got a really good impression. my only downside i saw to vero bch was : how long before it gets to be like west palm bch and ft lauderdale (crowded, etc...)? and less job avaliablity. if i switched jobs and/or careers, where would i go? there's not a lot there in vero bch.
i give greenville and vero bch both a 7.5 - 8.0 out of a 10-pt. scale. hard decision. what would you all do? i appreciate the input. i realize by posting on the greenville forum, i am probably going to get more greenville votes. on the fla forum, vero bch won pretty easily (thus far). i appreciate the votes everyone.
Last edited by backtofla; 09-07-2007 at 12:24 PM..
Reason: sp
I can't answer the poll honestly because I haven't lived in Greenville. However, I think it's a bit strange, since Vero Beach is a small city and relatively quiet, plus a majority of its residents are retired. I stayed there for a month several years ago and thought it was charming. Coincidentally, Vero Beach is the place where I looked at homes last year and they were lovely. The area seemed to still be safe and the beaches were clean and not too crowded. Traffic was very congested, especially in Feb/Mar although it's not as bad as Palm Beach County further south. The real estate isn't as expensive as Naples or Bonita Springs on the West Coast where I live but the 3 bedroom townhome I saw was still $230,000. I looked at some older villas for $189,000. This is way out of my price range, but the agent wanted me to see them for comparison. When you add in the HOA, taxes & insurance, anywhere in FL is going to cost more than many states, but we have no state income tax. The only reason I would choose FL over somewhere else is because I like living up the road from a white, sandy beach with 80 degree water. It's also very green here 365 days a year. I'm not so sure I could adjust to winter in an area where temps fall into the 20s, so I understand your comment about the weather.
So maybe I haven't answered your question properly, since I haven't lived in both places. My answer still might be "Vero Beach if I could afford to live there." There really isn't much to do there (it's commonly called Zero Beach) but I'm not a party animal. However, someone who enjoys the nightlife in Greenville would most likely find Vero Beach to be boring. I think Greenville will grow faster and have more job opportunities for most people - something you mentioned as well. Again, I would never compare the 2 cities. Maybe Greenville/Jacksonville or Greenville/Fort Myers but Vero to me is more of a retirement community. I just checked and Vero Beach has les than 20,000 residents and I'm guessing half of them are snowbirds. Greenville has over 600,000 people according to a 2006 census.
Last edited by justNancy; 09-07-2007 at 01:20 PM..
wow, i had no idea greenville was so big. i have been there quite a few times, but i had no idea it was that big. (i just said the same thing twice. forgive me).
anyhow, i know it is kind of wierd to compare the two. both pretty different, but i like them both and can see myself living in either. one reason vero bch is so appealing is b/c it is quiet, and seemed much safer, prettier, cleaner, friendlier, and so on than orlando. so i can really appreciate living in a town like that, especially being so close to the beaches.
greenville appeals to me for others reasons of which i have an appreciation for. a bigger city than vero bch for sure, but still has that friendly, neat and clean atmosphere, and many floridians have now called greenville home. also, the job situation is better in g'ville as well.
family and friends are close by in both places. both places are pretty, friendly, clean, etc... so i am having a time with this one... nothing is set in stone or going to happen immediately. but i like to research a little early.
Seriously, I have never been to a place in Florida that I would rather live than in Greenville. If you love the Florida beach lifestyle then you would obviously be much better off staying there. If you want to live in a growing progressive city near the mountains, Greenville is a great choice. As for safety, I have never been threatened here and yet I have been out all over and at all times of day and night. Greenville is a tremendous place to raise a family and it shows.
City of Greenville (http://greatergreenville.com/ - broken link)
One thing I would like to point out, Greenville (the city of has approx. 56,000)not 600,000. I think that is either Greenville county, or the surrounding counties combined. Someone with better knowledge can clarify on that. It's a mid-size city, with small town charm
I am from melbourne, Just a little north of vero, and we moved to Greenville 2 years ago. I think it is correct to say you really can't compare. There are things about FL we miss dearly, but there are plenty of wonderful things about Greenville and the surrounding areas as well. I was born in Melbourne, and it was a sleepy little beach town, but it isnt that anymore, and we left in search of a better place to raise our children. We have found that here. You can get much more home for your money in SC, land- if your interested in going rural.
WE actually were toying around with the idea of moving back to Melbourne a couple months ago, (my family is there) but after doing some research and soul searching, I knew it would be a big step backwards. There is so much more opportunity here, and I just feel FL is really unstable. ANyway, good luck to you!
i have been to melbourne... it's okay, but really couldnt compare it to vero bch. me personally, think vero bch is nicer, but that's just me. thanks for the thoughts kshell.
ps- i am afraid to move to greenville in a way, b/c i will miss fla. but i have to do what's best, and whether that's vero bch or greenville, either one is a big step up from orlando. better believe it!!!
I am new to this forum...I live in Florida and we are going to move to SC next year for our retirement. I grew up in Florida, moved around the country and came back 5 yrs ago. Its not the same anymore. I live in a beachy town near Daytona which is nice but taxes, home prices, etc have gone up and the atmosphere is so different.
My vote is SC but each person must search their own heart and decide which is best for them.
Good luck!
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