Please Help Us With Real Estate Questions - re: North Main, Augusta, etc. (Greenville: crime)

[kels535]

Hello All!

I'm been searching these forums for a while and have gathered some good info, however, I still have some specific questions.

Background on what we're looking for: as walkable of a neighborhood as possible (ie - a place where we can walk to the store, grab a local brew, etc). We also want to be within a mile or so of a park, and we want to be in a laid back area (no snooty folks please).

We drove around today and went to a bunch of open houses, and I found the Real Estate Agents weren't too blunt with us...everything was sugar coated. I know they legally have to be neutral (as far as what areas are good/bad, crime stats, etc) so I'm looking for some local folks that could give us some sound advice.

So.....what really is the difference between North Main, areas around Cleveland Forest, Augusta Road, etc. We've driven around all of them, and they all appear to be very similar. We're looking for a minimum 3bd house up to $400k. We love old world charm, but can also appreciate modern amenities in new homes too.

Are there other areas close to downtown that you think we should also consider? Which one do you think would have the best resale value/potential should we have to unexpectedly leave in a few years? We have an infant and plan on expanding our family, so we'd like a safe place where the little ones can play.

Sorry to provide everyone with so much detail, and any response truly would be appreciated. We're outsiders trying to do our best to find out the nitty gritty gorilla style.

[Tribe Pride]

We moved to Greenville a few years ago and found ourselves asking the same questions regarding downtown neighborhoods. After being here a few years, here are my observations.

Augusta Rd:
-more of Greenville's old money/families who have lived in the area a long time
-lots of families with children
-depending on where you live it can be fairly walkable (ie live closer to shops and restaurants along Augusta Rd)
-close to hospital
-not sure about parks besides Cleveland Park, but obviously if you live within walking distance of Cleveland Park, that is a huge asset

North Main:
-more diverse (ethnically/economically) than Augusta Rd, but still fairly expensive by Greenville standards
-walkable to downtown if you live on the Southern end of neighborhood (off of Park Ave and Earle Street in particular)
- several neighborhood parks (McPherson, Croft Park, North Main Park)
- free trolley makes stops in neighborhood on weekends to take riders to downtown/Falls Park/West End/etc.
- lots of families with children

Cleveland Forest:
- pretty expensive, but beautiful!
- have access to Cleveland Park and the Swamp Rabbit Trail; could probably walk to YMCA
- not sure about diversity, but guessing it is similar to the rest of Augusta Rd area
- not sure about whether or not there are lots of families in this area, but I see people walking around pushing strollers, so I guess there is some!

Other neighborhoods to consider:
1. If you like the idea of being more of an "urban pioneer", the Hampton-Pinckney neighborhood on the West side of downtown has some beautiful older homes. Walkable to library, children's museum, children's garden, swap rabbit trail, post office, and much of downtown. The West End area is similar. You would probably get the most bang for your buck as far as housing is concerned in these neighborhoods.

2. Gower/Parkins Mill (situated between Laurens Rd and Augusta Rd) is very family friendly, has a neighborhood pool and parks. Lovely homes with larger lots. Not as walkable as other areas, but convenient access to pretty much everywhere in town.

With your budget, I think you could live just about any of these places. I think that all have good schools. As far as resale is concerned, I think any of these would be fine. If walkability and access to downtown are a deciding factor, my spouse and I often say that Cleveland Forest would be ideal- Cleveland Park is essentially your backyard! But as an outsider to Greenville, I think that North Main might be your best option for meeting other non-natives and having more diversity. It's a great neighborhood, and I think definitely more walkable than Augusta Rd (besides Cleveland Forest). I've written before on here that we have found Greenville to be a very nice city, but also very cliquish. I think you will find less of that in North Main than in any of the other in-town neighborhoods.

[kels535]

Wow....thank you so much for your detailed, thoughtful response. You laid it out very nicely and we'll definitely be checking out the other areas you outlined too. I'll keep you posted. Thanks again!!