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My boyfriend and I have made the decision to relocate from NEPA after serious consideration. There are many, many reasons for our desire to relocate--more than I could list in here--but we've traveled around in the south and much prefer the vibrance there. We're both in our early twenties and have a very energetic dog who loves to be outside. I won't speak on behalf of my boyfriend, but I'm looking for a place with a much more relaxed atmosphere without so much of the hustle and bustle we experience now in Scranton, PA. I'm not particularly social, but I am very friendly and enjoy people when they're not excessively rude (like they are here). We both enjoy having things to do but also don't mind having to drive a little ways to get there.
So, I guess what I'm asking is: 1) What town/city in the Greenville area is the most quiet and laid back? Like I said, we like to have things to do but we don't mind driving 20-30 minutes to get there. We also very much enjoy being outside, so that's important. 2) Are there many pet-friendly places in terms of housing? At the moment we are not interested in purchasing a home and are much more comfortable with renting. 3) I know this question gets asked a lot, but for my own sanity I will ask it again: is there any reason to be afraid of being a "Yankee"? To be honest, I come from a very small, conservative town in PA, so I'm used to certain ideals and am not uncomfortable with them. I myself am a little more liberal-minded but am so used to being surrounded by conservative ideals that they do not faze me in the least. If we are accepting of the culture to which we are moving, we shouldn't have a problem, right?
Just looking to find a nice place. I should also mention that we are both looking into transferring to Clemson, so being within 30 minutes of the University would be a plus.
My boyfriend and I have made the decision to relocate from NEPA after serious consideration. There are many, many reasons for our desire to relocate--more than I could list in here--but we've traveled around in the south and much prefer the vibrance there. We're both in our early twenties and have a very energetic dog who loves to be outside. I won't speak on behalf of my boyfriend, but I'm looking for a place with a much more relaxed atmosphere without so much of the hustle and bustle we experience now in Scranton, PA. I'm not particularly social, but I am very friendly and enjoy people when they're not excessively rude (like they are here). We both enjoy having things to do but also don't mind having to drive a little ways to get there.
So, I guess what I'm asking is: 1) What town/city in the Greenville area is the most quiet and laid back? Like I said, we like to have things to do but we don't mind driving 20-30 minutes to get there. We also very much enjoy being outside, so that's important. 2) Are there many pet-friendly places in terms of housing? At the moment we are not interested in purchasing a home and are much more comfortable with renting. 3) I know this question gets asked a lot, but for my own sanity I will ask it again: is there any reason to be afraid of being a "Yankee"? To be honest, I come from a very small, conservative town in PA, so I'm used to certain ideals and am not uncomfortable with them. I myself am a little more liberal-minded but am so used to being surrounded by conservative ideals that they do not faze me in the least. If we are accepting of the culture to which we are moving, we shouldn't have a problem, right?
Just looking to find a nice place. I should also mention that we are both looking into transferring to Clemson, so being within 30 minutes of the University would be a plus.
Thank you all so much!
Hi there,
We are originally from Greentown, PA but lived in FL and then moved here about 6 months ago. My sister still lives in Scranton but has been trying to move for the past 2 years. First of all, I will tell you Greenville is so much more than Scranton. Plenty more going on and better weather. You'll get to be outside with your dog way more There are dog parks here too for your dog to play. You might want to try Anderson or Easley if you want to be near Clemson. I'm kind of new so others will know better. It just depends on rentals and pets. We found one no problem with 3 dogs but were lucky. As for the "Yankee" thing, the northern/southern thing is still going on with some locals that haven gotten over it. (not to offend anyone) They are conservative and it's their beliefs. Even so, there are plenty other people who live here that don't worry about it. You won't have a problem with it. To me, there are more conservatives in NEPA. It's changing with transplants here.
The most quiet and laid back? That would be hard to say but there are lots of small quiet towns within 30 minutes of Clemson. Most of the smallest towns won't have a lot of rentals, though. It might be easiest to rent something near Clemson for 6 months or so at first. That would allow you to explore the area and find something that really suits what you are looking for.
If you want close to Greenville, Easley is about 20 minutes from both Greenville and Clemson and would have places to rent. Easley isn't a really quiet place, though. It has grown quite a bit and has a lot of retail and traffic lights, etc.
Liberty would be quieter and would be about 30 minutes to Greenville and 20 minutes to Clemson.
Heading from there towards Clemson you have the very small town of Norris and then Central. Central has a bunch of apartments geared towards Clemson students.
Clemson itself is a pretty small town. My mother tells stories of meeting people from up north when she grew up in Clemson. Apparently out of state tuition at Clemson was cheaper than in-state tuition in Connecticut, New Jersey, and other northern states. Clemson might be a little more tolerant of "Yankees" than the average small town in the Upstate of SC.
Another consideration would be Pendleton, which is a small town just south of Clemson. Pendleton would be under 10 minutes to Clemson. Pendleton would also put you within 20 minutes of most of the shopping in Anderson. Anderson has a small mall and most of the chain stores that you can think of. If you wanted to visit downtown Greenville, it would still only be 40 minutes or so away.
West of Clemson you have Seneca, but I don't think Seneca really sounds like what you are looking for. West of Seneca are the two smaller towns of Walhalla and Wesminster. Both of those sound closer to what you describe but they are both going to be around an hour from Greenville. The upside for those two towns are they are closer to the National Forest and just in the edge of the mountains.
My family is from this area but we moved a LOT growing up. I even spent 4 years in NJ and 2 years in CA! I personally prefer to live in the Southeastern US. Yes, there are still some people around that don't like "Yankees" but they are in the minority. The area does tend to be conservative from both a political and religious viewpoint. If you come here knowing that and are okay with it, then someone more liberal can do fine. If you move here and constantly tell everyone how much better everything was where you used to live, then you are more likely to have problems.
What activities do you like doing outside? Clemson has an awesome Botanical Garden. There are also hiking / biking trails at Issaqueena. A bit further out there is lots of hiking in Sumter National Forest and on the East and West shores of Lake Jocassee. Western NC isn't far away either - hiking, biking, camping, etc. abound there. You can enjoy powerboating and fishing on Lake Hartwell, Keowee, or Jocassee. Jocassee is very scenic and great for flatwater kayaking. If you are into whitewater rafting or kayaking, the Chattooga river is nearby along with a lot of smaller creeks and streams.
I like doing things outdoors, and except during the odd extreme cold snap (like right now), there is some activity to do outside almost year round in this area.
First of all, I will tell you Greenville is so much more than Scranton. Plenty more going on and better weather. You'll get to be outside with your dog way more There are dog parks here too for your dog to play.
Ahhh, that's what I like to hear. Also, I'm originally from Honesdale, and for over a decade my mom owned a shop in Hawley. Small world! Thanks for the response!
I like doing things outdoors, and except during the odd extreme cold snap (like right now), there is some activity to do outside almost year round in this area.
Oh my goodness, that sounds perfect. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the wonderful information! We'll do our research on each town and make a small list. We plan on coming down in March to do some reconnaissance and we don't plan on moving until at least May when the semester here is over. I should also note that we will be waiting a year until we apply to Clemson as to be considered in-state for tuition.
As for outdoor activities, we LOVE to hike, but we've never had a chance to do much else. We're definitely open to the idea of rafting, and we love to explore. We don't necessarily need something super quiet, but we prefer not to hear traffic outside of the window at night and don't like waiting ten minutes to get out of the driveway in the morning.
Oh, and no worries about talking about how we liked things better back home; if we liked things here, we wouldn't be moving. Plus, I would just think it rude to come into someone else's town and say that you like yours better, y'know?
Again, thank you SO MUCH for all of your information. People like you make this process so much less frightening.
Hi there, I was born and raised in NEPA. Born in Scranton, but lived in Archbald, Tompkinsville, Waymart, Clarks Green, Waverly and Dalton.
I love the Greenville area because in many ways it reminds me of the areas I grew up in, but there is more focus on the arts, cuisine, etc. The mountains and lakes of this area evoke childhood memories of the Poconos, and the rolling hills of Wayne county- SANS SNOW!
While I enjoy Greenville and feel at home here, I do find it to be a very populated area. This is a personal thing, for me. I need a lot of personal space, and open space to feel focused and in harmony. I've been in Greenville for two years, renting a house very near Mauldin. I could have stayed here, but over the summer, I found we were spending more and more time hiking and swimming in and around the Lake Keowee area. The more laid back, lower population, more rural lifestyle is more in tune with my needs.
We're moving in a month, found a house halfway between Westminster and Walhalla. I'm sure we will still drive up to Greenville a few times a month to experience the many excellent restaurants, or to go to the symphony, ballet, or a festival.
Definitely consider checking out the areas outside of Greenville. Travelers Rest is a lovely town, and was high on my list of potential areas to move to. It is very close to Greenville, while being also near the mountains and some of the state parks.
In Pickens county, both Pickens and Easley are close to Greenville, both smaller and more conservative, and Clemson as well- but I avoid it because it is a college town and I can't handle the chaos of the football games and the traffic it causes.
In Oconee county (which is the area I completely have fallen in love with), you have Seneca, Walhalla and Westminster. I'm a pretty quiet, shy person- I don't need a lot of socializing, events or external stimuli, so this area is perfect for me. I love to hike, paddleboard, garden, go fishing...
You also might want to take a look at Anderson.
The one thing I really miss about NEPA is good Italian good and pizza. Old Forge style. I am Italian and it drives me a little nuts that the only way I can get that pizza is to order it online from Arcaro & Genells!
My sister still lives in NEPA, in Moscow- and every time I talk to her she speaks of the snow, congestion and population spike of the area. I'm trying to get her to move down here!
Good luck, if you want to speak in more detail, feel free to message me.
PS-- We have two dogs and it can mildly impact your hunt for a rental. Most places will allow no aggressive breeds. You will probably end up paying a nonrefundable pet deposit of $250, Sometimes this can be per pet, other times it is just a flat rate.
I missed out on some houses to rent when we moved here because of the dogs, but I persisted and found a place. I used Marchant Property Management in Greenville.
I had a more difficult time finding a house where I could have my dogs in my recent rental house search in the Seneca area. There aren't that many houses in the "mid range" there for rent- by mid-range, I am referring to a 3 bedroom house in the $1200-1600 range. There are a lot of homes in the $1800-2500 range, and then there are a lot of homes in the $800-1000 range. Ironically, most of the less expensive places have an absolutely no pets policy. I missed out on a lot of houses that were perfect for us, because of the dogs- but I persisted. After a few months of not being able to rent their property, landlords become much more open minded! It helps if your dogs are spayed/neutered, not aggressive breeds, are trained, or if you have previous rental referral where you had the pets.
There are several property management companies in that area- Bob Hill realty is friendly and prompt to work with, but I did not end up renting through them- only because the house I wanted was through Cope Management. Cope Management is reputable, but they don't come across as friendly/helpful or prompt as Bob Hill realty. I really had to push my desire to rent the house with them. By "push", I mean, not wait for them to email me back if a week had passed and they didn't reply. One time I waited 3 weeks, and they said they thought they had replied to me. It was a frustrating experience, because I started to wonder if there was something wrong with me that they didn't want me as a renter, lol! It ended up being all in my head, but you have to be pushy with them- even contact them on the phone. I finally got the house and it was a good, professional experience, but it wasn't easy. It is hard as "Yank" to be "pushy", because you don't want to offend or be an obnoxious Yank. But sometimes you have to gently push the rental agencies!
I have not had any issues around here with being a "Yankee". There are and always will be people from the North and the South who maintain those old boundaries. I find that being pleasant and friendly, with a smile is pretty universal. I've actually run into more issues because I am a single Mother and I don't go to church-- than I ever have for being from the North.
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Plus, I would just think it rude to come into someone else's town and say that you like yours better, y'know? 
