It's time to leave the Northeast! (Garden City: apartment, rent, mortgages)

[Chic36]

For quite some time I have been sick and tired of upstate NY. I have a few places in mind that I am researching and a coastal area of South Carolina is in the top 3. I'm looking for some general overview of the area...best areas to live, range of rent, job opportunities, public transportation, etc.

We currently rent a 3BR in the capital region of NY for $800/month, nothing included. We only need a 2BR, but took the bigger place because it allowed our dog (70lb German Shepherd). Are rent prices around the same? I don't need to live right on the beach, but having it be within driving distance is a must...so I expect rent might be higher in those areas.

I work in the human services field working with developmentally disabled adults, can anyone refer me to similar agencies in the area? Any idea of the wages for this field? I'm currently making between $30,000 and $35,000 with overtime here, and a decent benefits package.

Any other info you can give me would be great...thanks!

[baylovers]

I feel your pain. We moved form Long Island in 2006 and it has been a great move for us. The rent sounds like it is in the ballpark for an apartment within driving distance to the beach. Actually, you may be able to get an apt in Garden City or Surfside for that much & then all you need is a golf cart to get to the sand & sun

I cannot say specifically about your field of employment, but I can say that work is very difficult to find these days. I know that it is like that across the country, but it seems to be worse around here, unless you are in the hospitality field (restaurants/hotels etc).

[blykath]

Hi Cario, NY My husband and I are also from upstate N.Y. We are also looking to move to the coastal area of S.C. We are up near the Vermont boarder. We are currently waiting for our farm to be empty of livestock. As soon as they are gone we are heading down to Murals Inlet to buy our home. This can not happen soon enough for us. We are tired of winter and taxes. I want to just be near the beach instead of in the woods. Looking foreword.

[pburgess68]

Little to no jobs in SC. If you can live with making around $8-9 an hour, perhaps you won't mind. The food costs are the same, rent and mortgages slightly cheaper than up north, no snow (sadly)...but low education rate, low pay, and being a tourist area, everything revolves around those from other areas coming to spend money.

No one moves here for the education of your kids, or for jobs. Neither of them will be found here.

[pburgess68]

Originally Posted by baylovers

I cannot say specifically about your field of employment, but I can say that work is very difficult to find these days. I know that it is like that across the country, but it seems to be worse around here, unless you are in the hospitality field (restaurants/hotels etc).

I have been in that field for about 20 years. While during the summer, there are jobs to be found, you compete with several (many!!!!!!!) other people, and those who will take the bare minimum pay are the ones that get the jobs. Those of us who were accustomed to getting paid $20+/hr up north and are now told we have to take $10 or less for the same job, find it very difficult to make ends meet.