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That will be just a better Portland, im seeking a lot better than Portland in the urban dept. Columbia looks to have that down on the 100. I dont want giant suburb kinda living like it is here in Tigard or Beaverton. No thanks on that.
Good on you !
The 2 cities I had because of being urban, outgoing enough and cheap, were Omaha NE although in the cold midwest, then Columbia.. Not bad picks at all on a nation wide scale I dont feel to leave the masses of people coming in droves to other spots.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LongLeggedOne
The reasons people dont want to come to Columbia, makes me want to live there the most it seems like. If most people want these devoid, cultureless, whitebread new suburbs with K-12 schools and strip malls with a bunch of nothing, upper middle class, thats so not for me. Thats putrid to someone like me. Plus I will take the heat if it means I get other benefits. raleigh seems cold too.
You gotta understand your audience here in the Raleigh CD forum. They CRAVE VANILLA. It’s what they want . It’s the reason they’re here . You really have to be in tune with a certain crowd to avoid being engulfed by the faceless culture here . And that goes for Charlotte too .
Lol
But since I posted my reply you responded to, it’s gotten even worse . Trust me, it’s not getting better .
No one I have met here likes Columbia; it's considered the armpit of SC. My other son lived there for two years and hated it. There are some interesting areas downtown, and the zoo is fantastic. Other than that I think Greenville is vastly preferable.
That whole "armpit of SC" thing is just worn all the way out. Yeah it's hot there in the summer just as it is throughout most of the state, and that's what it's referring to.
Secondly, much of the distaste for Columbia among Greenville-area residents have to do with differences in political ideologies and demographics, as well as the USC/Clemson rivalry which seems to have spilled over into the general population but most of the 'hatred' seems to flow only one way. I also find it interesting that most non-SCers that have been to Columbia don't find it to be the decrepit, hopeless place that many Greenville-area residents do. The increasingly snobbish attitudes up that way are quite unfortunate; you don't even hear as much of this coming from Charleston-area residents these days which is saying something.
Thirdly, anyone living in the Columbia area who has more of a preference for Greenville can just head over to Lexington County which is essentially a smaller Greenville County of sorts.
It probably comes down most to life style choice. Raleigh is more New South...high tech, educated, and fast growing...and yes expensive (by southern standards anyway). Columbia is more old school, old south, small town. The Columbia city limits is 130,000 compared to Raleigh's 475,000. The Columbia metro is half the size of Raleigh's at 780,000 compared to Raleigh's 1.4 million...and that's without the Durham/Chapel Hill area...the Triangle region as a whole is close to 2.5 million with no signs of slowing in continued growth rate.
I prefer North Carolina in general overall. Outside of Hilton Head and Charleston, the entire state of South Carolina feels like something out of a Coen Brothers movie.
Slight correction: Columbia's metro is 840K as of the 2019 estimates and the larger region is just shy of 1M people. Still half the size of Raleigh/the Triangle but it's not accurate to call it an "old school, old south, small town" either. It's actually a bit more progressive than most realize and has long been home to a large and educated Black middle class and an engaged LGBT population. And the Columbia metro has been growing at just over 9% over most of the previous decade, which is above average and healthy. Raleigh is the anomaly in the growth department being among the fastest-growing in the country. If Columbia could manage to replicate some of Raleigh's success economically but on a smaller scale, they would be a big shot in the arm and creating/attracting more knowledge-based higher-wage jobs remains its biggest challenge. Columbia is Raleigh without more progressive, forward-thinking, and longstanding political and business leadership statewide.
On a related note, your post is the perfect reflection of the challenges facing Greensboro and Winston-Salem being sandwiched between two superstar metros that cause a lot of people to see them as literal Mayberrys in comparison. Columbia is actually pretty comfortable with its relative obscurity, but it doesn't have it quite as bad as the Triad cities IMO.
Sorry I didn't read through the whole thread, but just saw this. I currently live in Greenville, SC. It's a nice small city; plenty to do in normal times, and close to gorgeous and challenging mountain hiking. Diverse, some "gritty" areas, and does not have the overly suburban feel of Raleigh (which my son grew up with and misses- that's another story). No one I have met here likes Columbia; it's considered the armpit of SC. My other son lived there for two years and hated it. There are some interesting areas downtown, and the zoo is fantastic. Other than that I think Greenville is vastly preferable.
I just looked at a few Raleigh outskirts and the country ones kind of remind me of NH suburban countr , a placee like Hollis..which is nice too. what about Clayton? that doesnt look too built up. Selma? Those are the places I'm talking about. Look old, smallish. land and I think within 20 minutes to Raleigh.
But who knows with some of the other ones. I still think Columbia is the better choice. I seem sold on that Irmo/Columbia belt by that lake. I see a lot of listings there too. Its called Lake something.
But no if I did move to raleigh, I know someone who lives around there too. but if I did, I would look at Clayton assuming Raleigh is getting more expensive fast. SC looks to be the best though but still kinda surprised at the same time that NC seems to be looking to keep its old charm outside raleigh. Even in Charlotte too, it might not be as bad as FL is for subdivisions and HOAs.
My parents say I’m a banana - yellow on the outside, white on the inside.
Well that counts as the same thing as what im discussing! A place can have asians and can still feel whitebread, it just cant be 90 percent asian. 50 though will do and 50 white like where it starts to have that Nordic/Asian reserve... like it does in the NW.
I'm no Clemson fan but this post made me laugh I see the OP made up her mind but I'll chime in.
Columbia is a decent city but damn it's hot as hades down there in the Summertime! The city for better or worse is also a giant college town in the sense that Chapel Hill is a college town (where the town is the college and vice-versa). There's also the government/military factor but by and large the town has always struck me as being a college town first and everything else second. Not the worst thing in the world but it's not for everyone, and someone moving there who has little to no interest in SEC Football may get a little overwhelmed.
FWIW, I have Gamecock friends who stayed after graduation but they all left in their mid-20's and some of them are currently living in Raleigh, and probably will be for awhile, Covid or not. They all had the same thing in common, the jobs were just better elsewhere. YMMV
But heres my thing ok, if someone hates the NW, which seems more educated, progressive to most people, which it isnt but its the consensus view of the place nonetheless ok. Its insane conservative, I am willing to bet more than Columbia area if you dont end up in those few liberal pockets in due time before it does get expensive. I gotta go with Columbia just because I cant stand the insane conservatism of the NW, its just "less religious" but feels like one of them places where u still do have to join a church to meet people because most just dont subscribe to religion and are too "godless" to get to know so it forces u to join a church. So the south stereotype of having to join a church applies in the NW too. I see Kingdom Hall and I see mormons in these parts also and it feels oppressive so thats the dilemma I am in and the reason I dont see Columbia as a bad place so much. Even if some ppl like sports insane, it still feels more moderate to someone like me, less insane and less retarded even too. and the NW imperative idea came true here also, the ideology whee a family has at least 3 white kids to preserve their race. That is so alive in action out here and with a high COL as well. Almost like one would see it in Utah and Idaho too. just outside of Portland mind you.
I used to think it was the fantasies of the radio host too like his kind of utopia but nope, it became real and i didnt know what the hell to do with it once it did and I saw it in action. Hitler would love this place, hed be impressed with all the people who live like breeders in such a tight looking town that costs a decent amount to live in. and might even have some liberals in it too who left the cities.
Oh does SC/Columbia also have 7th Day Adventists churches as well? if not, some are in this area for sure into Portland. Imagine, u can be in liberal Portland and go to a church like that? i went once because i had a neighbor who was the roommates grandfather, it was older people, kinda nice, the preacher talked almost like that southern'ish kind of ranting. This was a different area I was in too, in fact I think its the section of Portland that had the most southerners per capita as well, not all but some. It was also called Southeast Portland too, almost like the SE USA. If u didnt have a church like that, u would see a Slavic one. It is the better part to be in, although some might talk about high crime coming in but what u will also see in this section is Police Lives Matter support. Is that kinda like Irmo as well? because im looking at places like that.
So, where I live now in the Portland suburbs, I deal with Atheists, Id assume christian potheads too in small doses, mormons and kingdom hall Jehovah kinds. Thats all I have.. political extremes as well. So no Columbia does not look so bad to someone in this situation haha and I like warm weather next to this extreme humid cold that the NW gets for 8 months.
You gotta understand your audience here in the Raleigh CD forum. They CRAVE VANILLA. It’s what they want . It’s the reason they’re here . You really have to be in tune with a certain crowd to avoid being engulfed by the faceless culture here . And that goes for Charlotte too .
Lol
But since I posted my reply you responded to, it’s gotten even worse . Trust me, it’s not getting better .
Haha. Well let's face it, the entire "new south" is basically VANILLA...and YES that would include Atlanta too. The only exception would be New Orleans (which isn't really "new south") and DC and Miami (which aren't really "south"at all).
But heres my thing ok, if someone hates the NW, which seems more educated, progressive to most people, which it isnt but its the consensus view of the place nonetheless ok. Its insane conservative, I am willing to bet more than Columbia area if you dont end up in those few liberal pockets in due time before it does get expensive. I gotta go with Columbia just because I cant stand the insane conservatism of the NW, its just "less religious" but feels like one of them places where u still do have to join a church to meet people because most just dont subscribe to religion and are too "godless" to get to know so it forces u to join a church. So the south stereotype of having to join a church applies in the NW too. I see Kingdom Hall and I see mormons in these parts also and it feels oppressive so thats the dilemma I am in and the reason I dont see Columbia as a bad place so much. Even if some ppl like sports insane, it still feels more moderate to someone like me, less insane and less retarded even too. and the NW imperative idea came true here also, the ideology whee a family has at least 3 white kids to preserve their race. That is so alive in action out here and with a high COL as well. Almost like one would see it in Utah and Idaho too. just outside of Portland mind you.
I used to think it was the fantasies of the radio host too like his kind of utopia but nope, it became real and i didnt know what the hell to do with it once it did and I saw it in action. Hitler would love this place, hed be impressed with all the people who live like breeders in such a tight looking town that costs a decent amount to live in. and might even have some liberals in it too who left the cities.
Oh does SC/Columbia also have 7th Day Adventists churches as well? if not, some are in this area for sure into Portland. Imagine, u can be in liberal Portland and go to a church like that? i went once because i had a neighbor who was the roommates grandfather, it was older people, kinda nice, the preacher talked almost like that southern'ish kind of ranting. This was a different area I was in too, in fact I think its the section of Portland that had the most southerners per capita as well, not all but some. It was also called Southeast Portland too, almost like the SE USA. If u didnt have a church like that, u would see a Slavic one. It is the better part to be in, although some might talk about high crime coming in but what u will also see in this section is Police Lives Matter support. Is that kinda like Irmo as well? because im looking at places like that.
So, where I live now in the Portland suburbs, I deal with Atheists, Id assume christian potheads too in small doses, mormons and kingdom hall Jehovah kinds. Thats all I have.. political extremes as well. So no Columbia does not look so bad to someone in this situation haha and I like warm weather next to this extreme humid cold that the NW gets for 8 months.
Do you like work? Or are you just on the scene? Compared to the north west South Carolina has no safety net and dysfunctional benefits system. Maybe NC somewhat better. Raleigh has real professional careers. You said you were trans somewhere else right? It would be very easy to transition from safe to not so safe spaces and that includes the black community. I see you are above calling portland more conservative than columbia and I get what youre trying to say but seriously no. It's really clear you have built up a strong head canon about what you wanna do but it seems like you have some opportunity to bounce around and i think it's clear you could transition to raleigh and do some visits to columbia and get an on the ground impression.
minorities in the south east can break extremely socially conservative in fact i'd call it the norm
Slight correction: Columbia's metro is 840K as of the 2019 estimates and the larger region is just shy of 1M people. Still half the size of Raleigh/the Triangle but it's not accurate to call it an "old school, old south, small town" either. It's actually a bit more progressive than most realize and has long been home to a large and educated Black middle class and an engaged LGBT population. And the Columbia metro has been growing at just over 9% over most of the previous decade, which is above average and healthy. Raleigh is the anomaly in the growth department being among the fastest-growing in the country. If Columbia could manage to replicate some of Raleigh's success economically but on a smaller scale, they would be a big shot in the arm and creating/attracting more knowledge-based higher-wage jobs remains its biggest challenge. Columbia is Raleigh without more progressive, forward-thinking, and longstanding political and business leadership statewide.
On a related note, your post is the perfect reflection of the challenges facing Greensboro and Winston-Salem being sandwiched between two superstar metros that cause a lot of people to see them as literal Mayberrys in comparison. Columbia is actually pretty comfortable with its relative obscurity, but it doesn't have it quite as bad as the Triad cities IMO.
It is interesting how much of Columbia I see in Raleigh. It really is like an alternate universe version of what could have happened. Maybe the resemblance makes some people uncomfortable. Of course there are differences as well. Similar could be said for Greensboro. I think the Triad's time will come. It'll be seen as a low cost alternative with similar benefits when the other regions get oversaturated. NC has a draw for its natural scenery, which the Triad benefits from.
I just looked at a few Raleigh outskirts and the country ones kind of remind me of NH suburban countr , a placee like Hollis..which is nice too. what about Clayton? that doesnt look too built up. Selma? Those are the places I'm talking about. Look old, smallish. land and I think within 20 minutes to Raleigh.
But who knows with some of the other ones. I still think Columbia is the better choice. I seem sold on that Irmo/Columbia belt by that lake. I see a lot of listings there too. Its called Lake something.
But no if I did move to raleigh, I know someone who lives around there too. but if I did, I would look at Clayton assuming Raleigh is getting more expensive fast. SC looks to be the best though but still kinda surprised at the same time that NC seems to be looking to keep its old charm outside raleigh. Even in Charlotte too, it might not be as bad as FL is for subdivisions and HOAs.
I think I said in another thread, which it seems got shut down already, check Durham out. You may change your mind.
I briefly read through your posts, and one thing you need to consider before you make a move is the general political environment and the policies these states have compared to NW. People often say, oh, it's okay I will live in the bluest and the most liberal city of the red state. But, one thing to ALWAYS remember that we still live in federalism. Cities do not make laws, states do. Your city could be the most accepting city in the whole ocean a conservative state; but it won't mean crap if the state has laws restricting certain things.
For example, I know you said you are a trans person, have looked into laws related to that? Does your insurance cover hormone therapy? How about surgeries? When I lived in Denver, the state actually had inclusive laws allowing Medicaid/ACA to be used for such things. I am pretty sure Portland would too. Do you know if it's possible in NC or SC? These states have HORRENDOUS laws when it comes to that. They are not inclusive at all. Look at the abortion laws. Look at how mental health is treated here. It's all private, and I do not think if you are on ACA insurance, you are allowed to use it for abortion. You only have to look up how state treats women, and that will give you an idea how it may treat other sexual minorities.
Please look hard into these things that before you make your move. Do you want to be an old trans person here? Do you trust that medical community will treat you with respect and dignity that you deserve as a patient? Will you have a community where you feel you belong? Those are hard question to ask yourself before you make that move.
I like living in Durham but I started questioning the policies of this State a lot lately. For a long time, I thought those things do not matter to me, but I am more longing to live in a place where my tax money goes to things I care about. I do not want to have a capital punishment, and I want prisoners to be treated like human beings. I want weed to be legal. I want women to be free to go through an abortion without state telling them when, how and where to do it. I want the state expand the Medicaid (as I do not believe we'll be getting Medicare for All soon at all), so that those who need it get medical attention, or at least start getting preventative care. You do not realize how much of that actually happens in blue states until you live in a red state, and in every turn you have to go "You gotta be f**king kidding me. Why isnt this allowed?" Good luck whatever you decide.
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I see the OP made up her mind but I'll chime in.
