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I lived in Mt. Pleasant for a couple of years in the mid 1980's and loved many things about the area---the climate (I've lived in the midwest for the rest of my life), living on the coast, the history. Due to tragic family events I left quite abruptly in 1986 and haven't returned. While I've managed to make a life where I'm at and probably won't be leaving at least until retirement or the kids are grown, I think alot about the Charleston area and wonder how it has changed in the past 20 years.
When I lived there it seemed as if the US military was one of the major employers as most people I met were connected in some way. Perhaps that's because I was in my early 20's at the time though. My family is now interracial and living in such a family would have been quite difficult there as I remember it as races were still very separate from one another in terms of where they lived, etc. I'm wondering if this is changed and if interracial families are becoming more common and accepted. Also, what/who are now the primary employers. When I was there and childless, I never really gave a thought to schools but always kinda heard that a lot of people did private schools---are the public schools in Mt. Pleasant pretty good now or are private schools still the preferred way for many to go?
I'm just kind of wondering about these things....we've had a horrid winter here and any place with palm trees (or palmettos) sounds pretty good right now!
I know it's been awhile since you posted this, but I can answer your questions since I have lived and taught public school in Charleston (James Island) for the past 23 years. Tourism, the port, MUSC, Bosch, and the Paper Mill are all major employers in the Charelston area. The Navy base is gone but we still have the Air Force Base and Naval Weapons Station which employ many people. Neighborhoods are now much more racially diverse than 20 years ago. Crime is extremely high in North Charleston and north of Cannon St. downtown. Schools are continuing to improve but the areas with the most good to excellent schools are on James Island and in Mt. Pleasant. There will always be many private schools here and the wealthier folks tend to send their children there (ie. Porter Gaud) or just people who want their children to have a Christian (ie. First Baptist) education or go to an all-girls' school (ie. Ashley Hall). There are also lesser priced private schools in the rural areas (ie. Charleston Collegiate) for children who live in poor-performing school districts.
The cost of homes in the Charleston area skyrocketed 5-10 years ago and it's hard to find a home in a safe area for under $250,000 now. The market value of my home has quadrupled in the 14 years since I bought it...I would never be able to afford buying it now!
I hope this helps. There have been A LOT of changes since you left. You should come down for a visit and see if it still suits your needs and lifestyle.
Thank you for the update on Coastal Carolina. I was thinking things had probably changed quite a bit.
You reminded me of the paper mill----that's something I hadn't thought about for years but with you mentioning it I automatically recalled that very distinctive smell if the wind was juuuuust right.
Actually we're in the semi-planning stages of taking a spring break trip there next year. I'd love to see the Charleston area again. Thanks for your reply.
You will be stunned by the number of malls and stores in Mt. Pleasant along Rt. 17 on the approach to Charleston. The roadway has not kept up, although there are plans to widen it in the next few years which will cause a temporary mess. That said, Mt. Pleasant is a terrific town close to a marvelous city, as you know. I have visited and reviewed the golf communities of Charleston National, RiverTowne, Snee Farm, Dunes West and Wild Dunes on the Isle of Palms. All were impressive in their own distinctive ways.
Larry Gavrich
Last edited by Global Friend; 04-29-2008 at 08:04 PM..
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