Moving to the Carolinas
Jan 22nd, 2005, 02:21 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,225
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Moving to the Carolinas
My husband, our kids, and I have lived in New England our whole lives. He has recently come across a very good job in South Carolina. We are thinking about relocating as we cannot stand the winter another year. Has anyone done something like this? Can you adjust to the different way of living? We live in a small city with a very diverse population. We have lots of access to the beach, mountains, shows, restaurants, etc. Is there an area that is more urban than rural? If you have done this, was the adjustment difficult for you? your kids? Thanks, Sharon
Jan 22nd, 2005, 03:07 PM
#5
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We found SC a great place to raise a family. We love it here and have made it our home. We moved here 15 years ago from out West with children 6 and 8.
It 'feels' almost like you are moving back in time...not in a bsd way. The people here have strong values, are friendly, and are proud of their heritage. We moved to Columbia (to a bedroom community called Irmo). There is not really an urban feel, but rather a small town feel. It all really depends upon where you locate, but one most important requirement, since you have children, is the school district(or private school). There are some very good schools in SC, but are also some that are not so good.
Cost of living is low for Real Estate, but probably average for other things.
You mentioned the weather... I really miss snow (We're from Colorado) but I totally love the weather here. Some people hate the summers, especially July, but the rest of the year is great. Beachs and mountains are within a 2 hour drive from Columbia. Charleston is on the coast, but not near mountains. Greenville is near mountains, but now the coast.
I could go on and on about this great place... I hope this helps in your decision. We have never regreted moving here.
It 'feels' almost like you are moving back in time...not in a bsd way. The people here have strong values, are friendly, and are proud of their heritage. We moved to Columbia (to a bedroom community called Irmo). There is not really an urban feel, but rather a small town feel. It all really depends upon where you locate, but one most important requirement, since you have children, is the school district(or private school). There are some very good schools in SC, but are also some that are not so good.
Cost of living is low for Real Estate, but probably average for other things.
You mentioned the weather... I really miss snow (We're from Colorado) but I totally love the weather here. Some people hate the summers, especially July, but the rest of the year is great. Beachs and mountains are within a 2 hour drive from Columbia. Charleston is on the coast, but not near mountains. Greenville is near mountains, but now the coast.
I could go on and on about this great place... I hope this helps in your decision. We have never regreted moving here.
Jan 22nd, 2005, 04:12 PM
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,225
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks LDarling. I appreciate the input. I said the Carolinas because the new company is huge and has lots of openings in that region. It is a concrete/ready mix company. I am really looking for the adaptation between the looney liberal, fast talking, kind of snotty northeast and the slow talking, not that looney, just different southeast. Can we adapt? We are halfway decent people but we've been living this way for forty years.
Jan 22nd, 2005, 04:35 PM
#7
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 379
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You sound like me ... we moved our family here (Williamsburg, VA) from a small town outside of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, almost a year ago. Although I am originally from this area, there must have been a reason that I fled Virginia once I graduated from college. The Netherlands is very diverse and extremely tolerant of all types and beliefs. I was freaking about moving back to the South ... but we love it. We also considered the area near Chapel Hill, NC. I think you need to be careful / choosy in where you consider moving. We chose a college town because we knew it would have more of the diversity that we were used to - it's still not the Netherlands, but we love it. The climate is fantastic and people are really friendly. One thing that has surprised me more than I expected is the openness of people with their religious beliefs - that has taken some getting used to, but everything else has been fairly easy. I don't know about SC, but NC has lots of towns (Chapel Hill, Winston Salem, Raleigh, Asheville) which are more liberal and diverse. All except Asheville will have close proximity to beach, shows and mountains. Let me know if you'd want to discuss further. Good luck on your adventure! Weespxx (mom to 1.5 and 3 yr old former Dutch kids and now 100% Americans)
Jan 22nd, 2005, 04:43 PM
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,225
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks so much weespxx. That is the kind of info I'm looking for . By the way, DH and his family just went to Amsterdam in November and loved it. My kids are not young. The ones who would come with us are 12, 13, and 18. We would be leaving our 4 older daughters and 3 grandchildren. I hope my parents would consider moving with us. It is a huge change in the way we live our lives, so I'm a little scared and a little excited.
Jan 23rd, 2005, 03:51 AM
#10
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,157
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
as other post-ers have noted there are vast differences between regions of NC & SC. It might be good to make a list of what you are looking for in terms of lifestyle and then to see first of all geographically what will appeal to you. For example - Wilmington,NC or Charleston,NC are both larger towns with easy access to the beach.
Asheville, Boone or Winston-Salem are in NC and all have easy access to fairly decent skiing. All of the above are also college towns. That might have more to offer in terms of culture and diversity.
Asheville, Boone or Winston-Salem are in NC and all have easy access to fairly decent skiing. All of the above are also college towns. That might have more to offer in terms of culture and diversity.
Jan 23rd, 2005, 04:38 AM
#11
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,242
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just for fun go to www.findyourspot.com
Jan 23rd, 2005, 05:55 AM
#13
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 103
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I was born and raised in SC. I was born in Columbia, moved upstate to a smallish town called Greenwood when I was a teenager. I lived in Charleston of two years also. I lived in SC until the mid-80's when my ex-husband changed jobs (to get us out of an economically depressed area) and we moved to ATL w/our 3 children. I've been here every since.
Being a South Carolinian and having been in the school system and had two of my children in the school system, you might want to consider private schools, depending on the town/city you choose. Per student spending is low in most southern states, SC is no exception (neither is GA). That’s not to say that all SC schools are bad, but you need to do you research and make sure you are in a good area for schools. I think that’s pretty much true these days, no matter where you live.
When I was growing up in SC, there honestly was the "damn Yankee" mentality of the grown ups and they passed it onto their children. My generation was the generation of desegregation and “Yankees” moving south. I honestly think the Baby Boomers and GenX’ers have fewer of the old prejudices of our parents and grandparents, because the world changed so much during our lifetimes, as did the country.
Be aware that southerners are sometimes "cliquish" in small towns and while we will always be friendly, we aren't always trustful of outsiders at first. In larger southern towns/cities, I don’t find that to be the case. I agree that college towns might be your best choice for acceptance and diversity. If I were to move back to SC, the only area I would consider would be Charleston. I lived there for two years of my childhood and my brother and his family still live there. It is culturally rich, history abounds, and you are on the coast with great beaches close by and the ability to drive about 3-4 hours to get to the mountains.
I'm familiar with Irmo, my parents lived there until my father's death in the 90’s. It's a nice area of Columbia with good schools. The Spring Valley area in Columbia also has good schools. My nephew just graduated from Spring Valley High School and is on a full academic scholarship to Clemson University.
You should remember that southerners don't always move at a frenzied pace (except in ATL!), nor do most of us speak at a fast pace. If I may generalize, Southerners are friendly but cautious, help a neighbor in a heartbeat, and have a strong, proud sense of our heritage and strong religious beliefs. We are fiercely loyal and family is always family.
We aren't hicks or hillbillies, as some mistake our speech patterns as such; we just have nice drawls and might add an extra syllable or two to a word here and there and drop our "r's" (Deah, suh would you please ha'and me mhy coat?) every once in a while. When I was growing up everyone was "darlin'" or "sweetie" or "honey chil(d)" and in rural areas it's still so to a great extent. But be careful of "bless your heart" don't always mistake that one as kindness, 'cause it "ain't" necessarily so, you may have just been kindly called an idiot over something you said or did.
All in all, you will become accustomed to the slower pace, more easy going attitudes of southerners and gladly embrace it as years pass. I’ll caution you about SC drivers, at the risk of being hated by everyone in SC, they are scary! I would rather drive I285 around ATL at rush hour than spend an hour driving in Columbia! Sorry, but it’s how I feel.
Good luck and let us know where you end up!
DD
Being a South Carolinian and having been in the school system and had two of my children in the school system, you might want to consider private schools, depending on the town/city you choose. Per student spending is low in most southern states, SC is no exception (neither is GA). That’s not to say that all SC schools are bad, but you need to do you research and make sure you are in a good area for schools. I think that’s pretty much true these days, no matter where you live.
When I was growing up in SC, there honestly was the "damn Yankee" mentality of the grown ups and they passed it onto their children. My generation was the generation of desegregation and “Yankees” moving south. I honestly think the Baby Boomers and GenX’ers have fewer of the old prejudices of our parents and grandparents, because the world changed so much during our lifetimes, as did the country.
Be aware that southerners are sometimes "cliquish" in small towns and while we will always be friendly, we aren't always trustful of outsiders at first. In larger southern towns/cities, I don’t find that to be the case. I agree that college towns might be your best choice for acceptance and diversity. If I were to move back to SC, the only area I would consider would be Charleston. I lived there for two years of my childhood and my brother and his family still live there. It is culturally rich, history abounds, and you are on the coast with great beaches close by and the ability to drive about 3-4 hours to get to the mountains.
I'm familiar with Irmo, my parents lived there until my father's death in the 90’s. It's a nice area of Columbia with good schools. The Spring Valley area in Columbia also has good schools. My nephew just graduated from Spring Valley High School and is on a full academic scholarship to Clemson University.
You should remember that southerners don't always move at a frenzied pace (except in ATL!), nor do most of us speak at a fast pace. If I may generalize, Southerners are friendly but cautious, help a neighbor in a heartbeat, and have a strong, proud sense of our heritage and strong religious beliefs. We are fiercely loyal and family is always family.
We aren't hicks or hillbillies, as some mistake our speech patterns as such; we just have nice drawls and might add an extra syllable or two to a word here and there and drop our "r's" (Deah, suh would you please ha'and me mhy coat?) every once in a while. When I was growing up everyone was "darlin'" or "sweetie" or "honey chil(d)" and in rural areas it's still so to a great extent. But be careful of "bless your heart" don't always mistake that one as kindness, 'cause it "ain't" necessarily so, you may have just been kindly called an idiot over something you said or did.
All in all, you will become accustomed to the slower pace, more easy going attitudes of southerners and gladly embrace it as years pass. I’ll caution you about SC drivers, at the risk of being hated by everyone in SC, they are scary! I would rather drive I285 around ATL at rush hour than spend an hour driving in Columbia! Sorry, but it’s how I feel.
Good luck and let us know where you end up!
DD
Jan 23rd, 2005, 08:06 AM
#14
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Depending on your idea of "close", you may have to choose between the mountains and the coast. They are at least 4 hours apart. South Carolina has little to offer in terms of real mountains. If you're looking for skiing, you'll have to go to North Carolina for any decent-sized ski areas. Both states have wonderful coastlines, however. You may be looking to escape cold winters, but if you live near the beach, you may have to adjust to hot, humid summers. Temperatures are usually in the 90s for much of the summer, and humidity levels can make it feel like it's 100 or more a good part of the time. The mountains are much cooler and drier, but even there you can experience 90+ degree weather, though usually without the humidity. Asheville is a great choice if you want a mountain community with diversity, culture and a university. If you'd rather be nearer the coast, Charleston is a beautiful city -- the epitome of the antebellum South. Charlotte is by far the largest metropolitan area and much nearer the mountains than the coast. There are LOTS of choices -- each with its own set of attributes and tradeoffs. It really depends on your priorities. The Triangle area of North Carolina (Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill) is about midway between mountains and coast (roughly 2-3 hours to each), has universities, health care, education, culture. Might be a good compromise. Good luck.
Jan 23rd, 2005, 09:57 AM
#15
Guest
Posts: n/a
dd, funding per student by the state is not low compared to the national average. South Carolina ranks 26th in the nation in per child spending.
Children DO NOT have to go to private schools in this state to get a good education.
Having most of my family and my stepchildren educated in South Carolina, we all have college educations and several of us went to some of the best schools in the country.
My sister is a graduate of Duke University School of Medicine and is a pediatrician. My cousin just graduated from UC Berkley with his PhD in Bio Engineering.
This is a good link: http://counts.edweek.org/sreports/qc...?slug=17sc.h23
Children DO NOT have to go to private schools in this state to get a good education.
Having most of my family and my stepchildren educated in South Carolina, we all have college educations and several of us went to some of the best schools in the country.
My sister is a graduate of Duke University School of Medicine and is a pediatrician. My cousin just graduated from UC Berkley with his PhD in Bio Engineering.
This is a good link: http://counts.edweek.org/sreports/qc...?slug=17sc.h23
Jan 23rd, 2005, 10:02 AM
#16
Guest
Posts: n/a
This link compares New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, North Carolina and South Carolina schools.
http://counts.edweek.org/sreports/qc..._results04.cfm
Connecticut
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTG
(Percent scoring at or above proficient)
4th grade NAEP reading (2003) 43% 40% 39% 34% 33% 33% 26%
8th grade NAEP reading (2003) 37% 40% 37% 35% 29% 32% 24%
4th grade NAEP math (2003) 41%1 43% 39% 33%1 41%1 36% 32%1
8th grade NAEP math (2003) 35% 35% 33% 32%1 32%1 30% 26%1
4th grade NAEP writing (2002) 49% — — 37% 32% 29% 17%
8th grade NAEP writing (2002) 45% — — 30%1 34%1 32% 20%1
STANDARDS and ACCOUNTABILITYG B- C- B- A B B A
EFFORTS TO IMPROVE TEACHER QUALITYG A- C- C+ B B C- A-
SCHOOL CLIMATEG B- B- B- C C+ C C+
RESOURCES: AdequacyG A- C+ A A C B B-
RESOURCES: EquityG D D- D C- C D- C
1State had a statistically significant increase since the last administration of the exam.
2State had a statistically significant decrease since the last administration of the exam.
3Because the District of Columbia does not have a state revenue source, it did not receive a grade for adequacy or equity.
http://counts.edweek.org/sreports/qc..._results04.cfm
Connecticut
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTG
(Percent scoring at or above proficient)
4th grade NAEP reading (2003) 43% 40% 39% 34% 33% 33% 26%
8th grade NAEP reading (2003) 37% 40% 37% 35% 29% 32% 24%
4th grade NAEP math (2003) 41%1 43% 39% 33%1 41%1 36% 32%1
8th grade NAEP math (2003) 35% 35% 33% 32%1 32%1 30% 26%1
4th grade NAEP writing (2002) 49% — — 37% 32% 29% 17%
8th grade NAEP writing (2002) 45% — — 30%1 34%1 32% 20%1
STANDARDS and ACCOUNTABILITYG B- C- B- A B B A
EFFORTS TO IMPROVE TEACHER QUALITYG A- C- C+ B B C- A-
SCHOOL CLIMATEG B- B- B- C C+ C C+
RESOURCES: AdequacyG A- C+ A A C B B-
RESOURCES: EquityG D D- D C- C D- C
1State had a statistically significant increase since the last administration of the exam.
2State had a statistically significant decrease since the last administration of the exam.
3Because the District of Columbia does not have a state revenue source, it did not receive a grade for adequacy or equity.
