Moving South. Asheville, Charlotte or Greenville
Mar 30th, 2011, 06:06 PM
#21
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Hey, thanks for all the responses! I went back over the the city-data thing, but no one said anything but good things about Greenville (beside the people who just moved there-they had some negative things to say)
We would surely be renting for a while anyway! We want to hop around and that will give us the chance to explore more places.
The city data thing had negatives on Asheville as far as homeless people, too granola-e, too cold-found that strange!, prices high for fresh fruit and veggies....and crime. But all 3 had some of the same things about crime and people stuff.
I have a feeling that Ashville might be similar to Portland Maine, any one been there?
Right now we are on a 5 acre horse farm with views, it's gorgeous but we share a car, and with me home all day with the baby...not so fun...with nothing NOTHING to walk to, not even a park. There are a few towns around here, that would maybe be a long bike ride to, but still I am a little too far out for my liking. But I also don't want to be so close to my neighbor that I am looking right into their back windows.
I sort of need that mix of privacy and convenience.
Also as far as jobs, my husband's degree is in Microbiology, and he would most likely apply at the hospitals or pharm/bio tech companies. Anyone work or know about Baxter? Or Mission Hospitals? Sorry if any of this is a re-post!
We would surely be renting for a while anyway! We want to hop around and that will give us the chance to explore more places.
The city data thing had negatives on Asheville as far as homeless people, too granola-e, too cold-found that strange!, prices high for fresh fruit and veggies....and crime. But all 3 had some of the same things about crime and people stuff.
I have a feeling that Ashville might be similar to Portland Maine, any one been there?
Right now we are on a 5 acre horse farm with views, it's gorgeous but we share a car, and with me home all day with the baby...not so fun...with nothing NOTHING to walk to, not even a park. There are a few towns around here, that would maybe be a long bike ride to, but still I am a little too far out for my liking. But I also don't want to be so close to my neighbor that I am looking right into their back windows.
I sort of need that mix of privacy and convenience.
Also as far as jobs, my husband's degree is in Microbiology, and he would most likely apply at the hospitals or pharm/bio tech companies. Anyone work or know about Baxter? Or Mission Hospitals? Sorry if any of this is a re-post!
Mar 30th, 2011, 06:10 PM
#22
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We will also be traveling through all 3 before we decide
And as far as loving expenses nothing can be worse than here. 1,700 is common for a one bedroom...ha, it's crazy! Downtown you could pay 2,000-3,000 easily for a little 2-3 bedroom house, or more if you want something nice! No pets allowed anywhere. Down there I have already found tons of places for 1,000 for a little 2 bed house w/ yard.
And as far as loving expenses nothing can be worse than here. 1,700 is common for a one bedroom...ha, it's crazy! Downtown you could pay 2,000-3,000 easily for a little 2-3 bedroom house, or more if you want something nice! No pets allowed anywhere. Down there I have already found tons of places for 1,000 for a little 2 bed house w/ yard.
Mar 30th, 2011, 08:11 PM
#23
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Hi,
I just relocated to Asheville, well Candler but it's just below the SW border of Asheville and a 20 min drive to downtown, 13 mos ago. From L.A.
Everything positive that's been said about Asheville is true. I saw only one mention of weather in the responses. That's a big factor to consider. It's in the mountains with low elevations providing much more comfortable summers than Charlottesville and Greenville. However it's true that the past two winters were record breaking; this year with cold temps and a year ago with snow. But, the really were historically unusual.
We visited both Greenville and Charlottesville and while nice enough looking we were surprised at how poorly they stacked up against Asheville in atmosphere and activities not to mention interesting things to do and see in general. And Charlottesville in the summer
was unbearably hot and humid on my two summer visits when I flew in to check out Asheville.
We bought land and built a custom modular for far less than we would have paid for a resale. Candler is in Buncombe Co. but since it's outside the city of Asheville per se we don't pay city real estate taxes. A big savings.
Renting, anywhere you move, is a great idea. Friends of ours thought they wanted to live in the country and rented in Candler. After one year they moved to the east side of Asheville because the 20 min drive into the heart of town proved too inconvenient when done almost daily for their activities.
I just relocated to Asheville, well Candler but it's just below the SW border of Asheville and a 20 min drive to downtown, 13 mos ago. From L.A.
Everything positive that's been said about Asheville is true. I saw only one mention of weather in the responses. That's a big factor to consider. It's in the mountains with low elevations providing much more comfortable summers than Charlottesville and Greenville. However it's true that the past two winters were record breaking; this year with cold temps and a year ago with snow. But, the really were historically unusual.
We visited both Greenville and Charlottesville and while nice enough looking we were surprised at how poorly they stacked up against Asheville in atmosphere and activities not to mention interesting things to do and see in general. And Charlottesville in the summer
was unbearably hot and humid on my two summer visits when I flew in to check out Asheville.
We bought land and built a custom modular for far less than we would have paid for a resale. Candler is in Buncombe Co. but since it's outside the city of Asheville per se we don't pay city real estate taxes. A big savings.
Renting, anywhere you move, is a great idea. Friends of ours thought they wanted to live in the country and rented in Candler. After one year they moved to the east side of Asheville because the 20 min drive into the heart of town proved too inconvenient when done almost daily for their activities.
Mar 31st, 2011, 08:32 AM
#24
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I am also thinking of moving to Asheville, well maybe Hendersonville. with a small condo in Sarasota as well (I lived there for 22 years). Except for winter, it seems beautiful, artsy and not too large. My goal is to move late 2013 or early 2014. Hoping to find a job in human resources; will have some pension money from state gov't but will still need to work. I am looking for slick, modern living where I wont' have to lift a finger. Anything like that in the area? Eastcoast girl, maybe one day we'll meet in Asheville!
Apr 1st, 2011, 11:54 AM
#25
Hendersonville is nice but "slick modern living" doesn't come to mind. Asheville has some great (relatively) new lofts in downtown that would match that description. A good friend bought a place in Brevard as a second home - and now spends more time up there than in the lowlands. Anything in that area would be a nice change from Sarasota. I think 1/2 of the Florida population owns property in eastern TN, north GA, western NC.
Apr 6th, 2011, 11:06 AM
#26
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eastcoastgirl, you mention that you'd read that Asheville was very granola-y, and I would agree. This link will show you what happens downtown every Friday night:
http://www.romanticasheville.com/drumming_circle.htm
http://www.romanticasheville.com/drumming_circle.htm
Apr 6th, 2011, 11:31 AM
#27
I used to live in Pennsylvania. I know about your problem with loads of snow. You could look at Delaware and have very little snow. I moved from central PA to central Oregon.
I did consider moving to one of the Carolinas but decided I love Oregon more. I live within 45 miles of Crater Lake where there is still over 100" of snow on the ground. I have quite a bit of bare ground in my back yard but it is snowing right now.
I did consider moving to one of the Carolinas but decided I love Oregon more. I live within 45 miles of Crater Lake where there is still over 100" of snow on the ground. I have quite a bit of bare ground in my back yard but it is snowing right now.
Apr 16th, 2011, 03:38 PM
#28
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I've lived in Greenville for 3 years now and still love it...including the weather (Asheville would be too cold for me in the winter), the cost of living (less than NC), the employment base (more diversity, engineering and high-tech positions than Asheville), the downtown area (beautiful, lots of great restaurants and things to do, very accessible), the proximity to the mountains (I hike at least once a week), the friendly people (our Newcomers group is fantastic), and so much more. Before moving here we looked at Asheville and Hendersonville (among others), but not Charlotte (too big). Let me know if you have any specific questions about Greenville; I'll try to check in more regularly.
Jun 14th, 2011, 07:00 PM
#29
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Hi! I'm late to this discussion, but if you're still following here I'll add this: Before I moved for work, I lived in Greenville (SC) for about 12 years and loved it. Over that time, Greenville really revitalized it's downtown area into a place that is extremely pedestrian friendly.
There are plenty of parks very nearby, the Peace Center attracts a full score of off-broadway shows, concerts, comedians, and other performances, as does the Bi-Lo Center. There are also many other smaller venues around town that produce original shows or host smaller acts. Greenville is only about 1 hour to 1.5 hours (depending on how you drive it) from Asheville, which makes for a great day or weekend trip, but you don't have the expense of living in Asheville.
If you choose to live in northern Greenville Co, such as Traveler's Rest or the area around Furman University, then you'll be living very near the SC/NC border and the mountains.
Greenville's schools have been getting better each year plus Greenville has higher education opportunities a-plenty with both its technical college (Greenville Tech), as well as the University Center, which houses extension campuses for several South Carolina Universities (such as USC, Clemson, SC State, etc). With Furman in the mix, there's plenty of opportunity for educational enrichment for both you and you husband, if you so choose, or your children as they grow.
If you're in to watching sports, the Greenville Drive play in a beautiful new downtown stadium that was modeled after the one in Boston, they also apparently have a new minor league hockey team (Greenville Road Warriors). [As an aside, when I lived there we had a hockey team called the Grrrowl and they were a blast to go watch. I missed them when they left town.]
Also, as a former library employee in Greenville County, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that their library system is one of the best that I've ever encountered. It's a biased opinion, to be sure, but I promise you that once you start using it, you'll be hooked.
Greenville is quite possibly the best place to live in South Carolina, and that's including Charleston. It's a little more conservative than Asheville is, but it's a welcoming place and there are lots of transplants, so no matter what your inclination socially, politically, religiously and beyond, you're sure to find a group that agrees.
It's a great place to live; heck, I'd move back if I could.
There are plenty of parks very nearby, the Peace Center attracts a full score of off-broadway shows, concerts, comedians, and other performances, as does the Bi-Lo Center. There are also many other smaller venues around town that produce original shows or host smaller acts. Greenville is only about 1 hour to 1.5 hours (depending on how you drive it) from Asheville, which makes for a great day or weekend trip, but you don't have the expense of living in Asheville.
If you choose to live in northern Greenville Co, such as Traveler's Rest or the area around Furman University, then you'll be living very near the SC/NC border and the mountains.
Greenville's schools have been getting better each year plus Greenville has higher education opportunities a-plenty with both its technical college (Greenville Tech), as well as the University Center, which houses extension campuses for several South Carolina Universities (such as USC, Clemson, SC State, etc). With Furman in the mix, there's plenty of opportunity for educational enrichment for both you and you husband, if you so choose, or your children as they grow.
If you're in to watching sports, the Greenville Drive play in a beautiful new downtown stadium that was modeled after the one in Boston, they also apparently have a new minor league hockey team (Greenville Road Warriors). [As an aside, when I lived there we had a hockey team called the Grrrowl and they were a blast to go watch. I missed them when they left town.]
Also, as a former library employee in Greenville County, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that their library system is one of the best that I've ever encountered. It's a biased opinion, to be sure, but I promise you that once you start using it, you'll be hooked.
Greenville is quite possibly the best place to live in South Carolina, and that's including Charleston. It's a little more conservative than Asheville is, but it's a welcoming place and there are lots of transplants, so no matter what your inclination socially, politically, religiously and beyond, you're sure to find a group that agrees.
It's a great place to live; heck, I'd move back if I could.
Jul 28th, 2011, 11:19 AM
#30
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VERY late to the conversation, but I'll chime in since I live in Greenville, grew up near Asheville, and have family in Charlotte.
#3 - Charlotte: Nice airport, beautiful downtown and skyline, loads of transplants and a pretty young city. Traffic on 77/85/485 can be pretty nasty at times. Lake Norman is a good getaway area, but very crowded. Property taxes are relatively high. It's nice to visit, but I find when I visit family there we rarely venture downtown. Restaurants, bars, etc. offer nearly anything you could want.
#2 - Asheville: Blue Ridge Parkway nearby, Biltmore House, emerging brewery scene, Grove Park Inn, Bele Chere festival, walkable downtown. Good small city, with most everything you would need with shopping, farmer's market, great restaurants. Excellent hospitals with Mission and St.Joseph's. Mix of retirees and hippies, and housing is rather expensive. Airport is small, traffic isn't very bad. Like others said, the bedroom communities like Hendersonville and Black Mountain would provide easy access to downtown without paying a premium. Not a lot of industry in the area. I like Asheville a lot, but it would be difficult for my wife and myself to find good employment there in our fields.
#1 - Greenville: I'll admit my bias here for many of the reasons noted above - small town feel to downtown while the city is expanding quickly and offers more shopping alternatives than Asheville IMO. Comparable in size to Asheville although the metro area is larger. Property taxes are the lowest of the three, housing prices (like the others) are dependent on how close to downtown you want to be. Simpsonville area south of Greenville is blossoming and is around 20-25 minutes to downtown. GSP airport is mid-sized, but many flights connect through CLT. Asheville area is 1.5 hrs, Charleston is 3 hrs., and Savannah is around 4 hrs. Peace Center and Bi-Lo center attract some national acts. Falls Park and Swamp Rabbit trail are great recreational areas - there are always things going on downtown from Thurs night music, Fri night music, downtown farmer's market, baseball, Artisphere, Fall for Greenville, the Greek Festival, etc. City leaders just seem to have thought things out, and it shows with the interest from companies looking to relocate as well as individuals.
#3 - Charlotte: Nice airport, beautiful downtown and skyline, loads of transplants and a pretty young city. Traffic on 77/85/485 can be pretty nasty at times. Lake Norman is a good getaway area, but very crowded. Property taxes are relatively high. It's nice to visit, but I find when I visit family there we rarely venture downtown. Restaurants, bars, etc. offer nearly anything you could want.
#2 - Asheville: Blue Ridge Parkway nearby, Biltmore House, emerging brewery scene, Grove Park Inn, Bele Chere festival, walkable downtown. Good small city, with most everything you would need with shopping, farmer's market, great restaurants. Excellent hospitals with Mission and St.Joseph's. Mix of retirees and hippies, and housing is rather expensive. Airport is small, traffic isn't very bad. Like others said, the bedroom communities like Hendersonville and Black Mountain would provide easy access to downtown without paying a premium. Not a lot of industry in the area. I like Asheville a lot, but it would be difficult for my wife and myself to find good employment there in our fields.
#1 - Greenville: I'll admit my bias here for many of the reasons noted above - small town feel to downtown while the city is expanding quickly and offers more shopping alternatives than Asheville IMO. Comparable in size to Asheville although the metro area is larger. Property taxes are the lowest of the three, housing prices (like the others) are dependent on how close to downtown you want to be. Simpsonville area south of Greenville is blossoming and is around 20-25 minutes to downtown. GSP airport is mid-sized, but many flights connect through CLT. Asheville area is 1.5 hrs, Charleston is 3 hrs., and Savannah is around 4 hrs. Peace Center and Bi-Lo center attract some national acts. Falls Park and Swamp Rabbit trail are great recreational areas - there are always things going on downtown from Thurs night music, Fri night music, downtown farmer's market, baseball, Artisphere, Fall for Greenville, the Greek Festival, etc. City leaders just seem to have thought things out, and it shows with the interest from companies looking to relocate as well as individuals.
Aug 12th, 2011, 06:52 AM
#31
A nice little homage to Greenville -
http://gardenandgun.com/article/greenville
http://gardenandgun.com/article/greenville
Aug 28th, 2013, 01:01 PM
#33
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My daughter recommends retiring in Greenville and I like what I see except for liberal politics. She says the city is changing that way. Any thoughts? My daughter lived in Ashville and Greenville. She loved Greenville. I am looking for a walkable downtown, small city with lots of activity, college town and mild weather and very mild winters.
Aug 28th, 2013, 01:51 PM
#35
"...and I like what I see except for liberal politics"
Wait. What does that mean? Are you saying Greenville is too "liberal" for you?
If so...
Woo-hoo! The south is turning purple! Something great to celebrate!
Wait. What does that mean? Are you saying Greenville is too "liberal" for you?
If so...
Woo-hoo! The south is turning purple! Something great to celebrate!
Aug 28th, 2013, 02:55 PM
#36
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FWIW, my mother (born and bred in the South) lived in Greenville and hated it. Almost nothing to do, few good restaurants (just chain mediocrities around where she lived), bad shopping.... Of course, she had spent the previous 40 years in large cities in Pennsylvania and Québec, so she had become a big-city gal. The fact that it took her TWO YEARS to sell her VERY nice house in an upscale, gated community-- at a steep loss-- cemented her decision to move and never look back.
Ironically, she's living in rural northern California with my sister (a retired nurse) and her family. And she's loving it. Then again, she's short drives to San Francisco, Sacramento, Lake Tahoe and Reno, so high and low culture is all around.
I must note: She LOVED Asheville. I think if she could have sold the Greenville house and lived in Asheville, she'd still be living down there. But things didn't work out that way.
Ironically, she's living in rural northern California with my sister (a retired nurse) and her family. And she's loving it. Then again, she's short drives to San Francisco, Sacramento, Lake Tahoe and Reno, so high and low culture is all around.
I must note: She LOVED Asheville. I think if she could have sold the Greenville house and lived in Asheville, she'd still be living down there. But things didn't work out that way.
Aug 28th, 2013, 04:32 PM
#37
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I have visited all of the 3 areas and went to Asheville frequently before it was known... Now it is "crunchy" as my daughter would describe it. A big mix of people, pretty liberal, lots of music and arts. Weather wise, Greenville and it is a short trip to the mountains or Charlotte. Charlotte has a going on downtown, more expensive and is great for big business. I like being near the coast, live in NC now, so moving inland is not an option for me, but wish you luck.
Aug 29th, 2013, 04:10 AM
#39
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I wonder what happened?!!
I should have added that in Charlotte you can be in the mountains-or the beach in a matter of hours.
I'd also reiterate what I said above about neighborhoods. You don't really live in the tall buildings downtown--you live in a neighborhood, and Charlotte has all kinds at all levels that are beautiful.
If they needed 5 acres, then maybe the surrounding communities would be the ticket.
I should have added that in Charlotte you can be in the mountains-or the beach in a matter of hours.
I'd also reiterate what I said above about neighborhoods. You don't really live in the tall buildings downtown--you live in a neighborhood, and Charlotte has all kinds at all levels that are beautiful.
If they needed 5 acres, then maybe the surrounding communities would be the ticket.
