Once again I find myself agreeing with GoTravel. The south has changed dramatically in the last 20 - 30 years. Many people from other areas have moved into the southern states and love calling it home. I haven't heard the word yankee in years! I wish you would visit. Believe it or not we have beaches, mountains, shows, restaurants, etc too! And many areas are more urban than rural. I have had to adjust many times during my husbands 20 years in the military. The most prejudice and ignorance I've ever faced was when we were stationed at West Point, NY. Yes, we lived in a rural area but I couldn't believe the people who thought I was slow because I spoke slow or who had the ill manners to speak smart comments about dumb southerners when it was obvious I could hear. Then again, I joined the Jr. Women's League and met many wonderful women who had class and positive attitudes and I learned ignorance and prejudice doesn't live in one area. I'd suggest that you join a club, organization or church group. You will make many wonderful friends, as I did over the years. Yes, people in the south can be standoffish until they get to know you. I can't deny that. But, then again, visit the neighborhoods in some northern states where ethnic groups live among themselves. You don't find that in the south anymore. My street is less than 1 mile long. We have families who are American Indian, white, black, 2 Puerto Rican, 2 Mexican and several I don't know about and could give a rip what nationality they are. We have Catholic, Jehovah Witness, Mormon, Pentacostal Holiness and all the rest but 1 are Baptist. It doesn't matter what religion you are but for some reason it does seem to matter that you are religious. Still, it won't stop you from making friends. It'll just take longer for people to accept you. I've pretty much learned from living in New York, Georgia, Washington, DC, Indiana, Missouri and Virginia that people are people. Our differences make us unique, not better or worse. I also found after years of hearing how terrible our schools were and how wonderful the schools up north were that, that isn't so. IMO, my children pretty much moved from state to state - north, south or even Korea and students were pretty much working in the same areas. Maybe we were unique being in the military so we always moved to military towns which are used to people from different areas coming and going. Columbia, SC is home to the University of SC - 25,000+ students and to Ft. Jackson (Army base). We are used to people from different areas around here. But, since you are from New England perhaps you'd like Greenville/Greenwood more. It is close to the mountains, they have excellent schools so I hear and there are alot of people from different states moving there because of job transfers. I don't know about shows but I think that area has everything else you asked about except for the beach. You'd have to drive 3 hours or so to Charleston for the beach. I wish you luck wherever you end up moving.