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Hi and welcome to our wonderful Charelston thread!
For all of those about to move or thinking about moving to the Charleston Trident area, in order for us to better assist you and for you to get more responses please provide us with as much of the following information as possible in your initial post please:
1. Budget
2. House/Condo/Townhome?
3. Employment Status(commute/work from home)
4. Children(public school vs. private)
5. Suburban, Coastal or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of them together (or even Rural)
6. Amenities preferred or must-haves
7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood
If anything else is important, please add to the list above.
I feel if we can keep this in one thread it will hopefully be a good resource for our Charleston relocation folks!
Talked to Yac, Hopefully he will make this a sticky so we can keep our little thread organized!
Good idea....it gets a little confusing to navigate all the great posts!! I do have a question...when looking at real estate listings, I keep seeing the term " lowcountry ", and have no idea what this refers to. ???
Good idea....it gets a little confusing to navigate all the great posts!! I do have a question...when looking at real estate listings, I keep seeing the term " lowcountry ", and have no idea what this refers to. ???
Yes, that can be confusing, there are three regions in SC. Because SC has the Blue Ridge Mountains running through the "up state", this is referred to as the Upstate Region, the middle of the state, including Columbia, is mostly rolling hills, and this region is called the "Piedmont Region", and the lower half of the state which is the coastal area of SC is know as the "Low Country Region" or the coatal plain region.
It's a way of groping the coastal towns together. Like Pawley's Island, Charleston, Myrtle Beach, and Hilton Head are all in the Low Country. Even though they are on either sides of the state.
Is Charleston Right For You? 9 Factors That May Help You Decide
1) Historic Sights - Charleston is full of history, Ft. Sumter, the plantations (Middleton, Drayton, Boone Hall, and many more), carriage tours, boat tours, historical homes (museums), etc are all a wonderful part of the city for you to enjoy.
2) Charleston Historic Disctrict - This is a draw, even for locals it's fun to hop in the car, go "Downtown" and explore. Many historic homes were built in the 1700's and before 1900. We have a preservation society that keeps the integrity of the historical district, which keeps Charleston unique and special.
3) Charleston Restaurants - For a city of our size, we have a very large amount of dining experiences. There's plenty to choose from when searching for fresh seafood, a southern style dish, or even French trained chefs at their finest. You will never get bored searching for places to try next.
4) Commute Times - as with any city, we have congestion in areas, we are a city experiencing growth, with growth comes growing pains, and there are certainly road projects that need addressing, however, with strategic planning, you can easily find commutes of 30 minutes or less, due to the overall size of our area, compared to other metro areas, Charleston is quite small.
5) Hurricanes - The worst storm I can remember is Hurricane Hugo, that hit us as a Cat 3 hurricane in 1989. Since then we've had one or two small storms, but nothing even remotely threatening. Hugo was considered a perfect storm, it was a direct hit on Charleston (the eye passed over downtown) and the storm surge really did a number on us. McClellanville, a town north of Mt. Pleasant, had it the worst, they experience 20+ feet of storm surge. Being on the coast, hurricanes will always be a threat, but it's been over 20 years since our last "big one".
6) Charleston area beaches and coastline - Folly Beach, Isle of Palms, Sullivan's Island, Bulls Beach, and Edisto, plus the many barrier islands, crab banks, rivers and creeks will have you wanting to buy a boat or kayaks in no time. There's a limitless amount of tidal creeks and oyster banks to explore. Add that with some great offshore fishing, and white sandy beaches, and your summers will always be full of fun and sun.
7) Schools - We have many great schools here in Charleston, SC as a national average is lower than most states education scores wise, but with a little research you will find that we have some wonderful options here in the Trident area.
8) Costs of living - Costs of living are moderate, and this is an area that is subjective to where you're relocating from. Our taxes are lower that most states, and the local sales tax is 8.5% as of Dec. 2013. The millage rates can vary widely depending on the area of town, so check with a real estate professional or the tax office of the county/municipality your considering moving to for those rates.
9) Weather - Charleston has a humid, sub-tropical climate, meaning hot humid summers and winters that are not very long or cold. Since I started living here in 1975, I've seen snow maybe three times. Coastal SC averages 90 degrees in the summertime and evenings of 70 degrees. 100% humidity is an experience! You walk out of your home and become sticky and wet instantly, but most people will agree that the hot and humidity of summers outweighs the brutal cold winters that our northern states offer.
So, that's a few things to consider about Charleston, that by no means is all we have to offer, it's just some of the high points of the area, and some of the reasons why I love my city, Charleston, the greatest city in the USA!
My fiance and I are looking to move to Summerville, probably by summer 2015. We have our school system picked out as we have 3 kids to worry about. We have an idea what housing prices are since we've been looking.
Jobs.....What is the best way to go about finding jobs? I've applied and have heard nothing. We are kinda at a loss.
I am moving down at the end of this month (from DC) and am looking for advice on apartments! In answer to your questions below:
1. Budget? Under
$1,300/month
2. House/Condo/Townhome?
Flexible
3. Employment Status(commute/work from home)?
I'm working downtown. Husband is working from home.
4. Children(public school vs. private)?
Just cats!!
5. Suburban, Coastal or Urban lifestyle preference or a mix of them together (or even Rural)?
More urban, I guess. We are looking for a place that is bike/walk friendly. I want to be able to walk to restaurants/shops. But, I
also really like long bike rides.
6. Amenities preferred or must-haves?
Cat-friendly, dishwasher, washer/dryer in unit,
7. Preferable demographics of desired neighborhood?
We are in our late 20s, so we don't want the "college" vibe
We have narrowed down to 4 apartment complexes and would welcome honest opinions about them!:
- Edgewater Plantation
- Riverland Woods
- Abberly at West Ashley (I really like this place, but can't find many recent reviews!)
- Colonial Grand At Cypress Cove
Riverland Woods
Abberly at W. Ashley
Edgewater Plantation
Colonial Grand
The only one I've lived in was Colonial Grand, it was a corporate mess, the ownership is in FL or somewhere and they are a terrible management company.
I checked a few sites on the others like Yelp and could find many positive reviews. Just goes to show you, one bad apple spoils the bunch.
Where are you researching for apartments? apartments.com is a classy sight with good photos, browsing options and prices listed.
That's some of the medical transport companies I could dig up. Retail is everywhere in the Summerville area, N. Charleston as well.
Perhaps check on Craigslist or Indeed.com?
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