Thinking of moving to Greenville SC

[Francy]

I have just been reading all your posts. I am currently living in an Atlanta suburb/rural area. I have a friend living in Simpsonville who I plan on visiting next week. We have been living in Georgia for over 20 years. We are now looking to retire to an area that has reasonable home prices and a cost of living along with people who take pride in their properties. We currently live in a $200,000. community with nice homes in the foothills area but some of the people here think its ok to park their cars on the side lawns or rear yards, through garbage (soda cans, wrappers on the main roads and don't seem to have a care about other neighbors in our community even though we are under tight HOA rules. This is true of a lot of people and communities here in Georgia that are a little more rural except of course if you live in a community that is a lot more expensive and in a closer in more suburban area to Atlanta which we cannot afford due to our "retirement" coming up soon.

I guess what I am asking is are the communities in the Simpsonville area with homes prices over $160,000, lived in by people who take pride in their homes and area or am I going to find the same type of communities where people take less pride in their homes and environment. What price range would I need to look at, specific areas of Simpsonville that may afford me that lifestyle I am looking for. I want to move but don't want to find the same type of environment because I may as well stay here. Thank you for any advice you can give me.

[lfty]

I AM ALSO MOVING FROM NY TO GREENVILLE! WE WERE THRERE 2 YEARS AGO VISITING FRIENDS AND LOVED IT. FOR THE MOST PART EVERY LOCAL WE MET WAS EXTREMELY PLEASANT. THE "NON LOCALS" SEEM TO BE FROM UP NORTH. THERE ARE GOOD AND BAD PLACES EVERYWHERE AND IN EVERY STATE. I DO NOT WANT TO FEEL LIKE AN "OUTSIDER" WHEN WE SETTLE IN GREENVILLE, AND I DIDNT WHEN WE WERE THERE. THERE ARE A LOT OF SUBDIVISIONS SOME BUILT SOME UP COMING. CAN ANYONE GIVE ADVISE WHICH ONES TO STAY AWAY FROM? I HEARD THAT LINKSIDE AT BONNIE BRAE IS ONE WE SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM BUT I DONT KNOW WHY. ANY HELP TO FIND A "SAFER" SUBDIVISION WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

[Pat]

I moved here from Florida almost 2 years ago. I love it.(I am originally from NJ)
Yes I am a Yankee. I have found everyone I have met very nice.
The pay is very low compared to Florida or New Jersey. The food prices are about the same. Utilities seem to be lower.
And to those who say the locals do not like Yankess..I have not come across any people like that. And if I did, I would have to get my Yankee attitude back and tell them to Kiss my a...

[pat]

Well..after all those emails.....Whew!! I am a true Greenvillian.. Green-Vegas as some might call it... I am a true southernbell... some say less bell and more wang..!!! But that's okay... Yeah... growing up here is wonderful.. I remember a time when I was child... and I am not that old.. where you could....leave your door open all night... while you where a sleep... window up... keys in your car in the driveway.... Sunday after Church a big dinner or a picnic at Table Rock State Park.... Walking through Furman University... borrowing a cup of sugar from the neighbor for my mother... riding your bicycle barefooted and skinning your toe..... eating a push up (icecream)...playing with snap and pops...and cap guns.. like cowboy and indians... kids in the neighborhood playing tag football in our backyard for hours on end... never coming inside unless to eat lunch or come home before dark..... Greenville is the place to be... no matter where your from or what background you have.... We are open... and if you meet someone that's not.. so.. what.. move on.. we are people they wave at your passing by.... We say Hey!! in the grocery store lines.... We help open the door if you need it.. We say yes sir--yes ma'm... Excuse me... Have a nice day.... Greenville..... We are make it a great place.. Ride up to Table Rock.. Go visit Caesar Head...before getting there... you will see Bald Rock on your right... See for miles.. Pass by Caesars and go to the YMCA camp for boys..and go to a church called Pretty Place.....a no wall church overlooking the mountains.... Ride into Brevard, Hendersonville, Asheville.....the Blue Ridge Parkway..... take a moment.... smell the air.... sure we have pollen... sure it get muggy... but it is still a great place to live... your as safe here as anywhere... Welcome to my town.....

[Francy]

Well thanks for some info. I have a new home communities book and I am planning on visiting a new subdivision in Taylors/Greer area called Blue Ridge Plantation. They supposedly have homes in all different price ranges. Is anyone aware of that one and if so, would you recommend it. Of course, I would like to find a development that is almost completed where people really keep up their properties. Any recommendations for the Greer, Mauldin, Simpsonsville area with price ranges from $160 to 200.

I also heard Aiken S.C. was very nice as well. Homes seem to be a little more expensive there though?

[Thankyou]

Well honestly I'm sorry your experience has been bad, but I am no way part of the hate the yankees club. My family are also northerners but I am not, they have had similar experinces but I do consider myself a southern bell and I do except everyone no matter where you may come from, so its just hard to believe people would be so cruel. Mabey you sould make a move to another city in SC things could be diffrent.

annie wrote:

<quoted text>
Also you are a southerner, so this doesn't apply to you. You'd be welcome here. I came south in 1973 with my parents, and they still consider me an outsider. I'm talking more to the "yankees".

[run from greenville]

I Greenville for 9 years and hated every moment of it. We have lived many places and have allways felt welcome;; not the case in Greenville. The community is underhanded, mean and unbeknwonest to them, "common". Greenville is a poor example of Southern Hospitality and can stand to learn kindness from the new blood moving in.

[Matt Manley - REALTOR]

Hi folks, it's great to find this forum. I'm disappointed to see all of the negative comments made about Greenville. I'm in total agreement with OBZ2008. I know that everyone I ever talk to has nothing but great things to say about Greenville. You may have a tough time at first adjusting with accents, but this is a diverse town. I'm from Simpsonville and due to poor planning and design standards it is not a great place to be and has very little character. It experienced a boom that no one was ready for and it is starting to get better but it is taking alot of retrofitting to get it that way. Sans Souci is the next place to be, very affordable, close to downtown and the mountains. I'm a REALTOR in town with Del-co Realty, would be glad to talk to anyone interested in moving here. The market is strong, slow and steady. Numbers continue to increase, prices continue to rise.

[Matt Manley - REALTOR]

lfty wrote:

I AM ALSO MOVING FROM NY TO GREENVILLE! WE WERE THRERE 2 YEARS AGO VISITING FRIENDS AND LOVED IT. FOR THE MOST PART EVERY LOCAL WE MET WAS EXTREMELY PLEASANT. THE "NON LOCALS" SEEM TO BE FROM UP NORTH. THERE ARE GOOD AND BAD PLACES EVERYWHERE AND IN EVERY STATE. I DO NOT WANT TO FEEL LIKE AN "OUTSIDER" WHEN WE SETTLE IN GREENVILLE, AND I DIDNT WHEN WE WERE THERE. THERE ARE A LOT OF SUBDIVISIONS SOME BUILT SOME UP COMING. CAN ANYONE GIVE ADVISE WHICH ONES TO STAY AWAY FROM? I HEARD THAT LINKSIDE AT BONNIE BRAE IS ONE WE SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM BUT I DONT KNOW WHY. ANY HELP TO FIND A "SAFER" SUBDIVISION WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

Be glad to help - [e-mail]

[Matt Manley - REALTOR]

Francy wrote:

I have just been reading all your posts. I am currently living in an Atlanta suburb/rural area. I have a friend living in Simpsonville who I plan on visiting next week. We have been living in Georgia for over 20 years. We are now looking to retire to an area that has reasonable home prices and a cost of living along with people who take pride in their properties. We currently live in a $200,000. community with nice homes in the foothills area but some of the people here think its ok to park their cars on the side lawns or rear yards, through garbage (soda cans, wrappers on the main roads and don't seem to have a care about other neighbors in our community even though we are under tight HOA rules. This is true of a lot of people and communities here in Georgia that are a little more rural except of course if you live in a community that is a lot more expensive and in a closer in more suburban area to Atlanta which we cannot afford due to our "retirement" coming up soon.
I guess what I am asking is are the communities in the Simpsonville area with homes prices over $160,000, lived in by people who take pride in their homes and area or am I going to find the same type of communities where people take less pride in their homes and environment. What price range would I need to look at, specific areas of Simpsonville that may afford me that lifestyle I am looking for. I want to move but don't want to find the same type of environment because I may as well stay here. Thank you for any advice you can give me.

I've never seen a neighborhood in this area over $150K where the majority of the homes/yards are not well maintained and respectable.

[lfty]

THANKS MATT, IF OUR HOME EVER SELLS HERE, WILL DEFINATELY KEEP IN TOUCH!

[TINKERBELL]

MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE MOVED FROM FLORIDA ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO TO THE EASLEY AREA. WE ACTUALLY LOOKED MANY AREAS BEFORE CHOOSING THIS ONE. WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY PROBLEMS EVERYONE'S VERY FRIENDLY. I GUESS LIKE THE OLD SAYING LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT.WE HAD SOME ADJUSTING TO DO BUT REALLY AS A WHOLE LIVING HERE IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN FLORIDA. AND WE WERE THERE FOR OVER TWENTY YEARS THAT'S WAY LONG ENOUGH.......

[terri]

i am moving to SC the greenville area this August and will be out there with my family the first week of June to search.. My husband is in the military and will be working at the navy recruting office on pelham road in greenville. What areas within a 25 minute drive are good areas to live and which ones should I avoid?

[Nursestew]

If you are interested in Healthcare options, the Upstae is a great area. I just had the oppurtunity to take a tour of the brand new Patewood Hospital (part of the Greenville Hospital System). It was trully amazing. Totally decked out tech-wise and completely designed for patient comfort.
For more on the upstate, check out my vlogs on YouTube under Hit The bricks

[Francy]

Thank you all for your comments. I did visit the Greer and Simpsonsville area recently. I thought Simpsonville was more residential and more in tune to what I had in mind. It's really like Gwinnett County was in northeast Georgia suburbs about 20 years ago. You should see Gwinnett County now! The growth has been phenomenal. They have never stopped building here in 20 years. Wall to wall people and subdivisions abound.

I have decided to continue to look in my own area in the northwest suburbs/rural area of Atlanta because the home prices seem comparable to what you get in Simpsonville. There are also more jobs in the area here but, unfortunately, you need to know someone to get you in or be under the age of 40 to survive an interview. I will keep trying to find my part time job here without having to travel 35 miles closer in for one. While Simpsonville was somewhat tempting, my husband also plays an important part in the decision to move. He wants to stick in out here and see what happens.
I hope to visit my friend again in Greer and take a second look around and wish you good luck with your impending moves to the Greenville area.

[restless]

Merle Adams wrote:

Hidden History That Cities Don’t Want Tourist To Know.
We All Have Some Psychic Ability.
This Is My Psychic Experience In Greenville, South Carolina.
As a freelance photographer, I find myself traveling to many exotic places all over the world to take pictures. Recently, I decided to make a stop in the laid back Southern City of Greenville, S.C. Being a nature lover, I was attracted to the Waterfalls in the downtown area.
I checked into a local hotel that was advertised in South Carolina’s travel coupon book, the ad boasted of a Grand Opening Special with a hot breakfast, free internet, cable and more. The price was right and it was accessible to the downtown area. The room though nicely decorated, with a full refrigerator, microwave and cabinets had a dark look, even with the lights on. The drapes had heavy lining which blocked out any sunlight from the outside. This layout is great if you need to get some rest during the day, also I knew it wouldn’t be a problem for me to fall fast asleep after being tired from driving out of the state.
While in a deep sleep, I felt totally restless tossing turning and wakening up in a cold sweat after hearing screams in my dreams. I did not understand what prompted this despair that I felt. I have always paid close attention to my dreams, also keeping a Dreamer’s Dictionary for interpreting them. I didn’t know what to make of it, just realized I would follow up later.
Next, I showered got dressed and went out to one of the upscale downtown restaurants that had a nice view of the people walking up and down the sidewalk. After a wonderful dinner and a nice walk I decided to return to the hotel. Once I drove into the hotel parking lot, my heart felt like it skipped a beat after seeing a large fire truck sitting in the driveway of the hotel entrance. Some hotel guests were standing on the outside with no coats even though the weather was very chilly for this time of year. I rushed to park my car and jumped out to ask the crowd what had happened?
One man yelled out,“someone burned popcorn in their microwave”. A hotel employee standing on the outside began to mumble,“This doesn’t look too good,” then went on to say,“You know six people died here by fire and around 11 people were injured in 2004. As he continued to talk I felt numb inside. Not being from this city but living in another state I didn’t have a clue of what happened in the past at this same hotel. It was the most tragic hotel fire in the history of the city. Was the dream I experienced earlier that day trying to tell me something? Well that night I didn’t put on my night clothes. I laid there in the hotel bed in my street clothing unable to sleep, fearful of the unknown.
After, returning home from my trip I decided to research the facts about this hotel fire. On the internet I typed in the name of the hotel in several of the top search engines. No indication about this hotel fire came up. Nothing until I went to archives online of greenvilleonline.com which is an online version of The Greenville Newspaper. After reading the many headline details of the fire, one headline indicated,“If they would have had a sprinklers system in the hotel lives could have been saved”.
You would think out of respect for the victims they would have changed the name of the hotel or even had this hotel torn down. It just doesn’t sit well with me to see this hotel treat this situation as, business as usual.
Some people need to realize the power of the Blog, for if I had the opportunity to read someone’s blog about this hotel in advance, I would have never checked in.

Sounds like you are the type of person that has difficulty sleeping anywhere other than your own bed.
Seek psychiatric help.

[Danielle]

I've read all of the blogs and I'm a 1st timer @ this. All was very interesting to read. My family & I are moving from CT to Greenville in exactly 1 month. Not that it would've had any bearing, but I wish I could've read this sooner. Because I'm the type of person who can pretty much adapt to any environment, I'm not too concerned about "people." I am more concerned about my children having a smooth transition and finding a slower pace vs. their 'fast-paced city ways.' I am an original 'country girl,' but all of my children and husband were born and raised in the city. My husband is such a sweetheart and people's person, he'd get along with most people as well. Besides, he's ready for a change. Hint, maybe it's his age settling in (smile). Anyway, I've read more than once about allergies. Unfortunately my whole family has allergies, so is this allergy highest only in the spring/summer. Can someone elaborate more on that. Thanks so much for your comments, and OBZ2008 LOVED your previous comment!

[yvonne]

THE PEOPLE THERE SEEM TO BE STUCK ON STUPID MAYBE THERE IS SOMETHING IN THE WATER LOW PAYING JOBS SMILING FACES BEAUTYFULL PLACES YELL RIGHT BEWARE OF THE SMILE ON THE FACE AND THE PAT ON THE BACK NOW I KNOW WHY PEOPLE CALL IT THE DIRTY SOUTH

[Dr TD Vitale]

This is a very interesting conversation about the North, South, Yankees, etc.
I grew up in Easley. I left at the age of 21 and have lived in Texas, Illinois, Alaska, Nevada and now Maryland. Let me tell you. It is true...there are haves and have nots all over the world...where I currently reside a combined household income of $100,000 per year is considered "poor." The average home costs $800,000+. I thought I had progressed....you see, when I grew up in Easley, I attended private school in Greenville and Easley until I graduated. My mother was a single parent and she really worked hard to pay my tuition. I was always just about the poorest student in school and my mother owned 8 acres, with an apple orchard. I have learned, with God's help, I only have to be what God wants and no matter where I go there will be people on both sides...hope this helps someone.

[Harold]

Too crowded already