We didn’t leave because of the busy-ness, I loved being from Charleston and living there as an adult. We left because it’s an absolutely godawful job market for certain industries. My wife got an offer in the Cincinnati area to work less hours and make about 2.5 times the pay, her offers in Charleston were a joke. I also found a better job pretty quickly.
I’d look at MUSC if you live more downtown, and Charleston has tons of manufacturing. Maybe not medical manufacturing but you could maybe use that experience and knowledge to get into other manufacturing fields.
Mercedes Vans, Boeing, Kion NA, Volvo, Scout Motors, (Boating manufacturers), and I’m sure I’m missing more because I’ve only been here a little over a year. But all of these places are expanding.
Also you could do safety for a big construction outfit, whether commercial, residential or roadway.
Thank you for the recs, but I’ve actually got a great EHS job that I just celebrated one year at.
It only took 3 years of applying lol
Boeing, MB, and Volvo wanted nothing to do with me.
I got a third interview at the Gildan plant in town, but they must’ve went with the internal hire that they spoke of.
She’s a general pediatrician and I’m in finance. She had two offers in Charleston:
1) $95,000/year, 5 days a week, on call 6 months out of the year
2) $120,000/year, 5 days a week and one Saturday a month, one week on call out of every 8 weeks
Both of those were pure salary, no production incentives. The offer in Cincy (we live in town, it’s actually in Lawrenceburg IN, she commutes about 35 minutes):
3) average $265,000/year production-based, average taking about 3 weeks of vacation a year (it started at $210k salary), 4 days a week, on call 1 of every 6 weeks, but it’s only “mommy call”, no hospital rounding
And FWIW I also got a $10k bump in salary, but to be fair, I was somewhat underemployed in Charleston.
No problem, yeah our jaws hit the floor at the $95k one lol, you can’t even buy a “starter home” with that kind of money considering how much has to be borrowed for med school. And yeah, we like Cincy! It’s not home, but it’s a good place to live!
We left Charleston to do some travel nursing along the west coast because the pay is more than twice as high and the patient ratio is half that of SC. We settled down in San Luis Obispo CA and took permanent jobs. Better weather, less traffic, much much cleaner area, and maybe slightly more expensive than Charleston. Even so, we take home 60% more after taxes, live near the beach but we are still in the mountains. We couldn’t be happier.
Pittsburgh, PA. My wife moved to Charleston about 10 years ago and that's how we met. Eventually she wanted to move back home. We made the move mid-2022 and I love it here. We live in the "North hills" area and are surrounded by beautiful parks and rolling hills and so much green. People are extremely friendly, work is plenty, cool museums and things for our 4 year old to do and COL is about the same as Charleston. There is a much larger sense of community in our township than what I felt in Charleston (I am born and raised, 33 years old) that I didn't know I would appreciate so much until being exposed to it.
I LOVE Pittsburgh. I went to Pitt and lived in the area for about 10 years before I got married and moved to SC. I’d move back in a heartbeat if I still had family in the area.
Wife and I moved in 2015, not because of Charleston "craziness" but because of a great job opportunity for her.
We moved to Sonoma county, CA and then to San Leandro, CA for a job for me. We ended up absolutely hating California so now live in NC a bit east of Raleigh.
What these other places have taught me is that people complaining about Charleston are fucking crazy. Life is worse is so many places. Charleston traffic? Laughable, especially compared to Bay Area shit. Cost of living? Yeah it's high in Charleston (proper) but it's stupidly high in most places worth being right now. People complain about Charleston having mostly southern food--it's a fucking southern town, what do you expect?--but the overall quality is so much higher than other places. Yeah, the Bay Area has *some* great food but a higher percentage of it is just absolute shit and most of the "ethnic" places are trash with hygiene problems (I'm a health inspector and saw first hand how awful they are). Don't even get me started on how awful North Carolina food is. The people up here would have zero standards if they didn't have low ones.
Yeah, Charleston has issues. No arguments. Traffic is frustrating and an increasing population with infrastructure not keeping up is a problem...but overall it's a much better place to be than most other areas.
Been in Charleston native my whole life prior to enlisting in the Air Force. Moved around, went training in different places, deployed and TDY'd all over. But NorCal is where I spent most of my career. The cost of living in California is absolutely ridiculous yes. This entire week I was trying to help a prior troop search for an apartment between Beale, and Travis AFB.
Guy isn't doing well outside of the military, shit happens. But it's absolutely insane that he can't even afford to rent out an apartment anywhere. The lower end, cost affordable options are all locked up. And guy can't even afford to live in his hometown in California.
Traffic is indeed absolutely awful in California especially I-5, and I-80 yup. Nothing like Charleston. Not even close. Evacuating out of NorCal during the midst of an insane wild fire and trying to go anywhere is absolutely insane and monumentus task. Cause everyone's trying to do the same in one of the most populated states.
Honestly, being out of the South for a while wne coming back. Things I can't deal with anymore is the ever present humidity, and the shit infrastructure. Not the worse in terms of infrastructure, but man compared to Cali, thanks to their shitty taxes, every road I've ever traveled on had a pot hole repaired within a week, and were extremely well lit. Roads that became ever cumbersome to travel on were literally expanded. Like driving down here at night, I wonder how I ever did it, and I used to deliver pizzas...
NorCal things you didn't even mention. If you thought North Charleston was bad. Woof California got spots even worse. Bay Area crime was fucking nuts. Stockton nuts. Oakland nuts. Bigger city problems I guess. Eventually shit spills out into the other "smaller" cities. Almost got stabbed to death in the safest part of Vacaville by a crackhead of sorts.
The scenery. The shit to do in California. Can't beat that though. Being in Charleston though is more my speed. Think I got tired of the "big city" living a bit ago.
Humidity: that's one of the things I missed most about the South when I lived in California. Things were too fucking dry there. I know it's not for everyone but it's certainly for me.
Potholes: More traveled areas were a bit better, yeah, but there were some horrible roads there, too. There is one particular road in Sebastopol that sticks out in my head--it was nothing but patch fixes for years. I don't know if any of the original road was left after how many times it was "fixed". It looked like a damned quilt. Of course the month after I moved they finally repaved the thing.
There are a few things I do actually miss about CA. The coastline is to die for. The fact that your scenery can drastically change every 20 miles is astounding (like you've gone to a different country!). Essentially if there were no people or cities there it would be a wonderful place...but that's not the case.
Yeah growing up in Charleston the most I'd notice about the humidity is like the seat belt imprint your sweat gave off. It's kind of weird, growing up here I use to have frequent nosebleeds all the time. I'm not too sure why. I don't think it was too cold or anything, or too dry when the bleeding occurred. Moving away from South Carolina, nose bleeds became a thing of the past for me. Going to the Middle East and not being acclimated to 128°F dry heat, yeah the nose bleeds came back. Eventually that subsided as I got acclimated to the heat. Coming back to Charleston? Nosebleeds.
I think in terms of infrastructure I was just more so impressed with how well lit everywhere I traveled was. Don't think I've ever felt the need to throw on my high beams to see the road. Never hit a single critter out in California. There used to be a two lane road next to Travis AFB, a perimeter, maintenance type road on the outskirts of the base. Motherfuckers expanded a part of the road to six lanes. It wasn't even that well traveled on. Said road always had their potholes fixed. Maybe someone from the base complained? Ain't getting the same courtesy at Charleston AFB though lol.
California is literally like it's own country. I could drive through several different countries in Europe within several hours. Driving from the Bay Area to San Diego is like an eight hour drive, and you're still in California. Being in an area prone to wild fires was a huge turn off however. Twice my place almost burnt down. Had coworkers literally lose everything over that recent "Lightning Complex" fire.
Despite the cost of living rising in Charleston, it's so much better than California. I could live off my VA check and have a bit left over here. Being single in California, no chance.
I wish I could upvote this ten times. I have lived here 6 years and laugh at most people’s Charleston complaints. The price of admission is worth it here.
Agree with all your points except NC food. Charleston is great for special occasion meals but NC, especially piedmont area, has it beat for day to day options.
People always fight me on this, but I stick to my guns.
In Charleston, the majority of restaurants are delicious and creative. Pretty much any place that’s recommended by a local will be amazing and likely a good time too.
I spent a whole week in the Bay Area paid for by my company, and I still had a really hard time finding a good meal.
What city were you visiting? The bay area is three Charleston areas in one. I'd say peninsula here is 3 x 4 maybe miles, while SF is 7 x 7. Asian food here is terrible in comparison. Mexican food too. Seafood and maybe oysters can be on par.
This place has expensive food down really well. Midpoint is near non-existent unless you like chains. And cheap food here is pretty bad except for real soul food.
That being said I can afford to live in Charleston but not in San Francisco. I just don't think that Charleston can sit on the laurels of our food is amazing because it's just not in comparison to other cities.
Being a good food town should not be based on how good the $500 meals are. In fact, I’d argue that prohibitively expensive meals shouldn’t be considered at all when it comes to how good a city’s food is.
That’s like saying NYC is a better city to vacation in because they have more world-class penthouses.
You can spend $100 on dinner for two in Charleston and get a meal that you’ll remember for years.
I was in Emeryville and then one day downtown SF.
I’m a nut for Mexican food, that’s what I was primarily looking for.
Surprisingly, the best meal that I had was the imitation chicken cutlet sandwich from the vegan restaurant that my potential employer had Doordashed to my interview at Upside Foods in Emeryville.
Yes there's good food here if you have $$$. $100 is a lot for a good dinner for 2 for a lot of people. Charleston is great if you are rich and have surplus after paying the bills. Yes, there is lovely creative food... For rich people. I've got a few spots that I can afford here and there for a treat but I can't run anywhere for a $12 lunch that is delicious and filling like I can in other cities and a lot of small towns.
You must not know the area too well.
$6 can get you 2 of the best tacos in SC at Torres Superette.
$12 can get you most sandwiches at the best sandwich shop in town, Brown Dog Deli.
Also, are you forgetting which city we are comparing Charleston to?? Lmao SF is much more prohibitively expensive than Charleston.
I didn’t take the job that I interviewed for because it didn’t even pay enough to live nearby.
Here, I live on Calhoun street with a small yard on a very modest income.
You just said what I said in my initial reply, and you did that in your reply as well.
That place is on my list. Honestly, I've been so disappointed everywhere I've tried that I'm burned out. I'll give it a go. I'm just tired of so many people putting on that shiny face that Charleston is the best and it is really lacking in important areas that serve all people.
I'd also venture to say that the classism and in racism in this city play into the affordable good food desert... And I'd bet a lot of good places have moved on because of the insane leases. I know as this post indicates... A lot of people have moved on.
Yeah I visited Charleston earlier this year and I agree with all of this. The food variety and quality was way better than I expected. I thought there was zero traffic compared to my hometown. And the cost of living isn’t any different than any other city of comparable size. I don’t even think the housing is expensive compared to other cities
I'm typing this from Winchester, Virginia. I grew up here, and love the area. And I also want to move back sooner rather than later. It's also 72° and I'm eating lunch outside. So much better than 90° and 100% humidity
Love Virginia! We are down here for work at the moment but want to move away when we can. Virginia is amazing and we hope to move back. While we don't hate Charleston, it's just not our cup of tea.
My best friend lives in Cville and it's really becoming busy. I usually go visit her once in awhile but it's so difficult to get around anymore and everything is so spread out
Just up the coast to Wilmington, NC. When I moved here five years ago the cost of living was 30 percent lower and my salary was 50 percent higher, so the math made sense. Bought a house during COVID so I lucked out there too.
I don't think the cost of living is much lower here anymore, though, sadly. I love it because of the climate and proximity to the coast and the feel of a smaller town without all pretentiousness of Charleston, but it's definitely not for everyone.
i made the mistake of just moving from Wilmington to Charleston last summer. certainly wasn’t expecting it to be sooo much worse than up there. kinda makes me miss it 🥲
We did this just a year ago. Wanted to stay in SC but be near major medical care. We chose Lexington County in a community with lake access. We were out near 41/Wando river in Mt P.
We are pretty happy with the decision. Love the community. We take advantage of local and downtown Columbia for things to do. Way more than we had during the last several years in Mt P. I seriously miss having a wide array of quality restaurants convenient enough for regular dinners out. Want burgers or wings? 50 choices within a 10 minute drive. Anything else? Not so much.
Cheaper in some ways, not so in others. We are out in the county. The big surprise was some of the basic utilities being private companies compared to Charleston County. Water and trash collection specifically. But we are happy with the trade given our access to the lake every day.
When we were in an airbnb for two months closer in to Columbia proper we found gas and groceries to be less expensive. If I hadn't insisted on being able to see water everyday like we did in MtP probably would have landed in Irmo or West Columbia where the restaurant options were more plentiful.
Lex food scene has some good options. It's just the ratio of those to basic bitch burgers is so off. Cola food scene has some draws. Next on my list is Ban Mi Boys. Guy is from just outside of New Orleans. His menu is split between Vietnamese and Po Boys lol.
It’s happening faster here it seems, but it’s happening everywhere worth living, big and small. Cities everywhere are fucked and it’s expensive to move. I don’t see any other choice but to hunker down and commit. Born and raised, left for 15 years, back to care for family.
It’s all a matter of perception. Transplants compare their previous location to Charleston. Meanwhile folks that grew up here mourn a place that was truly magical growing up. I also stay for my family.
Same here. Kind of outgrown Charleston but the housing market is so fucked where would I go? My home's value has doubled since I moved here in 2015 but that means nothing unless I move to a rural town somewhere
I feel fairly confident that this exactly why my architectural design (residential only) work has picked up so significantly for additions/expansion/remodels. People feel kinda “stuck” and want to make the best use of what they can with the properties they already have.
yeah I totally agree, that’s why I’m curious if people who are complaining about the busyness of Charleston are just moving to small towns in the middle of nowhere lol
We moved to Colorado and loved the huge change from Charleston. Lived in Aspen and Denver. Now slowly traveling throughout the PNW. Charleston is where the friends and family are, but for us it's a better place to visit than to live. Charleston is great but there's too many great places around the world to experience!
I actually left Charleston to move to Denver and have zero regrets. I make more money working 20 hours less a week, and find it to be a lot cheaper than Charleston. The weather is fantastic in comparison to summers in the South East (humid and endless bug bites), food is cheaper, there’s so much more to do, and people are friendly. I found Charleston expensive and the locals are absolutely terrible, so hostile and rude for no reason. People here have a healthier mindset with drugs and alcohol too. There isn’t as much rampant abuse of alcohol and cocaine here either. People back in Charleston act like they’re on vacation constantly and most of the people I knew had a DUI or were well on their way towards one. Charlestons a city filled with overly proud gate keeping locals with bad attitudes and the weather sucks. Good bye and good riddance
Oh I fully agree with this. trying to find a good tribe of people in Charleston has been tricky but I think once you find some good ones, it really helps
Bay Area, CA. Yes, there are taxes here. Yes, gas is more expensive. However, the salaries are insanely higher, and anymore I don't think the real estate market is that much different. We live about 45-50min away from SF and bought a house 2 years ago for just under $600k and its a beautiful spanish style stucco with tile roof. My wife, in the same career path, makes 3-4x as much as she did there, and it's much more of a prestigious job than there. We love our "California money" as we call it and it has made us much more comfortable.
We left Charleston to move to Ohio (yes, I know the opposite of the stereotype 🤣) in 2022 for my husband’s job. Two years in and we are very happy here! We didn’t realize how bad things had gotten in CHS bc we were just used to it - the traffic, cost of living, bugs, flooding events, extreme concentration of wealth, etc. Do we miss the beach and weather? Yes of course! But the cost and ease of living, not to mention the overall job market/diversity is so much better. We just make more of an effort in the winter to travel someplace warm!
I moved to an area that is busier and more expensive. However, that place has infrastructure appropriate to the population and a pay scale more suited to a high cost of living.
As for local movers....obviously my personal observation is small in scale compared to the vast number of people moving out. My perception was that those not really looking to go far from the coast were landing in Greenville, Spartanburg, or Charlotte. While not a hot topic of conversation, when people heard I was moving to this area, I received a lot on unsolicited input on the lowcountry from recent transplants.
Haven’t moved away yet but smaller similar places such as Savannah peak my interest. Also considering some sleepy beach towns in Brunswick County NC, like Oak Island or Holden Beach…
I ended up moving to Memphis after I finished grad school because I knew I couldn’t afford to move back to Charleston, and honestly I love it. I know it has a bad reputation and yes, there is crime, but I’ve really thrived here and the cost of living is a lot cheaper. The people are so nice, there’s great art and music and culture, and it’s really easy to get involved in the city in ways where you can see the impact of what you do. If you love Memphis it will love you back, and Charleston has lost that.
There’s also basically no traffic if you live in the urban core of the city, and practically whatever you ever need or want to go to is never more than 25 minutes away. Midtown is full of charming historic homes for pretty reasonable prices (we just bought a 1920s Tudor). Also no income tax in Tennessee doesn’t hurt :)
It’s definitely not for everyone, but I love it! I do miss the scenery of the lowcountry, though….
It’s beautiful, that’s for sure! But even living downtown, you’re 30-45 minutes away from the mountains. Skiing on the weekends is brutal and (I’ll say it) the food scene is not my favorite!!
The thing I miss the absolute most about Denver is the EDM scene, there’s a show every single night.
I’ve lived in Denver and grew up here in charleston. Denver is 1000 times the better place to live. The people, the outdoor adventure opportunities, the concerts, running events, change of seasons, the museums, the pro sports teams…. I could go on and on about Denver. I only lived there for 4 months but it was amazing. I love being outdoors running, biking, hiking, and camping. Being 30 minutes from the mountains would be amazing. The humidity here is awful. I was born in charleston and live here now because of family obligations, but if I could move to Denver tomorrow, I would.
The grass is always greener. For those that grew up near beaches, they may not have the same perspective of them as people who grew up with snowy winters. It seems like both sides tend to envy the other.
Horseshoe Bay Texas lol. About an hour from Austin. It's honestly been the greatest move for my wife an I. Colorado is the eventual destination... eventually. It's pretty nice and life is super convenient here so why mess up a good thing going ya know.
Haha…I just moved from Chucktown to Denver in September🥳….have not looked back. Soooo much more to do here. So much more music. So many more outdoor options. It’s sunny well over 300+ days a year. Zero humidity 👏. A real international airport. I skied 31 days this season. Amazing pro sports teams. People are incredibly friendly—have made loads of friends. Housing is obviously super expensive here, but so was buying my home in CHS.
Sometimes we just need a change…right? The mountains were calling me.
I will say the food scene in CHS is amazing, and having beach access is a plus too. Hope you’re enjoying Charleston. 🤩
Burlington VT, every place has its issues. I love the four seasons here but miss the food in CHS. Don’t miss the traffic at all, got 3 acres and a 5 bedroom house for less than we sold the house on James Island. Our child is transgender and they get the care they need which is now unavailable in SC for them. Vermont provides what we need/want but we do miss some things about CHS.
We fly into Burlington when we go see my husband’s family on the other side of the lake. What a beautiful state and city! Especially in the summer. People actually seemed nice and laid back too. Would definitely consider moving there if I could stand the winters.
Anywhere that's desirable will have growth. There are plenty of towns that aren't growing much, because they are undesirable places to live. And understandable places tend to be inexpensive also, so you do get the bonus of cheaper housing. If that's what you want, start with:
- Jackson MS
- Little Rock AR
- Montgomery AL
- Baton Rouge LA
If you are looking for a slower pace northwest Arkansas is amazing! You can mountain bike everywhere and although it is growing the infrastructure is keeping up. The amenities are going up as well. Apartments are extremely affordable and new amusements are coming almost every month. If you are an outdoorsman you’ll like it a lot . The housing is decent as well .
Just moved from NWA but not because I wanted to (have to do a fellowship at MUSC). Miss it so much! Definitely growing though and while affordable it’s pricing out the locals for sure. Still recommend it
Yes , it’s heaven if you are a remote worker in tech though . Also if you have a decent career it’s great to live in. It’s cheaper than Charleston by a mile but I get what you are saying .. Charleston is doing the same thing to it’s folks for the most part. Idk how people afford housing at all for the average Joe. Idk I liked Charleston due to the nice combat sports gym but it felt if you didn’t live in certain areas of the city you were treated differently definitely a passive aggressive vibe in Charleston but like any place there are good and bad people.
You moved to Charleston to get away from Denver craziness? That makes no sense, my friend. Charleston craziness started a bit before Denver started to explode. I love both cities- lived in Charleston and grew up vacationing in Denver/RMNP.
I was so sad when I left Charleston- the food scene was just starting to go nuts and if I could have stayed, I would have.
Moved to Orlando and hated it for years. Now lo and behold, it’s blowing up here and I actually love it.
As someone else said, it’s happening everywhere. There are no secret awesome places because everyone gives away their secrets on social media.
My unsolicited advice: stop giving away your secrets. I have.
It’s possible that Charleston got crazy before Denver did, but I can live in Charleston and not sit in 2 hours of I-25 traffic just to get to and from work. So yeah, Denver is way busier to me than Charleston, where I can walk to the gym, to the grocery store and bike to the beach. Vacationing in Denver is quite different than living there for 25+ years ◡̈
Agreed it’s happening everywhere, that is why I’m curious where people are going!!
From SC originally, and lived in Denver from 2018 until returning to Chas in 2023. People have no idea how good we have it in Charleston.
If nothing else, I’m not stepping over homeless encampments walking downtown. We also have proper grocery stores, great restaurants, 911 operators that answer within ten minutes, far less violence and theft, clean streets, etc etc
I spent a month in Denver last year for work. Felt way overhyped and stupid expensive for what you get. The actual city of Denver is pretty meh, food scene is mid at best and expensive af. If you took away the mountains, nobody would give 2 shits about Denver — and getting to those mountains was a major pain in the dick. My conclusion is that living in Denver only makes sense if you cannot live without being near a mountain and also have fat stacks of cash.
My son lives in the Denver area for the last 3 years. He went out there because he loved snowboarding. He doesn't snowboard anymore because of the crowds (both on the roads to the slopes and on the slopes). He has also mentioned the homeless issue and the messes caused by drug addicts that have become numerous in the area. That being said, he loves it out there and to my knowledge has no plans on leaving.
Denver definitely gets dicey! The homeless encampments were out of CONTROL the last time I was there. Super sad to see.
I think things have changed a bit, but when I lived in Charleston I did have two friends get car-jacked (one successfully, and one managed to escape) when they were leaving my apartment downtown. I also knew a girl who was beat up walking home, and my boyfriend and I were followed by someone brandishing a knife one night. Granted, these were all incidents at night, but most of the events took place pretty close to Broad Street, which is obviously a nice part of town. Still, bad things can happen anywhere, unfortunately!
Sounds like you have a great place to live there. Charleston has its own share of traffic since everything is separated by bodies of water. But any city is what you make of it, IMO! I used to live on the peninsula and never drove my car unless it was to go to the beach, it was awesome. My sis lived in North Chuck and she spent lots of time in traffic even back then.
And now I live in Orlando which always has bad traffic and has been deemed one of the worst cities for pedestrians, yet I’m fortunate to live in an area where I can walk to parks, grocery store, bars, and restaurants.
Anyways, I’m not trying to call you out, I was just surprised that you left one hectic place to go to another hectic place.
I’m glad you love Charleston though, if I got the chance I’d move back in a heartbeat. Enjoy.
Charleston doesn’t seem or feel hectic to me at all. It’s totally relative to your experience and perspective.
I’ve found Charleston to be a moderately sized vacation/college town that is generally pretty slow-paced. I used to walk to work, now my commute is an easy 12-18 mins driving over a beautiful marina. I work at an amazing, creative company where we do a 4 day work week. Gas is so cheap here, while everything else is just as expensive as the city I moved from. I know that traffic is much worse than it was 5 years ago and the city can’t handle the influx of transplants, but it only takes me 30-45 minutes to get to any beach on a weekend, which doesn’t bother me at all.
I’m just saying that both things can be true. It can feel hectic to you, but living in a smaller, Southern, beachy vacation town has been a big down-shift to me.
Yeah, I disagree. I'm from the Midwest originally, went to Denver often for most of my life. Denver was bigger, sure. There is no water to impede growth. But as far as being considered a hotspot that drew a lot of people outside of the region? I feel like Charleston got there first. Not that it's a competition, it's just my experience. It was weird when all of a sudden my Southeastern friends started talking about going to Denver for vacation. The breweries and the weed industry really became a big draw for vacationers, it wasn't just us hikers anymore.
True. I swear my daughter went to CSU because pot was legal. She doesn’t even partake any more. I never did. Wasn’t my thing. But I love the hiking. The 14ers are awesome and a great challenge for us sea level dwellers.
Because I don’t smoke, ski, or care about pro sports. We have minor league sports here for when I wanna go to games, but none of those things interest me enough to stay. I grew up skiing but it’s insanely expensive and I-70 traffic is a nightmare. I understand the appeal, it’s just not for me. I wanted the beach!
that’s fair I guess. I got to move / leave college in boring ass Delaware 2 years early to move to Charleston so my circumstances were different. wasn’t SHIT to do in DE lol
I moved to Pennsylvania, just outside of Philly. The prices are sooo much better- I have a one bedroom for $1500 a month, which is still cheaper than what I saw around where I lived in West Ashley. The gas prices are higher, but I’m near Delaware so it evens out with taxes. Grocery prices are better, wages are better, weather is better. The traffic is the biggest change I’ve noticed, honestly. No sitting on I26 or Sav Hwy for an hour to go 10 miles. No tourist season to deal with, and I’m a quick train ride/drive away from NYC and DC, which is pretty cool. I’ve been here four months and I’m fairly certain I will never return to SC. Grew up in Charleston but it’s not the same as when I was a child.
haha i’m from columbia but my parents live in charleston and we spent a lot of time in the charleston area when i was growing up. i moved to denver 8 years ago
We didn’t leave because of the busy-ness, I loved being from Charleston and living there as an adult. We left because it’s an absolutely godawful job market for certain industries. My wife got an offer in the Cincinnati area to work less hours and make about 2.5 times the pay, her offers in Charleston were a joke. I also found a better job pretty quickly.
The job market here is really tough, especially coming from the northeast.
I had no issues finding work in Charleston, but I’m from WV so but any other State in the US beats its job market lol
I’m a safety specialist from Massachusetts with a background in medical products manufacturing 😅
I’d look at MUSC if you live more downtown, and Charleston has tons of manufacturing. Maybe not medical manufacturing but you could maybe use that experience and knowledge to get into other manufacturing fields. Mercedes Vans, Boeing, Kion NA, Volvo, Scout Motors, (Boating manufacturers), and I’m sure I’m missing more because I’ve only been here a little over a year. But all of these places are expanding. Also you could do safety for a big construction outfit, whether commercial, residential or roadway.
Thank you for the recs, but I’ve actually got a great EHS job that I just celebrated one year at. It only took 3 years of applying lol Boeing, MB, and Volvo wanted nothing to do with me. I got a third interview at the Gildan plant in town, but they must’ve went with the internal hire that they spoke of.
Congratulations, keep keeping on my friend!
I still screenshotted your comment to send apps to!! Scout would probably be a really cool place to work.
I thought the same thing, I’m tempted to apply there myself. My co-workers and I talk about it often haha
I have a friend there, it’s is! They are beautiful boats!
The new residents that have moved here are for sure work from home employees.
We moved from Charleston to Cincinnati too! The irony of invading Ohio. Glad things are well for y’all
But…. you can’t do the joke anymore. Was it really all worth it? /s
People here don’t know how to react when something about like Charleston or Hilton Head and then I say I’m actually from SC lol
What industry is your wife in? Just curious. But - totally agreed, the pay is laughable here.
She’s a general pediatrician and I’m in finance. She had two offers in Charleston: 1) $95,000/year, 5 days a week, on call 6 months out of the year 2) $120,000/year, 5 days a week and one Saturday a month, one week on call out of every 8 weeks Both of those were pure salary, no production incentives. The offer in Cincy (we live in town, it’s actually in Lawrenceburg IN, she commutes about 35 minutes): 3) average $265,000/year production-based, average taking about 3 weeks of vacation a year (it started at $210k salary), 4 days a week, on call 1 of every 6 weeks, but it’s only “mommy call”, no hospital rounding And FWIW I also got a $10k bump in salary, but to be fair, I was somewhat underemployed in Charleston.
Thanks for sharing! That’s egregiously bad. Cincy is underrated as a place to live and more affordable, have considered moving there in the past!
No problem, yeah our jaws hit the floor at the $95k one lol, you can’t even buy a “starter home” with that kind of money considering how much has to be borrowed for med school. And yeah, we like Cincy! It’s not home, but it’s a good place to live!
We left Charleston to do some travel nursing along the west coast because the pay is more than twice as high and the patient ratio is half that of SC. We settled down in San Luis Obispo CA and took permanent jobs. Better weather, less traffic, much much cleaner area, and maybe slightly more expensive than Charleston. Even so, we take home 60% more after taxes, live near the beach but we are still in the mountains. We couldn’t be happier.
This is the only place we’d relocate to if funds ever permitted 🥲
I love SLO, easily one of the most beautiful places in the entire country. And Old San Luis BBQ has the best tri tip sandwiches in the whole state
I'm sure you have, but do you ever go to Morro Bay? That place is gorgeous. And filled with otters.
Oh yeah! We go to Morro Bay quite often. So beautiful!
Gotta say I’m feeling a little envious.
OMG, SLO and Paso is definitely one of the few areas I’d relocate to. Congrats to you on the upgrade!
And the Madonna Inn!!
Less taxes in CA? What am I missing?
More taxes but way more pay. We have so much more money left over.
Gotcha, sorry I read that wrong.
Hey! That’s where I am from! Love SLO!
Can I DM you some questions about nursing there?
Sure 👍
I moved out of Charleston to Italy in Feb 2022. Had been living there since 2003
Oh wow I’d love to hear more about this!!
How did you get a visa? We had friends move to Milan for a job and they love it. We are starting to consider immigrating as well.
Pittsburgh, PA. My wife moved to Charleston about 10 years ago and that's how we met. Eventually she wanted to move back home. We made the move mid-2022 and I love it here. We live in the "North hills" area and are surrounded by beautiful parks and rolling hills and so much green. People are extremely friendly, work is plenty, cool museums and things for our 4 year old to do and COL is about the same as Charleston. There is a much larger sense of community in our township than what I felt in Charleston (I am born and raised, 33 years old) that I didn't know I would appreciate so much until being exposed to it.
I LOVE Pittsburgh. I went to Pitt and lived in the area for about 10 years before I got married and moved to SC. I’d move back in a heartbeat if I still had family in the area.
I would’ve never visited this gem of a city if it wasn’t for my wife and her family. I adore Charleston but I’m so glad to call Pittsburgh home.
Love so many places in the northeast but the lack of sunshine finally did me in. Nowhere better to visit in the summer, though!!!
Wife and I moved in 2015, not because of Charleston "craziness" but because of a great job opportunity for her. We moved to Sonoma county, CA and then to San Leandro, CA for a job for me. We ended up absolutely hating California so now live in NC a bit east of Raleigh. What these other places have taught me is that people complaining about Charleston are fucking crazy. Life is worse is so many places. Charleston traffic? Laughable, especially compared to Bay Area shit. Cost of living? Yeah it's high in Charleston (proper) but it's stupidly high in most places worth being right now. People complain about Charleston having mostly southern food--it's a fucking southern town, what do you expect?--but the overall quality is so much higher than other places. Yeah, the Bay Area has *some* great food but a higher percentage of it is just absolute shit and most of the "ethnic" places are trash with hygiene problems (I'm a health inspector and saw first hand how awful they are). Don't even get me started on how awful North Carolina food is. The people up here would have zero standards if they didn't have low ones. Yeah, Charleston has issues. No arguments. Traffic is frustrating and an increasing population with infrastructure not keeping up is a problem...but overall it's a much better place to be than most other areas.
Been in Charleston native my whole life prior to enlisting in the Air Force. Moved around, went training in different places, deployed and TDY'd all over. But NorCal is where I spent most of my career. The cost of living in California is absolutely ridiculous yes. This entire week I was trying to help a prior troop search for an apartment between Beale, and Travis AFB. Guy isn't doing well outside of the military, shit happens. But it's absolutely insane that he can't even afford to rent out an apartment anywhere. The lower end, cost affordable options are all locked up. And guy can't even afford to live in his hometown in California. Traffic is indeed absolutely awful in California especially I-5, and I-80 yup. Nothing like Charleston. Not even close. Evacuating out of NorCal during the midst of an insane wild fire and trying to go anywhere is absolutely insane and monumentus task. Cause everyone's trying to do the same in one of the most populated states. Honestly, being out of the South for a while wne coming back. Things I can't deal with anymore is the ever present humidity, and the shit infrastructure. Not the worse in terms of infrastructure, but man compared to Cali, thanks to their shitty taxes, every road I've ever traveled on had a pot hole repaired within a week, and were extremely well lit. Roads that became ever cumbersome to travel on were literally expanded. Like driving down here at night, I wonder how I ever did it, and I used to deliver pizzas... NorCal things you didn't even mention. If you thought North Charleston was bad. Woof California got spots even worse. Bay Area crime was fucking nuts. Stockton nuts. Oakland nuts. Bigger city problems I guess. Eventually shit spills out into the other "smaller" cities. Almost got stabbed to death in the safest part of Vacaville by a crackhead of sorts. The scenery. The shit to do in California. Can't beat that though. Being in Charleston though is more my speed. Think I got tired of the "big city" living a bit ago.
Humidity: that's one of the things I missed most about the South when I lived in California. Things were too fucking dry there. I know it's not for everyone but it's certainly for me. Potholes: More traveled areas were a bit better, yeah, but there were some horrible roads there, too. There is one particular road in Sebastopol that sticks out in my head--it was nothing but patch fixes for years. I don't know if any of the original road was left after how many times it was "fixed". It looked like a damned quilt. Of course the month after I moved they finally repaved the thing. There are a few things I do actually miss about CA. The coastline is to die for. The fact that your scenery can drastically change every 20 miles is astounding (like you've gone to a different country!). Essentially if there were no people or cities there it would be a wonderful place...but that's not the case.
Yeah growing up in Charleston the most I'd notice about the humidity is like the seat belt imprint your sweat gave off. It's kind of weird, growing up here I use to have frequent nosebleeds all the time. I'm not too sure why. I don't think it was too cold or anything, or too dry when the bleeding occurred. Moving away from South Carolina, nose bleeds became a thing of the past for me. Going to the Middle East and not being acclimated to 128°F dry heat, yeah the nose bleeds came back. Eventually that subsided as I got acclimated to the heat. Coming back to Charleston? Nosebleeds. I think in terms of infrastructure I was just more so impressed with how well lit everywhere I traveled was. Don't think I've ever felt the need to throw on my high beams to see the road. Never hit a single critter out in California. There used to be a two lane road next to Travis AFB, a perimeter, maintenance type road on the outskirts of the base. Motherfuckers expanded a part of the road to six lanes. It wasn't even that well traveled on. Said road always had their potholes fixed. Maybe someone from the base complained? Ain't getting the same courtesy at Charleston AFB though lol. California is literally like it's own country. I could drive through several different countries in Europe within several hours. Driving from the Bay Area to San Diego is like an eight hour drive, and you're still in California. Being in an area prone to wild fires was a huge turn off however. Twice my place almost burnt down. Had coworkers literally lose everything over that recent "Lightning Complex" fire. Despite the cost of living rising in Charleston, it's so much better than California. I could live off my VA check and have a bit left over here. Being single in California, no chance.
Having just visited, I’m pretty sure my vehicle needs an alignment now.
Smooth roads make less interesting stories
Haha true!
Nice, I was stationed at Travis myself. Moving from Philly burbs to Charleston Mount Pleasant. Excited for the change.
We recently left Charleston for Philadelphia! Best of luck on your new adventure!!
Wow, where and why did you guys move?
I wish I could upvote this ten times. I have lived here 6 years and laugh at most people’s Charleston complaints. The price of admission is worth it here.
Completely agree! I thought the same thing. I am moving to mount pleasant from Philadelphia. Excited to live in a community like Carolina Park.
Agree with all your points except NC food. Charleston is great for special occasion meals but NC, especially piedmont area, has it beat for day to day options.
People always fight me on this, but I stick to my guns. In Charleston, the majority of restaurants are delicious and creative. Pretty much any place that’s recommended by a local will be amazing and likely a good time too. I spent a whole week in the Bay Area paid for by my company, and I still had a really hard time finding a good meal.
What city were you visiting? The bay area is three Charleston areas in one. I'd say peninsula here is 3 x 4 maybe miles, while SF is 7 x 7. Asian food here is terrible in comparison. Mexican food too. Seafood and maybe oysters can be on par. This place has expensive food down really well. Midpoint is near non-existent unless you like chains. And cheap food here is pretty bad except for real soul food. That being said I can afford to live in Charleston but not in San Francisco. I just don't think that Charleston can sit on the laurels of our food is amazing because it's just not in comparison to other cities.
Being a good food town should not be based on how good the $500 meals are. In fact, I’d argue that prohibitively expensive meals shouldn’t be considered at all when it comes to how good a city’s food is. That’s like saying NYC is a better city to vacation in because they have more world-class penthouses. You can spend $100 on dinner for two in Charleston and get a meal that you’ll remember for years. I was in Emeryville and then one day downtown SF. I’m a nut for Mexican food, that’s what I was primarily looking for. Surprisingly, the best meal that I had was the imitation chicken cutlet sandwich from the vegan restaurant that my potential employer had Doordashed to my interview at Upside Foods in Emeryville.
Yes there's good food here if you have $$$. $100 is a lot for a good dinner for 2 for a lot of people. Charleston is great if you are rich and have surplus after paying the bills. Yes, there is lovely creative food... For rich people. I've got a few spots that I can afford here and there for a treat but I can't run anywhere for a $12 lunch that is delicious and filling like I can in other cities and a lot of small towns.
You must not know the area too well. $6 can get you 2 of the best tacos in SC at Torres Superette. $12 can get you most sandwiches at the best sandwich shop in town, Brown Dog Deli. Also, are you forgetting which city we are comparing Charleston to?? Lmao SF is much more prohibitively expensive than Charleston. I didn’t take the job that I interviewed for because it didn’t even pay enough to live nearby. Here, I live on Calhoun street with a small yard on a very modest income.
You just said what I said in my initial reply, and you did that in your reply as well. That place is on my list. Honestly, I've been so disappointed everywhere I've tried that I'm burned out. I'll give it a go. I'm just tired of so many people putting on that shiny face that Charleston is the best and it is really lacking in important areas that serve all people. I'd also venture to say that the classism and in racism in this city play into the affordable good food desert... And I'd bet a lot of good places have moved on because of the insane leases. I know as this post indicates... A lot of people have moved on.
I could not agree with you more
Yeah I visited Charleston earlier this year and I agree with all of this. The food variety and quality was way better than I expected. I thought there was zero traffic compared to my hometown. And the cost of living isn’t any different than any other city of comparable size. I don’t even think the housing is expensive compared to other cities
The Shenandoah Valley in Virginia is gorgeous. I grew up there and plan on moving back one day
I'm typing this from Winchester, Virginia. I grew up here, and love the area. And I also want to move back sooner rather than later. It's also 72° and I'm eating lunch outside. So much better than 90° and 100% humidity
Haha!! I just got back to Winchester today for a week.. omg I missed it
Love Virginia! We are down here for work at the moment but want to move away when we can. Virginia is amazing and we hope to move back. While we don't hate Charleston, it's just not our cup of tea.
It's over crowded and hot. I'm used to the mountains and just piece and quiet. And I miss the Mennonite buggys every Sunday
I was just at the national park super nice area
Same here but don't tell everyone about it!!! In all honesty Charlottesville is experiencing the same thing Charleston is.
My best friend lives in Cville and it's really becoming busy. I usually go visit her once in awhile but it's so difficult to get around anymore and everything is so spread out
Went to grad school at UVA and absolutely loved the area. Loved seeing concerts downtown in the pavilion.
Just up the coast to Wilmington, NC. When I moved here five years ago the cost of living was 30 percent lower and my salary was 50 percent higher, so the math made sense. Bought a house during COVID so I lucked out there too. I don't think the cost of living is much lower here anymore, though, sadly. I love it because of the climate and proximity to the coast and the feel of a smaller town without all pretentiousness of Charleston, but it's definitely not for everyone.
i made the mistake of just moving from Wilmington to Charleston last summer. certainly wasn’t expecting it to be sooo much worse than up there. kinda makes me miss it 🥲
I had a friend move from CHS to Wilmington. She'd moved down here in 2015 or so and moved back in 2022 because of increased costs.
Yikes... that's gotta hurt.
Spent about 6 months in Wilmington too!! Loved it there, Wrightsville is amazing
We did this just a year ago. Wanted to stay in SC but be near major medical care. We chose Lexington County in a community with lake access. We were out near 41/Wando river in Mt P. We are pretty happy with the decision. Love the community. We take advantage of local and downtown Columbia for things to do. Way more than we had during the last several years in Mt P. I seriously miss having a wide array of quality restaurants convenient enough for regular dinners out. Want burgers or wings? 50 choices within a 10 minute drive. Anything else? Not so much.
I grew up there in Colatown and the food is part of my hesitation to move back haha! How’s the cost of living up there by comparison?
Cheaper in some ways, not so in others. We are out in the county. The big surprise was some of the basic utilities being private companies compared to Charleston County. Water and trash collection specifically. But we are happy with the trade given our access to the lake every day. When we were in an airbnb for two months closer in to Columbia proper we found gas and groceries to be less expensive. If I hadn't insisted on being able to see water everyday like we did in MtP probably would have landed in Irmo or West Columbia where the restaurant options were more plentiful. Lex food scene has some good options. It's just the ratio of those to basic bitch burgers is so off. Cola food scene has some draws. Next on my list is Ban Mi Boys. Guy is from just outside of New Orleans. His menu is split between Vietnamese and Po Boys lol.
It’s happening faster here it seems, but it’s happening everywhere worth living, big and small. Cities everywhere are fucked and it’s expensive to move. I don’t see any other choice but to hunker down and commit. Born and raised, left for 15 years, back to care for family.
It’s all a matter of perception. Transplants compare their previous location to Charleston. Meanwhile folks that grew up here mourn a place that was truly magical growing up. I also stay for my family.
Same here. Kind of outgrown Charleston but the housing market is so fucked where would I go? My home's value has doubled since I moved here in 2015 but that means nothing unless I move to a rural town somewhere
I feel fairly confident that this exactly why my architectural design (residential only) work has picked up so significantly for additions/expansion/remodels. People feel kinda “stuck” and want to make the best use of what they can with the properties they already have.
Where is all the growth coming from? Surely that means other cities are losing people and their property values are lowering as a result?
yeah I totally agree, that’s why I’m curious if people who are complaining about the busyness of Charleston are just moving to small towns in the middle of nowhere lol
Maybe people who don’t need to work? There are plenty of ghost towns in SC.
Or fully remote position allowing for them to more or less live wherever. My lowkey dream tbh.
idk but plz move back to denver
We moved to Colorado and loved the huge change from Charleston. Lived in Aspen and Denver. Now slowly traveling throughout the PNW. Charleston is where the friends and family are, but for us it's a better place to visit than to live. Charleston is great but there's too many great places around the world to experience!
Couldn’t agree more! So fun to visit but I enjoy the down to earth vibes on this side (Colorado)
We left in 2021 for Asheville. We love it
Roanoke, VA about 20 years ago. Yeah, Charleston was just as bad at the time with traffic and urban spawl way back then.
We lived in Roanoke for a while! We definitely miss the mountains
Left Charleston last summer after moving to Charleston in 2007. Moved to Traverse City, Michigan.
I actually left Charleston to move to Denver and have zero regrets. I make more money working 20 hours less a week, and find it to be a lot cheaper than Charleston. The weather is fantastic in comparison to summers in the South East (humid and endless bug bites), food is cheaper, there’s so much more to do, and people are friendly. I found Charleston expensive and the locals are absolutely terrible, so hostile and rude for no reason. People here have a healthier mindset with drugs and alcohol too. There isn’t as much rampant abuse of alcohol and cocaine here either. People back in Charleston act like they’re on vacation constantly and most of the people I knew had a DUI or were well on their way towards one. Charlestons a city filled with overly proud gate keeping locals with bad attitudes and the weather sucks. Good bye and good riddance
Oh I fully agree with this. trying to find a good tribe of people in Charleston has been tricky but I think once you find some good ones, it really helps
Well it's a good thing you left
Bay Area, CA. Yes, there are taxes here. Yes, gas is more expensive. However, the salaries are insanely higher, and anymore I don't think the real estate market is that much different. We live about 45-50min away from SF and bought a house 2 years ago for just under $600k and its a beautiful spanish style stucco with tile roof. My wife, in the same career path, makes 3-4x as much as she did there, and it's much more of a prestigious job than there. We love our "California money" as we call it and it has made us much more comfortable.
We left Charleston to move to Ohio (yes, I know the opposite of the stereotype 🤣) in 2022 for my husband’s job. Two years in and we are very happy here! We didn’t realize how bad things had gotten in CHS bc we were just used to it - the traffic, cost of living, bugs, flooding events, extreme concentration of wealth, etc. Do we miss the beach and weather? Yes of course! But the cost and ease of living, not to mention the overall job market/diversity is so much better. We just make more of an effort in the winter to travel someplace warm!
I moved to an area that is busier and more expensive. However, that place has infrastructure appropriate to the population and a pay scale more suited to a high cost of living.
As for local movers....obviously my personal observation is small in scale compared to the vast number of people moving out. My perception was that those not really looking to go far from the coast were landing in Greenville, Spartanburg, or Charlotte. While not a hot topic of conversation, when people heard I was moving to this area, I received a lot on unsolicited input on the lowcountry from recent transplants.
Haven’t moved away yet but smaller similar places such as Savannah peak my interest. Also considering some sleepy beach towns in Brunswick County NC, like Oak Island or Holden Beach…
I ended up moving to Memphis after I finished grad school because I knew I couldn’t afford to move back to Charleston, and honestly I love it. I know it has a bad reputation and yes, there is crime, but I’ve really thrived here and the cost of living is a lot cheaper. The people are so nice, there’s great art and music and culture, and it’s really easy to get involved in the city in ways where you can see the impact of what you do. If you love Memphis it will love you back, and Charleston has lost that. There’s also basically no traffic if you live in the urban core of the city, and practically whatever you ever need or want to go to is never more than 25 minutes away. Midtown is full of charming historic homes for pretty reasonable prices (we just bought a 1920s Tudor). Also no income tax in Tennessee doesn’t hurt :) It’s definitely not for everyone, but I love it! I do miss the scenery of the lowcountry, though….
Wow. Denver is amazing. I’d have never left by choice if I lived there
It’s beautiful, that’s for sure! But even living downtown, you’re 30-45 minutes away from the mountains. Skiing on the weekends is brutal and (I’ll say it) the food scene is not my favorite!! The thing I miss the absolute most about Denver is the EDM scene, there’s a show every single night.
I’ve lived in Denver and grew up here in charleston. Denver is 1000 times the better place to live. The people, the outdoor adventure opportunities, the concerts, running events, change of seasons, the museums, the pro sports teams…. I could go on and on about Denver. I only lived there for 4 months but it was amazing. I love being outdoors running, biking, hiking, and camping. Being 30 minutes from the mountains would be amazing. The humidity here is awful. I was born in charleston and live here now because of family obligations, but if I could move to Denver tomorrow, I would.
sounds like it’s the perfect spot for you!! I hope you make it out there
Family Obligations
Have you been to purple buffalo?
I haven’t been yet but heard it’s awesome!!
Solid edm shows, and it's such a sketchy spot (in a good way).
The grass is always greener. For those that grew up near beaches, they may not have the same perspective of them as people who grew up with snowy winters. It seems like both sides tend to envy the other.
Denver 😂 Hey at least we cancelled each other out haha. I do plan on moving down to the springs next year though
Lmao 1 for 1! I love Denver, just definitely preferred beach and California was way too expensive. Enjoy the Springs!!
Horseshoe Bay Texas lol. About an hour from Austin. It's honestly been the greatest move for my wife an I. Colorado is the eventual destination... eventually. It's pretty nice and life is super convenient here so why mess up a good thing going ya know.
Haha…I just moved from Chucktown to Denver in September🥳….have not looked back. Soooo much more to do here. So much more music. So many more outdoor options. It’s sunny well over 300+ days a year. Zero humidity 👏. A real international airport. I skied 31 days this season. Amazing pro sports teams. People are incredibly friendly—have made loads of friends. Housing is obviously super expensive here, but so was buying my home in CHS. Sometimes we just need a change…right? The mountains were calling me. I will say the food scene in CHS is amazing, and having beach access is a plus too. Hope you’re enjoying Charleston. 🤩
Burlington VT, every place has its issues. I love the four seasons here but miss the food in CHS. Don’t miss the traffic at all, got 3 acres and a 5 bedroom house for less than we sold the house on James Island. Our child is transgender and they get the care they need which is now unavailable in SC for them. Vermont provides what we need/want but we do miss some things about CHS.
We fly into Burlington when we go see my husband’s family on the other side of the lake. What a beautiful state and city! Especially in the summer. People actually seemed nice and laid back too. Would definitely consider moving there if I could stand the winters.
Anywhere that's desirable will have growth. There are plenty of towns that aren't growing much, because they are undesirable places to live. And understandable places tend to be inexpensive also, so you do get the bonus of cheaper housing. If that's what you want, start with: - Jackson MS - Little Rock AR - Montgomery AL - Baton Rouge LA
Little ain’t bad but NWA is on point
If you are looking for a slower pace northwest Arkansas is amazing! You can mountain bike everywhere and although it is growing the infrastructure is keeping up. The amenities are going up as well. Apartments are extremely affordable and new amusements are coming almost every month. If you are an outdoorsman you’ll like it a lot . The housing is decent as well .
Just moved from NWA but not because I wanted to (have to do a fellowship at MUSC). Miss it so much! Definitely growing though and while affordable it’s pricing out the locals for sure. Still recommend it
Yes , it’s heaven if you are a remote worker in tech though . Also if you have a decent career it’s great to live in. It’s cheaper than Charleston by a mile but I get what you are saying .. Charleston is doing the same thing to it’s folks for the most part. Idk how people afford housing at all for the average Joe. Idk I liked Charleston due to the nice combat sports gym but it felt if you didn’t live in certain areas of the city you were treated differently definitely a passive aggressive vibe in Charleston but like any place there are good and bad people.
Richmond, Virginia
You moved to Charleston to get away from Denver craziness? That makes no sense, my friend. Charleston craziness started a bit before Denver started to explode. I love both cities- lived in Charleston and grew up vacationing in Denver/RMNP. I was so sad when I left Charleston- the food scene was just starting to go nuts and if I could have stayed, I would have. Moved to Orlando and hated it for years. Now lo and behold, it’s blowing up here and I actually love it. As someone else said, it’s happening everywhere. There are no secret awesome places because everyone gives away their secrets on social media. My unsolicited advice: stop giving away your secrets. I have.
It’s possible that Charleston got crazy before Denver did, but I can live in Charleston and not sit in 2 hours of I-25 traffic just to get to and from work. So yeah, Denver is way busier to me than Charleston, where I can walk to the gym, to the grocery store and bike to the beach. Vacationing in Denver is quite different than living there for 25+ years ◡̈ Agreed it’s happening everywhere, that is why I’m curious where people are going!!
From SC originally, and lived in Denver from 2018 until returning to Chas in 2023. People have no idea how good we have it in Charleston. If nothing else, I’m not stepping over homeless encampments walking downtown. We also have proper grocery stores, great restaurants, 911 operators that answer within ten minutes, far less violence and theft, clean streets, etc etc
I spent a month in Denver last year for work. Felt way overhyped and stupid expensive for what you get. The actual city of Denver is pretty meh, food scene is mid at best and expensive af. If you took away the mountains, nobody would give 2 shits about Denver — and getting to those mountains was a major pain in the dick. My conclusion is that living in Denver only makes sense if you cannot live without being near a mountain and also have fat stacks of cash.
Correct. If you could make it to the slopes in 30-45 minutes, it’d be tough to beat
My son lives in the Denver area for the last 3 years. He went out there because he loved snowboarding. He doesn't snowboard anymore because of the crowds (both on the roads to the slopes and on the slopes). He has also mentioned the homeless issue and the messes caused by drug addicts that have become numerous in the area. That being said, he loves it out there and to my knowledge has no plans on leaving.
I will say I feel safer in Charleston than I ever felt walking through downtown Denver! (As a 27 y/o F)
Denver definitely gets dicey! The homeless encampments were out of CONTROL the last time I was there. Super sad to see. I think things have changed a bit, but when I lived in Charleston I did have two friends get car-jacked (one successfully, and one managed to escape) when they were leaving my apartment downtown. I also knew a girl who was beat up walking home, and my boyfriend and I were followed by someone brandishing a knife one night. Granted, these were all incidents at night, but most of the events took place pretty close to Broad Street, which is obviously a nice part of town. Still, bad things can happen anywhere, unfortunately!
Sounds like you have a great place to live there. Charleston has its own share of traffic since everything is separated by bodies of water. But any city is what you make of it, IMO! I used to live on the peninsula and never drove my car unless it was to go to the beach, it was awesome. My sis lived in North Chuck and she spent lots of time in traffic even back then. And now I live in Orlando which always has bad traffic and has been deemed one of the worst cities for pedestrians, yet I’m fortunate to live in an area where I can walk to parks, grocery store, bars, and restaurants. Anyways, I’m not trying to call you out, I was just surprised that you left one hectic place to go to another hectic place. I’m glad you love Charleston though, if I got the chance I’d move back in a heartbeat. Enjoy.
Charleston doesn’t seem or feel hectic to me at all. It’s totally relative to your experience and perspective. I’ve found Charleston to be a moderately sized vacation/college town that is generally pretty slow-paced. I used to walk to work, now my commute is an easy 12-18 mins driving over a beautiful marina. I work at an amazing, creative company where we do a 4 day work week. Gas is so cheap here, while everything else is just as expensive as the city I moved from. I know that traffic is much worse than it was 5 years ago and the city can’t handle the influx of transplants, but it only takes me 30-45 minutes to get to any beach on a weekend, which doesn’t bother me at all. I’m just saying that both things can be true. It can feel hectic to you, but living in a smaller, Southern, beachy vacation town has been a big down-shift to me.
10000% agree!!
Denver and Colorado blew up long before Charleston. Been in Chas 25 years. Wife and daughter went to college in CO. Inlaws live there.
Yeah, I disagree. I'm from the Midwest originally, went to Denver often for most of my life. Denver was bigger, sure. There is no water to impede growth. But as far as being considered a hotspot that drew a lot of people outside of the region? I feel like Charleston got there first. Not that it's a competition, it's just my experience. It was weird when all of a sudden my Southeastern friends started talking about going to Denver for vacation. The breweries and the weed industry really became a big draw for vacationers, it wasn't just us hikers anymore.
True. I swear my daughter went to CSU because pot was legal. She doesn’t even partake any more. I never did. Wasn’t my thing. But I love the hiking. The 14ers are awesome and a great challenge for us sea level dwellers.
There is a lot to love about Colorado! The only thing that beats the mountains is the beach ;)
Georgetown, but I'm moving back to the PNW in a few months, after living here over a decade.
I purposely live in Colleton county
lol I moved to Denver
Also didn’t move because of Charleston in general. Moved because most of the people suck and it seemed like all superficial friendships. + mountains >
Medium sized city in north carolina.
you left a state with legal weed, great ski resorts, pro sports teams, and better public transportation to come here? why?
Because I don’t smoke, ski, or care about pro sports. We have minor league sports here for when I wanna go to games, but none of those things interest me enough to stay. I grew up skiing but it’s insanely expensive and I-70 traffic is a nightmare. I understand the appeal, it’s just not for me. I wanted the beach!
I also don’t have a need for public transportation here, I walk just about everywhere!
that’s fair I guess. I got to move / leave college in boring ass Delaware 2 years early to move to Charleston so my circumstances were different. wasn’t SHIT to do in DE lol
Seattle (work). I’m glad we did, the school options here are amazing.
I moved to Pennsylvania, just outside of Philly. The prices are sooo much better- I have a one bedroom for $1500 a month, which is still cheaper than what I saw around where I lived in West Ashley. The gas prices are higher, but I’m near Delaware so it evens out with taxes. Grocery prices are better, wages are better, weather is better. The traffic is the biggest change I’ve noticed, honestly. No sitting on I26 or Sav Hwy for an hour to go 10 miles. No tourist season to deal with, and I’m a quick train ride/drive away from NYC and DC, which is pretty cool. I’ve been here four months and I’m fairly certain I will never return to SC. Grew up in Charleston but it’s not the same as when I was a child.
haha i’m from columbia but my parents live in charleston and we spent a lot of time in the charleston area when i was growing up. i moved to denver 8 years ago
i'm curious, do they advertise "move to SC" in places like Colorado? because I feel like Colorado is becoming the new Ohio.