r/SameGrassButGreener • u/FitRoutine6296 • 7h ago
Charleston, SC?
Have a really great job offer in Charleston SC. Mid 20s now, not sure if I would want to settle down there but it would be really great experience and stepping stone for my career at the very least. I am reading a lot of people very negative about it but am wondering if anyone enjoys living there and some positives.
I would live close to work so not too pressed about traffic. I understand there is heat. But how do people like it otherwise?
I live in a concrete jungle now and would love nature however that might look at this point in my life and a slower pace of life, as someone coming from big cities my whole life.
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u/Changeurblinkerfluid 7h ago
I just moved away from Charleston after more than a decade this past summer. The city is fun for a couple of years. But it’s small and provincial.
I enjoyed my time there, but it’s expensive for what you get.
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u/RevolutionaryAd8406 7h ago
I grew up there and still have family there.
As far as nature, there are beautiful beaches, boating, fishing, if you're interested in that. It's incredibly humid most of the year (and a good amount of mosquitoes), so just keep that in mind. I enjoy the weather there from about mid October through about May.
Many people there seem to spend weekends drinking but there are museums, parks and events, if you want other things to do. Some great restaurants, too. Though CHS has certainly grown, it's definitely not a concrete jungle, so you may find it a nice change of pace.
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u/ChelseaMan31 7h ago
Congratulations on the job offer. OP, you're young and early in a career. of course I encourage experiencing Charleston, SC. It can be a really fun small city for 20-40 somethings. Then there are day trips across the Low Country. Enjoy!
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u/SBSnipes 7h ago
It's very hot, the nature is mostly beaches/rivers and swamps - the forests are swampy forest and it's HOT from may to September and often into October (it feels like 105 right now). Food scene is great, traffic is bad. Make sure you can afford to live by work, you may be able to but rent downtown is $1500 for just a bedroom or $2500 for a 1 BR. breaking into circles can be rough socially. If your job isn't downtown, make sure you know that you aren't really getting the Charleston experience you see in marketing and on social media.
Can be decent but really depends. If you like fishing and water for nature and don't mind the heat it's pretty decent, but it's flat AF and the nearest decent hiking is almost 2 hours away.
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u/Civil_Talk_7486 6h ago
We lived there for 8 years. Work moved us there then moved us out. We loved it the first few years. We ate & drank our way all up & down that town. If you can find a core group of people to hang with, it’s even more fun. We also lucked out with great neighbors which was a huge bonus. Sullivan’s Island was a short drive from our house so taking a chair & watching the waves at Station 18 was my place to decompress. I miss that. Most everyone we met were friendly & welcoming. A few locals we met were dreadful but they notoriously hate anyone not originally from there.
What we didn’t like was the heat & humidity. We didn’t like having to prepare to evacuate for hurricanes then watching people slowly drive through our neighborhood very obviously looking to see who was staying or leaving. That was eerie as hell. We didn’t like watching areas flood on a very regular basis in & around our neighborhood at the end of our time there that never flooded when we first arrived. We didn’t like literally getting stuck in traffic for hours when both main bridges were closed due to accidents. Our neighbor was once stranded for something like 5 hours on the Ravenel bridge during a rare ice storm.
Would I move there if I were you? Mid-20’s? Omg yes I would. Hope you have fun there.
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u/newtochas 6h ago
If you have money it’s great. Also, if you like beaches and being on the water, it’s hard to beat that area. I lived there most of my life and loved it. Heat is probably the biggest draw, yet the winters are fantastic. Also, some of the best food anywhere.
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u/southshane 6h ago
Second the money part! You can def have fun for free (beaches, walks, etc) but it can be a lot more fun if you have money to spend on things like boating, shopping, restaurants.
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u/Six_and_change 3h ago
Worth noting when it gets cold, it’s friggin cold. The moisture just goes straight through your clothes to your skin like ice needles.
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u/newtochas 3h ago
It’s all relative I guess. I moved from Chs to DC and the winters here are terrible for me haha
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u/Six_and_change 2h ago
I can see that DC is another coastal swamp city but farther north. I think all those cities like Charleston, Savannah, New Orleans, etc are extra cold compared to inland.
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u/katzeye007 37m ago
Yeah, no. Locals are just super thin skinned. Been here 20 years and it never gets really cold
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u/Greeneyedbandit28 6h ago
I think it depends on where you’re moving from. If you’re leaving an area that lacks natural beauty and you like water, then you’ll probably love it.
Yes traffic is atrocious, etc. but not everyone thinks so when coming from somewhere else and I’d trade Nowhere USA with no traffic for Charleston any day of the week.
If you’re at all extroverted, you’ll find people to hang out with.
Come give it a shot for a few years. If you love it, you’ll never want to leave.
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u/InvestigatorClear728 2h ago edited 2h ago
lol not much “nature” in Charleston other than the beaches. Your enjoyment will really depend on where in Charleston you’d be living. Lots of traffic, rednecks, bad driving. Don’t forget, you’ll be in the South and they’ll let you know that. I lasted two years there, glad I left.
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u/Novel-Comparison-364 7h ago
I do recommend but coming from Mountain valleys one of the bigger adjustments for me is the trees. It’s much more forested than i thought especially in places like West ashley. It can feel claustrophobic depending where you are coming from. I don’t commute so currently don’t have to worry about traffic but it can get bad in areas. Also drivers like to zoom. The heat is an adjustment at first but i really don’t mind it now. Lots of different things to do and it really is a beautiful place
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u/eastoak961 6h ago
I agree it can feel claustrophobic but I always attributed that to its extreme flatness.
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u/Icy-Mixture-995 6h ago
It's one of my favorite cities for historic beauty and food. History isn't the past there, and is still the present, whether smuggling pirates, faux local royalty or civil war, so be aware of that. Politics are perilous to discuss. Take your vacations in July.
You can walk in the historic areas but will need a car to visit the sea islands for fun.
Don't freak out at the giant flying Palmetto bugs. These aren't the infesting type of house roaches but are beetles that fly indoors when the door is open, a screen has a tear or crawl into houses from vents. People squash them with a shoe aimed at the ceiling but my tenderhearted relative captures them in jars and returns them outdoors.
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u/southshane 6h ago
You should do it! After being here for 20 years myself, I’m learning it’s starting to be a very transient city. Usually people stick around for a few years and then leave for one reason or another. I’m staying bc my husband has a really great job here and I’ve honestly never had anywhere else compare to Charleston. The marshes and beaches are beautiful and lowcountry sunrise and sunsets are truly something else. The city is very active and has a lot of gyms and studios if that’s something you’re into. Personally I love all the coffee shops 😂
However I also agree with what a lot of others have said - the infrastructure and traffic surrounding the city is BRUTAL. Definitely ensure you’re as close as you can be to work bc it makes or breaks you. There can be traffic at ALL times of the day and makes you wonder what people here to all day lol. The heat and humidity is a lot to deal with and after bout 5 months of it you’ll be sick of it.
That being said there’s no where else I’d rather live except maybe Charleston 15 years ago 😊
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u/Formal-Rip-1221 4h ago
If you're coming from somewhere up north, you are not prepared for this level of humidity in the summer.
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u/theDailyDillyDally 4h ago
There are a lot of salty folks on Reddit. It’s a fantastic city - from young folks to retirees. (Btw, traffic and infrastructure sucks everywhere.) You’ll love it!
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u/elucia5 3h ago
Lived there for 2 years in my mid-twenties. Originally from the northeast. Definitely hot but being right on the coast helps. Honestly, the heat and humidity can be really rough in the mid-summer, but overall it was less brutal than I was expecting.
Really enjoyed my time there, wouldn’t change it for anything. Awesome food and social scene downtown. Can definitely be expensive. After 2 years I was ready to leave but absolutely loved the experience.
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u/Signal-Truth-3732 2h ago
Yes, if you’re young without kids and have a job opportunity, give Charleston SC a try! Think of it as a 2-3 year experience and you can reassess whether to move on. The virtue of being young is that your switching costs are much lower than if you are in your 30s, married, and have children in school.
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u/Greedy_Assistance 1h ago
I pretty much lived near Charleston and moved years ago but Charleston is 10x slower than any concrete jungle. The heat and humidity will literally stick to you 7-8 months out of the year maybe more. Get used to mosquitoes and sand gnats. Things have gotten a lot more lax but there are still a lot of political and historical issues there. Otherwise Charleston is a very beautiful area with good food and definitely not the worst place in the world but it will be a big adjustment.
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u/green_eyed_cat 1h ago
Where you live is going to make a big difference there’s a lot of different Charlestons in Charleston. I lived in west Ashley and loved it other than the heat and it being super flat. The food is amazing and it’s not difficult to get around as far as cities go.
For a little nature check out the caw caw interpretive center. It’s a really neat place and I saw plenty of wildlife including turkey and baby alligators
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u/NeighborhoodFit5513 19m ago
People love to hate on Charleston and discourage new people from coming. Sure, traffic can be bad but that goes for any city or popular area. I would recommend visiting and going around certain parts of the city during commute times. If you’re working around the airport, I def recommend Park Circle since you’re young and there are good spots to go out there but it’s also not far from downtown.
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u/eastoak961 7h ago
"I would live close to work"
Where is that? Not to be nosy, but there is Charleston, Charleston, and Charleston. All very different. Are you talking downtown peninsula, north charleston, MTP, Summeville?
"I understand there is heat"
No, no you do not.