Calling all Southerners

baci · #1 04-01-2008, 01:18 PM

I am looking to relocate to the southern part of the United States. This may seem strange, but I am really open to a new location and do not have a specific area (city/state) selected. My husband has a very early retirement from his career and now has a business in which he can work anywhere.

So, he would really like to move to an area with true southern charm and I have noticed many of Greek Chat members are from the South. I would love an area that would be family friendly since we have young children and one in which they would receive a strong education and could develop a strong foundation/roots. The beauty and charm of the area would then follow. Any suggestions are most welcome.

SthrnZeta · #2 04-01-2008, 01:30 PM

Do you like the beach? Then I would suggest Savannah or Charleston. If you prefer a small town, not on the beach, Aiken may be a good fit. There are several nice suburbs of ATL if you'd like to be close to a big city. Charlotte is nice too. If you like golf, Augusta or Aiken would be good.

PM me if you want specifics on any of those

jwright25 · #3 04-01-2008, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SthrnZeta

Then I would suggest Savannah or Charleston.

That's exactly what I was going to suggest before scrolling down to see your response.

I am in the mountains on the border of Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia. If you like that kind of thing, let me know! No big-city amenities though. But Atlanta, Nashville, and Charlotte are about 4 hours away....

joliebelle · #4 04-01-2008, 02:21 PM

I may be a little biased since I grew up here, but Columbia, SC is a pretty great place to live. The public education and the private education system as well are excellent. But again, I may be biased

baci · #5 04-01-2008, 01:46 PM

Thank you SthrnZeta!

I am going to do a little google search on your suggestions. I may take you up on your pm offer, since you extended a helping hand.

It is very hard to narrow down a new area to live when you have lived your entire life in one spot. It is time to make a change and I know that this change is important in the lives of my children. This is very serious for me and I have always felt it is best to speak with people who actually live where I may be moving.

On a side note, we will be visiting numerous areas in the coming months to help us as well. It will not be done blindly.

lauralaylin · #6 04-01-2008, 01:56 PM

I'm in Charlotte. PM me if you have any questions.

Fawn Liebowitz · #7 04-01-2008, 02:40 PM

http://www.hsvcity.com/

If your husband's business is anything related to defense or aerospace, this is a great place.

baci · #8 04-01-2008, 03:17 PM

Keep the ideas coming! Don't be worried about cheering on where you live, especially if you love it. I know there must be many wonderful places to live and so many that I don't even know about. I am all ears on this one.

baci · #9 04-01-2008, 03:20 PM

How is Huntsville, in general, as a place to live? Do you know?

Fawn Liebowitz · #10 04-01-2008, 03:31 PM

Do you mind if I PM you?

AKA_Monet · #11 04-01-2008, 03:44 PM

Hilton Head!!! All the way...

I haven't been to Myrtle Beach, but I heard it is nice.

Parts of NOLA were nice, too.

It's nice to purchase huge swaths of land and build your dream home. I just know I have to live by the ocean near the outer banks or sea islands. That is just me.

piphiangel314 · #12 04-03-2008, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AKA_Monet

I haven't been to Myrtle Beach, but I heard it is nice.

In my opinion, I would overlook Myrtle Beach. It's become more run down over the years, and it has a ridiculously high amount of tourists. I lived there briefly, and since it was solely a tourism town, it got on my nerves. It didn't feel very home-y. But that is just my opinion.

I agree with a lot of others as well -- I would definite look into Memphis or even Nashville. They are absolutely beautiful cities.

barbino · #13 04-03-2008, 05:42 PM

There alot of areas in the South that people forget about about because they are northern "Southern" locations. Baltimore, Maryland, and Louisville, Kentucky are examples of this. These areas are basically Southern in culture, but by their physical location they are barely part of the Southern United States. Richmond, Virginia is likewise in this category. All three of these cities would be great to move to. I personally would love to live in any one of them.

My husband's father's family is from West Virginia. He has always wanted to live there to be by his southern cousins. The only part of West Virginia that I would feel comfortable living in would be Huntington because it is a medium sized city and not far from a bigger one (Charleston). Huntington is right on the tristate border of Ohio/Kentucky/WV. We both have friends or family in Kentucky and Tennessee. He would be close to his family in West Virginia. We could go north into Ohio for its northern culture.

Have you ever lived in the South? You need to consider the cultural differences more than the physical differences. Any new area requires an adjustment and fitting into a new culture takes some time. I have already considered this knowing that someday we may "move on down the road" (Go South). I suggest taking some time to decide just where you want to move to. I also suggest an area where you have access to friends and family. This is an important part of life. Going where you don't know anyone can make you miserable, even if you make friends and join an alumnae club. What areas of the South have you been considering moving to, and what are the reasons that you'd want to live there?

JennRN · #14 04-03-2008, 07:37 PM

Oooh, Barbino-you got any more info on WV?? Because we're moving there in June due to MrRN's job and I have never even set foot in the state. We're looking at homes in the Hurricane/Milton/Teays Valley area-any help is so appreciated!!

You can PM me if you want, to avoid hijacking this thread!!

knight_shadow · #15 04-01-2008, 03:44 PM

My parents and I relocated to Texas about 10 years ago and I've enjoyed my time here so far. If you live near the larger cities (Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, San Antonio), there's plenty to do. If you're more comfortable with smaller cities/towns, there are several communities along I-35, I-45, and I-10 that are nice and allow you to easily access the big cities. The cost of living here is very low and there's no state income tax

The only downside about Texas (in my mind) is the weather. It takes some time, but you get used to it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas

http://wikitravel.org/en/Texas