Moving here was hard, but I love Aiken - 2/21/2020

I'm going on 3 years living in Aiken. Moving here not having any family or friends was difficult. I'm thankful for the people I have met who now feel like lifelong friends, but I know it can be challenging moving to a new place where you know no one. Of all the places I've lived, Aiken is my favorite so far. I love the small town feel while there is still activities, shops, and entertainment in town. Aiken is absolutely stunning. You can walk through miles of sand trails in Hitchcock Woods, see old plantations turned into museums, window shop down the picturesque downtown streets. I really like living here, but I do understand why some others may not enjoy it as much. It is definitely good for retirees, but I am in my 20s and I love living here as well. The cost of living is so cheap here, I bought a home much sooner than I thought I would be able to in my life. It has been a great place to get started in my life! I love helping people move to Aiken, please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions about the town. Laura Sinclair Relocation Specialist with Keller Williams 434-338-9338 laurasinclair@kw.com

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Almost Perfect, Magical Place. - 1/4/2020

Aiken is a magical place. It is beautiful and historic, has all the amenities, and Hitchcock Woods is a treasure! I feel blessed to have lived in Aiken for 3 years. As a 30 something professional, I was able to buy a house (cost of living was/is really low compared to other places), and I found things to do in Aiken, and nearby Augusta. I would encourage young or single people to move to nearby Augusta or Columbia and Aiken is mainly families and retired folk. I did feel a bit out of place for the first year I was there. It did finally feel like home, but after leaving I see it probably wasn't the best fit for a single person. The weather is beautiful from Sept-May, then it does get oppressively hot and humid for the summer. I remember thinking the air felt like velvet in October. Aiken always smells good...lol...it is lush with green and flowers. The people are friendly. I liked the mix of Southerners and Northerners. This gave Aiken charm and diversity. I found there were lots of great restaurants....local and franchise. Not sure why some complain about that. I may retire there. I like the proximity to the ocean and Atlanta and North Carolina. I am torn, however, as my new city, Boise, ID is more like me... My advice to anyone, living anywhere...grow where you are planted.

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I'm young and I like Aiken - 12/10/2019

Aiken is a unique town to visit or live in. I've lived in Toronto, ON Canada, Lynchburg, VA and in Aiken. I am 24 years old and moved here from VA just over two years ago. As a disclaimer, I'm a millennial, non-horse rider, normal young adult kind of person. I have thoroughly enjoyed living here these past few years, had our first child, bought our first home, and have made lifelong friends. My family LOVES visiting me here because of all the beautiful scenery (Hitchcock woods, Hopelands gardens, nearby beaches (2 hrs), downtown Aiken etc..). Many people seem to be complaining about the lack of "fun stuff to do" and I can understand where they are coming from, but I don't think their frustration paints an accurate picture. What is fun to you? Do you need to have a movie theatre, trampoline park, bowling alley, skating rink, mall etc.. within 20 minutes? Then it may be frustrating to live here. But if you don't mind having those things 30-40 minutes away... then you'll be okay because those are all in Augusta! I so much more enjoy having small local businesses to explore and visit right in my back yard. Great food, lots of entertainment and live music at various locations. Not to mention there's some event or festival basically every weekend. Aiken is not NYC, Charleston, or Atlanta, so you will not enjoy it if that's the kind of environment you're looking for. If you're looking for a small town that is still bustling with lots of outdoor recreation, local restaurants, and fun shops and boutiques, I do really think you would enjoy it here. I love Aiken so much I started an Instagram page that features many of the things there are to do here! Follow @meetaikensc to see what goes on.

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Aiken, SC - 4/11/2019

Aiken is a great place to raise your family, there are many neighborhoods with kids but there are many if you are retiring and just want to relax. Every person I have met here is so kind and make you feel very welcome, and it was voted best small town

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Sadly not for me - 11/30/2018

I have owned a house for over 6 yrs now and moved to Aiken from New York for warmer winters and the since there is a lot of horsey things to do. Well the people are nice but never follow thru with there invitations for dinner or lunch! Very lonely! The fox hunting is fun and the few horse shows that happen in Aiken but besides this there is nothing to do! Only a few good restaurants and hotels. Granted Charleston and the beaches aren’t far but still at least 3hrs which still makes it a drive. DO NOT WORK WITH EQUESTRIAN DESIGNS!! ROB CAHILL - He is a gangster and thief!!! Will rob you blind !!! He has been sued at least 4x’s maybe more!!! Weather is crazy hot in the summers which begins early MAY!!! So so humid which makes every joint in your body hurt!!! Prices of homes are not bad expect to pay at least $400,000 for a horse property and home in Aiken. Taxes are good but can get higher in the better areas! Don’t invest in anything you won’t get your money back!!!!

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My Aiken warning - 1/24/2018

I moved to the Aiken area specifically Warrenville. (this review will cover both) I moved to South Carolina to get away from the cold weather and high high property tax and rising violent crime in York PA. I chose SC because it was the complete opposite, warm weather, cheap property tax, lower violence. I chose the Aiken area because the beach areas and Greenville were too expensive for my budget and youtube videos and a short 2 day visit in march all made it seem nice enough. I choose Warrenville because it was cheaper still outside the city and I thought living on a country road would be peaceful and nice. WRONG WRONG WRONG. I do not even know where to start. I guess I will do a good bad kind of thing. the good: OK trying to be positive as best as I can its inexpensive to live around there, the houses are cheap and the property tax is extremely low. A good percent of the people I met were nice and friendly Odell weeks park and Hopeland gardens are nice to walk around as is downtown Aiken and Graniteville cemetery Between oct-early march the weather is much better than up north. its easy to learn your way around. there are a lot of Horse activities and horse specific areas so if you are rich and own horses this is a really good place to live but in my opinion would still only be good as a second home so if you are rich enough for that have at it the bad: The weather is way way way too hot and humid, summer especially is unbelivably unbearable (think heat index close to 120) trying to get anything done is a major struggle especially in the Warrenville and smaller town areas surrounding Aiken, stores will be closed randomly even though their business hours are clearly stated, like they will close 4 hours early because its slow, if you go to the post office in Warrenville be prepared to wait 10 minutes before anyone even comes out of the back room, or stand in line behind someone talking to the clerk for 20 minutes about patti's operation while they completely ignore the fact there's 4 people waiting to mail something. DOGS: people in the areas surrounding Aiken have no idea how to take care of dogs, dogs are chained up in yards never played with and are left to bark and annoy you for hours on end (and all hours of the night)with no one coming to tend to them and quiet them up. they frequently break loose (and who can blame them) and end up on your property while you call the dog control officer Mr Miller who is probably the busiest guy in Aiken county, he deserves an award. NOISE: you would think the country would be quiet but noooo it seems the goal out in those parts is to make as much noise as is humanly possible, you have gun shooting, fireworks going off at all hours, loud booming car stereos, barking dogs, drunk people arguing in the road, non existent mufflers on huge 4x4's everywhere LITTER: if you love picking up litter up and down your street every 2 days then this is the area for you Aiken city is not that bad because they probably have laws about it but in the country parts they seem to litter as a national pastime, I would normally have to fill a large 33 gallon trash bag every week (I picked up probably 300 feet of roadway) SRS: there is a huge nuclear waste facility really close nearby which may or may not contribute to poor health of the area. I suggest you look into this separately Warrenville specific: extremely boring place with nothing at all to do except go to the gas station or church, massive litter, extremely slow to get anything done people, loose annoying dogs, redneck activities. I do not recommend to anyone Aiken Specific: Aiken is much better than Warrenville and its other surrounding areas however it is only good for 2 types of people, Rich horse people, and retired people and not just normal retired people but boring retired people who don't want to do anything. the people in the area: theres 4 types of people I have noticed, rich horse people, older retired people, loud rednecks, and native southern people who are very friendly but their conversations always take a sad or disturbing turn out of the blue. It is by far the most aggravating while also being the most boring place I have ever lived, I give it one star overall because it would be a good place for a few very specific types of people but for the general public please do yourself a favor and avoid moving there,

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Love this town - 3/16/2017

I moved here in 2003 and immediately adored it. My husband and I ended up moving to Augusta after an emergency, and now after 8 years, missing it, and him hating the extra long commute to work, we are moving back. Aiken is home. I don't understand the people talking about nothing to do, I work at home and I can always find things to do. Small towns are not meant to be bustling and busy and full of 1000s of things to do, you make your own fun! Geez, I grew up in L.A. and yet I know this. I feel sorry for the person who finds the natural beauty of Hopelands to be so ugly. Sculpted parks are a hollow comparison. For the lady who was concerned about SRS, there is no reason to be. It is very safe living there, it is 15mi or so from Aiken proper, and it is just nuclear waste reclamation and processing, nothing dangerous. I love Aiken. I will happily live here the rest of my life, and I am 38.

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Try it first.. - 2/1/2017

Recommend that if you are considering moving to Aiken you spend a few weeks here, if possible in the Summer. It is hot as hell. The Summer is long , there is barely any Spring or Winter. Not a particularly exciting place and not for young people. In fact can be down right boring.Housing costs are good , but food prices are just as high as anywhere else. There are really not many nice day trips to make within a short ride. Once you get here you will know you have made a mistake. I feel many people who live here regret it , but would do not admit it. If your into horses Aiken can be a great place to Winter them over, with plenty of equestrian activities. Aiken is okay, just not for everyone. Only giving it one star to be kind. Been here one year and am moving. Sorry for the poor review. Just my "fix on the place".

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Living in Aiken for the past 8 years - 5/26/2016

If you are not interested in biking/outdoor activities, culture, education and don't have a palate then Aiken is the place for you. It is not too expensive to live here; however the crime rate seems very high or has been really inflated by gross miscarriage of justice by the local bored and uneducated police and sheriffs in this area. Little fish in little ponds. There are two parks that are aesthetically ugly and offer no shade or places to relax in the heat of the summer. Hitchcock Woods is very nice in the fall and winter for a walk; however most people that use the woods have dogs and they do not leash them; If you own horses it is a lovely place to ride as long as the dogs are leashed. Entertainment; mediocre at best. Downtown has too many little over priced shops that sell nothing but dreck. This is an ultra-conservative area and mostly blue collar labor industry. I would say not the brightest lights on Broadway. There are a lot of churches in Aiken.

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Revise your search. - 5/10/2016

Instead of searching by zip code for information about Aiken, search by: "Aiken, South Carolina".

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educational environment - 4/7/2016

The schools in Aiken SC are horrible. I had three grandchildren that attended South Aiken and Aiken High. Drugs and 20 drop-out rate. There is nothing in Aiken for young people to do either. The police and sheriffs are uneducated for the most part and infuse and incite rather than defuse. Ultra conservative. Aiken is at zero growth. Not a place for retirement or youth.

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Aiken's Dirty Little Secret - 3/16/2016

The large (2100 acres) urban forest Hitchcock Woods is smack in the middle of Aiken. Hitchcock Woods is owned by the Hitchcock Woods Foundation, a very well-funded non-profit organization managed by a board of directors. Members of the board use prescribed (also referred to as controlled) burning to manage their forest. Among the directors' goals is restoration of the natural ecosystems of Hitchcock Woods, to a snapshot view of what this region looked like 10,000 years ago. The burn occurs daily, weather permitting, sometimes more than a hundred acres in one day. Burns are scheduled year-round except during Aiken's robust equestrian seasons, March into early April and for a week or so in October. These are also the best fundraising seasons for the board. (Hitchcock Woods supports many equestrian events.) The board does not risk choking out potential donors by burning during Aiken's busiest tourist seasons. Thus, visitors are often completely unaware of the burns. Smoke dispersal is a chronic concern. The burns' resulting heavy smoke and particulate travel throughout the entire town. Occasionally, especially with an evening weather inversion, the smoke settles at ground level. The burns will continue forever. The adverse health implications of exposure to this type of air contamination are well documented. The Foundation is aware of area residents' push-back and recognizes the resulting health complications as a potential deterrent to continued burning at will. So far, though (and for the past 25 years) the burns continue. And, because their largest neighbor burns, residents are quick to ignite their own debris in backyard pits and drums, further contributing to the region's unhealthy air.

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SRS Site - 1/14/2015

I was in Aiken this past August looking for a farm. My husband and myself are big horse people from New York State. I was shocked to find out about one of the largest Nuclear Waste sites in the USA. Everyone talks about how wonderful Aiken is for horse lovers, but nothing is said about SRS. I didn't hear a word about it until I left my hotel in Hilton Head. I was thinking, maybe I should be looking there instead. I stayed in Aiken one night and was out of there the next day. What are some of the views and comments about the SRS? Just wondering if I am the only one that is paranoid about it or horse lovers don't worry about it?

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Retirement in Aiken, South Carolina - 12/11/2014

Retired in 2002 after 36 years in metropolitan NYC. Established three major criteria for retirement community: 1) Low cost of government (taxes), 2)warm winters, and 3) equestrian focus. Spent two years, including 150 days on the road, evaluating all U.S. east coast equestrian communities, from Cape Ann, Mass. to Wellington, Florida. Aiken, S.C. bubbled to the top: 1)very low property taxes (for seniors), and very low state income taxes (for seniors), 2)beautiful winters, and 3) a very wide range of equestrian activities plus a town (Aiken) with a powerful equestrian history going back to the late 19th century. In addition to these three major criteria, Aiken is 4)a beautiful and vibrant little town with 5)the number one small public university in the southeast, University of South Carolina Aiken. Also, 6)the pace of life is relaxed, 7)there are a surprising number of regular cultural events for such a small town (population approx. 30k), and 8)there are multiple fine golf courses, a reflection of the close proximity of the Masters in August (30 minutes from Aiken) and the Palmetto Golf Club in Aiken, the second oldest golf club in the U.S., redesigned in the early 1930's by the same course designer who designed the Masters. In addition to the polo fields, steeplechase fields, racetracks, etc., Aiken has multiple fox hunts, dressage events and a vast equestrian trail network. At the heart of Aiken's equestrian activities is Hitchcock Woods, a 2,252 acre private (in a trust) equestrian preserve with 75 miles of equestrian trails maintained by the Hitchcock Woods Trust. Three activities are permitted in the Woods: 1)riding a horse, 2) pulling a carriage with a horse, and 3)walking. Other than a horse drawn carriage, no other wheeled vehicles and no other activities are permitted in the Woods Hitchcock Woods is not a public park and is not managed by the City of Aiken. It is Aiken's crown jewel. South Carolina's capital, Columbia is one hour north of Aiken. Charlotte, North Carolina and Charleston, South Carolina are each 2.5 hours from Aiken. Atlanta, Georgia is 3 hours from Aiken. Now the negatives: 1)June, July, August and September are hot, 90's and, sometimes, over 100. Very humid. Many of our friends go north for this period, especially to Saratoga, N.Y., Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, closing up their Aiken homes. 2) Locals are polite but wary of non-southerners. When they speak of "the war," they do not mean WWII. They mean the Civil War or, as they refer to it, the "War of Northern Aggression" or the "War Against the States." The school textbooks to some degree reflect this sentiment. 3) The "Southern Accent" can, sometimes, be difficult for a non-Southerner to fully understand. This problem is compounded by Southern expressions not commonly used outside the South. 4)The local work ethic is not what non-southerners are used to. 5)There is very little professional, gainful employment due to the lack of an industrial base. The major employment from the early 1950,s until the early 1990's was the Savannah River Site or SRS which, at its height, employed over 35,000 engineers, physicists, chemists, etc. It was one of the three most important nuclear sites in the U.S., the other two being Hancock in Washington and Los Alamos in New Mexico. Today, SRS employs approx 8,000 and that number continues to decline. Aiken's main demographic today, consequently, is retired seniors. If you are an equestrian, active or former, Aiken is a retirement dream come true, probably the best on the east coast of the United States.

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Aiken - avoid New Ellenton and omg Graniteville - 6/14/2014

Lived in Aiken all my life - retired now. Glad I live in Aiken, SC. Traveled the USa and world occupationally. I thought about retiring to Florida but Aiken won after the paid professional evaluation. Cheap cost of living and focused on the retirement community, historical significance and horses. The seasons actually change but not drastically too.

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Ready to leave after 10 years, REALLY ready to lea - 5/31/2013

We have been here 26 years and we are trying to move back to the Northeast. We came here for jobs and have had to stay due to the economy. I will try to make this as unbiased as I can. If you are from the "North", or as they say here, a "yankee", they will never fully accept you. Southern hospitality is largely a myth. There are some people who genuinely welcome you, but most do not. People here also do not treat their dogs as they should. The shelters are very busy; the dogcatchers are very busy. People do not keep their dogs safe in a fence or indoors. That southern accent that sounds cute at first will start to drive you crazy. You will get very tired of hearing people use terrible grammar, and the worst part is, you will hear it so much that you almost start to do it yourself. If you have kids and you don't want them to sound ignorant, move someplace else or plan to home-school them. I don't have children but I hear the schools are pretty bad. Lots of people home-school or send their children to private school. Warning: the summers are brutal. Be prepared to spend 3 months inside in the air conditioning. I am talking 100 degrees with 100 percent humidity. I get cabin fever in the summer. Another thing they don't tell you is that you will probably need to replace your A/C unit every 10 years, which will cost around $7,000 each time. There are some decent things to do, but if it is in the summer, will you be able to go out in the heat to participate? I cannot. The Aiken mall is empty and dying. They are building way too many things on the south side of town and traffic is getting really bad. Positives: the cost of living is low, taxes are low. The winters are good. If you are a horse person and will live in a horse community, and will be able to go someplace cooler in the summer, then this may be a good place for you, SEASONALLY. Thanks to the Savannah River Site and some other larger industries, there are people here from other parts of the country, thank goodness. They tend to get involved and definitely make things better. These people will be your friends. Good service is very hard to find. Stores and fast food places mostly employee teens or people who do not care. Good service from craftsman is also hard to find. So many times we've had things done to our house that required a second or third visit to get the job right. Be careful if you live in the country as we do. You tend to get neighbors who drag race, speed, let their dogs run and drive a big noisy truck. Most people in Aiken live in subdivisions where you will have restrictions against such problems, but you will have lots of neighbors. Come for a visit first if you can, in July or August. You should see the place at its worst before you decide to live here. I think it would be ok as a place to retire to as long as you can leave in the summer.

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Overall... - 12/31/2012

If you are looking for a small town than Aiken is a pretty good place to live. The climate is not bad either, mild winters and hot summers. The crime is bad in parts of Aiken but not bad in the nicer areas. However, there is just not much to do here. There is only one public dirty pool which I would not go to, one theater, and one very pathetic mall (I don't know if you could really call it a mall). In order to get to any bigger city the drive is 30 minutes (Augusta) or 1 hour (Columbia). There is only one main road in the bigger part of Aiken (the part where most of the stores/restaurants are) and you would not believe the traffic they have on that road for this being a small town. I am still young enough that I want things to do so my spouse and I (and most young people I know) cannot wait to get out of here but if you are just looking for a small town with a relatively mild climate I would recommend Aiken.

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Great place to raise kids - 2/13/2012

We have been in Aiken since 1987. This is a great community to raise a family and to live and work in.

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How is Aiken for A family with kids - 8/31/2011

We are thinking about locating to aiken sc and would love some feedback. We have two young boys and were curious if there was much for kids to do here? We currently live in beaufort sc and they dont have anything for kids to do. All they have is Bars and dollar stores. We love the terrain there and Also have interest in a church in Graniteville called CBC of aiken. We also are curious to where the good areas are to live. My husband is an EMT and works nights shifts occasionly so We are def. looking for a good community to feel secure in being by myself with the children. Please if anyone could share their honest oppionnions with us we would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

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the good and bad about Aiken - 6/17/2011

I have lived in Aiken for a few years now and have seen quite a bit of change. As someone in their 30s I am mostly ambivalent about living here. I don't love it but I don't hate it either.I could commute to work from Columbia or Augusta but don't dislike it enough to justify commuting. It is growing in terms of businesses and people. The comments about it being an old money horse community and a place for retirees I find to be true but there seems to be a rise in family oriented activities (I don't have kids). There does seem to be a class and racial divide here. Housing is not that cheap relative to other parts of the south but the reason is because a lot of people have chosen to live here and there simply was not a lot of housing. New developments are springing up around the city even in this housing market. I do think some of the population growth is families and "youngerish" people. The town is still very conservative but the economy has forced some progressive changes to accommodate what I see as a more diverse age demographic emerging (but there are still retirees coming here too). For example, Blue Laws are GONE- too many people going to GA on Sundays to shop/spend their money. There is a new bar downtown with "scantily clad" (lol- they are not that bad) waitresses. there was A LOT of protest about this bar, and apparently in the past the city blocked a Hooters form coming, but the protest to keep "this sort of thing in Augusta" and keep downtown a family place fell on deaf ears as the city said we have empty store fronts that need to be filled. This place is probably making more money than any other downtown establishment- the bottom line is people were going to the bars in downtown augusta and I think the city realized that once again being too conservative is costing them $. Overall, Aiken is a cute place with beautiful horse farms, nice people (southern hospitality), nice parks, and southern charm. Crime is bad but the police here are making a good effort in my mind and stepping up to the plate- a lot of growth quickly forced them to reassess a bit but they are doing it. Having the horse community and a lot of retirees are not a bad thing at all as long as there are things for all ages and lifestyles which I see more of here than 5 years ago.

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