North Charleston Living
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12/18/2016
Truth in lending - I lived in North Charleston for 20+ years, but here's my fair assessment of an area I still consider my home. North Charleston has a great variety of neighborhoods throughout the area from the eclectic Park Circle in downtown North Charleston to small older neighborhoods that line along the Ashley River to those newer neighborhoods right past the Air Force Base along Dorchester Rd. towards Summerville. There's all types of housing and various price points to suit you and your family's needs. For school ratings though, the neighborhoods closer towards Summerville have better rated public schools than those near metro North Charleston. Just something to consider for those with school aged children. Taxes are ok. Sure you may pay a little higher on your sales tax than some places and nobody likes to pay a vehicle tax, but I think overall it tends to work out in the end. Go to various tax websites to compare taxation by state and you'll probably find that SC's and North Charleston's taxes are pretty decent when compared to many other states and municipalities. The cost of basic goods (food, gas), services, and housing is overall cheaper than many places. If you're consider relocating here, recommend you do a cost of living comparison between where you live currently and where you want to go live to get a rough idea of the cost. The people are generally friendly and hospitable. Not saying that there aren't a few mean folks out there, but predominantly most of the folks in North Charleston that you encounter are approachable and courteous. If you work towards downtown, traffic is slow going and pretty tough, but still "manageable" in comparison to other places like New York, DC, ATL, or even Honolulu. North Charleston has grown quite a bit with several large companies moving into the area within the past decade and with that brings not only jobs, but people looking for employment and to settle down. That's the double edge sword of progress, sure traffic sucks as a result, but most don't want to give up thousands of jobs and a burgeoning economy for the sake of traffic. If you have the means, it may be best to buy/rent a place closer to where you work. The weather is pretty warm most of the time with exception of maybe a month or two during the year. We get minimal snowfall once every few years. The heat and humidity can be unbearable for some during the late summer months. As for crime, it's not perfect. Being realistic, no community is immune to it. It does happen, but I don't believe it's out of control. Many home realty websites will tell you the crime rates in given neighborhoods and areas, so feel free to use those to assist you in determining where you want to live in North Charleston. As for other things, the city has been more proactive in sponsoring community events throughout the area especially around Park Circle. Also, the beaches are about 30-45 minutes away and downtown Charleston is about 10 miles away for those feeling touristy. The convention center hosts numerous concerts, sporting/miscellaneous events throughout the year. North Charleston's not perfect by any means, but there are many positive aspects that definitely outweigh the negative. If you get a chance, come visit for a couple of weeks to see if it's a good fit for you and your family. Take care
Paul | Honolulu, HI