Reviews & Comments
Greenville, SC
re: If You Have A Brain in Your Skull, Stay Away!! -
2/11/2014That description sounds like an extreme exaggeration....
Pennsylvania, PA
re: The good and the bad of Pennsylvania - 5/18/20 -
2/11/2014Lived here virtually all my life. In a state this large you cannot generalize, so you have to explore the situation town by town. I live in a very affluent and developed part of Chester County. I've also lived in Philadelphia. I cannot list pros & cons because one mans pro is another mans con. For the purposes of this forum I will attempt to generalize. Take this list for what its worth...
-Politically, liberal leaning (unless you venture into mid or upstate)
-Taxes seem slightly above average
-Home prices:Above average
-Cost of living: Above average
-Weather/Climate varies greatly season to season. Harsh winters with snowfall and ice across the state
-Religion: There are many religious institutions across the state, but Ive found most people to be non committal, and faith has very little presence in the culture
-Education: Standard of education seems slightly higher than normal. The state offers some of the best colleges and universities in the nation. Humanist Liberal views will make their way into the classroom, K through higher education even in some private institutions.
-Activities:There are a number of historic sites in the state. There are parks, rivers, lakes. Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Reading, and Harrisburg offer a number of amenities and events. The Jersey and Maryland beaches are only about 2-3 hours away.
-Crime rates are very low for the majority of the state. Philadelphia skews the state average, with some of the worst crime rates in the country. Be careful when exploring the city. As long as you stay in certain neighborhoods you should be absolutely fine.
-Manners: Faster paced. Not as cordial, personal or well mannered as other locations in the US. More achievement based, less relational.
-Several good job opportunities, especially in the city and surrounding suburban towns.
-Reasonably good place to raise a family
If you're a devout Christian and/or conservative there are rural pockets where you will feel more welcomed, developed areas where you will not. If you enjoy the warm weather, you're out of luck for a little over half of the year. Pennsylvania is really a little bit of everything, so if you're able to adjust to the changing seasons and willing to deal with a mix of influences and people its a good bet.
I've traveled to various locations up and down the east coast. Held temporary residency in southern locations and in the mid west. I currently reside in Pa. This is my assessment having spent the majority of my life here. I hope this helps.
South Carolina, SC
re: Religion - at a Cost of Love and Concern in So -
2/11/2014Ive lived in the north east most of my life. Ive lived in the south for a short period of time and vacationed there a good deal as well. First of all, there is a lot of crime in the black community. That by in large is the reason that there is a lot of prejudice against the black population in the south. Its experience based. You shouldn't be so quick to label people unenlightened, when you haven't walked their walk. Living down south in a nice middle income neighborhood we had groups of young blacks wonder into the neighborhood and break into cars in the night. Ive had property damaged and stolen. I have to dismiss your accusation that blind racism runs rampant. When you reference your elders saying that at their age they ought to know better, you have to realize that in fact they do know better...better than you. Again, their statements are fact and experience based. You're simply having trouble recognizing the truth because as a Northeastern liberal you've been conditioned to think a different way apart from raw experience.
Christianity does not equate to open ended tolerance for all things.You're very mixed up in this regard Too much to say here. I would strongly advise a close reading of scripture for anyone who thinks this way. South Carolina is a Christian conservative state. No doubt a Massachusetts, liberal, atheist will not comprehend or accept the cultural differences. I think its more than a little degrading the way you speak about southerners. Its also very disingenuous how you promote the idea that you and your "BIL" represent a highly developed form of human reasoning and cultural development. Its just like a northeast liberal to stick their nose in the air and wag the finger, and this is precisely why they don't like Northerners. Its also why I have a strong distain for the culture of the northeast.
South Carolina is a beautiful state, with a rich history and a beautiful, hospitable people. It has some of the best beaches (Charleston, Myrtle/Surfside) and the awe inspiring Appalachian Mountain trails. Cities like Greenville are some of the cleanest and most newly developed you'll find. There are pockets of South Carolina which are crime ridden and economically depressed, so you have to be careful where you venture as you would anywhere you travel.