Columbia, SC - anyone familiar?

[Bang!Zoom!]

It's an hour north of where we may end up shortly. Anyone been? Am I being overly optimistic and thinking it might be just a *little* bit like Ann Arbor, MI?

[sheryl]

Hi! How are you comparing it? What is your standard? Cultural diversity, homeschooling, etc?

 

We moved from MI over 20 years ago to NC. I always enjoyed driving to Ann Arbor...it's quite a city! We moved to Charlotte, NC which is about 90 min/miles north of Columbia, SC. I'm not an expert re: Columbia, but have been there. It's a nice city as is AA, but they are not alike really. imo.

 

However, it really depends on "your" standard. HTH!

[Jan in SC]

What do you want to know about Columbia?

[Abeilles]

South Carolina is wonderful. We live in the upstate (north west of Columbia). Lots of things to do for homeschoolers. Close to the beach, close to the mountains. The winters are more mild :) "Smiling faces, beautiful places!" I hope you like it here.

[Bang!Zoom!]

I'm wondering if Columbia has a artsy, educated, vibrant feel honestly.

 

From the job site, Columbia means a 2 hour a day commute both ways, pretty gruesome when you think of it...4:30 a.m. and coming home at around 8 p.m.

 

He's up for the task of the drive & hours are worth it when he has time off.

 

The more I read about Aiken and Augusta, the more I'm getting turned off on either of them as a home city. Augusta to me is sounding a little bit like the icky parts of Grand Rapids MI (notice I said ICKY) - and Aiken is sounding like too harsh a historical aura, I don't think I could fit in that community very well.

 

Augusta would also mean paying taxes in three states. I don't think we can bear it.

 

Healthcare is going to tip us toward the SC border, your primary PPO etc., has to be in the home state of employment as well.

 

Is there some area between Columbia and Aiken that is a sweet spot to set up?

 

If I'm understanding it right, the job site is a little south of Aiken as well. I'd like to look down there for a little big just for the settling in time, maybe do a 3 month corporate lease, give us time to settle in, look around and explore.

[Jan in SC]

I'll pm you!

[Bang!Zoom!]

Perfect, and honest to Pete, if ANY of you know of an ethical rental company or landlord with some integrity, pass along..I'm getting nervous, he is thinking about us all packing up and leaving her by the 5th, completely blindsided by the process...

[Kathryn]

I live in Columbia.

I'm wondering if Columbia has a artsy, educated, vibrant feel honestly.

Hmm, not words I would use to describe Columbia, but certainly more than any other city/town in the vicinity of the Aiken area. You'll obviously have a lot more of that downtown than in the suburbs, though, which is where I'm from.

From the job site, Columbia means a 2 hour a day commute both ways, pretty gruesome when you think of it...4:30 a.m. and coming home at around 8 p.m.

Um, where exactly is the jobsite? It only takes an hour to get to Augusta from Columbia.

He's up for the task of the drive & hours are worth it when he has time off.

 

The more I read about Aiken and Augusta, the more I'm getting turned off on either of them as a home city. Augusta to me is sounding a little bit like the icky parts of Grand Rapids MI (notice I said ICKY) - and Aiken is sounding like too harsh a historical aura, I don't think I could fit in that community very well.

Neither are places I would personally choose myself ;)

Augusta would also mean paying taxes in three states. I don't think we can bear it.

 

Healthcare is going to tip us toward the SC border, your primary PPO etc., has to be in the home state of employment as well.

 

Is there some area between Columbia and Aiken that is a sweet spot to set up?

It depends on how much "civilization" you want. If you want to be near shopping, homeschool groups, etc., I wouldn't go further than Lexington.

If I'm understanding it right, the job site is a little south of Aiken as well. I'd like to look down there for a little big just for the settling in time, maybe do a 3 month corporate lease, give us time to settle in, look around and explore.

Columbia is a city with a lot of untapped potential. They got into the "urban renewal" game late. For a long time, downtown was just run down businesses and the university. But, that is changing. We've got three rivers that run through (and Lake Murray close by), an historic university, it's the capital, etc., a lot that can be worked with. We have a children's museum, State Museum, an art museum. We have an organic grocery chain called Earth Fare, two locally owned ones, and they are finishing up building a Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. The Richland County Public Library system is award-winning. Between it and the Lexington County Public Library system, there hasn't been a whole lot I couldn't find. We are a couple of hours from the beach and the mountains. Charlotte is two hours away and Atlanta is three.

 

If you have any questions, feel free to ask or pm me!

[TXMomof4]

We' re near Augusta and we go to Columbia to go to the 'big' city. The GA hs laws are easier but that's about all I can tell you. We're military so we don't mess with state taxes here.

[Jan in SC]

I live in Columbia and it is very artsy!

 

If you like theatre, there were four community shows, (The Music Man, Legally Blond, Forbidden Broadway and Plan 9) two professional (Next to Normal, Goodnight Moon), and one university performance available -TONIGHT!!!

 

We have two ballet companies (one classical, one traditional) that perform four or five shows each year.

 

The Koger Center has Broadway touring shows, and amazing orchestral concerts.

 

The University of SC, though not Clemson!!!, has an amazing music department and frequently offers vocal, instrumental and opera performances.

 

The Tapp Center is a renovated department store on Main Street that houses various local artists and lots of unique projects that the community is encouraged to participate in a hands-on way.

 

Also on Main St. is an independent movie house, The Nickelodeon. They host various film festivals, screen famous and foreign independent films, along with being available for rental for local filmmakers to screen films.

 

Every first Thursday of the month, Main Street is filled with artists showing their work, musicians strolling, and a local circus has been known to set up shop, too.

 

Our family is very passionate about the arts, so if you need help finding what you like, let me know!!

 

(I'm typing with a migraine med hangover, so excuse the errors!!)

[Bang!Zoom!]

He's going to work at the SRS inside the gated sections, I'm not exactly positive what / where that means, but my impression is that it is slightly South of Aiken. I guess there's some congestion at the gated areas which doesn't sound like much of a good time either as they have to pass folks in through the borders check. ??? We'll see.

 

Everything I saw in photos of Columbia looked awesome; really did remind me of Ann Arbor a bit...is there a very active "foodie" mentality out there? I'm hoping against hope..

 

Columbia has that University, which is absolutely killing me. I'd love to live in a University area again, it would suit the both of us like a glove.

 

Fuel would probably run per month just for that commute about a hundred bucks a week. That adds up over time of course, would it be worth it? I dunno..it's so hard to imagine things when you aren't there....

[sparrow]

Zero experience with the rest of the city, but we did love visiting Riverbanks Zoo earlier this year :001_smile:.

[Stacia]

If you end up in Columbia, remember that you'll be only 2 hours from Charleston (a very artsy place). Charleston hosts Spoleto, a big art festival, every year too, starting for a couple of weeks each Memorial Day.

[Mama Geek]

I wouldn't pick Columbia over Aiken. Columbia is too much like a big city where Aiken is small city or big town. It is a long haul from Columbia to SRS. Probably more than an hour. Aiken does have a community playhouse, and an orchestra as well as stuff that goes on at USC-Aiken. Augusta has an orchestra as well. Aiken has outdoor concerts during the summer, it has a fairly decent dance studio, it is also really big horse country. They have the Aiken Triple Crown in the spring with pretty big name horses. They also have several festivals throughout the year. They have a huge rec league for soccer and I am not sure what other sports, because I haven't lived there in awhile. You will find lots of people in church on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights.

[Kathryn]

I live in Columbia and it is very artsy!

 

If you like theatre, there were four community shows, (The Music Man, Legally Blond, Forbidden Broadway and Plan 9) two professional (Next to Normal, Goodnight Moon), and one university performance available -TONIGHT!!!

 

We have two ballet companies (one classical, one traditional) that perform four or five shows each year.

 

The Koger Center has Broadway touring shows, and amazing orchestral concerts.

 

The University of SC, though not Clemson!!!, has an amazing music department and frequently offers vocal, instrumental and opera performances.

 

The Tapp Center is a renovated department store on Main Street that houses various local artists and lots of unique projects that the community is encouraged to participate in a hands-on way.

 

Also on Main St. is an independent movie house, The Nickelodeon. They host various film festivals, screen famous and foreign independent films, along with being available for rental for local filmmakers to screen films.

 

Every first Thursday of the month, Main Street is filled with artists showing their work, musicians strolling, and a local circus has been known to set up shop, too.

 

Our family is very passionate about the arts, so if you need help finding what you like, let me know!!

 

(I'm typing with a migraine med hangover, so excuse the errors!!)

 

Good thing Jan's here! We're so not the artsy types. While I know these things now that I'm reminded of them, they certainly weren't readily available in my mind!

[Jan in SC]

Good thing Jan's here! We're so not the artsy types. While I know these things now that I'm reminded of them, they certainly weren't readily available in my mind!

 

Yes, but you pointed out the more practical things!! I don't do libraries, so I am no use to most homeschoolers!!! (I will be happy to drag your family- kicking and screaming!- into the arts!!!)

[Susan C.]

I'm in SC, but over two hours from Columbia. My friend used to live in North Augusta (Augusta on SC side), it is a nice community. The Savannah river that separates Augusta, GA and N. Augusta, SC is nice, there is a cool museum there (forgot name). So you can't live and work in Columbia?

 

Augusta, GA has a large university, but it is medical.

 

Just saw SRS, my friend's husband worked there, again, her neighborhood in N. Augusta was lovely!

 

I keep adding, I would live close to work, and go to Columbia, or Atlanta to play!

Edited September 23, 2012 by Susan C.
NORTH Augusta (not south)

[Samiam]

Columbia isn't much like Ann Arbor. It's really just alot of urban sprawl. And sure, within that sprawl, all of the urbanite things have followed, ie Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, etc. You'll pretty have much have one of everything there. Great library system. Lots of "capital city" type things, ie State Musuem, Government buildings,etc.

 

Downtown, is well, not really kicking. It's about the University and businessess. If you go down on a weekend, the businesses are closed and it's just University students milling around, bar hopping etc (unless it's a game day). There's nothing else to draw crowds.

 

Jan mentioned the Art scene and that sounds vibrant, but also seems like one would have to really be "in the know" to know about it...it's not like some areas, ie Ann Arbor, where it's just the thing to do so EVERYONE knows about it...where it's a more natural, non-forced interaction.

 

Personally, I've always thought Columbia one of the least attractive areas of SC. I mean, you've got the Charleston historic area. You've got the Myrtle Beach scene. You've got the Upstate, which is pretty vibrant, and on the edge of mountains. Then there's Columbia, middle of the state...and well, not much else.....nice lake that is packed with people in the summer.

 

Now all of this being said, I've lived in Charleston, I've lived in Greenville and I've been to Columbia dozens of times, so this is just my impression of it. Perhaps living there is better then many day-trips :).

[SheilaZ]

Deleted

Edited September 23, 2012 by SheilaZ