Had to laugh reading the posts above… Paraphrased: “I drove through there once and didn’t like it.”
I was raised in SoCal and lived in SD with the ‘Corps before transferring to Beaufort where we stayed for over 5 years (by choice). Best comment about SC I ever heard: “You might cry when you get here, but you’ll cry harder when you leave.”
Yep, the south is different and SC is as “Southern” as they come. Sure, some still believe the halftime score is North 1, South 0. But, don’t think you’ll find a more genuine, more pleasant, or more caring place to live in the U.S.
Its NOT San Diego. Directions don’t usually involve freeway numbers but rather use landmarks such as “the new WalMart” or “the old Piggly Wiggly.” There is less zoning so the “issues” of class / race / education etc are more evident (and often combined) rather than hidden in poor neighborhoods and crappy apartments.
But, w/in 30 minutes of moving in to our house 3 different neighbors came by with food and offers to help. Our kids made friends with kids of all kinds of backgrounds and ethnicities. I’ve lived all over the US in 15+ years with the Marines and NEVER lived anywhere as welcoming as SC.
My wife and I both have family in SoCal and we still own a house in Oceanside – we’ll eventually settle back in Ca. But, all else being equal, I’d absolutely move back there to stay.
One last bit of “gouge” about the SC… “Ya’ll” is actually singular, “All Ya’ll” is plural.
