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My name is Chimere. My family (which consists of my 6 year old son, my sister and her 6 year old son and her fiancé) and I are looking to relocate to the town of Greenville, South Carolina. We have been wanting to move to South Carolina for quite some time but we were not sure about where to go until recently when my sister happen to meet someone from your town on a trip to NYC. We are originally from NYC but we have been living in Buffalo for the past 2 years. We just don’t think this town is for us. We don’t really have any extended family, we rely on each other and we are very close-knit. We would like to move December 2012. We are currently in the process of obtaining our drivers licenses (living in NYC, we never needed one until now) My sister and I just finished obtaining our certificates for Medical Billing and plan on taking another course for Pharmacy Technician to add to our extensive Customer Service Background once we move down to Greenville, SC. Finding jobs where we are currently hasn’t been very easy especially for my brother-in-law. To be frank with you, the town we live in is very racist. There is a lot of stereotyping here against black people that it has taken a toll on my family. We live in a nice neighborhood and honestly there really aren’t many black people here. So because we can afford to live here, the racial tension is just unbearable at times because in NYC we never dealt with anything like this, ever. To give you a scenario, my brother-in-law went to the 7-11 one night and some white men shot at him with a BB gun while driving in their car! My sister and I used to take evening walks but since that incident we haven’t done so. They even yell "The N Word” out the car windows as they drive by. I know that racism exists everywhere but I think in more places than others. We have 2 young boys and the last thing we want is to raise them in a town full of bigotry and hatred. It gets to the point where we are afraid to leave our boys with anyone while we work because we just don’t trust anyone. So currently my sister works and I watch our sons while her fiance painstakingly continues to find a job. My son was recently diagnosed with ADHD and Pervasive Developmental Disorder (mild autism). He’s a smart boy but the school here doesn't teach the way I’m used to my son being taught. A very very poor school system. So I work extensively with the boys during the day with reading and math and they seem to do just fine with me. But the point is we are completely miserable here and we’re longing to move out of the town into a place we can truly call home and raise our boys. This town almost make you want to be just as ignorant but we know better and we try our best to ignore the ignorance from these ignorant ppl. We are considering renting a home (rent to buy). We are seeking a home over an apartment because we would like for the boys to have somewhere to play at since they lack parks up here. We have been doing some research on different laws and ordinances in South Carolina just so we can be better acquainted with this state. My sister and I plan on taking a trip there next summer so we can look at the town and hopefully set up a job interview or two while we are there. We are both very motivated women and will do what needs to be done to help move our family to your town, we just need a bit of help because we don’t know anyone. I figured this is the best way for us to try and network and possible start making some friends before we leave to go to Greenville. LOL we tend to be very anti-social but we decided if we are going to start anew something has to change.
The questions that I have are: How is the job market? How are the ppl, are they friendly? ( I'm speaking about all races), How are the school systems? I would greatly appreciate everyone giving a very honest opinion about the town. I want to thank you all in advance and to make some friends soon.
OK, I am not the best person to answer, as I have just been here for a few weeks, having moved from the north as well. I found your post to be moving and, frankly, inspiring because of your determination. I am sorry about the racism that your family has endured. I can only imagine what you all must be going through. I live maybe 40 miles north of Greenville. People have been friendly to me since I moved here, although being white, I can't use that as a solid basis to predict how people of other races and ethnicities will be received. On the down side, I have a suspicion that there is a sharp economic divide here between the haves and the have-nots which is generally (though not totally) along racial lines. Folks who know more about the area can speak more to this. As for your economic situation, I have noticed a lot happening around these parts with regard to the medical industry, so you might have some luck there--again, other people would be able to say more about that for sure than I. I wish you and your family the best of luck.
OK, I am not the best person to answer, as I have just been here for a few weeks, having moved from the north as well. I found your post to be moving and, frankly, inspiring because of your determination. I am sorry about the racism that your family has endured. I can only imagine what you all must be going through. I live maybe 40 miles north of Greenville. People have been friendly to me since I moved here, although being white, I can't use that as a solid basis to predict how people of other races and ethnicities will be received. On the down side, I have a suspicion that there is a sharp economic divide here between the haves and the have-nots which is generally (though not totally) along racial lines. Folks who know more about the area can speak more to this. As for your economic situation, I have noticed a lot happening around these parts with regard to the medical industry, so you might have some luck there--again, other people would be able to say more about that for sure than I. I wish you and your family the best of luck.
First off, thank you for responding. I'm happy to know that people are friendly (even though you're white, I've been reading other thread since I've posted this and it seems mutual all around). We did some research before choosing a solid career to invest our money and time and found that the medical industry will be one field that will thrive for years to come. So it puts me a bit at ease to know we have a good chance of obtaining some job stability. Thanks again for your response as it was informative.
It depends on where you live honestly for any area I believe. Your story sounds isolated.
To me, Mauldin & has a great range of diversity and cultural acceptance is a normality. That is why i've always preferred this area. If you goto a park here you will see kids of all races/ethnicities playing togethor and it is a reflection of the difference from the rest of the city.
You do not see blending of groups so openly at other parks in the city; again a reflection of the class/ethnic separation in other areas. I also think it's why Mauldin High School has such frequent success stories on the national level.
There's definitely racial tensions in pockets of Greenville BUT I can tell you, I've never seen anything like what you spoke in 20+ years.
The cops do harrass urban culture youth way more than they should. That is reflected in another post here. Sad to say.
As for your experiences, I've been to Buffalo & Syracuse a few times and never seen that happen either. Nothing even remotely close. All (100%) of my family in Elmira in fact are iTalian/black couples and kids, first generation. So your story amazes me.
People in Greenville do have 'ways' that will be somewhat obvious at times but generally if you speak up for yourself/those around you, those people will correct themself.
There's definitely a lot of stereotyping in Greenville. However, that comes with the slower pace of life I belive; nothing better to do than worry about others.
I lived in lower Spanish Harlem in the early 2000s, Astoria Queens, and Jersey City. I definitely can relate to the NYC difference and can tell you, you will not find that level of cultural embracement here. Just being 'NYC blunt' with you. There's still a lot of great people, it will just be more cliquish and kind of 'boiled down' in terms of day to day options.
It depends on where you live honestly for any area I believe. Your story sounds isolated.
To me, Mauldin & has a great range of diversity and cultural acceptance is a normality. That is why i've always preferred this area. If you goto a park here you will see kids of all races/ethnicities playing togethor and it is a reflection of the difference from the rest of the city.
You do not see blending of groups so openly at other parks in the city; again a reflection of the class/ethnic separation in other areas. I also think it's why Mauldin High School has such frequent success stories on the national level.
There's definitely racial tensions in pockets of Greenville BUT I can tell you, I've never seen anything like what you spoke in 20+ years.
The cops do harrass urban culture youth way more than they should. That is reflected in another post here. Sad to say.
As for your experiences, I've been to Buffalo & Syracuse a few times and never seen that happen either. Nothing even remotely close. All (100%) of my family in Elmira in fact are iTalian/black couples and kids, first generation. So your story amazes me.
People in Greenville do have 'ways' that will be somewhat obvious at times but generally if you speak up for yourself/those around you, those people will correct themself.
There's definitely a lot of stereotyping in Greenville. However, that comes with the slower pace of life I belive; nothing better to do than worry about others.
I lived in lower Spanish Harlem in the early 2000s, Astoria Queens, and Jersey City. I definitely can relate to the NYC difference and can tell you, you will not find that level of cultural embracement here. Just being 'NYC blunt' with you. There's still a lot of great people, it will just be more cliquish and kind of 'boiled down' in terms of day to day options.
Thanks for input. LOL and you're right nowhere will probably be as diverse as NYC. Like I stated I do know that racism exist everywhere, but with you're info I know what to expect now and it definitely doesn't sound like it will be like what we are experiencing now.
My name is Chimere. My family (which consists of my 6 year old son, my sister and her 6 year old son and her fiancé) and I are looking to relocate to the town of Greenville, South Carolina. We have been wanting to move to South Carolina for quite some time but we were not sure about where to go until recently when my sister happen to meet someone from your town on a trip to NYC. We are originally from NYC but we have been living in Buffalo for the past 2 years. We just don’t think this town is for us. We don’t really have any extended family, we rely on each other and we are very close-knit. We would like to move December 2012. We are currently in the process of obtaining our drivers licenses (living in NYC, we never needed one until now) My sister and I just finished obtaining our certificates for Medical Billing and plan on taking another course for Pharmacy Technician to add to our extensive Customer Service Background once we move down to Greenville, SC. Finding jobs where we are currently hasn’t been very easy especially for my brother-in-law. To be frank with you, the town we live in is very racist. There is a lot of stereotyping here against black people that it has taken a toll on my family. We live in a nice neighborhood and honestly there really aren’t many black people here. So because we can afford to live here, the racial tension is just unbearable at times because in NYC we never dealt with anything like this, ever. To give you a scenario, my brother-in-law went to the 7-11 one night and some white men shot at him with a BB gun while driving in their car! My sister and I used to take evening walks but since that incident we haven’t done so. They even yell "The N Word” out the car windows as they drive by. I know that racism exists everywhere but I think in more places than others. We have 2 young boys and the last thing we want is to raise them in a town full of bigotry and hatred. It gets to the point where we are afraid to leave our boys with anyone while we work because we just don’t trust anyone. So currently my sister works and I watch our sons while her fiance painstakingly continues to find a job. My son was recently diagnosed with ADHD and Pervasive Developmental Disorder (mild autism). He’s a smart boy but the school here doesn't teach the way I’m used to my son being taught. A very very poor school system. So I work extensively with the boys during the day with reading and math and they seem to do just fine with me. But the point is we are completely miserable here and we’re longing to move out of the town into a place we can truly call home and raise our boys. This town almost make you want to be just as ignorant but we know better and we try our best to ignore the ignorance from these ignorant ppl. We are considering renting a home (rent to buy). We are seeking a home over an apartment because we would like for the boys to have somewhere to play at since they lack parks up here. We have been doing some research on different laws and ordinances in South Carolina just so we can be better acquainted with this state. My sister and I plan on taking a trip there next summer so we can look at the town and hopefully set up a job interview or two while we are there. We are both very motivated women and will do what needs to be done to help move our family to your town, we just need a bit of help because we don’t know anyone. I figured this is the best way for us to try and network and possible start making some friends before we leave to go to Greenville. LOL we tend to be very anti-social but we decided if we are going to start anew something has to change.
The questions that I have are: How is the job market? How are the ppl, are they friendly? ( I'm speaking about all races), How are the school systems? I would greatly appreciate everyone giving a very honest opinion about the town. I want to thank you all in advance and to make some friends soon.
I live in NYC (born & raised here) and lived in Greenville for a number of years (still own a home there). My first piece of advice is to visit, visit and then visit again before making your decision on Greenville. Some like it, some dislike it and it is not for everybody. Research online is great but cannot judge a place just based on the internet. Need to visit extensively....and while visiting do not just visit the downtown area....conduct your visit as though you are a regular resident. Second piece of advice is: do not rush into purchasing a home. Live there 2 years or more before you make a big commitment. This way if you find that you do not like the area it will be easy to pack up and move someplace else.
With the exception of winter weather the Greenville (southern culture) vibe is very similar to upstate NY. If you are experiencing some things you do not like there....chances are you will notice some of the same things in Greenville.
Job Market
Depends on what field you are in and what your salary expectations are. SC is a low wage state and it is not unusual to see grown people making minimum wage to $12 an hour. If you, your sister and brother in law intend to live together and share expenses you should be ok if you can all get jobs of at least $10 an hour. Majority of the larger industries in Greenville are manufacturing....just something to keep in mind.
Because while there are other industries there they are on a much smaller scale. If you continue reading this site you will often notice that the majority of the job announcements involve a manufacturing company. You mentioned medical so I will also mention that Greenville has a big hospital system. Be sure to check their website for jobs.
My personal opinion on Greenville's job market: Found it to be very limited with regard to the number and type of job opportunities. When you see an area with car title loan offices everywhere you can bet that people are struggling financially. Make sure you all have jobs before you move!
People
People for the most part are friendly. There was a time in the south where people helped each other....not so much anymore. Southern hospitality is dead. Be in a position to take care of yourself because no one will help you. Because you are moving to a different region of the country it will not just be about racial differences but cultural differences too. Unlike NYC Greenville is not a*meltingpot* of races/ethnicities. There are mostly blacks and whites with others like Spanish, Asian etc. mixed in.
Also remember that you are moving to a place with a much smaller population than what you are used to. Very conservative and religious place. Not unusual for people to ask you what church you go to...do not be surprised if that topic comes up. People there tend to be very closed minded to new ideas and different opinions.....and they frown on anyone who was not born there saying anything negative about the area even when it is true! Also being that you mentioned racial issues where you currently live. I will mention that it is not unusual to see white people with confederate flags and stickers on their homes and trucks. To be honest you will run across the occasional truck driving, beer drinking, confederate flag type. There is racism everywhere but unlike other places the racism is more in your face in the south. Just last week a thread was started on here where some white Greenville residents complained about black teenagers hanging out in downtown Greenville. It was clear from their comments that they did not want the teenagers hanging out there just because they are black and people believed that them hanging out there would deter people from patronizing the business's. Keep in mind these teenagers caused no disturbance, nor did they commit any crime....their skin color was the issue!
School system:
Greenville's school system (high schools) are pretty good. When I lived there my son was in high school so I can only speak about my own personal experience. I did find that my son was complaining about taking classes that he had already completed in his NYC school 3 years before we moved to Greenville. Other than that cannot speak about the middle schools....I am sure someone else will chime in on that.
Town
Greenville has a very pretty downtown with plenty of restaurants and stores. Outside of downtown very boring to look at suburban sprawl...especially Mauldin. Unfortunately unlike the city of Greenville who take pride in making sure the downtown area is attractive.....county officials do not share the same desire. You will find the restaurant scene to be filled with chain restaurants.....with the unique one of a kind restaurants at a minimum. Diversity and culture are hugely lacking in Greenville....can be a very whitewashed place for those who are used to having diversity. Overall it is a nice city. Housing (apartments & houses) are still quite affordable. It is clean, quiet and offers a good amount of shopping for a city its size. Transportation options are very limited to one bus service (Greenlink).....your car will be your lifeline there!
Good luck to you and your family....
Last edited by NewYorkBorn; 08-04-2011 at 12:38 PM..
@NewYorkBorn: Wow, you were more then thorough, thank you. I appreciate your blunt honesty. My family and I aren't religious people. We do respect everyone who keeps a faith but if people are going to sneer at us about then it will be an issue. Interesting to know that the vibe we get here will pretty much be the same there, we may definitely rethink our location. Confederate flags? Openly drinking and driving? Sounds like fuel for a lot of anger if the wrong thing is said. My sister and I very opinionated people but it would be rather difficult to hold a conversation with someone not willing to have a broader perspective of the world we live. The only thing so far I'm seeing about Greenville is that We would be set in the medical field.
@NewYorkBorn: Wow, you were more then thorough, thank you. I appreciate your blunt honesty. My family and I aren't religious people. We do respect everyone who keeps a faith but if people are going to sneer at us about then it will be an issue. Interesting to know that the vibe we get here will pretty much be the same there, we may definitely rethink our location. Confederate flags? Openly drinking and driving? Sounds like fuel for a lot of anger if the wrong thing is said. My sister and I very opinionated people but it would be rather difficult to hold a conversation with someone not willing to have a broader perspective of the world we live. The only thing so far I'm seeing about Greenville is that We would be set in the medical field.
Regarding religion I cannot say that I have personally received any negative reaction when asked what church I go to and I answer none. I am not religious and had no problems in Greenville. I Do not think you will need to worry about that....just figured that you should be aware that you are considering a very conservative, religious place and you will encounter the question.
Yes you will see confederate flags/stickers/license plates on peoples homes and cars in SC. Have a neighbor in Greenville who wears a towel with a confederate flag on it to the subdivision pool. That is what I meant by in your face racism vs. the kind you experience in upstate NY. If you are opinionated then Greenville is the type of place you will have to keep that to yourself...especially if talking about anything that you see as negative about the area. People become defensive there when anything negative is said about the area (watch the comments on this forum and you will see what I mean). As far as your chances for jobs in the medical field who knows.....with the economy being the way it is you may find work quickly or you may not. But with Greenville having a big hospital system that would be a good place to start your search.
The area does have its good points like being family oriented, clean, quiet and a good amount of amenities to keep most happy. I just wanted to give you some blunt honesty from the perspective of a New Yorker who has already been there and done it. This way when you make your decision you will do it with your eyes open.
Nothing worse than relocating someplace that looks good on the surface and then get there just to find out that when you dig down a little deeper there are things you won't like about the area.
Even though I am in NYC I still own a home in Greenville and use it for vacation. But I will never go back to living there as my full time home due to some of the reasons I have mentioned. As I mentioned some people love it, some people hate it.
Be sure to visit several times for at least a week before you make your decision.
Good luck...
Last edited by NewYorkBorn; 08-04-2011 at 05:21 PM..
hey-i currently live in Spartanburg, Sc (30 min. from Greenville). That's awful you had to encounter such igorance there. It really gives us southerners a bad name, but please believe we are all not like that. As for Greenville, it is alot different than NY. It's alot slower paced and religion is very important to the people in this area. It is crazy because i see billboards that have bible verses on them. (by the way, im from Charleston,SC). people are religious there, but it's more predominant in the upstate, i have noticed!! i kinda ignore it, i guess im just use to it because i have lived in the south my whole live.
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