Job Opportunity in Conway? What is it like to live there? (Columbia: transplants, for sale)

[Mandi9]

I live in the northern midwest. I have always thought I'd like to live in the Southeast. I recently saw a job pop up in the Conway area, and am not sure what it is like to live there. Is Conway nice? Is it dangerous? I saw on some realty websites that some areas could be dangerous. I am a woman alone, and need to feel safe.

How are the homes? Well built? Prices? Utilities? I'm assuming you don't need gas or oil heat? But AC must cost a lot? Driving, is it safe? Lots of grocery stores/walmarts? Places you need to get to?

Cost of living? Is it worth moving there? Will I enjoy life more there? How about the weather?

What are some things you love about the area? Perks of living there? Cons that you don't like? How's the dating scene for 30 year olds? Here, dating is horrible. Is it easy to meet friends? I have some solid college friends here, but most are married. We only see each other once a month or so.

Overall, any advice on moving to SC and is it worth trying to get this job and taking the plunge? I'm a beach girl and I really enjoy coastal living. I currently live in a nice, safe suburb, with a nice house that I renovated no where near coastline, but near family. I love my house here. I see a lot of new homes for sale down in Conway. I live in an old home, solid home, but old, that I fixed up myself to be nice and new inside.

[CTyankee54]

The answers to many of your questions can be found within the different posts within this forum. Use the search feature to find information for many of the subjects in your post.



I'll provide some basic information and leave the rest to your searches. First and foremost, it doesn't sound like you've ever visited Conway/Myrtle Beach. My advice would be for you to schedule a 2 week exploration trip, find a good realtor before you come and spend the entire time exploring Conway and the entire Grand Strand. An agent can give you the low-down on everything and point you in the right direction. You have to explore an area before deciding to move there.



Given that advice, I'll offer these additional tidbits...
Conway is a nice small town with certain areas that are to be avoided...just like any town/city. Overall, though, it's a nice place to live. However, with traffic, it's at least a 30-40 minute drive to the beach and even more on the weekends.



Go to realtor.com and search for houses to see prices and use the crime button to determine whether the house is in a high crime area. Utilities depend on lifestyle but electric for a 3 bedroom runs average $150/month, water/sewage $30 if you don't run the lawn sprinklers. Most houses are all electric although there are some neighborhoods that have natural gas. There are lots of shopping areas.



Cost of living depends on your lifestyle. How it compares to where you are now is hard to say. There are web sites that compare cost of living for different cities so you might be able to get a compare there. Weather is hot/humid from Memorial Day through Labor Day...to the point where you don't want to go outside unless you're at the beach. But the rest of the year is nice. Your enjoyment of life here is impossible to predict...some people love it here and others that move here can't wait to get out.



Perks: Beach, great spring/fall...mild winters, low taxes (compared to where I came from but maybe not compared to where you are now), friendly people, generally conservative politically (although to some this is a negative), no snow, family focused, year-round golf, convenient shopping/restaurants.

Cons: Summer tourists and associated traffic, heat/humidity, sometimes too laid back/slow, flat and not much scenic variety beyond the beach, bigger cities 2 hours away.


Given that I'm well past your age group, I can't comment on the dating scene. My sons lived with us for awhile and my impression from them was that the area is not a hot bed for dating. We found it pretty easy to make new friends but it depends on how outgoing you are and how much effort you want to put forth to find people you enjoy being with. Joining a community organization (church, non-profit, etc) certainly helps.



Unless you have a skill for which there's a shortage, successfully applying for and landing a job from a distance is very difficult. Most people I know who are working were not able to land a job until they had a local address. On the other hand, I certainly would not move here without a job unless you work in a tourist related industry. Good paying jobs are in short supply.



Hope this helps. I highly encourage a visit to explore before making any life changing decisions.

[Mandi9]

Originally Posted by CTyankee54

The answers to many of your questions can be found within the different posts within this forum. Use the search feature to find information for many of the subjects in your post.



I'll provide some basic information and leave the rest to your searches. First and foremost, it doesn't sound like you've ever visited Conway/Myrtle Beach. My advice would be for you to schedule a 2 week exploration trip, find a good realtor before you come and spend the entire time exploring Conway and the entire Grand Strand. An agent can give you the low-down on everything and point you in the right direction. You have to explore an area before deciding to move there.



Given that advice, I'll offer these additional tidbits...
Conway is a nice small town with certain areas that are to be avoided...just like any town/city. Overall, though, it's a nice place to live. However, with traffic, it's at least a 30-40 minute drive to the beach and even more on the weekends.



Go to realtor.com and search for houses to see prices and use the crime button to determine whether the house is in a high crime area. Utilities depend on lifestyle but electric for a 3 bedroom runs average $150/month, water/sewage $30 if you don't run the lawn sprinklers. Most houses are all electric although there are some neighborhoods that have natural gas. There are lots of shopping areas.



Cost of living depends on your lifestyle. How it compares to where you are now is hard to say. There are web sites that compare cost of living for different cities so you might be able to get a compare there. Weather is hot/humid from Memorial Day through Labor Day...to the point where you don't want to go outside unless you're at the beach. But the rest of the year is nice. Your enjoyment of life here is impossible to predict...some people love it here and others that move here can't wait to get out.



Perks: Beach, great spring/fall...mild winters, low taxes (compared to where I came from but maybe not compared to where you are now), friendly people, generally conservative politically (although to some this is a negative), no snow, family focused, year-round golf, convenient shopping/restaurants.

Cons: Summer tourists and associated traffic, heat/humidity, sometimes too laid back/slow, flat and not much scenic variety beyond the beach, bigger cities 2 hours away.


Given that I'm well past your age group, I can't comment on the dating scene. My sons lived with us for awhile and my impression from them was that the area is not a hot bed for dating. We found it pretty easy to make new friends but it depends on how outgoing you are and how much effort you want to put forth to find people you enjoy being with. Joining a community organization (church, non-profit, etc) certainly helps.



Unless you have a skill for which there's a shortage, successfully applying for and landing a job from a distance is very difficult. Most people I know who are working were not able to land a job until they had a local address. On the other hand, I certainly would not move here without a job unless you work in a tourist related industry. Good paying jobs are in short supply.



Hope this helps. I highly encourage a visit to explore before making any life changing decisions.

Thank you, this is extremely helpful. I've seen other areas- Greenville, Columbia, Beaufort, Charleston. Do you suggest those over the conway area for a young 30 year old?

[CTyankee54]

Greenville, Columbia and Charleston definitely would have more to offer a 30 year old. However, your original post indicated that beach life was important to you. Greenville is 4 hours from the beach and Columbia is 2.5 hours. Charleston is close to the ocean but when we looked there, traffic was horrible and would make getting to the beach a chore so we opted for MB instead.



Beaufort is probably more like MB relative to having more retirees than young people.

[SkyNSea55]

At your age, the Charleston area would give you the lifestyle you would probably enjoy near the beach. You can live closer in towards the beaches and not experience heavy traffic. Our son is 35 and lives in Mount Pleasant. He can be to the beach in 10 minutes. Also check out James Island and West Ashley. But of course, much depends on where you will be working.
In the Charleston area, traffic can be heavy getting to work if you do not live close by.

[blueherons]

I would not move to Conway South Carolina. Myrtle Beach, yes, Conway, no.

[SmallTownJerseyBoy]

While there are some nice newer neighborhoods in Conway, and its share of transplants, Conway has a locals vs transplants attitude. They won't treat you any different, but you'll always be an outsider. Loris is the same way.

I'm 31, and the dating scene is alive, but remember, it's a very transient area. You can go to bars and clubs, but most people will be here on vacation.

[cb at sea]

You will need some form of heat in the winter....SC is in the "south", but it still has "seasons"!