Fort Mill vs Union County NC--any thoughts? (Rock Hill, Tega Cay: transplants, new home)

[jessica0927]

Hi everyone.

Our trip to NC/SC is fast approaching. We plan to spend time in Ft Mill and Union county NC. I know this is a SC forum but since the areas are so close to each other... I was wondering if anyone has any thoughts on the 2 areas. Schools are very important. We also would like to be within 30 minutes of the airport. There are so many communities to see and we don't have much time to spend there. We want to make the most of our stay. Any ideas? Any thoughts on Union county? I know Ft Mill gets rave reviews? Are there a lot of stores nearby these areas or are they more rural? I would love to hear the pros and cons of both areas. Can't wait to see your wonderful part of the country.

[lovethecarolinas]

Originally Posted by jessica0927

Hi everyone.

Our trip to NC/SC is fast approaching. We plan to spend time in Ft Mill and Union county NC. I know this is a SC forum but since the areas are so close to each other... I was wondering if anyone has any thoughts on the 2 areas. Schools are very important. We also would like to be within 30 minutes of the airport. There are so many communities to see and we don't have much time to spend there. We want to make the most of our stay. Any ideas? Any thoughts on Union county? I know Ft Mill gets rave reviews? Are there a lot of stores nearby these areas or are they more rural? I would love to hear the pros and cons of both areas. Can't wait to see your wonderful part of the country.

Fort Mill is small...if you are trying to compare it to all of Union County, NC. Union County covers quite a bit of ground...so it really depends on what part of Union County you are speaking of. To make a very general observation and statement...your quickest commute to the airport (CLT) will be far quicker from 95 percent of anywhere in Fort Mill versus...any part of Union County.

[groove1]

Originally Posted by lovethecarolinas

Fort Mill is small...if you are trying to compare it to all of Union County, NC. Union County covers quite a bit of ground...so it really depends on what part of Union County you are speaking of. To make a very general observation and statement...your quickest commute to the airport (CLT) will be far quicker from 95 percent of anywhere in Fort Mill versus...any part of Union County.

Yes, the only part of Union Cty you would be somewhat close to the airport would be in Marvin, and that is the very edge of Union.

[megassel]

There are lots of stores nearby in Fort Mill - it has easy access to Rock Hill and South Charlotte. Union County has easy access to south Charlotte mainly the Blakeney and Ballantyne areas. If you're talking about everyday needs - like grocery stores, cleaners, etc., you're going to be closer to what you need in Fort Mill, but there are plenty available in the major residential areas of Union County, too. On these boards, people seem to use "Union County" as a synonym for Marvin/Waxhaw/Weddington. Seems like they're not usually talking about Stallings, Indian Trail and Monroe, which are farther East. The latter tend to be more small town-like, with the former being more like collections of upscale residential developments and some retail and rural areas.

I think there are more stores and services in Fort Mill, but it may just be that I know the area better than I know the Union County areas. And I agree with lovethecarolinas and groove: Fort Mill is MUCH closer to the airport, in terms of drive time. It's also a much faster commute to uptown Charlotte.

Taxes are cheaper in SC, and word is that Union County taxes are going up to cover infrastructure needs. Heaven knows it's needed - phenomenal growth down there in the last 5 years.

What I like about Fort Mill and Tega Cay are that they feel like communities, with community activities and a sense of identity. When I drive through Union County it feels like one subdivision after another. Just my opinion - most of the posters who live in Marvin/Waxhaw/Weddington seem to LOVE their neighborhoods and they find themselves surrounded by other transplants, which makes it easy to make friends.

As with anything, YMMV. Good luck, and enjoy your search! This is one of the fun parts - getting to learn and explore what may be your new home!