Our time in Charleston is coming to an end. We have lived in the Charleston area since 2018, and it is finally over. Our little family is moving to the Virginia Beach area over the summer!
The past few years here in the Charleston area have been amazing. Although there may have been some hiccups with life, and of course, COVID-19 threw a wrench in our adventures, the Charleston area has been a great place to live.
Are you thinking about moving to the Charleston area? You’re not alone! This area is drying so many new residents. So before we leave, I wanted to share some experiences about living in the Charleston area.
Where In Charleston?
Charleston is a huge region. In truth, most of the area that people (who don’t live here) refer to as “Charleston” is actually not Charleston. The greater area is more frequently called the low country by the locals.
Charleston, as in actual Charleston, is broken into West Ashley and Downtown. West Ashley is for people who want to live in Charleston, but don’t like to parallel park. That’s almost a joke but actually true. There are neighborhoods and driveways and houses. Downtown is more of the street parking territory, with the price tag to go along with the historic charm. The wealthy side is Daniel Island and Mount Pleasant (affectionately called Mount Plastic, because the residents are superficial).  These are very cookie cutter areas with high HOA prices. James Island is the “other side” of Charleston, and slightly eclectic, but very beautiful. 
Then as you work your way out of the heart of Charleston, you first have to come through North Charleston. Arguably NChas is just as segmented as Charleston! There are a lot of bad areas in North Charleston, but Park Circle is a hidden gem. We love Park Circle- there are breweries, coffee, shops, and a casual fun scene. 
Most of the transplants are coming to the Summerville area. Summerville is a huge, gerrymandered area with dozens of neighborhoods. This is where the beacon is being transmitted to for Ohio transplants (and other Northeasterners) to come up. Summerville has grown exponentially in the past ten years. Heck- it’s probably doubled since we moved here in 2018. Entire wooded areas wiped and replaced with full plazas. There are new gas stations, car washes, storage facilities, and apartment building being put up every single month.
But if you continue North, just slightly outside of the heart of Charleston, you’ll end up in the next big boom: Goose Creek and Moncks Corner. Don’t sleep on these areas. Although they’re still slightly rural, the expansion that hit Summerville will inevitably work its way up. Get in now and be there when it happens.
What’s the Weather Like in Charleston?
Living in a coastal region is a dream come true. For the most part, the hot days are tolerably hot and the cold days are tolerably cold. Although recently we’ve had some freezes at night, I’ve almost never wished I had an ice scraper in the morning. You will never need a true winter jacket, although some days it will be nice to have a light one on hand.
Summers are humid- don’t get me wrong. You will absolutely want access to a pool, or hit up the local splash pads. Take advantage of the Charleston Gold Pass for free parking whenever you go to the beach. Totally worth it, it pays for itself after a few visits.
How are the Beaches in Charleston
Truthfully this deserves its own blogpost, and there are plenty. So this will be concise.
Locals will have their own opinions of the best beach, so you’ll want to go to them all to pick your own favorite. Here are my quick reviews:
Folly Beach is a tourist trap. It’s basically a wannabe Myrtle Beach, with less amenities. Down by the lighthouse is great for photos and kite flying, but the water isn’t safe to swim there.
Isle of Palms is the iconic white sand beach, with plenty of restaurants. The showers and restrooms in the county park are the cleanest and most accessible.
Sullivan’s Island is the least touristy. Park by the elementary school for free, and walk in. Be sure to visit the little park and catch up on your favorite Edgar Allen Poe poems. Poe lived on Sullivan’s island for about a year, and there are tons of references to him hidden throughout.
Edisto is where we go when I want so see the turtle nests. Even though we’ve never been there at night, and seeing a turtle nest hatch is incredibly rare, I love going to take pictures with the nests. The sand is great here too.
Traffic in Charleston
When you move to South Carolina, there is a transplant fee to get your license and put your car on the road. Seriously- you have to pay a $250 fee just for moving there. Drivers also need to pay a car tax every year for a “tag”. This is a sticker we put on our back license plate.
Speaking of license places, cars only need one on the back. Some states require a front and back plate.
Car insurance is based on the average number of car accidents in the area, and South Carolina has one of the highest death tolls from car accidents. That being said- expect a car insurance increase.
And speaking of car accidents, a good rule of thumb is to map the directions to your job every single day. Even though you will know how to get there, there will be an accident at least once a week. This will either slow your commute, up to an hour, or you may have the opportunity to take a different route. 
Schools (Outside) of Charleston
Although we don’t have a lot of experience with the school system, since this is Sassy’s first year in public school… I have researched quite a bit in the mom groups. The realtors are going to keep pushing the fact that Dorchester 2 is the best school District in the area. I don’t get me wrong, it is one of the better school districts.
Compared to other states in the northeast, and on the West Coast, South Carolina is on the bottom. If you put academics as a forefront in your children’s lives, you will absolutely want to be supplementing academics at home.
Berkeley County has stepped up  their education lately, and is arguably at par with Dorchester 2.  but at the end of the day public school might not be best for your family.
There are multiple charter schools that are also available. These are free, but you have to apply and there is often a lottery program. Tour your school options early and get on the waiting list for the lottery.
If homeschooling isn’t an option, but you want top-notch education, the other last resort would be private school. There are a lot of Christian schools, and a handful of secular schools as well. Just be prepared to pay top dollar, as a lot of parents, choose private school because they are unhappy with the public schooling.
Overall, we have loved living in Charleston and we are going to be very sad to move. Onto new and big adventures!
