09
Jun,2021If you’re moving from the Northeast to Greenville, congratulations! You are about to discover the many benefits of living in South Carolina. If you have any lingering doubts about making the move south, the city and its people are about to eliminate them.
For people who move from the Northeast to Greenville, certain differences become readily apparent. Yes, you are no longer a drive (or train) away from Boston and New York. But there’s plenty to make up for it, giving people plenty of reasons to be happy they moved to Greenville.
Once you settle into your new home in Greenville, you will start noticing some big differences from your former life in the Northeast. They include the following.
Until you experience it, it’s difficult to describe how warm and mild the weather is in Greenville (and really all of South Carolina). The average high in the hottest month, July, hits 90 degrees, less than 10 degrees hotter than the average July temperature in Boston (82). But in winter? Greenville averages a high of 53 in January. In Boston, that number is 37. That’s what we mean by mild.
Also, winters don’t feature the snow and sleet you see in the Northeast. In Greenville, you’ll have shorts and a T-shirt on again by late March, if not sooner.
Every month, AAA updates a list of the price-per-gallon of different types of gasoline by state. To offer an idea of the differences, in June 2021 a gallon of regular in South Carolina cost $2.80. Here are the prices for the six states of New England at that same time.
That adds up quickly. And for those living in Greenville, it makes road trips to the mountains and the beach that much cheaper.
Housing costs in Greenville are considerably lower than in the Northeast. You more than likely realized this before you moved, but it’s that much better when you start to feel it in your pocketbook over time. Or, to look at it another way, you get a lot more house for much less money. For example, NerdWallet reports that housing costs in Greenville are 36% lower than in Hartford, Conn.; 43% lower than Providence, R.I.’ and a whopping 66% lower than in Boston.
You also have a ton of great neighborhoods in Greenville. They include Botany Woods, Augusta Road, North Main, The Cliffs, Overbrook, Claremont, and Gower Estates.
You’ve probably seen references to barbecue in South Carolina and thought it can’t be that big of a deal. It is. Natives consider South Carolina home to the original barbecue and the four sauces it requires: mustard, heavy tomato, light tomato, and vinegar. Few places can compare, and none in the Northeast. Greenville is full of great barbecue places, including the famous Henry’s Smokehouse and Bucky’s Bar-B-Q.
When you move to Greenville, you’ll notice all of the above. But while you can get the following things in the Northeast, Greenville has a flavor all its own.
Of course, there are outdoor activities everywhere, but Greenville offers more than most places and the weather to enjoy them almost all year round.
Within the city, Falls Park offers a ton of activities, especially for kids. The Swamp Rabbit Trail has more than 20 miles of paved trails for walking, jogging, skating, and biking. Paris State Park offers nature trails around Lake Placid. J. Verne Smith Park has Lake Robinson and spectacular mountain views.
Speaking of the mountains, they are not that far out of town. A short drive takes you to the gorgeous waterfalls and pristine forest of the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area. Around Greenville, you can find opportunities to camp, all views. In the areas in and around Greenville, you will find camping, canoeing, kayaking, golf, hiking, ziplining, and whitewater rafting, among other options.
These five areas rank among the first you will notice when you move from the Northeast to Greenville, South Carolina. They make life in the city that much more pleasant. They also make northeasterners feel very smart about moving there.