[eagle2250]

We are considering relocation to either Clinton or Newberry, South Carolina at the urging of family members. We are on the fence because we know very little of the areas in question, though we have checked them out on the Internet. I am hoping we have some in the AAAC membership who might have first hand knowledge (both good or bad) of these towns/areas that they would be willing to share with us. I thank you in advance.

 

[Peak and Pine]

.

 

[Charles Dana]

We are considering relocation to either Clinton or Newberry, South Carolina at the urging of family members. We are on the fence because we know very little of the areas in question, though we have checked them out on the Internet. I am hoping we have some in the AAAC membership who might have first hand knowledge (both good or bad) of these towns/areas that they would be willing to share with us. I thank you in advance.

Sorry, I have no first-hand knowledge of Clinton or Newberry. Just out of curiosity, I have to ask: What do your relatives—the ones who want you to relocate to either one of those places—have to say about them? Your family members would not have specified those two towns unless they knew something about them.

 

[Andy]

eagle2250:

How far are they from Ben Silver?

I'd check the weather (it won't be So. California, but might have less bugs and snakes than Florida).

 

[eagle2250]

Andy; Ben Silver is 171 miles from Clinton and 151 miles from Newberry, SC. The perfect distance for a nice day trip, eh?

Charles Dana; frankly the family members encouraging the move have very little direct knowledge of the towns, but they have made several sanctioned visits to Presbyterian College in Clinton and Newberry College in Newberry, both schools recruiting our Grandsons. Their parents have purchased a home in Newberry and are now campaigning for us to follow. My wife and I both grew up in small towns in the North and both of us enjoyed the lifestyle. Clinton claims a population of 8,000 and Newberry a population of 12000+, so they qualify as small towns. Harmony offered many characteristics of small town living, but the never ending influx of people moving to central Florida is rapidly changing this area into a community that doesn't remotely fit any reasonable definition of small town living. So we have been considering making a move within the next year or so. We would just be more comfortable knowing more about Clinton and Newberry. Thanks for asking.

 

[Big T]

You’re getting closer to good old Pennsyltucky, Eagle! DW wants a second home in southern NC. We know a few from our hometown that have moved to the Wilmington, NC area, but her thoughts are on the beach, around the Topsail area.

 

[Charles Dana]

Eagle, thank you for your response.

If I were a retiree contemplating a move to a small or smallish town, I’d ask myself, “Will I have easy access to excellent health care practitioners there? How far away from my new house will my primary care physician, the hospital, and various specialists be?”

Some retirees, after leaving the rat race, move to an area that they believe will be idyllic. And it generally is, until—as inevitably happens—they need to see a specialist…and then realize that they have exactly two specialists in the field to choose from…and each one is at least a 90-minute drive away.

So as you set about performing your due diligence, the first thing you should do is nail down how easy or difficult it would be to get your medical needs addressed in your new location. If you’re satisfied that there wouldn’t be any problems in that regard, you’re done with 98% of your research.

 

[Big T]

Eagle, thank you for your response.

If I were a retiree contemplating a move to a small or smallish town, I’d ask myself, “Will I have easy access to excellent health care practitioners there? How far away from my new house will my primary care physician, the hospital, and various specialists be?”

Some retirees, after leaving the rat race, move to an area that they believe will be idyllic. And it generally is, until—as inevitably happens—they need to see a specialist…and then realize that they have exactly two specialists in the field to choose from…and each one is at least a 90-minute drive away.

So as you set about performing your due diligence, the first thing you should do is nail down how easy or difficult it would be to get your medical needs addressed in your new location. If you’re satisfied that there wouldn’t be any problems in that regard, you’re done with 98% of your research.

Don’t you know us alpha males are invincible! We’ll live forever (and DW keeps reminding me of the inevitable).

 

[Oldsarge]

I have a friend who thinks that taxes are for other people to pay so he decided to move to Wyoming where the fishing and hunting are great and where they don't tax federal pensions. He did just what Charles suggested and discovered that the medical facilities in the town he wanted to relocate to shut down Friday evening and didn't open until Monday. So he decided to stay in California. Good thing, too, as he recently started feeling crumby and went to the doctor. He ended up in the hospital for four days with incipient congestive heart failure. He's doing a lot better now but I'll bet he is meditating upon the concept that medical care should be like the fire department, a community service!

 

[Peak and Pine]

Eagle, thank you for your response.

If I were a retiree contemplating a move to a small or smallish town, I’d ask myself, “Will I have easy access to excellent health care practitioners there? How far away from my new house will my primary care physician, the hospital, and various specialists be?”

Some retirees, after leaving the rat race, move to an area that they believe will be idyllic. And it generally is, until—as inevitably happens—they need to see a specialist…and then realize that they have exactly two specialists in the field to choose from…and each one is at least a 90-minute drive away.

So as you set about performing your due diligence, the first thing you should do is nail down how easy or difficult it would be to get your medical needs addressed in your new location. If you’re satisfied that there wouldn’t be any problems in that regard, you’re done with 98% of your research.

If I may, to add to the important considerations Charles has listed...

Make sure the local grocery offers motorized shopping carts, they're not just for fat asses, wheezers can use them too. And inquire if they have an aisle dedicated to soft, easy to chew food. Don't overlook Gerbers, which you can tell the checkout is for your grand kid. Make sure the new home has at least one wall mounted defibrillator plus windows that open easily for screaming to the neighbors for help. Check that the local police firstly exist, and that they have a unit to deal with home invaders who most commonly choose the over-60s as their prey. The lawn and garden center can sell you varmint poisoning which you can also use to deep six any neighborhood cat or dog for crapping all over your driveway, or just for the fun of it. Have MAGA lawn signs handy for immediately implanting come the fall, they'll get you horn beeps and thumbs up from passersby even if you may not be of that particular faith. Most importantly, keep the house well stocked with dried beans and canned comestibles, for use while living in the basement, either during hurricane season or for when Macron starts bombing, for we all know the French can't be trusted.

 

[Charles Dana]

If I may, to add to the important considerations Charles has listed...

Make sure the local grocery offers motorized shopping carts, they're not just for fat asses, wheezers can use them too. And inquire if they have an aisle dedicated to soft, easy to chew food. Don't overlook Gerbers, which you can tell the checkout is for your grand kid. Make sure the new home has at least one wall mounted defibrillator plus windows that open easily for screaming to the neighbors for help. Check that the local police firstly exist, and that they have a unit to deal with home invaders who most commonly choose the over-60s as their prey. The lawn and garden center can sell you varmint poisoning which you can also use to deep six any neighborhood cat or dog for crapping all over your driveway, or just for the fun of it. Have MAGA lawn signs handy for immediately implanting come the fall, they'll get you horn beeps and thumbs up from passersby even if you may not be of that particular faith. Most importantly, keep the house well stocked with dried beans and canned comestibles, for use while living in the basement, either during hurricane season or for when Macron starts bombing, for we all know the French can't be trusted.

More items for your “Things to do” list: Find out if the local hardware store has plenty of grab bars in stock, or if they will order them for you. Also see if the contractors in town have experience building wheelchair ramps. Contact the nearest employment office and ask if the locality has any trained home health care aides—licensed, bonded, and ready to go. Highly important: Does the local high school offer an adult education course that teaches enrollees how to use the latest TV remote controls?

 

[Cyril]

We are considering relocation to either Clinton or Newberry, South Carolina at the urging of family members. We are on the fence because we know very little of the areas in question, though we have checked them out on the Internet. I am hoping we have some in the AAAC membership who might have first hand knowledge (both good or bad) of these towns/areas that they would be willing to share with us. I thank you in advance.

I do not know the specific towns/county in question here. Where are you moving from? What types of situations and conditions do you seek?

I write this because I moved with my wife to the Upstate region of South Carolina from the North back in 2011.

Relocating to South Carolina can be good or bad depending on who you are and what your lifestyle and tastes are.

If you are a golfer or somebody who loves heat and hates cold, it may be a great move. If you are running a business and seek a better business climate than New Jersey, well this is a much better business climate.

To be perfectly honest, in my own case, I deeply regreted the move from the beginning. The Summers are horrible and last way too long. I love classical music and find the scene down here several rungs down from what I had back North. As a cyclist (bicycle) the roads here are dangerous, narrow and poorly maintained. And a large swath of most towns are at least to my own taste, scruffy and gritty.

Those are just my own thoughts. It really depends on who you are, what you like/dislike and what your style is.

 

[tailored ignorance]

Years ago, I frequently travelled I-26, which stretches from Charleston to the Appalachian Mountains, with Newberry located in the middle. The Newberry police officers operated a speed trap in their jurisdiction. It was the only speed trap I noticed on I-26. However, I was real happy to be offered help by the Newberry police when my car spun around on the ice under a bridge that crossed over I-26.

After many years, I once again travelled I-26. The bumper to bumper traffic was moving at 90mph. It was terrifying and the police could not control it. The next time I traveled I-26, I drove it at 4am intentionally to avoid death or worse. It truly was a pleasant, bucolic drive in the country.

As I recall, and it might be different now, but Clinton and Newberry appeared to be farming country. Where an automobile is a necessity and gas stations are few.

 

[Oldsarge]

Sounds like good country for a F-150 Lightning.