When moving to the Charleston area, you have the opportunity of choosing to live the southern charmed city life or a more peaceful out in the country suburban home. Both lifestyles offer its ups and downs. In Charleston, it is easy to have the best of both worlds despite which home setting you choose. But to help you decide where to begin your home search, I’ll lay out some general pros and cons for each.
City Living
Pros
- Active – you can walk everywhere, no car needed.
- Nightlife – enough said.
- Restaurants – not a chef or good with a stove? The city provides endless options for foodies and the unskilled in the kitchen.
- Shopping – again, enough said.
- Always something to do/try new things – being bored in the city is kind of impossible.
- Culture/diversity/hubs – let city life open your heart and mind to all people, lifestyles, and cultures. Grow your understanding and perspective.
- Proximity/response time – hospitals, public service: fire, EMS, etc., – many are walking distance for easy access.
- Community feel – being surrounded by people will help any introvert come out of their shell, even if only a bit.
Cons
- Money – rent, mortgage, cost of living – the city tends to be overpriced thanks to all of the pros listed above. Pays to have it all I guess?
- Eating Out vs Cooking – while you may live in foodie heaven, you could else end up living in “help me I’m poor” (to quote Bridesmaids) underworld.
- Urge to Shop – with countless stores up and down every street, the itch to ‘just look’ can be too much to bear.
- Smaller Homes/Apartments – how else can all those people live in one place?
- Crime Rate – more people equals more chances of disputes.
- No car/pay to keep car – if you choose not to own a car then you’d save money, but, if you do keep one in a city finding ways to park it could be an extra expense.
- Traffic – city traffic is some of the worst traffic next to Beyonce being in town.
Suburbia
Pros
- Neighborhood Community – suburbs typically have more families and kids, creating a more secure and familial sense of community than the high energized city. Life is a bit more slowed down for you to get to know your neighbors and create lasting bonds.
- Quiet – no police or ambulance sirens, yelling, bright lights, aka city noises. Just the crickets and stars.
- Schools – school systems tend to be better in more suburban areas.
- Privacy – no more elephant stomping or wondering what that smell is coming from next door.
- Sense of Home/Stability/Permanence – a house tends to provide the feeling that you are an adult and are working on your future. A house turns into a home, allowing you to revel in the sense that you have something stable.
- Safety/Potentially less crime – with less people living on top of each other the chance of violent crime lessens as well. Police stations may also have more time to respond in towns vs cities for many reasons; i.e. traffic, type/amount of crime, etc.
- Cheaper than City Living – with the money you can save you could afford to do more of the things you love, or simply a larger living space
Cons
- Mortgage – this can be a scary commitment for some people
- Distance from Friends or Work – maybe you moved out here for a better home life, but those commutes to city jobs or even friends now in different zip codes can be difficult
- Lack of Nightlife – you may have to travel farther from home to have nights out or try new activities
- Lack of Diversity and Culture – over time neighborhoods tend to attract the same groups of people which can push out people who may be different from you, but could add value to your life.
These points can all be adapted to any city or suburb. Once you’ve chosen a state or general area to live in, make sure you do research to uncover its unique qualities so you find the best place for you to live.
Whether you’re leaning towards stability in the suburbs or the wanderlust of city life here in the lowcountry, Rent Holy City can provide you with both. When searching for your next home, remember that renting is available for both lifestyles. If you’re saving up for a home near the best public schools but aren’t quite there yet, we can help you rent until you are ready to buy. Maybe you want to have the freedom to switch up where you live and be around more lively areas. No matter where or how you want to live, RHC is here to help you begin your journey.