Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston was founded in 1663 and has a rich history that stretches from the Colonial and Revolutionary periods through the US Civil War to the present. The city has a population of about 120,000, but the population of the Charleston-Summerville metropolitan area is over 650,000.
Like the other cities I am considering, Charles has a humid, subtropical climate, but being on the Atlantic coast its summer temperatures are about the lowest of my Top Ten. It is a picturesque city, with more historic and scenic attractions that most of the others I'm considering. You can find more details about Charleston in the Wikipedia article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charleston,_South_Carolina.
Advantages
In some ways the major advantage of Charleston is its slightly milder climate than most other cities in the Sun Belt -- particularly its cooler summers. It does have a major airport and reasonable air fares, but it is the farthest from San Diego, Phoenix, and Seattle of the feasible cities I am considering.
The market in Charleston seems ripe for a traditional Japanese dojo.
Coastal South Carolina is a golfer's paradise, also some of the nicest courses are either private or well out of my price range. There are ample opportunities for frequent and affordable golf outings!
There is no shortage of affordable housing in the Charleston area. However, many of those affordable homes are in areas subject to frequent flooding or hurricane damage, so the overall cost of housing (including insurance, storm repairs, and upkeep) is not the lowest of the cities I'm considering.
Disadvantages
Although Charleston has a convenient major airport, it is the farthest from my kids, grandkids, and other key family members of any of the U.S. locations I'm considering. This results in slightly higher travel costs, but significantly longer travel times.
Charleston is frequently struck by major hurricanes and sustains heavy damage every five years or so. This would put my collection of first edition books and family heirlooms at significantly higher risk than most other locations I'm considering.
Now, what are your thoughts about Charleston? Is moving there a good idea or a bad idea? What are your impressions of Charleston? If you know me, would you be more inclined or less inclined to visit me in Charleston than you would in Marion? Or the other locations I'm considering?
No comments:
Post a Comment