cmokhtar

desirable locations are numerous. it mainly depends upon your lifestyle. if you are a yuppie, buppie or whatever the current slogan is, west ashley, downtown or mount pleasant are good choices. the cost of living is lower than mn. you can get a reasonable 3 bedroom, 2 bath house (12-1500 square feet) for under 180k. if you like a mixture of country and city, check out cities like goose creek, summerville, and georgetown. the more upscale and expensive houses (500,000 k) are on the islands: seabrook, isle of palms, james island. water is everywhere: rivers, ocean, and creeks. most people are natives. the older professional population tends to be transports: ex-military, job transferees, retired northerners, college gradates. this is not a culturally diverse or multi-national community. the selection of non-traditional restaurants is limited. if you have children i would think about private school. mount pleasant has the best school system. crime is low. it is a nice community to raise kids (given the caveat above) and retire. there are several hospitals: musc, st frances/roper, and trident to name a few. charleston is a good second chance spot. hope this helps.