Hey, CHS. Katie here. 👋 It’s no surprise that Charleston is a great place to live. There are plenty of people who grew up here + have lived here for most of their lives, and then there are also lots of people living here like myself, who moved here from another city, or like Vagney, who moved here from a different state.

Today, we want to talk to the Charleston newbies – what brought you to the Lowcountry? Was it to be closer to family, the housing market, the proximity to the ocean, or something totally different? We want to hear from you + highlight all of the awesome things that make our city such a great place to live.

Question

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#Answered:

Here’s just some what some of you said:

“Love being near the water!” -Amy P.

“The captivating smiles of the southerners brought me here.” -Diana

“[From] Chicago, IL. We moved for so many reasons that make this town great - weather, the ocean, housing, schools, lifestyle.” -Tracy C.

“I moved from Long Island, NeW York and my husband retired and wanted to be closer to family who moved down here years ago. I love the weather, the culture, the restaurants and of course the beaches. There is so much to do and I’m thankful everyday that we live in such a beautiful place!” -Helen S.

“From Buffalo NY. I became disabled and my mom lives here so I came to live here temporarily but loved Charleston so much I never left.” -Jan T.

“I moved here from Phoenix Arizona. My daughter attended CofC and we fell in love with the city.” -Linda F.

“We moved from South Africa and we moved here because of golf courses, surf, art, history and sunshine.” -Linda W.

“Not a newbie, but when I moved to CHS a few years ago, it was after a bad breakup. I later found the love of my life at CHS and married him at the lovely aquarium with the Ravenel Bridge behind us.” -Mari S.

“[From] New Hampshire - I'm too old to be cold and you don't have to shovel hot!” -Debbie N.

“Not quite a newbie (11 years now) but a transplant. My husband retired from the Marine Corps, and after a stint in CA he went to Iraq. I hated it, always worried, bombs going off, and alarms, when we had a minute to talk on the phone. Anyway, one of his military friends contacted him, thinking he'd be perfect for a job in Charleston. Me? I said "whatever gets you out of Iraq". And here we are. The longest we've lived anywhere in our 40 years of marriage. And I think this is it. I fell in love immediately, scenery, sunsets, water, food scene, etc… We recently built a large family home on tidal marsh and love it. My husband hated the mosquitoes and humidity, and while not a fan of humid weather (some bad hair days) - I tell my friends, it's great for the skin… my wine trips to CA are great, but I do look forward to leaving that dry air....” -Annie O.

“[From] NJ- the charm and history of the area, how nice everyone is in Charleston , the beauty of the lowlands, close proximity to the ocean and being 15 minutes from the airport.” -Richard H.

“[From] Colorado! Beautiful, sunny, mountains.. what else could you ask for? Easy: Charleston!! We moved for a new job. We’d never considered Charleston for even a vacation, let alone “home”. It was a huge risk, a leap of faith really. Moving just two weeks before the COVID explosion, we have been in love with our decision and capitalized on every free moment to explore all it has to offer. From the water access, uninhabited islands, trails, excellent weather, crazy-kind and welcoming people.. to the excellent culinary scene, deep history throughout, and stunning plantations. 10/10 would do it again!” -Kelsey W.

“We recently moved from Chicago to Charleston to slowwwww down and remove ourselves from -25 below degree winters! We felt the weather had so much control over what we did and when that it became all we focused on. We visited Folly seven years ago and thought about an investment property until my whole family moved down here the same time we did! Now we’re planting our roots in the South and couldn’t be happier!” -Taylor I.

“[From] Virginia. I wanted the ocean everywhere, the warmth, and everything close to get to without being a city filled with skyscrapers. The beauty of the houses downtown and the cobblestone streets with flower boxes everywhere doesn't hurt either.” -Lydia B.

“I visited CHS for the first time in 2009 and felt an immediate connection I couldn't explain at the time. Moved to this amazing city in 2012 for a short time and fell in love...the people, the history, the weather, the beach, the scent of the plough mud, just everything. Found out recently with DNA testing that I have ancestors that lived in the Lowcountry as well as TN and WV. I will be returning within the next 3-4 years to live permanently and I can't wait. It's home.” -Stacy S.

“Married a Charlestonian.❤️” -Gail T.

“I had conducted business in Charleston since 1984 and was always awe struck by the peace, grace, and hospitality of the Lowcountry. In 2015, my three grown sons were in Atlanta, with his firm being in Mount Pleasant, in Boone, and my youngest was just stationed at Camp Lejeune. Suddenly, Charleston called me to move. We had previously professionally lived all over our great country and now when I travel I crave to return home.” -Tom M.

“[From] Hawaii. Beautiful architecture, history and a booming economy.” -R. L.

“[From] Pittsburgh suburbs. We wanted to walk everywhere, have the best restaurants as our walking destination, and do it in pretty extraordinary weather. So happy to be here.” -Nancy S.

“I lived on my boat in Wrightsville Beach, NC, but moved to the Florida Keys. My boat was being delivered to Florida, but it broke down near Charleston, so I just decided to move here instead of the Keys.” -Charlotte C.

“We are French living in the US since 2006 and we moved to Charleston from Seattle, WA 1 year ago. We love the history, the small city feel and frankly it is cheaper to live here than in Seattle. No regret at all even if it’s the first time in my life that I am not expecting summer to come because of the hot weather and humidity! We hope to be able to take advantage of all the restaurants after Covid....” -Valérie F

“[From] Botswana, Africa. I am a U.S. citizen but have never lived in the U.S. so I decided to move to the U.S. to learn more about the country I hold a passport to. I was able to transfer within the company to get here. I LOVE CHARLESTON! So happy I made the choice!” -Jessica B.