UK to South Carolina

[T and M 1]

Hi, I live in Myrtle Beach. I'm finding it really strange here - it was ok to visit but to live I'm not sure about it. There are no real jobs except wait staff and hotel staff and the last time I was a waitress I was 16. Also, Charleston office is really slow. We sent the adjustment of status paperwork in November and we are still waiting. I have been for biometrics but not for the interview yet.

Myrtle Beach? That's barely ok to visit! Please move! Columbia, nice. Greenville, nice. Charleston, uber-nice.

You are in a low-scale resort town! Of course it is all about wait staff and hotel staff! Myrtle Beach is where people go for tattoos and airbrushed t-shirts.

Sorry about the fierce reaction, but as a native Georgian, I can't imagine living in Myrtle Beach. I love South Carolina, though. Especially Charleston. But prefer Savannah, Georgia, of course, 90 miles down the road.

I can't see how an Englishman could feel out of place in Savannah. It feels like Notting Hill or South Kensington. But more beautiful.

Culturally, many differences, the biggest is no public transport in the South. And of course religion and politics which couldn't be further from London. As a Southerner in the UK, I find the place completely strange. Like the Simpsons when everything is just slightly off. 2 years here, and I still feel "slightly off." Leaving soon. Can't wait to go somewhere completely different or just back home. Brits will probably feel about the same "over there."

[william_wallace 8]

Hi, I live in Myrtle Beach. I'm finding it really strange here - it was ok to visit but to live I'm not sure about it. There are no real jobs except wait staff and hotel staff and the last time I was a waitress I was 16. Also, Charleston office is really slow. We sent the adjustment of status paperwork in November and we are still waiting. I have been for biometrics but not for the interview yet.

Myrtle Beach? That's barely ok to visit! Please move! Columbia, nice. Greenville, nice. Charleston, uber-nice.

You are in a low-scale resort town! Of course it is all about wait staff and hotel staff! Myrtle Beach is where people go for tattoos and airbrushed t-shirts.

Sorry about the fierce reaction, but as a native Georgian, I can't imagine living in Myrtle Beach. I love South Carolina, though. Especially Charleston. But prefer Savannah, Georgia, of course, 90 miles down the road.

I can't see how an Englishman could feel out of place in Savannah. It feels like Notting Hill or South Kensington. But more beautiful.

Culturally, many differences, the biggest is no public transport in the South. And of course religion and politics which couldn't be further from London. As a Southerner in the UK, I find the place completely strange. Like the Simpsons when everything is just slightly off. 2 years here, and I still feel "slightly off." Leaving soon. Can't wait to go somewhere completely different or just back home. Brits will probably feel about the same "over there."

My fiance was born in SC. She has lived in other States. She has pointed out there is plus and minus points in South Carolina. Sumter she says is a terrible place to go but Charleston itself has alot of history and culture. She's only been back to SC after living 12 years in Philly. She does see a difference from when she left. The 1 thing she has pointed out that you could live in a really nice area and round the corner there trailor parks lol. Still, im looking forward to it and im sure it will be a culture shock as i live in a very remote part in the Highlands of Scotland.

[SnowyTater 0]

Oh dear you're in the Highlands...I wonder how thick your accent is. You're doomed xD

Lots of Scots down in the south though, historically or ancestrally or whatever. You might be nagged into the Highland festivals that take place yearly in lots of places around here

As for the Griffin in Charleston, I'm pretty sure I've passed it and know what you're talking about. Is it a pub on Broad street with big wooden tables and wooden bar and everything?...I've actually always thought it looked very nice and like a 'man's man' bar, not stuck up at all. I've actually wanted to go there a few times but I never have anyone to go out with. But yeh if that's the same one it's still there and I reckon it is english though I don't know if they have any of the traditional english pub food or imported beers or anything.

There is a lot more religion down here, you'd better be ready for that. Lots of baptist churches every quarter mile with sometimes obnoxious signs telling you how you're going to burn in hell. But I don't think it's a big obstacle, you can assume most people you bump into are religious but it doesn't like run their lives or anything.

Myrtle Beach does suck but I've heard the suburban areas around it are actually pretty nice. Maybe you should look into those?

and finally...

I cannot begin to tell you how much Cracker Barrel SUCKS and isn't like southern food at all, what's wrong with you all My goodness.

[Dawny&Tommy 0]

SC here I come too!

My daughter and I move to SC on June 24th Not looking forward to the heat/humidity but so so excited

Anderson is where we'll be moving to, it's where Tommy is.

Dawn.

[SnowyTater 0]

Yeh...

..there ain't nothing in Anderson xD

[T and M 1]

Oh dear you're in the Highlands...I wonder how thick your accent is. You're doomed xD

Lots of Scots down in the south though, historically or ancestrally or whatever. You might be nagged into the Highland festivals that take place yearly in lots of places around here

As for the Griffin in Charleston, I'm pretty sure I've passed it and know what you're talking about. Is it a pub on Broad street with big wooden tables and wooden bar and everything?...I've actually always thought it looked very nice and like a 'man's man' bar, not stuck up at all. I've actually wanted to go there a few times but I never have anyone to go out with. But yeh if that's the same one it's still there and I reckon it is english though I don't know if they have any of the traditional english pub food or imported beers or anything.

There is a lot more religion down here, you'd better be ready for that. Lots of baptist churches every quarter mile with sometimes obnoxious signs telling you how you're going to burn in hell. But I don't think it's a big obstacle, you can assume most people you bump into are religious but it doesn't like run their lives or anything.

Myrtle Beach does suck but I've heard the suburban areas around it are actually pretty nice. Maybe you should look into those?

and finally...

I cannot begin to tell you how much Cracker Barrel SUCKS and isn't like southern food at all, what's wrong with you all My goodness.

Suburban Myrtle Beach might be nice. Don't know anything about it. Just know about the mass of Yankee tourists it attracts that we always made fun of growing up. (Apologies to my northern compatriots.)

Agree completely re: Cracker Barrel. It's not HORRIBLE, but saying it has good Southern food is like saying a Wetherspoon's pub has good fish and chips!!!

If you want good Southern food, just go to the biggest Baptist Church in town on Sundays and follow all the people in their "Sunday bests." You will be led to the best little Southern food establishments known to man. Just thinking of it makes me teary-eyed. Creamed corn, creamed potatoes, fried chicken, green beans (cooked in fatback of course), biscuits and gravy.... waekfjasdlgahsdlfk.... :dancing: :dancing:

[ginger1981 0]

Oh dear you're in the Highlands...I wonder how thick your accent is. You're doomed xD

Lots of Scots down in the south though, historically or ancestrally or whatever. You might be nagged into the Highland festivals that take place yearly in lots of places around here

As for the Griffin in Charleston, I'm pretty sure I've passed it and know what you're talking about. Is it a pub on Broad street with big wooden tables and wooden bar and everything?...I've actually always thought it looked very nice and like a 'man's man' bar, not stuck up at all. I've actually wanted to go there a few times but I never have anyone to go out with. But yeh if that's the same one it's still there and I reckon it is english though I don't know if they have any of the traditional english pub food or imported beers or anything.

There is a lot more religion down here, you'd better be ready for that. Lots of baptist churches every quarter mile with sometimes obnoxious signs telling you how you're going to burn in hell. But I don't think it's a big obstacle, you can assume most people you bump into are religious but it doesn't like run their lives or anything.

Myrtle Beach does suck but I've heard the suburban areas around it are actually pretty nice. Maybe you should look into those?

and finally...

I cannot begin to tell you how much Cracker Barrel SUCKS and isn't like southern food at all, what's wrong with you all My goodness.

Suburban Myrtle Beach might be nice. Don't know anything about it. Just know about the mass of Yankee tourists it attracts that we always made fun of growing up. (Apologies to my northern compatriots.)

Agree completely re: Cracker Barrel. It's not HORRIBLE, but saying it has good Southern food is like saying a Wetherspoon's pub has good fish and chips!!!

If you want good Southern food, just go to the biggest Baptist Church in town on Sundays and follow all the people in their "Sunday bests." You will be led to the best little Southern food establishments known to man. Just thinking of it makes me teary-eyed. Creamed corn, creamed potatoes, fried chicken, green beans (cooked in fatback of course), biscuits and gravy.... waekfjasdlgahsdlfk.... :dancing: :dancing:

How about a good fish fry? I know my southern relatives in north Texas do those well...nothing like hot fried catfish!

[SnowyTater 0]

Omg Thomas, yes, THE reason I went to church so many years when I was little (I figured out the taste was worth the evil even then) was for those potluck sunday dinners from all those old people Oh...oh oh oh. Hopefully everyone moving around here has a good family basis to go eat all the food of on Thanksgiving and Easter and whatnot. Everyone's in for it

I think we do fried fish pretty good too...I'm not a seafood person at all though so I can't say. All you fish and chippers should maybe try our fish camps when you get over here Iain was horrified at the idea but I think they're awesome. Partitioned penitentiary plates, big hunks of deep fried and battered fish, chips, slaw, or whatever southern sides you want probably (in the state where mac and cheese is found under the vegetable section ), and of course the very best thing about fish camps is the hushpuppies Mmmmm.

If ya'l are all tea drinkers you have to see how you like iced sweet tea too...it took Iain awhile to get used to it but now he drinks tons of it. But I think every town is going to have it's great southern food place to go to, just it's not going to be a chain and you have to find out by reputation where you're meant to go...like in my hometown it's Wade's, which was started in like the 50's by one little old lady for her husband so he didn't have to eat cold lunches at work, and then the other men wanted in on the cooking, and it grew and grew So cute. And also can't ignore the slightly different also awesome black/cajun/whatever cooking you'll find too. To be honest I'd think they probably do the fish fries and things like sweet potato pie better than the regular southern places.

[T and M 1]

Good point re: fish fries.

To find the best fried fish in town you:

1. Follow the Church-going crowd in their Sunday bests to the best little Southern food establishment in town (often times its on the main square, but not always...it's really impossible to know. You just have to follow or ask).

2. Go back to the same place on Friday, and pick up all the fried catfish you can eat. Usually fried up on the bone, whole fish. Fridays are traditionally fish fries in the South.

Also ditto re: sweet tea. It's a nectar from the gods.

Re: The Griffon in Charleston...does Broad Street road east to west on the penninsula? If so, that might be it. Kind of a side street. Across from a parking lot if I recall. [Checking the internet.....] HERE IT IS!!!!!! DEFINITELY ENGLISH PUB. WOO HOO. VICTORY IS MINE!!!!!!!!!!!! And it looks like they even have bluegrass on Saturday nights. If that's doesn't bring homesick tears to my eyes, I don't know what.....

http://www.igougo.com/entertainment-review...he_Griffon.html

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ie=UTF8&...px0fYw&cd=1

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ie=UTF-8&amp...=1&ct=image

[SnowyTater 0]

Oh it's right at Waterfront Park? o_O Wow I have to say I have no idea where/what this place is, doesn't ring a bell...there's a couple hotels and a barber's and really schmancy restaurants just there. Bet it blends in with one of the schmancy restaurants.

I never get to go out

[Dawny&Tommy 0]

Yeh...

..there ain't nothing in Anderson xD

My man is there, I think that's plenty, but thanks for the encouragement

Dawn.

[william_wallace 8]

I do believe North Charleston is a bit of a no go area. Apparently it was in the top 10 of most dangerous areas in the USA. Maybe someone else knows more on the matter.

[SnowyTater 0]

All of South Carolina is a no go area.

Driving from Columbia to downtown Charleston at night can be a bit terrifying. The road's usually abandoned, there's very few exits to stop at for gas, you start seeing a lot of deer and getting scared they're gonna jump out in front of you and you'll hit them and die and no one will find you for hours, or someone will come out of the woodwork with a pitchfork and a hungry look. Kind of Texas Chain Saw Massacrey.

The crime is pretty bad too, I think much worse than upstate SC....I don't know. It doesn't seem like a big deal to me, I mean it doesn't personally affect my life as crappy as that sounds. Most people in downtown won't walk around at night by themselves but I do it all the time. I've never really had much contact with N. Charleston but it is meant to be worse.

Unfortunately I think if you're from the UK you're probably in for a little culture shock no matter where you go in the US. Just because of the gun thing if nothing else. (well I don't know, maybe isn't London kind of bad, too, or Glasgow or Manchester or something?). But yeh our household at least is one of those where you have a gun for 'just in case' stuff though that doesn't really make sense, and then there's my dad's hunting guns, and then my mom keeps a gun in her car because she goes hiking a lot and bad things happen to hikers. First time Iain saw one around he seemed properly freaked out for awhile.

[william_wallace 8]

All of South Carolina is a no go area.

Driving from Columbia to downtown Charleston at night can be a bit terrifying. The road's usually abandoned, there's very few exits to stop at for gas, you start seeing a lot of deer and getting scared they're gonna jump out in front of you and you'll hit them and die and no one will find you for hours, or someone will come out of the woodwork with a pitchfork and a hungry look. Kind of Texas Chain Saw Massacrey.

The crime is pretty bad too, I think much worse than upstate SC....I don't know. It doesn't seem like a big deal to me, I mean it doesn't personally affect my life as crappy as that sounds. Most people in downtown won't walk around at night by themselves but I do it all the time. I've never really had much contact with N. Charleston but it is meant to be worse.

Unfortunately I think if you're from the UK you're probably in for a little culture shock no matter where you go in the US. Just because of the gun thing if nothing else. (well I don't know, maybe isn't London kind of bad, too, or Glasgow or Manchester or something?). But yeh our household at least is one of those where you have a gun for 'just in case' stuff though that doesn't really make sense, and then there's my dad's hunting guns, and then my mom keeps a gun in her car because she goes hiking a lot and bad things happen to hikers. First time Iain saw one around he seemed properly freaked out for awhile.

I'm sure it will be a culture shock. It was when i was in Lousiana for 4 months in 2005. The street i lived in there was 3 murders in 1 month. I seen so many guns in that time and i was shocked. It was a scary experience, specially when you get the police rapping on your door telling you to turn the lights out and dont leave the house. Some loony shot 2 women in the head right across the street from where i lived. I couldnt believe what i was seeing. This stuff i only seen on UK tv. One thing i wont be doing when im there is not venturing to far at night. I did it once in the USA and i would never want to go through that experience much.

[T and M 1]

All of South Carolina is a no go area.

Driving from Columbia to downtown Charleston at night can be a bit terrifying. The road's usually abandoned, there's very few exits to stop at for gas, you start seeing a lot of deer and getting scared they're gonna jump out in front of you and you'll hit them and die and no one will find you for hours, or someone will come out of the woodwork with a pitchfork and a hungry look. Kind of Texas Chain Saw Massacrey.

The crime is pretty bad too, I think much worse than upstate SC....I don't know. It doesn't seem like a big deal to me, I mean it doesn't personally affect my life as crappy as that sounds. Most people in downtown won't walk around at night by themselves but I do it all the time. I've never really had much contact with N. Charleston but it is meant to be worse.

Unfortunately I think if you're from the UK you're probably in for a little culture shock no matter where you go in the US. Just because of the gun thing if nothing else. (well I don't know, maybe isn't London kind of bad, too, or Glasgow or Manchester or something?). But yeh our household at least is one of those where you have a gun for 'just in case' stuff though that doesn't really make sense, and then there's my dad's hunting guns, and then my mom keeps a gun in her car because she goes hiking a lot and bad things happen to hikers. First time Iain saw one around he seemed properly freaked out for awhile.

Waterfront Park. That rings a bell...but yes, the Griffon is very much tucked in and hidden. But it's a must see for a Brit in Charleston. When I used to go I knew very little about the UK....but it seemed pretty English to me at the time.

I used to live in North Charleston. But I also lived on the Old Kent Road near Elephant and Castle in London. Both are pretty much considered "no-go" areas, and have the same vibe...drug dealers and a lot of poverty. You'd have to be an idiot to carry your laptop around after midnight in either area. But I lived there for a few months and lots of my friends at the University of Charleston (The College of Knowledge, love it) used to live there, due to the cheaper monthly rents. Basically they used to say that anywhere north of Calhoun Street was dangerous. I lived near Cannon Street. It was exciting, to say the least!

Oh, by the way, if you are a night owl, the Hardees on Cannon Street used to start serving biscuits at 4am. Heaven on earth.