I’m thinking of relocating to somewhere within a three hour radius of Tryon, preferably closer to the ocean. I am a trainer but I am also considering going back to a regular job in technology.
I would love some recommendations of a nice place to live with a nice restaurant scene and not too rural. I am not at all familiar with North Carolina. Could also be South Carolina. Thank you!
Welcome! There are so many great places in the Carolinas! If you look toward Charleston, you can locate toward Aiken which is lovely and a very vibrant horse community. Southern Pines as well, horse country is spread out, depending on what you are looking for. I am in Spartanburg County close to Greenville, Charlotte and Asheville. Charleston is 3 hours from me and Tryon is 20 minutes. The Savannah area is also lovely and within three hours. You can actually live in NC, SC, or GA and still be within three hours. It would depend on what interests you have.
Will you still be involved with horses?
Your budget and housing needs will greatly impact what area works best for you. Will you be looking to buy horse property? Rent an apartment and board a horse? Etc. For example, the cost of living in Savannah is much higher than in other areas already mentioned.
One place that doesn’t fit your “preferably near the ocean” criteria but is worth checking out is Knoxville, TN. I lived there for 5 years, and it’s a great place to be. Excellent restaurant and culture scene, strong job market thanks to the university and Oak Ridge, and beautiful scenery.
As others have mentioned, it all depends on what you want to do. Why do you want to live within a 3 hour radius of Tryon?? In NC, the three hr radius from Tryon and “closer to the ocean” and “a place with a nice restaurant scene” lands you close to me, in the Chapel Hill area/triangle area of NC. CH is a bit pricey and taxy, but if you have kids, those taxes pay for the best area schools. Kind of most places around here are getting pricey. You could look at Chatham county which has less taxes and some really fabulous horse communities (I keep my horse there). A dressage trainer moved to “my” neighborhood in Chatham about 3 years ago and built her nice barn and arena and is thriving. She trains and shows dressage (as do her students). It is about 30-60 minutes from multiple recognized shows. If you want to buy land, buy it sooner than later between Tryon and the coast because it is developing quickly. You can thank the COTH owner for purchasing and developing Tryon.
Closer to Tryon in the whole Charlotte area which is pretty diverse and has lots of “sububs” or in the city that you really might enjoy. Charlotte is a "proper"city with great food and culture.
Really, knowing what you want to do will help.
The triangle area would also be a good place to start looking if you are thinking of going back to work in technology.
Or Alpharetta, GA which is probably overtaking the Triangle in the tech sector. It’s a bit more than 3 hours, but you could live north of the city and improve your distance (it would also put you close to Aiken).
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