How bad is Aiken SC?
I live in Columbia, South Carolina; and I want to assure you that Aiken is definitely not one of the “smart little pockets of tolerance and creativity” that you sometimes find in the backwards South. It is like any other upstate South Carolina town: ignorant, petty, small-minded, intolerant, and full of Jesus freaks. I know that is harsh (I am still scarred from growing up in a South Carolina town like that), but better you hear the truth now than be disappointed later. I would go on to say that your Mom knows best where to move, and that she should make her own decision, but you asked what Aiken is like, so there is your answer: it sucks.
Aiken has an increasing number of of people moving there to get into the equestrian bidness. And polo’s especially becoming a big deal. It is thus what I like to call a “small town with stuff,” with grocery stores superior to what you’ll find in Augusta and great restaurants, a microbrewery and whatnot in a vital downtown (also with a kick-ass kitchen store, ice cream place, photo shop, men’s gifts, boutiques, antique shops, a city arts store, galleries, etc.) There are live oaks all over, my favorite sort of tree. There is a more than decent state college there (I live on the edge of Augusta, near its downtown, and can be in Aiken fairly quickly, faster than I get to the the main shopping areas of Augusta.) And I haven’t found people to be very snobby there, despite all the money around. It would be a great place to retire, I’d think, b
I live in Augusta and have been here for over 30 years, so I have some perspective on the matter. In no way would I characterize this area as progressive. The area is solidly Republican; in 2004 I saw more Kerry for president signs in Texas than I did around here. The local news media tends to be very conservative as well. Aiken tends to have a more country-club brand of conservatism associated with its many horse farms. I agree that Asheville is more of a progressive city. On the other hand, the area has definitely improved in the past 30 years; there seems to always be something to do related to arts and nightlife (which has not always been the case). As more people move to the area it tends to get more progressive, so I would love to see more people like your mother move down here. I assume she will visit the area to get a feel for it if she seriously considers moving here; if she flys she ought to come via the Columbia, SC airport which is reasonably close, has many more flights, a
Well, it’s not Charleston or Beaufort, but I can think of far worse places in South Carolina than Aiken. All those Cold War nuke scientists and engineers — and their families — turned out to be surprisingly culture-oriented, maybe as an outgrowth of having more formal education than was the historical norm for the surrounding area. It’s also historically horse country — there’s a Triple Crown event on a succession of spring weekends. The proximity to Augusta couldn’t hurt. Augusta to me was more of a working-class city but there’s some culture to be had out that way.
If you want an artsy, progressive Southern town, Asheville, NC, is pretty near the mark. Whether or not it would be appropriate for your mother’s retirement is another question. Whatever your mom decides to do, you and she (assuming she wants your opinion, which I suppose she does) should visit the place beforehand. This may be a little obvious, but she may find that Asheville is more to her taste even though she doesn’t know any one there. There may be all sorts of senior citizen resources there that, if she likes the town better than Aiken, would tip the balance. If she wants to escape tourists, though, Asheville isn’t necessarily the place. All of that said, South Carolina, particularly the interior vs the coast, is fairly miserable and depressing, but who knows? Maybe Aiken is a beacon of fun for older people. I think you should check it out with her, anyway.
