Posted to Ft. Jackson (Columbia, SC), need apt. w/ Garage

July 6, 2016 3:46 PM

Returning stateside from Korea, and being posted at Ft. Jackson, in Columbia, SC in December. So, I beseech you, O Great Hivemind - what parts of Columbia should I look at living in? Any recommendations on apartments or landlords? All the Army people I talk to go on about Sandhills northeast of the city, but I'm wondering if there's any other great places to live. Complication - I need to have parking for two vehicles, at least one of which is covered, preferably a garage. I have an older car that I'd like to keep out of the elements.

Details - I'll be moving there as O-1, with a housing allowance of about $1200. I'd prefer to not spend all of it on rent, though, and I'll be getting an extra $100 or so in a few months when I promote.

posted by Punkey to Home & Garden (6 answers total)

Hi, I just asked a friend in Columbia. She's a military wife. She says you should consider her area, it's called North East, she says it's right by Fort Jackson and less expensive than Sandhills. Her recommendation is that you stay on base for a while to get a feel for the area, she says that's what she and her husband always recommend for single people- which I'm assuming you are. You should be able to find somewhere to stash your car. I live in Savannah, about 2.5 hours away from Columbia and I see cars under tarps at storage facilities here a lot.

The weather in Columbia in winter is pretty mild, it rarely snows, so you won't have to worry too much about anything more than rain. Summer heat, now that's a whole other story, but by then you will have found a good place to live.

I work in South Carolina and have several friends who either live in or have lived in Columbia, if you have any more questions about stuff there feel free to mefi mail me.
posted by mareli at 5:21 PM on July 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Sandhills is kind of just to the northeast of what people call NE Columbia. There are some good and bad neighborhoods on that side of town, the Sandhills area is a lot of nicenew apartments and new big brick houses and a fancy village-style mixed use shopping mall. There's everything you need up there - Lowes, Publix, movie theater, etc - but its a bit farther from the entertainment district. Sandhills and NE both look convenient to the fort (I assume you can use any gate?).

Anyway, I have no military perspective, but if you can rattle off some more interests/priorities (house or apartment? family? want to be near nightlife? outdoors? what kind of drive is acceptable?), I can talk your ear off about Columbia, or you can feel free to memail me. We're looking forward to having you in any case!
posted by ftm at 5:29 PM on July 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm an SC native, but haven't lived in Columbia. I can concur the elements aren't much of a concern. I'm an hour or so away in Aiken, but Columbia's a great city with lots to offer for plenty of interests - outdoors, history, culture, shopping, entertainment, sports (Go Cocks!). The best part of being in the central part of the state is that you're only a couple hours away from the beach or the mountains, in either direction. Good luck!
posted by jhope71 at 5:57 PM on July 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Check with the area Public Storage (probably other brands of storage facility too) to see if any of them offer covered parking. I've lived near several places that had sort of fortified carport (enclosed up to the outer fence so there wasn't as much pollen/storm debris) full of classic cars, boats, and RVs. You can additionally put a cover over the car, but you want the roof for storms/hail/high winds.

You can usually go month-to-month there, so you can house the car while you figure out the rest of your options.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:27 PM on July 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Was told by a friend that lives by Columbia to take a look at the Shandon neighborhood and the surrounding areas. Took a look, and it's pretty attractive. Thoughts?
posted by Punkey at 8:29 AM on July 7, 2016

Best answer: Columbia is changing from a suburban-oriented commuter town to a slightly more urban-focused city; the pace has really picked up in the past 5-10 years. I prefer urban areas, so that's where I am. Really, though, greater Columbia is still so suburban and car-focused that as long as it's safe, it doesn't really matter which neighborhood you live in if you're looking in town. And for $1,200/mo (or much less), you will be more than safe.

I live in Shandon, and it's great for the most part, but it's pretty much like every downtown neighborhood near a park; in those areas, people are often out on their porches, walking their dogs, or exercising; and they are all close to the activities on Five Points, the Vista, and Main St. I don't pay anywhere near $1,200, and my main gripe is that Trader Joe's is 10 whole minutes away. (Sometimes it's more like 40 minutes, though, because the traffic on Forest Drive can be out of control.) Some in-town neighborhoods that are in your price range include Elmwood Park, Rosewood, Olympia, maybe Earlewood. Earlewood is more expensive and Olympia is "up and coming" -- meaning some apartments are nice, but others have holes in the middle of the porch and host meth labs. Also, you should look at Forest Acres. It's less urban, but it's a very convenient place to live in terms of shopping and places to meet with friends, and it's right next to (one side of) Fort Jackson. (Also that's where Trader Joe's is!) Also, I've only seen a little bit of Ft. Jackson, but as I understand it, it's pretty much a self-contained city in itself, with lots of transplants like yourself.

There's not much affordable housing in Five Points, the Vista, and Main St., but there's a lot to do. Apartments in Five Points tend to be noisy, small, and not particularly nice. Most of the 1-bedrooms in the Vista and on Main St are higher than your price range, but you might find deals. I'm a curmudgeon who prefers the kids off my lawn, so I don't love Five Points. Lots of college kids (it's not that bad now, but wait until August). There are a lot of bars and restaurants in the Vista, but there are also shops and apartments . Main Street is your pretty standard downtown professional work area 9-5, M-F; outside of that, it's pretty dull unless there's some kind of event. Luckily, there's almost always a special event on Main-- there's a market every weekend, first Thursdays, and often the museum or a shop or restaurant is holding some kind of event.

Whew, I wrote more than I thought I would! I'm kind of ranty about Columbia; I have a lot of mixed feelings. Life can be really comfortable here, but it's quieter than I'm used to. Feel free to MeMail - I'd be glad to send more details.
posted by lesli212 at 11:05 AM on July 7, 2016