Anyone have info on living in Aiken SC?

My parents, solid blue Democratics, are thinking of retiring to Aiken. They love the weather in SC, polo, gardening and golf, and they tell me Aiken has most of what they are seeking. I guess there are a number of retirement communities that are springing up there and they are going to go check it out during the "Triple Crown" season in March. They've driven through it only on the way to Hilton Head or Myrtle Beach and thought it was "quaint". My mother's also read some decorating book by two gay guys who thought Aiken was worth time and effort and so my parents decided to go exploring.

My fear though is that it's hard to get a grip on what a community is like in a three week visit. Anyone have any inside scoop on living in Aiken? I know retirement communities are entities to themselves since they are a hodgepodge of various people from across the US, but does anyone know what it's like to live there? Any Democrats at all or will they be totally isolated?

The University of SC at Aiken looks awfully tiny so I'm thinking the cultural life is probably pretty dry. How close is Aiken to Columbia? Reasonably accessible? They currently live in the Chicago suburbs and go into the city for theatre, dance, music etc. so an hour or so to cultural stuff wouldn't slay them.

They considered Charleston but are a bit turned off of living on the coastline after the hurricane disasters. They are thinking that anything within a weekend's drive to the ocean would be sufficient.

Any thoughts anyone?

Aiken is quaint. Politically, it's probably fairly conservative, being rural SC. However, contrary to popular belief, there are still Democrats left in the rural areas, though they tend to be conservative themselves. Aiken is slighty more educated than other rural areas, due to it's proximity to the Savannah River Nuclear Plant. Lots of plant technicians live in Aiken. It's is about an hour from Columbia and an hour and a half from Charleston, so cultural oppurtunities are available. In addition, Augusta, GA isn't very far, though I'm not sure if that counts as "culture."

As a 31 year old single guy, I wouldn't want to live in Aiken.
As a retiree, my opinion might change if I was looking for a small southern town to live in.

Only about 45 min from columbia but 15 min from Augusta, Georgia- the second largest city in Georgia.

It is very republican. It is not a typical small southern town because of the Savannah River Site complex. In the 1950s, the federal government built what is in land area the largest industrial complex in the country. Aiken population when it was announced was a couple of thousand. At its peak during the cold war, SRS employed I believe it was 8000. There are some decent restaurants and bars downtown. While it is no more republican than the rest of the state, it is much more cosmopolitan.

Southern Pines is big horse country and it is next door. Also, Pinehurst is relatively close to the Triangle area of Raliegh/Durham/Chapel Hill. Since you have NC State and the University of NC, the state capital and a large area of research facilities with an international workforce, there is a lot of cultural diversity and events of cultural interest. It is also more democratic than a lot of the surrounding southeast. And everybody knows about Pinehurst golf. It is a cute town and within easy drive of the coast. You also have a good airport in Raliegh. Having been to both towns a fair amount for horse shows, it just seems to me that Pinehurst has a lot more to offer within easy reach.

We go to a lot of horse shows in Aiken, but the only things I can tell you for sure are that they have crappy tack stores there and the Holiday Inn Express is in desperate need of remodeling. It is an attractive town, but tiny. Twenty minutes in any direction and you are in serious boonieville.

But I'll mention it.

They aren't super-active Dems but they always vote blue and my mom actually went with me and marched in the the big Chicago peace march before the Iraq War started. They live in Chicago now so they are pretty used to being surrounded by Dems. I have tried to give her some indication of what it might be like going to such a different political climate like SC but she seems to think it won't be a big deal.

My husband and I are involved in dressage and eventing. My parents don't ride but are active helpers at the shows we go to and they like to watch. They are also cognizant of the fact that if they have a few stalls and an acre or two in a competitive region, they will get us for extended visits over the winter months. We got to Florida to compete for the winter months right now but would consider elsewhere like Aiken if they were there (free housing and stabling is mighty persuasive).

Do you have a year round competition season in NC? Just curious....

And thanks for the feedback. I've been passing along everyone's thoughts and I'll be sure to tell her to consider a drive up to the Raleigh area as well. Since they aren't on a timetable, they can take the extra time I believe.

We show hunters and some dressage. Here the local dressage is not great. But they run a CDI/W in Raliegh in the Fall and I *think* the dressage community there is less bored housewives than we get here. We mostly show PSJ (Progressive Show Jumping) shows. They focus on NC, SC, GA and upstate FL. But to our left is Tryon, NC, which is HUGE eventer/hunt country and to our right is Southern Pines, which is also big eventer country. I am in the middle in Fort Mill, which is nothing country. But if you are into eventing, check out Southern Pines. It is sandhills country and perfect for all kinds of riding. I know they do some events on the property adjacent to the Pinehurts Harness track. I am not sure of the level, but sometimes it coincides with a hunter show we do there and it is a bitch to get a permanent stalls. If you don't order your stalls early, you get stuck in the tents.

I've lived in Aiken for 13 years, having moved here with my family from the Washington, DC area. It is not a "typical" Southern town and has a very active cultural/arts community with many more options than you'd expect. It has grown and continues to grow by leaps and bounds since we arrived, and a lot of that growth is from retirees. Aiken has an interesting history, having been a winter resort for wealthy Northerners around the turn of the last century, and there are beautiful "Winter Colony" mansion all through the downtown area. The two "gay guys" you mention live in one of them, and they are not decorators, but Pulitzer prizing-winning authors of the Jackson Pollock biography that was made into the award-winning Ed Harris film of a few years back. They also wrote an amusing book about moving here from NY to renovate their mansion called "On a Street Called Easy, in a Cottage Called Joye," which is probably the book your mom read.

Politically, Aiken is very conservative and Republican.(According to vote counts in the 2004 presidential election, Aiken would be the 5th most Republican county in the state.) But there are many Democrats and Independents here as well. I'm an officer in the local Democratic party & we are trying our best against tough odds. The good news is more and more Dems are coming out of the woodwork as things get worse in the country and state. The bad news is anyone but a staunch Christian conservative will always feel in the minority. Our local press is a joke, but The State newspaper in Columbia is pretty reasonable.

Check out www.Aiken.net, www.aikencenterforthearts.org, www.aikencommunityplayhouse.com, www.aiken.net/recreation, www.usca.edu/ec (Etherredge Center for the performing Arts), and www.easystreetmagazine.com (a local lifestyles magazine). If you or your parents have any more questions, I'd be happy to try and help.

Thanks for the information. I'm coming to Aiken March 14th and 15th to see what my parents are talking about. They're staying at the Carriage House Inn so I'll probably bunk in with them for those couple of days. Since they really want us to bring our horses there for the winter "season", I decided to come up from Ocala and check it out.

Do you know anything about the local horse scene? I was hoping to speak to people who really compete/train/keep horses. I would like to get a feel for the quality of the local vets, farriers, competitions, saddlers and all the rest which is hard to accomplish in a swishy tour of the downtown.

But anyway....

I'd be happy to meet up with any local DUers, and get the inside skinny on Aiken/SC politics since even when I am away from Chicago I am addicted! So, if you can get away for a quick coffee, email me at j61sampson@aol.com. For some reason I'm getting spotty cell service here at the farm I'm staying at in Florida which means my laptop connection isn't functioning optimally but I will continue to check in. Please put "Aiken" or some other identifier in your email subject line if you email me, or I will delete it since I'm anal about strange email.

Egads, Lindsey Graham, you poor thang....
:scared:

I've been a regular lurker, but as you can see, not a poster.

The local horse scene is huge in Aiken. Aiken really got its start as the place where Northerners with money would winter their horses, and that tradition is very much alive today. Polo is having a huge resurgence in Aiken, as internationally ranked riders compete and even move here. I am not part of it myself, and the only one I really know personally is president of the local carriage driving club, which I don't know if your parents would be interested in. But check out www.tbredcountry.org and click on the "Equestrian Events" link. From there you can find links to the local polo clubs, the Aiken Triple Crown, etc.

I'd love to meet you for coffee when you're in town. I'm at kgutmann@gforcecable.com, so lets get in touch closer to the date and see if we can work it out.

BTW, Lindsey Graham is our good senator. Have you taken a look at Jim DeMint? Unbelievable. We've got a good Democratic candidate for governor in Tommy Moore and, though people outside of SC haven't heard much about him yet, he has a real chance at winning. So keep watching -- you'll be hearing a lot more about that race!

My laptop is getting sporadic reception here with my cell, dammit there's no wireless connection in the boonies, but if needs be I'll go on over to the library and make sure to email you.

You are absolutely right on the book, "On a street called Easy, in a cottage called Joye" - my mom just sent it to me and it IS by the two Pulitzer prize winning authors.... I am actually looking forward to reading it.

Thanks for the local info and looking forward to some coffee!

SCantiGOP gave a pretty accurate description of the area. I hope lots of Dems retire in SC --- we need 'em!

have lived in Aiken about 13 years. I think it's a charming town, but it seems very politically conservative and fundamentalist Christian to me.

Chicago is very cosmopolitan, and extremely blue, and very liberal. My parents aren't religious at all which can be awkward when one is faced with it on a mass level.

I know about this personally as I face it every day - it's a wierd dance step for me (as an atheist) as I live in Wheaton IL, Bible capital of the world. The town is very charming and livable yet it's extremely politically conservative and fundamentalist. This is the home of Wheaton College, Billy Graham's alma mater. He is also the patron saint of Wheaton College ensuring it's messianic zeal and missionary prowess, alas. Think a glossier Bob Jones University and you get the picture.....

I wonder if the retirement communities which are sprouting up will affect Aiken's political future. It's got to be an interesting development since people of all backgrounds will flood this parochial town although the commentary about how the Savannah River Project has created a more intellectual/cosmopolitan tone to the town may ameliorate the impact.

I'm actually now looking forward to a visit. Thanks for the comments. I appreciate all of them!