A long time ago a Long Island girl made the huge move from the big city to Florence South Carolina. There re many differences between these two states. You can decide which one is better; the city life or life in the country.
1. Food
Hailing from the Big apple, I have to say, one of the biggest changes that I had to undergo was the acceptance that there weren't any diners here in Florence. Long Island has a diner in every town where everyone went for late night munchies, especially after a night out. In fact, food is probably one of the biggest differences. There are a lot of different food selections than New York:
- Krispy Kreme: The only one in NY was in Penn station and that was the fake stuff. It tasted more like cardboard than anything else. The real Krispy Kreme down here is perfect. Seeing that hot and ready sign as you drive by just makes your mouth water. It is definitely more of a staple down here in the South.
- Bagels: Hot and Fresh Bagels is like the Krispy Kreme of Long Island. Bagels down here in the south are only sold in the frozen food department or in the bakery of a supermarket. A fresh bagel from a bagel store in LI is much different than a grocery packaged bagel.
- Sweet Tea: In New York this isn't a thing. It is called iced tea in LI. That means Lipton ice tea with sugar mixed with cold water and put over ice. Sweet tea in the south is about 1 cup of pure sugar, a few tea bags, and then put on ice.
- Fast food: Let me tell you, there are so many more fast food options in the south such as Chick-fil-A, Zaxby’s, Sonic, Bojangles, Hardee’s, Jimmy John’s, and Cook Out. Long Island doesn't have any of these.
2. Night life
3. People
The people here in the south are extremely nice. When I first got here and I was walking down the street a person would wave at me. They probably thought I was crazy, but I just wasn't used to it. People in NY are the complete opposite. People only wave at people to get out of the way.
Chivalry definitely isn't dead in the south. Wow, someone actually opened the door for you. Yeah, that happens down here too. Up north you will be lucky if the door doesn’t hit you in the face when someone walks in before you. I would always open the door for the person behind me and never got a thank you. Geesh, where has courtesy gone? Well, come to the country and people actually have manners.
What really amazes me the most is the hospitality. I may have only just met the person a week ago, or my in-laws might know that I have a friend coming to visit. Either way they graciously open there homes and invite the almost stranger in. “The more the merrier” seems to be the motto down here.
4. Driving
People are so slow down here. Oh, and they don’t bother to use a blinker when they want to turn. People up north are always in a hurry, weaving in and out of traffic and speeding at 90 mph. It was as if there was always a race to win.
Owning a car is so much different and cheaper down here too. You don’t need a registration sticker on your window, or an annual inspection, and you don’t need a license plate on your front bumper, which leaves more room for your own personal custom plate. Score.
5. Scenery
It is so beautiful here in the country. On my way to work and home every day I pass by horses relaxing in there pasture and a heard of cows bathing in the sun. You definitely won’t see that in LI. There's so much more nature here. There's green stuff. What is it called, grass? Trees? Yup. It is a real thing. In NYC and LI all you will see for miles is sidewalks, concrete and trash on the street. It's really a sight to see when you first visit; you really have to breathe it all in. My favorite part about the country are the stars. I can see stars here. So many beautiful twinkly lights in the sky. In LI you would be lucky to see stars in the sky. Honestly, it was depressing.
6. Jobs/Living Expenses
There are a lot more options in NY such as internships, retail jobs, transportation, or working an entry level job. When you live so close to the big city it's easy to find a job.
Something that seems odd to me here in SC is that benefits are an option. But working on minimum wage will allow you to afford rent if you have roommates or find a low rent apartment, which is actually possible here. You can afford things you never would have been able to when you lived in LI. Rent for an apartment in LI for a 1 bedroom would probably be $1,300 a month. Down here for a one bedroom depending on where you go you can find something for as low as $400 a month.
7. Religion
Bible country is what they call it here in South Carolina. People are not afraid to throw their faith in my face and to try and get me to go to their Bible study class.
In NYC and LI it is much different. There are a lot of religions such as Catholic, Jewish, Methodist, Christian, Muslim, etc, and they are all freely accepted in NY.
8. Music
Country, Country, Country, which I actually really love. LI only had one country radio station, and I always had it playing in my car. My mom thought I was weird.
For music on the Island, Pop music, Hip-Hop, R&B, and Rap are the predominant genres that people would listen to.
To sum up, the country life is where I belong. I am able to enjoy the fresh air, the country food, the beautiful scenery and the wonderful hospitality. Now all I need is my own horse so I can enjoy the most of it.
