STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

kenzie · Chanel

What can you tell me about Atlanta, Savannah and Charleston?

Boots · Gucci

I'm taking a trip to Savannah in Sept. I chose it because I'd never been to the South (other than Florida) and Savannah seemed like a nice, small city to spend a few days in. I'm not sure, from what I've been reading, if it's a place that will help you with your clothing boutique career though (of the 2, Atlanta sounds like a good fit for you.) I have a few links about the city in case you need them.

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/savannah/

http://savannahvisit.com/vg-2010/index.html

pollyjean23 · Marc Jacobs

As you can imagine, tourism is a big portion of Charleston and Savannah's economy. Charleston is noted for its culinary focus too. Both places are used in the movie industry for filming locations. I think Charleston may have a healthier shopping scene than Savannah.

Of course, Savannah has SCAD, which affects its place in the world too. Business opportunity-wise (especially in fashion), Atlanta is going to have a much bigger pull. I'm quite sure that Miami would surpass Atlanta in reference to fashion. To me, in light of what you've experienced with where you are now, I fear that Charleston & Savannah might be too small and too vacation-focused.

Atlanta has a very suburban-sprawl feel to it, but it has a robust economy. My husband lived in Savannah for several years and was always a little concerned about the safety and the oppressive heat/humidity.

I like Charleston and Isle of Palms a lot, but I have been there on vacation only.
Cost of living wise, Savannah is the cheapest, but not by a huge margin. It's expensive to live in Miami. Even though the housing has dropped quite a bit, it's still high. Character is easiest to find in Savannah and Charleston. Miami next, then Atlanta. If you live in Atlanta, you can always drive over to Athens and get some. :)

These are all my opinions from the visits I've made to these cities. I have a friend who lives in Charleston, and I have family who lives in Miami. I have been to Miami the most often out of any of these cities.

Kel · Coach

I have been to all cities and these are my thoughts:

1. Savannah- Is beautiful. I love visiting here. It also has SCAD. But I think you will feel suffocated. It is very much a tourist destination. It is very small and has a small town feel.

2. Charleston- I am in love with Charleston. I would love to live there. But I love the southern feel of it. Charleston has more of a historical preservation feel then a fashion feel to it. I think again you will be bored.

3. Atlanta- Is a good option. There are many different areas of Atlanta. It is the hub of the south. It is not close to the beach but it is in a central location where everything is not to far away. Atlanta is in the process of urban revival. People are moving back to the city. They also have the Buckhead area which is awesome. I think there can be opportunities here. Especially with small speciality shops. I really like Atlanta it is a city feel.

4. Miami- I personally do not like Miami. I lived in S. Florida for a few years and I detested Miami. But that is me. It is very touristy and flashy. It is very expensive.

Just my two cents.

kenzie · Chanel

Thanks, everyone!

I wouldn't be opening a store wherever we move to in the south, since we'd only be there short-term (a few years). I'd just be looking for something in marketing that's fashion or beauty related or merchandising/buying if it's available. I'd actually love to work for SCAD or the Art Institute as an adjunct, too (but I have to finish my Master's degree for that).

I do like places with lots of indie shops and restaurants, and a strong arts scene, and the beach (obviously). But my biggest concern is that I'll be stuck in another situation like I'm in now- forced to take a job I hate because there's nothing else to even apply for and networking comes up short, too. I do not want to be stuck in the bubble that I'm in now.

Of course, the big opportunity here is that I could work on a freelance photography business (seriously considering starting one in wedding photography) plus jewelry design and blogging since SO's job would pay enough for me to pursue those things full-time instead of half-a$$ed like I'm doing right now. But I still want to know that there are job opportunities there that I'll at least halfway enjoy and will move my career forward if it comes down to me having to get something full-time.

Other cities that came up in conversation as possibilities were Nashville, Wilmington, NC, Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte. So, really we could land anywhere but we do have the option of stating preferences and hoping to get one of those, so I'm trying to find out as much as I can about all of these places.

Thanks again!

relrel · Marc Jacobs

kenzie wrote:

I'd actually love to work for SCAD or the Art Institute as an adjunct, too (but I have to finish my Master's degree for that).

Have you looked at SCAD's employment website? I just ran through the first several pages and there's a couple interesting jobs that you may fit into. Including, ahem, a copy editor position. There's a Director of Social Media that sounds interesting. A good friend of mine did her interior design degree at SCAD and loved Savannah.

pollyjean23 · Marc Jacobs

I live in Charlotte. If you have specific questions, I can definitely fill you in--especially if it comes down to real estate issues and other details. I've visited Wilmington many times (I really love that little town). It's a lot like Charleston. City on the bay, and a beach town apx 30 min away. I can provide good info about Raleigh/Durham too.

Charlotte has the distinction of decent living costs and big city amenities. It's 3-4 hours away from the beach (Wilmington/Charleston), and 2 hours away from the mountains (Asheville and surrounding areas). Atlanta is about 3-4 hours away.

IMO, culture is severely lacking, but it's getting better. It is unfortunate, but the marketing/advertising industry was hit hard here with the bad economy, and fashion is not exactly on top of the list here. The glimmering world of banking is tops here. :-/

Job search (full-time, payroll) wise (looking at your original list of cities), Atlanta would probably be your best bet (or Miami).

kenzie · Chanel

relrel wrote:

kenzie wrote:

I'd actually love to work for SCAD or the Art Institute as an adjunct, too (but I have to finish my Master's degree for that).

Have you looked at SCAD's employment website? I just ran through the first several pages and there's a couple interesting jobs that you may fit into. Including, ahem, a copy editor position. There's a Director of Social Media that sounds interesting. A good friend of mine did her interior design degree at SCAD and loved Savannah.

Yeah, I have. They have some cool jobs and I would definitely be interested in some of them. Too bad I can't really apply until we know where we're going. They also have adjunct positions that look interesting. NO COPY EDITING! Awful. Hate. I want to get as far away from copy writing/editing as possible. :)

kenzie · Chanel

Thanks, pollyjean. I'll definitely pick your brain some more if it ends up being Charlotte!