Mount Pleasant gets a bad rap sometimes. Jokingly referred to as “Mt. Perfect,” we have a bit of a reputation for being entitled, wealthy, and well…a little too perfect. Maybe there’s a little truth to this, but once you look beyond that duplicitous veil of perfection, Mt. Pleasant is a great place to live and raise a family. It was recently listed as one of the most desirable places to live in the U.S.
I’ve been in Mt. P for fifteen years, and here are five reasons why I love raising my family here:
- We have neighborhoods with a real sense of community.
Mt. Pleasant neighborhoods are downright perfect (sorry, couldn’t resist). Neighbors check on each other and are kind and helpful. Neighborhoods have actual social chairs whose entire function is to plan events to get everyone together. Oyster roasts, wine tastings, Easter Egg hunts, Christmas parades, pool parties: you literally never have to leave the hood for entertainment (which is good, because if you do leave, traffic is awful!)
Also, there are kids and potential playmates oozing from every corner of these tranquil neighborhoods. The only issue: you may have to arm-wrestle them away from a game of Fortnite to get them to come outside.
- We have amazing schools with teachers who will blow your mind.
I never appreciated teachers until I had kids. Now, I see how formative and impactful (and tolerant) they truly are. Mt. Pleasant has state-of-the-art schools with fancy science labs, a variety of art classes, and extracurricular offerings that make you wonder how you ever survived your childhood without a lego-robot-building class. And the teachers are (for the most part) very educated, caring people who approach their jobs with professionalism and fun.
- The Mount Pleasant Mommy Exchange is like the Mom FBI.
Mt. P has a Facebook page called the Mount Pleasant Mommy Exchange that serves as a central hub for both goods and information. You can sell your old stroller, find a kid-sized kayak, or find out why I-526 is backed up at 2:00pm on a Tuesday.
Did a crime happen in Mt. P? The Mommy Exchange has the deets. Did a teenager drive too fast on the way home from Wando? The Mommy Exchange has his license plate number so his mom can nip that in the bud. Is there a lockdown at the middle school? The Mommy Exchange knows why, when, where, and how.
It’s where I go for all the necessary Mt. P information.
- Location, Location, Location
We are centrally located close to the beaches and downtown. We have Towne Center for shopping, Shem Creek for dolphin-watching, and parks for tiring out the kids. We have marshes, water access, and beautiful harbor and river views.
We have tons of great restaurants with the holy grail of convenience: attached parking lots. Downtown, we love you and all your steeple-filled splendor, but some of us get sweaty just thinking about driving around for fifteen minutes looking for a place to park. Parallel parking is equally terrifying. Mt. P for the win!
- Highways 41 and 17 give us plenty of time to catch up on our favorite podcasts.
Mount Pleasant is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. with a 27.5% increase in population since 2010. We have almost 87,000 residents and are the 4thlargest city in S.C. While it’s flattering to be this desirable, all this growth has left our roads clogged and prone to lots of traffic delays. Mt. P. peeps know to give themselves extra time to navigate the pitfalls of Highway 17, Rifle Range, Highway 41, and I-526.
The upside: all this extra car-time means we are up-to-date on all the latest podcasts. And if you have a middle school child, you’re also up-to-date on anything related to farts and bathroom humor.
Once you scratch that “perfect” surface, Mt. P is an idyllic playground for families and kids. It’s safe and has a laid-back, friendly vibe. I feel connected here, even more so because my kids were born here. During my fifteen years being East of the Cooper, it has wound its way around my heart and become home.
Hi Emily,
I loved reading your piece on 5 reasons you love living in Mt. Pleasant! I am moving there this fall and I would love to join a group like you mentioned in reason #3, to gain some info about the area. When I looked at the Mt. Pleasant SC Mommy Exchange on FB it seems as though the last thing posted was Nov. 2018? Is there something I need to do to gain access? I have “followed” it and “liked” it.
Thank you!
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