Relocating to Aiken

Aiken Today isn't only for those of us who call Aiken home, either year round or part of the year. It's also designed for those of you who might be considering a move to our special town, to give you a glimpse of what makes Aiken unique. With those who don't (yet!) live in Aiken, this post might provide some helpful information for those planning a visit.

One of the busiest times of the year here in Aiken is the beginning of spring when many visitors come to town for events including the nearby Augusta Masters Tournament (http://www.masters.com/en_US/index.html ), the Aiken Spring Steeplechase (http://www.aikensteeplechase.com/) and other local happenings.

There are a variety of choices for lodging in Aiken, but with the popularity of these events, hotels do sell out quickly. Accommodation options in Aiken include, The Willcox, the Hotel Aiken, the Hilton Garden Inn, the General Elliott Inn, and the Carriage House Inn which has a location on Laurens Street, Aiken's main downtown thoroughfare for shops and some of Aiken's favorite restaurants. Links to all hotel websites are provided on Aiken Today's home page's Links section.

And speaking of restaurants, you won't lack for fine dining choices while visiting Aiken. We're fortunate here in Aiken to have some of Aiken Today's favorite restaurants that feature cuisine that can match up to the best restaurants in any large city. From Malia's on Laurens Street that has been in Aiken for over 20 years with its delectable and creative fare, to Linda's Bistro, located in a beautifully restored Victorian House with a welcoming dining room featuring excellently prepared dishes, to the Tuscan ambiance of Oliva's with its delicious homemade pastas and tasty seafood dishes, to The Restaurant at The Willcox with its tempting menu offerings. And go no further than Prime Steakhouse to enjoy some of Aiken's best steaks, whole lobsters and seafood. No visit to Aiken is complete without a meal at either Davor's Cafe located in downtown's Alley which features a tree shaded patio for leisurely al fresco lunches and dinners and the Westside Bowery, a downtown restaurant, also with a leafy outdoor patio for those long, leisurely warm weather meals, that's had a presence in Aiken for many years and is on everyone's "Favorites List." For further details, location and contact information for these restaurants, please click on the links provided at the right hand column of Aiken Today's home page.

A visit to our area becomes the first step in relocating to Aiken for many. With Aiken's variety of beautiful houses and land, equestrian communities - including homes and acreage at Barrington Farms, Bridle Creek, Brigadoon and Three Runs Plantation, among others - as well as golf communities & clubs, including Woodside Plantation, the Reserve at Woodside, Cedar Creek to name just a few. Aiken's pastoral surrounding countryside rivals that of any other area in the country, in our opinion. For the most part, Aiken's climate is temperate with the exception of July and August when, most years, temperatures do tend to climb into the 90s (and sometimes beyond). Aiken's winters are traditionally mild, though this February we saw weather at both ends of the spectrum as we had the surprise of a 4-6" snowfall one evening, however that stayed on the ground less than 48 hours, and within a week we were enjoying balmy winter temperatures in the low 70s!

Residents enjoy countless benefits to living in Aiken - there is, indeed, a true sense of 'community' here and a wide variety of leisure activities are available year round throughout the area. All equestrian disciplines are represented and have a large presence, there are many golf clubs, both private and public, including the prestigious Palmetto Golf Club, established in 1892 and the 2nd oldest golf club in the United States. Tennis is available year round both on public and private courts, as well as many other activities for all interests. The abundance of fine medical and dental professionals and hospitals in the area are other benefits to calling Aiken home.

Aiken has homes and land for all income levels and there are many excellent realtors in Aiken that are true professionals and available to guide any prospective homebuyer to their perfect house or acreage on which to build. Aiken Today includes a selection of links (in the Links column at the right of the home page), which changes each month, to local realtors and their websites. There are many buying choices available - whether a "fixer upper" cottage in downtown Aiken, a ready-to-move-into home in one of Aiken's excellent golf or equestrian communities, a horse farm in the countryside along Route 302 - Aiken's "horse corridor," an exquisitely restored home in downtown's historic or horse district (complete with red clay roads that are gentle on the horses as they make their way from their stables for a ride in nearby Hitchcock Woods), or any of Aiken's other fine real estate options.

One of Aiken's newest real estate offerings on the market is a recently completed home in the gated community, King's Ridge. This is a stunning home, located in the countryside, yet only a 10-minute drive from Aiken's downtown. There, builder Don Cerra of Cerra Homes, has built, in association with True South Communities (see link), a true Green house with state-of-the-art components incorporating energy efficiency, green building materials and environmentally responsible features. Don has been "building green" for decades, back to when Kermit the Frog was still a tadpole (well, almost)! If your dream home is one which has the latest "green features" for energy efficiency and sits on beautiful acreage with a pond in a gated community surrounded by countryside and equestrian farms, yet a short drive to Aiken's downtown, email Don Cerra at cerrahomes@gforcecable.com, to make an appointment to see the property. Cerra Homes website is http://www.cerrahomes.com/Kings_Ridge.php.

Aiken has such a variety of housing choices at every price level that there is surely the perfect home for anyone considering relocation to our fine community.

Hopefully, the links provided will cover anything and everything that a potential visitor to Aiken might want to know. If not, please feel free to contact us at Aiken Today so that we might answer your questions and/or direct you to the right place that can.

We look forward to seeing you soon in Aiken!