If you’ve spent any time on social media, chances are you’ve stumbled across Uncle Bobby passionately explaining why life in Charleston beats life on Long Island.
Five years ago, Uncle Bobby packed up his Long Island life and headed south to Charleston with his wife, Lindsey. What followed was something he never expected: He fell completely in love with Charleston and life in the South.
Not because of the beaches.
Not because of the palm trees.
Not even because of the weather, although he admits that part doesn’t hurt.
It was the people.
“The hospitality here is unbelievable,” he told me.
In fact, one of his favorite statistics since moving to Charleston is that he hasn’t yelled at anyone in five years. For a born-and-raised New Yorker, that’s practically a miracle.
“Back home, honking horns is considered a form of communication. Here, people actually let you merge into traffic.”
They wave when they pass you by. When strangers started waving at him, Uncle Bobby wasn’t quite sure what was happening.
“I thought they knew me,” he laughed.
Eventually, he realized that’s just what people do here. It’s the norm.
The slower pace took some getting used to, but now it’s one of the things he loves most. These days, when he flies back to New York to visit family and friends, he experiences a little culture shock.
If he had one sentence to convince a Long Island friend to move to Charleston, his advice would be simple: “Book a flight and open your eyes.”
Of course, every love story has its challenges. Charleston has palmetto bugs. New York has rats. Without hesitation, Uncle Bobby says he’ll take the palmetto bugs.
“I’ll take a flying bug over a subway rat any day.”
Ernst
That said, there are a few things he still misses from home. No Charleston transplant can avoid the conversation about food, and Uncle Bobby is no exception.
He misses the delis.
He misses the diners.
And he definitely misses New York pizza.
But for him, that’s a small price to pay for sunshine, Southern hospitality and a lifestyle that feels a lot less stressful.
Five years later, Charleston isn’t just where Uncle Bobby lives. It’s home and where he and Lindsey are raising their 1-year-old son, Leo.
For Bobby, the move wasn’t just a change of address. It was a change of pace, perspective and quality of life. And if you ask him, all it takes to understand why is one plane ticket and a willingness to keep your eyes open.
Follow along with his Charleston adventures and his ongoing humor about New York versus Charleston life. You can find him at @UncleBobby_88 on Instagram and TikTok.