Sorry, but I happen to live HERE!

Riverhill Circle is off of Broad River Road at the bridge ending coming from town on Sunset Drive joining River Drive. River Hill Circle starts at Skyland Estates as a LEFT hand turn and goes all the way to the top of the hill ending at Broad River Road which is dangerous trying to get into traffic so close to the traffic signal and left hand turn to Greystone Blvd.

I have been a census enumerator many times.

That first RIGHT hand turn at the end of the bridge coming from town and Sunset and River Drives is Bentley Drive. The apartment homes (The Mill at Bentley) are on both sides of the road with one part at the river. It is a dangerous road crossing from one set of their apartments at the river going straight across Bentley to the other side of the apartment homes. Traffic comes too fast with a steep hill and curve coming down from the top of Bentley Drive. The first LEFT hand turn where that drain is where you had a flat tire if you are coming onto Bentley from the bridge is a horrible place for driving let alone maybe a ruined tire and rim. It says River Hill Circle but it's really River Hill Court (CT.).

Apartments homes go from The Mill on Bentley, pass Rivergate Apts. with 2 gates, Bentley Apts. once owned by one person became 2 different owners (other part is on Atlantic Drive), next comes at Atlantic Drive and Bentley Drive "Broad River Township" with a gate; The latter has a mixtures of condos and "The Bluffs" homes.

Next on the right hand side is what one real estate developer tried to do at a gate and road owned by SCE&G with one upscale house overlooking Diversion Dam (part of Three Rivers Greenway...a long story how this bridge destruction has ruined it) on the Columbia Canal trail to Riverfront Park and Broad River trail below it. A realtor decided to make it into 6 lots as a road was added with another gate on the other side called "Bluff Ridge" selling for $170,000 EACH for .10 acres!!!! Yes, I said $170k EACH! The dirt roads were paved and lots divided up after they took out most of the trees. They sat and sat for 3 years. No one in the area paying that much for land PLUS an upscale home would live there knowing their children would attend these inner city schools. Last update is she's been trying for several months trying to unload them all for $170,000! No one is going to buy there.

Going to the end of Bentley Drive is an upscale house built within the boulders almost not seen unless one notices the steep blacktop driveway down into the trees. At the end of Bentley is the last apartment homes called Broad River Trace. Coming back on Bentley Drive and across from "Bluff Ridge" and Broad River Township Condos is land sitting for many years not able to sell it the past 2 years (still part of the housing subdivision Huffman Heights all around the apartments and Atlantic Drive and River Hill Court) going for $800,000!!! It is listed as maybe being an apartment complex (too many here) or town homes. No one is interested.

Houses in Huffman Heights rarely go for sale the last 25 years due to those who bought into the subdivision raising their kids and having grand kids. There would maybe be 1 house every 3 to 4 years for sale due to estate sales and be sold in less than 3 - 4 days for a lot of money! Since the housing bubble, we have about 14 for sale starting 2 years ago with some sitting for 2 years not including Broad River Township Condos and Houses. Many are foreclosures needing a lot of work! People lost jobs and their stock market money. The homes equity was used to stay afloat. A very small elderly group had serious health problems going to hospice homes. One house off Atlantic and Greenville was abused as a constant rental and an inground swimming pool in the back yard with water a deep green color. I wouldn't trust just placing a liner in it not used for many years. Mosquitoes are horrible this year, so why take a chance on West Nile Virus! It's a foreclosure for $35,000 but needs so much work.

These homes in Huffman Heights aren't being kept up....not being affordable for the owners to be able to eat and live and do repairs. It's sad watching all this and turning many into rentals for college students paying $850 or more plus their own utilities for 4 - 6 students in a 2 bedroom or 3 bedroom and 1 bath house to abuse them. Now that USC has so many places they own at the school, it's like living at an upscale country club atmosphere having so many amenities and the Carolina Gamecock Buses or their own bikes to attend classes paying for a private bedroom, totally furnished, 1 upscale bathroom, no utilities to pay, sharing kitchens and living rooms with a very tiny group of students, and recreation right there with pools and tennis courts and etc. for $400 a person per month. They can save on gas and travel time.

Those students are rarely to be found around here anymore. We've become an area of Section 8 homes and apartment complexes with the crime and roudy teens to late 20's weekend and summer parties and fights maybe a few students who quit high school or maybe attend college at USC and maybe no jobs. Police are there all the time, but usually 2 married family officers from Columbia police live at each of those apartment complexes ready to respond...after a couple of hours I heard.

So that's your recap of the area here. No pun intended with the word recap!

Hello everyone,

Just a reminder to please keep the discussion on topic with concise comments. Thanks!

Regards,
Isabel

FINISH UP THE BRIDGE NOW!

IT'S BEEN 4 YEARS INVOLVING 2 SUB - DIVISIONS ON BOTH SIDES OF BROAD RIVER ROAD, CONDOS AND APARTMENTS WITH DRIVERS TRYING TO GET OUT FROM BROAD RIVER ROAD BY THE BRIDGE TO WAY PAST THE TOP OF GREYSTONE BLVD..

AT OR NEAR A TRAFFIC LIGHT AT GREYSTONE BLVD. AND BROAD RIVER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL, DRIVERS ARE MAKING THEIR OWN ROADS DRIVING AGAINST TRAFFIC.

CAR DAMAGE FROM THE LONG DETOUR HAD CARS AND TRUCKS GOING THROUGH WITH BLIND AREAS (AT LEAST 4) MAKING DRAINAGE HOLES WHICH HAS AFFECTED TIRES, RIMS, AND AXLES!

THIS WAS JUST SUPPOSE TO BE A PLAIN OLD BRIDGE WITHOUT ABOVE BRIDGE SPANS OR AMBER LIGHTS FOR AESTHETICS. WE SHOULD HAVE THOSE LAMP POSTS ALSO; THE MONEY CAME FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT STIMULUS #1 AND #2. NO WONDER IT'S 4 YEARS AND COUNTING!!!