any of yous guys in the Rock Hill SC area?

I have secured what is basically a dream job in Rock Hill, SC.
BMW specialty shop that does essentially ANYTHING to a bmw/mini cooper product, including spec racing conversions, other race builds, Dinan installs, maintenance and repairs, race inspections, etc etc etc
I went down yesterday and worked all day, shadowing one of the techs, and apparently I impressed him, though I felt next door to useless most of the time yesterday. I still don't start for about 2 more months, so I have time to look and plan and save.
So I ask of thee:
does nayoen live down around there who knows of a good neighborhood/apartment complex with reasonable rent?
All we want in a house is something small, with a garage or building preferably, otherwise we are looking at a studio/two br MAX apartment.
pet friendly, and, just as importantly, somewhere I don't have to worry about my wife walking from the door to her car, or, for that matter, worry about the car being stolen or the place getting robbed.
I'm budgeting 700 or 800 just for the rent, It'd be awesome to find something below that though.
Not worried about size, as it is just the wife, myself, the cat and the dog.
Anyone got any ideas/suggestions?

I'm sorry I can't be of any specific help, but having lived close to Charlotte ( just north of Rock Hill) and worked in Charlotte for 30 years, Rock Hill is a great place to be. The Ft. Mill schools are rated as some of the best in the area. See if the Rock Hill police department has a web site that lists crime stats for the specific areas you are looking at. If not, call them and ask to speak to a community officer that works in the area. The magic question: "would you live here officer".

plus CMP is only an hour away

Yeah I've been working in Charlotte for the last 7 months or so, finally gonna be making enough money to move from Hickory (55 miles away from work in Charlotte, 72 from Rock Hill)
After talking with the wife we need to be in Charlotte/Pineville pretty much. She needs to be close enough to go to school in Charlotte and I'll be super happy with a sub 1 hour commute either way.

I sent you a PM.

If she needs to be in Charlotte/Pineville, you really need to look at Fort Mill. There are also a couple backroads to get into both if the interstates get backed up.

Plus, you can go to Carrowinds, lol.

I have been to Rock Hill many times for work, but cannot help you on finding a place. I would look in Ft Mill as well. As you know, the closer you get to Charlotte, the higher rent will be. Ft Mill is becoming (or already is) a bedroom community. It was a mill town, but all the mills are now closed.

I just moved away from Ballantyne which is right on the border of Ft Mill. There are a lot of good rentals in Ballantyne and Ft Mill near (521) Johnston Rd. Ballantyne is a really nice area, very safe and good schools. We found our house using craigslist. From this area you will likely never need to use 77 or 485 since those get really backed up.

There was a pretty nice community right on the border that had nice houses although the lots were a little small.

Redmayne Ln Fort Mill, SC 29707

Plus from there you can take Johnston/Lancaster Hwy directly to CMP.

so far the plan is to get a 1 year lease in the south park area so she will be very close to school (she hasn't been driving long, and I'll still be half an hour closer to work than if I stayed here), when she finishes school the lease will almost be up (Aveda Institute is a 9month program according to the almighty swmbo) THEN we will move out of meck and save some serious money, probably into a house with a garage=]
The apartments I have fallen in love with in the camden/south end area are Quail Valley, they are pet friendly, even have a dog park, and rent is reasonable for a small one.

you're correct about the I77 & I485 parking lots .... but that really is on the east side of I 77 .... ( I travel I 85/ I 485/ I 77) on a regular basis to and from CMP

If I try to follow I 485 past I 77 over to 521 I'm basically screwed ( typically Fri afternoons) traffic pretty much comes to a stop ... I 485 on the west side of I 77 usually is flying ....

so yeah if on the east side stay off of the interstates ... on the west side the only real problem is I 85 s at the end of a work day .. another parking lot