Irmo-Seven Oaks - Columbia, SC

The area was first incorporated in 1890 once the Columbia, Newberry and Laurens Railroad opened. The town’s interesting name comes from a combination of the two men who founded it, C.J. Iredell and Henry Mosley. The town has grown significantly since its incorporation due to its close proximity to both Lake Murray and downtown Columbia.

Unfortunately, no museums exist within the immediate area, although the South Carolina State Museum sits in downtown Columbia. The museum was built in the old Columbia Mills Building, and houses exhibits on the Hunley, a Megalodon, and many other fascinating historical people and events. Irmo also hosts the annual Okra Strut Festival every September. The festival stretches over two days with a parade, street dancers, rides, food and even a petting zoo for the kids.

The area has a wide variety of restaurants with most either on St. Andrews Road or Lake Murray Boulevard, although many can also be found on Columbiana Drive by the mall.

The Cooper River Grill on Columbiana Drive has a great spot to eat some classic American food. The restaurant serves a wide variety of dishes and has a cozy little restaurant modeled after an Alaskan lodge. If you like burgers, then you’re in luck. Make sure to get at least a bite of the Copper River burger, which comes covered in bacon, barbecue sauce and crispy onion straws.

Bistro on the Boulevard on Lake Murray is a popular spot to dine-in. It can get a little pricey, but locals rave about both the salmon and the Rib-eye here, and neither disappoint. The restaurant also has entertainment most nights of the week with a live band playing and great drink specials.

For the sushi lovers, make a trip to Tsunami for some of the best Japanese food in town. At Tsunami, not only can you get great sushi rolls and Japanese dishes, such as teriyaki chicken or hibachi steak, but happy hour runs everyday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Wild Hare Sports Cafe has the best spot to relax with friends, watch the game and get some reasonably priced drinks. Wild Hare has lots of beers on tap, huge televisions, and does daily specials throughout the week that often include half-price drinks and wings. Corner Pocket also draws in a lot of locals with a 4-hour happy hour every day from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., live concerts and even a karaoke night.

Walking and biking isn't the primary mode of transportation here, as the main streets through town can get busy and do not have bike lanes. For getting around using public transportation the Comet bus system serves the entire Metropolitan Columbia area. Uber does operate here, but rates can get very high due to the amount of students using the service. A cab can always be called and can get you to downtown Columbia for around $35.

For commuting downtown or anywhere else in the state, Interstates 20, 77 and 26 are all close by, making the drive anywhere as convenient as possible. Parking in Irmo and Seven Oaks doesn't pose a problem, but parking is not as easy to come by in downtown Columbia. Several parking garages sit throughout the downtown area, if you can’t seem to find a meter close to where you need to be.

The immediate area has several free parks all with great recreational options that allow dogs. Friarsgate park has several baseball fields, walking trails, a playground, and even an indoor recreation center with aerobics classes and basketball courts.

Seven Oaks Park also sits nearby as well, and it too has a large recreational center that features a full gym, fitness area, dance studio and even an art gallery. In addition to the recreation center the park has nine athletic fields, six tennis courts, outdoor playground area and paved walking trails.

Despite the extremely close proximity to both Lake Murray and Columbia, the Irmo and Seven Oaks area has a reasonable cost of living. The cost of living here actually sits about 2 percent below the cost to live in downtown Columbia.

Rent also costs significantly less here, largely in part to the huge number of University of South Carolina students renting apartments downtown. The median one-bedroom rent in Irmo is $750.

To get to Columbia using public transportation, the Comet bus system costs $1.50 for a one-way trip. Gas prices here sit 7 percent below the national average. Beer never gets too expensive around here either, where a pint only sets you back on average between $2 to $5.

The immediate area has several places where you can go shopping, with the closest and largest being the Columbiana Centre Mall on Columbiana Circle. The mall houses over 50 different stores and restaurants, including favorites such as Coach, Bebe, Banana Republic and Forever 21. Several smaller specialty stores and boutiques can also be visited here, and most sit on either St. Andrews Road or Lake Murray Boulevard. Jo-Lin's Bridal on St. Andrews Road has been around for over 20 years, and houses a full-service bridal boutique selling both wedding gowns and formal wear. Plus, if you do buy a dress from here, you get free steamings, free alterations from their in-house seamstress, as well as a percentage off anything else you buy. The boutique has also been voted the "Best of the Southeast" five different times by The Knot. It's Personal Embroidery and Gifts boutique also has an eclectic little shop in the area, selling a wide variety of gifts and trinkets while also providing the popular monogramming service for most items in the shop. For the grocery shoppers of the household, many options sit throughout the area with favorite chain locations, such as BI-LO and Publix. Bargain shoppers here can shop at the ALDI location, and for those looking for something a little healthier and different, try Gourmet International European Food and Grocery. There you can find a wide variety groceries as well as a large selection of European-style meats.