Wax Myrtle may be suitable for your spot.

Ditto to wax myrtle/myrica cerifera - it grows like a weed, smells wonderful, feeds birds, and I've seen it growing in every situation from shady to sunny and wet to dry.
Yaupon/ilex vomitoria would be another good choice, and it has the same attributes as wax myrtle, except the leaves have no smell.
Small-flowered illicium/illicium parviflora is another choice - it doesn't benefit wildlife in any way that I know of, but it's leaves are thick, and it grows fast. For that matter, the regular illium floridanum could be used, the flowers are much prettier, but it doesn't grow as fast.
Wax myrtle would probably be the best choice.
Sherry

The suggested trees would grow over the property line leaving the plant vulnerable to the neighbor and their plans for that space.

While a tree would be good, in that the trunk wouldn't fill the alloted space at ground level, QQ is right - any part of the tree that grows over the property line is encroaching on the neighbor, and he/she has the right to deal with it as he/she sees fit, up to the property line. A tall skinny shrub would be better. Try searching the forum, or the Web, for fastigate evergreens or shrubs, or for similar key words and see what comes up - this is a perennial problem for people and comes up with some regularity. Look on the Shrub Forum as well, and the Conifer Forum.

Podocarpus, would, I think, be hardy for you, and they are reasonably fast growing and skinny. Irish yews are too slow growing, but some of the Thujas, or Chaaemacyparis groups might fit the parameters. Try looking in the Southern Living Garden Book for more ideas - you want the most recent edition, as of '04 or '06 (I forget which) - which your library may have, or you can find in any local bookstore.

Wax myrtle and yaupon can be pruned in any way at any time without hurting the plants.
Sherry

A clumping type bamboo might work. Make sure it's a clumping type and not the running type, or your neighbors will hate you.

thanks for all the suggestions. I'll post an update once I get moving. is there any optimal time that is best for planting or can I just move ahead without regard for that.

Your climate is similar to mine. Anytime from now until March usually works best for me.

Maybe something like vines that you can put on a trellis or a lorapetalum or something.

I got a quote for $175/plant, including planting, for clumping bamboo. They will be planted about six feet apart and the contractor estimated that it would take about 18 months for the privacy screen to form. Does this sound like a reasonable quote?

You couldn't pay me $175 to grow a clumping bamboo or any kind of bamboo. Have you seen what that stuff looks like? Bamboo is grass! It may be a reasonable quote but it's a really big waste of money.

This is the kind of mistake people make when they are desperate for fast privacy.

lonestar, I'm not sure about pricing for bamboo. I'm guessing the labor is more than the plants. It would probably be best for you to ask over in the Bamboo forum since they're more familiar with them.

What about an evergreen Viburnum like 'Chindo'. Very upright, dense and takes some shade. It does sucker a bit, but is very handsome.

alabamatreehugger & dave in nova - thanks, those are helpful responses.

You're welcome lonestarred.

I planted three 15 gallon Chindos, tilling in about 10-20% rose bed mix from a local nursery into the soil I put back in. They look really nice. How often (& how much) should I water them initially?