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to assist your research ~
more remarkable towns
on the coast |
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| Beaufort, SC |
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| Bluffton |
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| Brunswick Islands |
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| Charleston and its Resort Islands |
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| Conway |
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| Georgetown |
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| Hilton Head Island |
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| Mount Pleasant |
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| North Myrtle Beach |
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| Myrtle Beach |
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| Northeast North Carolina: Edenton, New Bern, Elizabeth City, Hertford |
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| Outer Banks |
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| Pawleys Island/Litchfield |
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| Savannah, Georgia |
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| Southport |
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| Washington |
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| Whiteville |
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| Wilmington |
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The past isn’t past.
The famous Faulkner quote holds true in Charleston, where history radiates from every cobblestone and magnolia tree. But South Carolina’s Holy City doesn’t watch the world go by. Colleges, museums, restaurants, and sports draw families who consciously choose Charleston and its suburbs for home. Permanently.
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Splash me.
An interactive fountain enlivens Charleston’s Waterfront Park. On summer days, happy children – even some grownups – cool off in the water. Then visit the nearby SC Aquarium to see native and exotic sea life.
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The pyramid of Charleston.
The Ravenel Bridge proves engineering ingenuity didn’t end in Egypt. What a way to cross the Cooper River – on North America’s longest cable stay span!
Photo courtesy of The Biltmore Company |
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Charleston Pop.:
106,712
Charleston County Pop.: 330,368
Charleston Metro Pop.: 330,368 |
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CHARLESTON, SC
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION:
interesting insights
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he cobbled streets in old Charleston are perfect for a casual stroll past rainbow-colored homes and stately mansions. Sometimes, when Linda Schunk is taking her walk, she enjoys glimpses of manicured gardens behind wrought-iron gates. She’ll pause to watch the weavers of sweetgrass baskets, or stand on the historic battery and gaze toward the horizon where ocean and sky seem to meet.
“Charleston is such a beautiful city. I like walking downtown and being a tourist,” she says. “And I love going home.”
Her own piece of Charleston is the first house built in Etiwan Park on Daniel Island several years ago amid massive oaks and graceful palms. Now there are 600 or so, and John and Linda Schunk no longer have the only streetlight on the island by any means. But she still has the sense of wonder she felt the day she first crossed a rickety bridge and caught, with her decorator’s eye, the vision of the neighborhood to come.
Since moving to Charleston from Chicago in 1996, the Schunks have become cheerleaders for the side of the city that most people don’t know about, its livability for about 330,000 people who have homes in Charleston and surrounding Charleston County. “It’s not just a place to visit,” says Mrs. Schunk. “It’s a wonderful place to live.”
Steeped in its own history like the ubiquitous sweet tea found in every restaurant, Charleston is South Carolina’s oldest city and the site where the Civil War began. Reminders of the past are everywhere. Fort Sumter in the harbor is now a national park, newly refurbished with iron gates and a fountain. In a nearby laboratory, there are archaeologists painstakingly sifting the secrets of
The Hunley, a Confederate submarine that sank after taking out a Yankee ship by stealth in 1864.
The Hunley was lifted from the murky waters off the coast of Charleston in August, 2000.
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riter Brian Hicks was on vacation in Charleston when the discovery of
The Hunley was announced, and his fascination with the news event is one thing that later led him to move to Charleston and its grand old daily newspaper,
The Post and Courier. He’s written a book about
The Hunley with colleague Schuyler Kropf.
“Charleston is one of those places where you vacation and fantasize about what it’s like to live there,” says the writer, who did just that before making the move from Nashville several years ago. He and his wife, Beth, are living out one of their fantasies in a West Ashley home that overlooks the Stono River.
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They found coastal housing costs pricey but offset by lower taxes and other costs of living. |
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Above all, the couple decided it was a good place to raise a child. They’ve become members of the Charleston County Public Parks Program, which offers plenty of activities to keep youngsters and parents occupied. The $69 million South Carolina Aquarium on the waterfront is just a quick drive from the Joseph P. Riley Park.
“The people who live here - not all of them children - play outdoors most of the year in a mild climate,” says Mr. Hicks. Charleston has the ocean, of course, as well as the Ashley, Cooper and Stono rivers, Intracoastal Waterway, and the ACE Wildlife Basin.
There are festivals galore, the most famous of them, Spoleto Festival USA,
a literal arts feast in May and June every year. The Piccolo Spoleto Festival
is another great event, produced by the City of Charleston. But Charleston also celebrates oysters with a January festival and African and Caribbean cultures at the fall
Mojo Festival. It hosts the Southeastern Wildlife Exhibition each February.
And Charleston has so many museums, gardens, plantations and other places to learn about its colorful past. Children are delighted to know that past included pirates. Nor does Charleston shy away from its role in slavery as the port of entry for most Africans who came to this country in chains. Mayor Riley has announced plans to construct a $30-35 million slave museum, the largest in the country.
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In office more than a quarter of a century, Mayor Riley is considered a visionary who almost single-handedly transformed Charleston into the polished tourist town it’s become.
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Indeed, the late etiquette expert, Marjabelle Young Stewart, named Charleston the “Most Mannerly City in the United States” so many times it was recently given the “Lifetime Achievement Award” for its manners. It’s been on the list (frequently at the top) all 25 years it’s been compiled. But that’s one of countless accolades. It’s #6 on the list of “Top Cities in the United States and Canada” according to Travel and Leisure magazine’s tenth annual World’s Best poll.
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Southern Living
magazine calls Charleston the “Most Romantic Getaway” in the South.
Brides Magazine recommended it for honeymoons;
Family Fun Magazine bragged about its activities for children.
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Bill Settlemyer, a “recovering lawyer” who now publishes and edits the
Charleston Regional Business Journal, has chronicled the good, the bad and even the ugly about Charleston since 1996, but is quick to say why he is sometimes critical of the city he chose during a “mid-life crisis” some 20 years ago. Mr. Settlemyer left a lucrative career with a Philadelphia insurance company to live in the city of his dreams. Now, he says, through his work he can help guide the area he loves to a better future.
Over the years, he says he’s seen Charleston’s transition from a stagnant, albeit atmospheric, Southern town to a progressive, modern city with small communities dotting its outlying areas.
Already a prime area for professions, especially medicine and law, Charleston is now attracting high-tech companies. And, the Medical University of South Carolina is transferring medical research to private, spin-off companies. Mr. Settlemyer remains enthusiastic. “If this is not the most beautiful place in the country, I’m not sure what is.”
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For the 14th consecutive year,
readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine have
honored Charleston as a Top 10 travel destination in the U.S. Readers of Southern Living magazine once again named Charleston their “Favorite Southern City.”
Visit often. Who knows? One day, you may decide that this is home.
What to do & What to see
South Carolina Aquarium
It’s where fun, wonder and education come together in an amazing experience.
You’ll see moray eels, sharks, river otters and more. Visit the Turtle Hospital and get updates on sea turtles currently in rehab. 100 Aquarium Wharf.
843.577.FISH • www.scaquarium.org
Spoleto Festival USA
In May and June each year, this internationally renowned arts festival covers Charleston with remarkable performances of opera, dance, theater and music. It is simply a wonderful way to introduce children to the arts and adults can indulge in world-class performances for 17 days of pure bliss. 14 George Street.
843.579.3100 • www.spoletousa.org
Food, Glorious Food
Atlanticville Restaurant & Café
Take in a sunset with your fine Lowcountry supper in this historic island setting. Live music and Sunday brunch add to the experience. 2063 Middle Street, Sullivan’s Island.
843.883.9452 • www.atlanticville.net
FIG (Food Is Good)
Creative, seasonal cuisine served in a modern environment of warm colors. The chef isn’t afraid of root veggies – beets, parsnips, turnips. Mussels appetizer a must. 232 Meeting Street.
843.805.5900
High Cotton
Steak, seafood and game are served in a relaxed, classy setting. The only thing that can beat the Sunday jazz brunch is the wonderful dessert soufflé. 199 East Bay Street. 843.724.3815
www.mavericksouthernkitchens.com
La Fourchette
This tiny French bistro serves terrific cassoulet, duck pate and pommes frites fried in duck fat. Order a bottle of wine, finish with profiteroles au chocolat. Yummm. 432 King Street. 843.722.6261
Marina Variety Store
It’s hard to go wrong at this long-time favorite-with-the-locals cafe. Great breakfasts and lunches, including blue-plate specials and seafood, are served in a rustic, seafaring atmosphere. Sweet view of the marina. 17 Lockwood Drive.
843.723.6325
Momma Brown’s Barbeque
When you’ve had your fill of seafood, head to this unpretentious diner where vinegar-based barbeque is served.
1791 Ben Sawyer Blvd., Mt. Pleasant.
843.849.8802
Palmetto Cafe
Charleston Place is home to this casual but sophisticated lunch favorite. She-crab soup is prepared at your table with sherry added to the customer’s specifications. Rueben sandwich served with bread wrapped sideways around inside
ingredients. 205 Meeting Street.
843.722.4900 • www.charlestonplace.com
Peninsula Grill
This five-star restaurant has velvet walls and cypress floors, and a menu of artistic, sophisticated fare. It’s the place to impress. 112 North Market Street.
843.723.0700 • www.peninsulagrill.com
39 Rue de Jean
Feeling French? Try the pommes frites and the mussels. 39 John Street.
843.722.8881 • www.ruedejean.com
Sermet’s Corner
Enjoy Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine in a lively, cozy atmosphere. Leave room for dessert! 276 King Street.
843.853.7775
Voodoo Tiki Bar & Lounge
Take a group of friends to this unexpected West Ashley restaurant and club. The atmosphere is funky; the menu eclectic. Try baba ganoush, coconut and banana shrimp, Thai chicken. 15 Magnolia Drive, on the corner of Savannah Highway (U.S. 17). 843.769.0228 www.voodootikibar.com
The Wreck of the Richard & Charlene
Hot fried seafood and cold beer are the priorities at this ultra-casual, rustic
restaurant. The view ain’t bad either.
106 Haddrell Street • 843.884.8052
Where To Buy Your Bling
Old City Market is the place for
sweetgrass baskets and unusual souvenirs. Vendors sell jewelry, scarves, candy, canned goods and a variety of other small treasures in three blocks of open-air buildings. East Bay and Market Streets. 843.853.8000
Millennium Music Movies Books
Buy new and used goodies here.
372 King Street.
843.722.1000•
www.millenniummusic.com
Worthwhile
Free-spirited, layered clothing using natural fabrics, for women and children. Accessories for the home and items for personal care are also for sale. 268 King Street. 843.723.4418
www.shopworthwhile.com
Indigo
Fun, funky and functional home and office accessories, many by local artists.
#4 Vendue Range.
800.549.2513 • www.indigohome.com.
Out of Hand
Small, unique lifestyle shop, combining old and new treasures.
113C Pitt Street, Mt. Pleasant.
843.856.3585 • www.shopoutofhand.com
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Margaret N. O'Shea is a retired journalist who
now investigates legal cases for lawyers. She was a newspaper reporter for 37 years,
nominated four times for a Pulitzer Prize and three times named South Carolina Journalist
of the Year by the Society of Professional Journalists. She lives in Columbia and continues to write.
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