Charleston, SC Blog

Panting Like a RiverDog

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

As Tom Hanks once declared, there is no crying in baseball. In Charleston, however, there is sweating. There’s a lot of sweating, and not just in the cheap seats. Even non-VIPs like me who somehow scored a spot in the air-conditioned luxury box were gripped by the Sweaty Fist ...

The Charleston Museum: Familiar yet Surprising

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

As I may have reported once or eight times, I am not from here. I am going to guess, though, that the Charleston Museum is the kind of place that you likely visited on school field trips in the 1st, 4th and 7th grades, and haven’t been back to in 20 years or so. If so, it’s a sh...

Memorial Day at the Dollar Store!

Sun, 30 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

When I arrived in Charleston SC, I recognized immediately that just about everybody here knows someone in the Armed Forces, either veteran or active duty. The news about Iraq and Afghanistan is much less abstract to folks in Charleston than in some other places, because it’s happening...

On (very) Distant Shores

Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

As I mentioned in this month’s Beaches article, people in Charleston tend to pick a favorite beach and stick with it. Usually the choice is extremely subjective. Sometimes it doesn’t make complete ...

Overture! Curtains! Lights!

Tue, 18 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Well, it’s that time again, Charleston art-freaks. The annual Spoleto Festival USA begins May 28 and runs through June 13. In the past I have been a Spoleto dabbler, taking in some marquee event or another at the Dock Street Theater. I seem to remember a Chekov play with John Hurt one year,...

Suburban Sophistication Achieved!

Mon, 10 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Here’s a depressing game: go to Google and type in a city name, followed by “symphony.” You may be alarmed at the number of hits you get that also include the phrases, “financial difficulties” or “budget crunch.” Sadly, in Charleston’s case, you wil...

Sand in Your Sunscreen

Mon, 03 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Coming later this week, PremiereCharleston.com will post our featured article on Charleston SC beaches. In it, we will take a look at area favorites like Kiawah, Daniel Island… Family Circle Cup fever! It is one of the few times a year that the D.I. maintenance department doesn’t roll up the streets at night, and the pa...

A Perfect Charleston Sunday

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

It is springtime in Charleston. As such, it is so important to take advantage of the few, perfect, sunny, relatively-humidity-free days we are afforded before the sweaty fist of oppression settles in for the summer.

Hitch Up Your Garters – Charleston Wedding Season Approaches!

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The upcoming April article on PremiereCharleston.com features a look at Weddings in Charleston. It’s a fertile topic we have touched on in the past, so to refresh your memory, whet your appetite, pique your interest, cleanse your palate and mix your metaphors, let’s review some of the...

April Showers (and Pollen!) mean Spring Flowers in Charleston

Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Long before moving to Charleston, I had a history of sinus trouble. As a kid, I had pretty severe allergies: dust, mold and especially pollen. I took regular injections from age 6 to around 15, until I had built up a pretty sturdy immunity. For the next 20 years, my sinuses were perfectly fine.

Charleston Destination Weddings: An Update

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Well, the White Point Gardens Gazebo is finished, and it's a thing of beauty. We have been following the progress of this much-needed renovation, from when the barricades went up, to the dismantling of the Gazebo, to the destruction of the base and the scary, long-closed public restroom underneat...

The Charleston College Scene at C of C

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Charleston Checklist of happening ‘hoods rolls on! This week we look at the neighborhood surrounding The College of Charleston, bordered (very roughly) by Vanderhorst, King, Beaufain and Pitt Streets. From the brochure…"The College of Charleston is a nationally rec...

Lower King Street – Charleston’s Miracle (eight-tenths of a) Mile!

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT
Previously on Battlestar Galactica, we discussed King Street above Calhoun - downtown Charleston’s hip, edgy nightspot for hip, edgy night owls. But King Street’s awesomeness is just beginning...

Charleston Checklist: Party Time on East Bay Street

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT
If King Street is Charleston’s hip, edgy entertainment district, then East Bay Street is party central for The Normals. East Bay Street is where tourist fam...

Charleston Checklist: Meeting Street

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT
It’s trite but true - Meeting Street is truly the gateway to Downtown Charleston. It&rsq...

It's 'Ars Gratia Artis' on Charleston’s Broad Street!

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT
There are many aspects of downtown life that make Charleston SC unique among American cities. The vitality of Broad...

Charleston Checklist: It Begins!

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT
We warned you it was coming… the hard-hitting expose of Charleston’s happenin’ neighborhoods has begun! PremiereCharleston.com gets the ball rolling by cracking the shell and peering into the tender, flaky insides of Spoleto Festival without a Dock Street Theater, and a Charleston wedding season without the White Point Ga...

Control Your Drool Reflex…It’s Charleston Restaurant Week!

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT
Attention Charleston food freaks - an annual dining tradition begins TODAY. Starting January 11, nearly 40 Charleston restaurants – all names you would recognize – are participating in Restaurant W...

A Charleston Quality of Life Snapshot, 2010

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT
We love our lists, and Charleston SC is no exception. These days, there is a list for everything. And the practice of ranking cities for their growth rates, job prospects, housing, crime, etc. is quite popular. Why? Probably because we are ...

Home Prices in Charleston SC's Park West

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT
As we said in last week's blog entry, PremiereCharleston.com keeps an eye on the Charleston SC real estate market for potential home buyers and sellers. We look at various neighborhoods across the Low Country, and try to give you a feel for the place and the prices.

Funny Santa Bailout Hearing...

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Keeping an Eye on the Charleston SC Real Estate Market

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT
For nearly a fiftieth of a century, PremiereCharleston.com has been keeping an eye on the Charleston real estate market for you, our legion of fan. In addition to several blog posts on the topic (scroll down, ye seekers of wisdom) we have written a slew of articles, including:

Downtown Charleston Restaurants: Give the Gift of Grub!

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT
If, at this late date, you are searching for a uniquely Charleston SC gift for an out-of-towner or a suburbanite, PremiereCharleston.com has a delicious suggestion. Namely, a gift certificate to one of downtown Charleston's great restaurants.

Choosing Your Charleston SC Pediatrician

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT
If you are a parent new to the Charleston SC area, or if you are about to enter the world of parenthood for the first time, there's a to-do item that should beat the top of your list: PremiereCharleston.com Articles page to learn about durn near everything going on in this little town of R’s this holiday season. Tree lighting ceremonies, parades, Christmas craft fairs, con...

Black Friday Shopping in Downtown Charleston SC

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT
This Thanksgiving day in homes all over Charleston SC, the same scenario will play out. After the feast, the fellers will be watching football and processing 10 pounds of food into body fat (and odors) while the ladies wi...

Downtown Charleston FYI: Home Prices in Wagener Terrace

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Lately we have been looking at downtown Charleston SC home prices, and been focusing on stately older - like 200-years or more - downtown ‘hoods like French Quarter, Ansonborough and others. Let’s take a break from “picture postcard Charleston” and take a look at a sli...

Downtown Charleston FYI: Home Prices in Ansonborough

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT
A wise man (me) once wrote: "Ansonborough was one Charleston's first suburbs outside of the original city walls. Hundreds of Charleston single and double houses, townhouses and condos huddle alongside local attractions like the South Carolina Aquarium and an entertainment complex includi...

Downtown Charleston FYI: Home Prices in the French Quarter

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT
In PremiereCharleston.com's latest article we took a broad view of downtown Charleston, SC real estate prices. Over the next few weeks, the PremiereCharleston.com blog will break down real estate prices by neighborhood. Let’s begin with the French Quarter, the very definition of Charlest...

Charleston Most Livable? You Bet!

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT
You probably heard that Charleston SC tied for first place for the 2009 US Conference of Mayors “Most Livable Cities” award. You might say, “Yeah, that and $3.95 will get you a tall half-caf double latte.” But as you look around Downtown Charleston, taking in the...

Downtown Charleston has the Antique You Seek

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT
It goes without saying (unless you write for PremiereCharleston.com) that downtown Charleston SC is a mecca for antique hunters. Lower King Street near Broad, to be precise. In fact, the Y*ll*w P*ges (speaking of antiques) lists no fewer than 30 antique or related stores in the King Stre...

Musty Books + Musty People = A Charleston Tradition!

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT
I have two images of Charleston County Library’s annual “THAT Big Book Sale” held downtown each October: fun literary finds and pissing rain. I have been to the event held at the Gaillard Auditorium four times, and it has rained each time—a miserable, all-day soaker. S...

Exploding Downtown Charleston's "No Parking" Myth

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT
It seems that whenever I ask someone if they are going to some event in downtown Charleston SC, I get the typical knee-jerk response: "No - parking is such a hassle downtown!"

Locals vs. Yokels: a Charleston Dining Dilemma

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT
If you have ever driven down Meeting Street in downtown Charleston on a weekend day or evening, you have seen the throng. The anticipation is palpable as the crowd of people lines up outside a very famous local seafood restaurant. From open to close, 11 to 11, folks wait for the chance to sit...

Charleston SC beaches are beautiful and fun. They are World Class!

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The News if Full of Bad Economic Reports

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT
The news if full bad economic reports. But, walking around downtown Charleston it is clear that people find ways to have fun visiting the city. Eat to your he...

Wonderful weekend

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Hot, wonderful weekend. People we met with did not talk business or real estate too much. Water, pretty legs, good food, cold beer, frisbee, tennis, fun!

Spring!

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Spring is here! The pollen in Charleston has been intense this year.

Cooled off

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Cooled off. Lots of work to do. Night tennis at Colonial Lake. Raw Oysters at Pearz. Looking forward to the weekend.

While recession fears and frantic pundits sqauk about the economy.

Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT
While recession fears and frantic pundits sqauk about the economy, Charleston, SC continues its smooth transition into the spring. Just when cold weather seemed have settled in on Charleston for good, a change in the clocks to daylight savings time has ushered in the spectacular sunshine that mak...

Holiday season

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Downtown Charleston has begun the holiday season in earnest. Lights are up, King Street has it's Christmas divider up and the bars and restaurants are getting into the swing with holiday cheer.

The Dow closed down at: 7,997.28

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT
The Dow closed down at: 7,997.28 . A low not seen since 2003.

Rain

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Rain, worry, optimism. Charleston, SC is in flux. Bars and restaurants are busy. People are eating, drinking shopping. Are Charlestonians saying; "What recession?" I think so. For the moment, the doom and gloom chatter is not deterring the upbeat nature of the local Lowcountry citizen.

Change

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT
"Change has come to America."

Time flies

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Time flies as the weather cools down. With Halloween just around the corner, there is the feel of the holiday season on the Charleston air. It seems silly to start talking about the holidays so early, but once October 31 hits, the time seems to race by, and before we know it 2009 will be upon us....

Economy on the edge

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Early upheaval in Charleston included attacks by the French and Spanish, slave revolts, great fires, economic depressions and devastating hurricanes. Charleston's fragile position in the coastal Lowcountry has left it with some wrinkles and lines that add to it's ever evolving charm.

Presidential debate

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT
No dinners out or parties for me. I selected the "walk your dog" choice.

My Favorite Charleston Restaurants

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT
Seafood