Charleston SC Area Orientation

Locals And Owners Of Charleston Real Estate Enjoy The Good Life

Interstate 26, which enters South Carolina near its northwestern-most border, comes to a climatic end in Charleston, SC, the New South’s epicenter for art and culture, style and taste. From the city’s earliest history, Charleston, South Carolina has long been a place many wanted to go and few wanted to leave.

Situated at the heart of the South Carolina Lowcountry, the coastal paradise of Charleston SC lies about halfway between the popular tourist destinations of Myrtle Beach to the north and Hilton Head Island to the south. Charleston is located close to several major Southern hub cities – within a five-hour drive of Charlotte, North Carolina, Atlanta, and Jacksonville, Florida – yet is far enough off the beaten path to appeal to those who appreciate a more relaxed and creative environment found in Charleston, South Carolina.

The national and international spotlight constantly shines on the beautiful all-American city of Charleston SC. In fact, Charleston consistently ranks among the top 10 domestic travel destinations by Condé Nast Traveler magazine’s prestigious Readers’ Choice Award. Charleston SC is also listed among the “Top Cities in the United States and Canada” from Travel & Leisure magazine’s “World’s Best Awards” readers’ poll, and has repeatedly been honored by Family Fun magazine for its family attractions in this Disney publication’s annual “Family Friendly Travel Awards.” Charleston, South Carolina is also often listed among the award winners in Southern Living’s Readers’ Choice Awards and most recently earned a coveted spot in the 2007 edition of America the Beautiful: 100 Places to See in Your Lifetime published by the editors of LIFE magazine.

Often called the most historic city in America, Charleston SC was founded in 1670 as the first English settlement in the Carolinas. From its very beginning, Charleston literally burst onto the historic stage to play a leading role in the making of a nation. From Charleston's early reign as the wealthiest city in the American colonies to Charleston's prominent role in the American Revolution and the Civil War to the city's rebirth as a cultural center and outdoor paradise, the area of Charleston SC continues to attract newcomers from across the United States and around the world.

An intricate web of estuaries stretching nearly 100 miles, from Charleston Harbor and the barrier island beaches to the inland freshwater marshes, beckons to sportsmen everywhere. Charleston SC has become an international destination for fly-fishermen and kayakers, the diversity of the region’s waterways, including the ocean, rivers, creeks and lakes, serving as backyard havens for locals and owners of Charleston real estate that crave all types of fishing and water sports. The sport of hunting abounds throughout the Charleston SC area and state. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources provides hunting opportunities to the public on lands managed intensively for wildlife; while private hunt clubs, some with full-service lodges, offer traditional hunting experiences for Charleston locals and visitors.

Eager to keep up with its coastal neighbors, Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head Island, Charleston SC unveiled its first golf course masterpiece in 1980. Wild Dunes Links, designed by Tom Fazio, quickly jumped into the important “top 100” lists. Since then, more than two dozen world-class courses – both public and private – have cropped up in the Charleston SC area, earning in the Charleston region a reputation as a golfer’s paradise.

The more than 550,000 residents of Charleston SC are as diverse as the things there are to do. Despite the incoming influences of the last half century, friendly and hospitable locals and owners of Charleston real estate remain unique, down to their one-of-a-kind Southern accent. Deeply rooted in the past, guided by tradition, and ingrained with the same rebellious spirit that repeatedly propelled their ancestors into the annuls of American history, the innate nature of true Charleston locals is to question both change and the status quo; to move forward deliberately, carefully crafting each chapter of their beloved city of Charleston's future. While the pace may seem slow to newcomers, the results have clearly been spectacular.

The appreciation of the finer things in life from both Charleston locals and owners of Charleston real estate is reflected in their enduring appreciation for the arts. Hardly a day goes by that Charleston doesn’t feature a concert, ballet, opera, or art show, preceded of course by a superb meal in one of the Charleston area’s many fine dining establishments. In recent years, Charleston SC has been recognized as one of the nation’s top art destinations; the streets of historic downtown Charleston are lined with galleries featuring the works of local, national and international artists. And it should come as no surprise that Charleston restaurants are considered some of the best of the South’s fine dining.

The icing on the cake for Charleston SC is its temperate climate featuring gently-changing seasons, with average monthly high temperatures of about 75° F, and average monthly rainfall of about 4.3 inches. The prevailing sea breezes of the Atlantic Ocean help keep the coastal city of Charleston SC as much as 10 degrees warmer in the winter and 10 degrees cooler in the summer than those in the inland regions of South Carolina.

A world all its own, Charleston SC is enveloped by white sandy beaches, sweeping saltmarshes, and ancient maritime forests of live oaks draped in Spanish moss, flowering magnolias and a variety of towering pines and palms. Just as residents and owners of Charleston real estate strive to protect and preserve its antebellum homes and historic landmark, they work to preserve the fauna and flora. It seems appropriate that the home of the nation’s first preservation movement also leads the pack in encouraging environmentally responsible Charleston real estate development.

The Lowcountry Open Land Trust was founded 20 years ago not as an advocacy group to push for regulation to restrict growth, but as a facilitating organization to protect the region’s natural landscape. The trust is a non-profit corporation that works with Charleston real estate owners on private, incentive-based conservation of their Charleston real estate, to which they keep title. The only role government plays in private conservation is offering tax benefits to Charleston real estate owners for preserving some or all of their property, and South Carolina is a leader in offering real estate owners incentives for voluntary conservation. Legislation sponsored by a Lowcountry lawmaker established a state tax credit for conserved properties and real estate, as well as the State Conservation Bank, which pays owners of Charleston real estate to conserve their land without requiring the real estate be put into government ownership.

Many of Charleston’s passions are reflected publicly in the festivals held in and around the Charleston SC area each year. Spoleto Festival USA, held annually beginning in May, features 17 days and nights of more than 120 performances of opera, dance, music and theater in venues throughout Charleston SC. Piccolo Spoleto, which runs simultaneously, showcases the talented young artists and performers from Charleston, South Carolina, and across the Southeast. The Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, held annually in February, is the largest event of its kind in the nation, showcasing original art by some of the most gifted artists in the wildlife art genre. This three-day celebration of nature also hosts the world's foremost experts in wildlife and nature art, as well as conservation research and environmental education. Some of the other standouts on the Charleston SC festival scene include the Charleston International Antiques Show, the BB&T Charleston Food + Wine Festival, the Annual Festival of Houses and Gardens, and the Charleston Maritime Festival, to name just a few.

With so many community assets, it’s easy to understand why residents and owners of Charleston real estate agree: Charleston, South Carolina, is, without a doubt, one of the nation’s most exceptional places to live. //