Lee Davis Perry - Insiders guide to Charleston [2015]: including Mt. Pleasant, Summerville, Kiawah, and other islands

Lee Davis Perry was raised in Charleston and returned to her beloved city in 1987 after pursuing her education and a 9-year stint away in the urban fast lane. Lee received a journalism degree from the University of Georgia in 1976. In 1979 she began her career in Atlanta, working for several ad agencies, among them J. Walter Thompson USA, where she was a senior media planner.

The pull of the ocean and the traditions of her childhood proved too strong to abandon for long, though: Who says you cant go home again? Being away from Charleston only sharpened my focus on the citys enduring appeal. Lee has also coauthored, with the late Michael McLaughlin, a short volume of stories relating South Carolina history, Globe Pequots It Happened in South Carolina (2011) and also South Carolina Curiosities (2011). Another endeavor for a popular Globe series is More than Petticoats: Remarkable South Carolina Women, a collection of brief biographies of outstanding women from her native state.

Lee and her husband, Rhett, divide their time between the Lowcountry and the Midlands of South Carolina. Both locales provide the perfect settings to contemplate the timeless beauty, vitality, and diversity of Charleston and the Palmetto State.

For their input, expertise, and assistance in many forms, many thanks go to all who helped with the production of this book, including the research departments at the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Avery Research Center for African-American History and Culture, the Charleston County Public Library, Historic Charleston Foundation, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and the Public Affairs office of the 437th Airlift Wing at Charleston Air Force Base.

Gracious thanks go as well to the various Lowcountry attractions whose staffs provided information enhancing descriptions for this book.

Lee also extends her appreciation to her mother, Rachel Davis, for her diligent archival research and to her husband, Rhett Perry, for his encouragement and support. A nod goes to her yellow lab, Brummy, for providing several much-needed diversions involving tossing her retrieving decoy into the otherwise serene waters of Lake Murray.

With poignant memories, Lee reflects on the contributions of the late Mike McLaughlin, coauthor of previous editions, for his beautiful descriptions of the Charleston Lowcountry. His love and enthusiasm for the Holy City remain an inspiration for these pages.

Finally, thanks go to Amy Lyons and Lauren Brancato for working on a schedule that was career-friendly for all concerned. And thanks to Globe Pequot for recognizing the value of the Insiders Guide series and for opting to bring it to the people in markets all over the country, where the information can be used and appreciated.

In this section we feature specific information for residents or those planning to relocate here. Topics include retirement, relocation, media, and much more.

Welcome to Greater Charleston, where three South Carolina countiesCharleston, Berkeley, and Dorchesterblend together and create the scenic backdrop for a unique and wonderful lifestyle.

This is a land of history, the home of Revolutionary statesmen. This is a city of gallantry, glory, folly, and painwhere democracy was nurtured and secession proclaimed. This is where, very early on, beauty was deemed as important as survival, whatever the cost. Pride was encouraged Families were sacrosanct, and God was dutifully acknowledged in mind and matter.

The sociopolitical passions and turbulent economies that made Charleston such a fascinating place 200 years ago are still very much with us today. Only now the canvas is larger, the paintbrush wider, and Charlestons colorful story just gets bolder as the years go by.

One of the reasons Charleston seems so timeless has to do with geography The historic Peninsula (the heart of Charlestons identity) is bound by two rivers, the Ashley and the Cooper. Despite whatever else those rivers have meant to Charleston and its people over time, the waters effectively impounded the 18th-century city. This watery restraint forced all real growth and change northwardpushing it upward, spilling it over onto neighboring lands. Even today, neighborhoods that were built east Cooper or west Ashley always carry the unspoken phrase of the Peninsula and bear indirect witness to the old citys powerful presence.

The natural containment of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers (effectively protecting the Peninsula from change) had an accomplice in the Lowcountry itself. The southeastern third of South Carolina is physically low, close to sea level, prone to swampland, marsh, and innumerable shallow creeks and streams. The land was hostile toward early settlers and planters, and it was costly to railroad builders and almost every other developer. It didnt welcome growth, and it resists change to this day.

In many ways Charleston was isolated and remained something of a cultural island while America pushed westward into its destiny. Charleston and its captive Peninsula effectively stayed behind, surrounded by its many coastal distractions.

As it has for eons, the endless marsh seems to change color every day. Unspoiled beaches can be caught playing tag with a restless (occasionally punishing) sea. Charlestonians know that not far away they can find dark and mysterious swamps that, in certain moonlight, whisper primordial secrets in the native tongue of an ancient higher power.

If this is isolation, then its splendid isolation. This is the Lowcountry: a place, a people, a unique perspective on the world.

Is it any wonder we love living here?

Year after year, Charleston has been recognized in popular tourist magazines as one of the top 10 domestic travel destinations. In 2012 Conde Nast Traveler brought international attention naming Charleston as the worlds number-one destination. Its also been proclaimed by etiquette guru Marjabelle Young Stewart as the most mannerly city in America. We hope that will turn out to be your experience as well.

Heres an overview of Charleston and the surrounding area. This chapter is arranged in the geographical order used throughout this book and offers some information that will provide a peek at whats here now to see and enjoy.

Charleston

Exactly 768 miles from New York City, 590 miles from Miami, and almost 2,500 miles from Los Angeles, Charleston remains an undeniably livable city for those fortunate enough to call it home. Its a city of unhurried grace and distinct Southern charm, blessed with an uncanny number of historic structures, many of which have been transformed into handsome offices, restaurants, stores, and homes.

Charleston is the second-largest city in South Carolina (Greenville takes first place). The citys 2010 Census Bureau count was 120,083. In 2012, that estimate had jumped to 125,583. The citys Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area encompasses three counties: Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester. This is sometimes called the Tri-County Area or the Trident Area, and in 2010, the population of this area totaled 664,607. By 2012, the estimated total was 697,439.

Charleston has a warm climate. In January the average temperature is 50 degrees; in July, its 82. Its prudent to note that summertime temperatures can peak above the 100-degree mark, and the humidity, which is considerable in the Lowcountry during any season, makes the hot seem hotter and the cold colder. Spring in Charleston, however, more than compensates for any discomfort during the other seasons. Many consider it the best time of year in the area; days are warm, nights barely chilled, and the whole world appears to be dripping in wisteria vines and azalea blossoms.