A local's eye view
With the enormous magnitude of beautiful homes in Charleston, sometimes it’s hard to get excited about the beauty of each individual one. Walking down the street you can just say to yourself, “Oh, it’s just another Charleston house,” when taken alone it’s really beautiful. This house on Broad Street is just another Charleston house.
Living in Charleston gives you a bit of a warped sense of what houses should look like. In Charleston, this is just another one. Do you know where it is located?
Sunrise along the High Battery can be a spectacular event. With views extending out past Fort Sumter to the Atlantic Ocean, the sky can become awash with amazing colors.
After a rain, the effect is truly magical.
Have you seen the sun rise from the High Battery?
South Carolina Society Hall is one of the grand buildings fronting lower Meeting Street. Completed in 1804, built as a meeting house for The South Carolina Society and as a school for female orphans and indigents, it now hosts social events ranging from weddings to bar mitzvahs… and every Wednesday evening for much of the year, Cotillion — dance school for the children of Charleston.
Kids not wanting to be late to Cotillion. Note the blue blazers, long dress and white gloves.
And, to make the building that much more interesting, it’s reported that there are still cannonballs from the Civil War bombardment of Charleston lodged in the trusses in the attic.
Views from Waterfront Park are pretty wonderful in just about every direction, including down (at the right time of day). Whether it’s looking at the bridge or across to the Yorktown, spying Fort Sumter in the distance or just admiring the shadows on the walk, being on the pier at the park is a great way to spend some time.
Located behind City Hall is a lovely oasis in downtown Charleston — Washington Square. Not coincidentally, it was originally named City Hall Park — and later renamed in honor of the 1st President in 1881.
Set among beautiful plantings and park benches, a number of monuments are found throughout the square. It’s dominated by the 42 foot high memorial (a miniature version of the Washington Monument) honoring the Washington Light Brigade (seen in the background), which was unveiled in 1891. The statue of Washington is a more recent addition.
It’s definitely worth visiting. Just sit on one of the benches and soak it all in.
The Sweetgrass basket is a signature art-form of the Lowcountry. Introduced from Africa, by way of enslaved West Africans, the baskets are made from Sweetgrass (which gets its name from the lovely aroma it has) which grows in the moist, sandy soils near oceans and marshes. They are both beautiful and utilitarian. And they are not inexpensive — but their beauty and artistry gives them great value.
The main places they are sold is by the Federal Courthouse at the Four Corner of Law and the City Market in Charleston, and along Highway 17 in Mt. Pleasant, where the basket-makers have individual stands set up along the road.
Do you own one?
With storms in the area, Charleston Harbor is always striking. Viewed here from Waterfront Park, Fort Sumter is in the distance towards the right and Castle Pickney is peeking up in the middle. The Crepe Myrtle trees, barren for the winter, provide a nice frame.
Have you ever watched a storm roll in over the Harbor?
‘Nuff said.
The morning sun on the High Battery casts wonderful shadows. These always make me think of train tracks running down the slate walkway. With the spectacular houses on East Battery on one side and the expanse of Charleston Harbor on the other, the view from these “tracks” is pretty spectacular.
Have you walked along these shadows?