Charming Charleston

In October, we attended a wedding in Charleston, South Carolina. It has been many years since I was last there, but it is a charming and lovely as I remember. Perhaps what I will recall the most is the unwavering Southern hospitality and the architecture of this historic town.

Accommodations

Thanks to a recommendation from Janice Mullin @janice.mullin, we made reservations at Hotel Bella Grace. Nestled in the historic Ansonborough neighborhood, Hotel Bella Grace is located across the street from the Mother Emanuel AME Church and is an artistic blend of preservation and modernization. And Hotel Bella Grace is also conveniently situated only two blocks from the vibrant dining and retail scene of Upper King Street in Charleston’s Historic District.

I highly recommend this hotel, which is actually a Marriott-owned property. However, it is not like any other Marriott. From the beautifully appointed room to the artwork, this hotel has 50 new build modern guest rooms, arrival lobby, and a fitness center. Providing top-notch contemporary lodging in Charleston’s Historic District, Hotel Bella Grace is within walking distance to the best of downtown Charleston’s restaurants, attractions and things to do.

Architecture and History

What I enjoyed most (other than the wedding) is the ability to walk nearly everywhere in Charleston. If you love looking at houses and history, this is the place for you. I can only imagine how beautiful it must be during the holidays.

Why are most houses in Charleston built sideways? When the city’s first streets were laid out in 1680, residential lots were long and deep but had little street frontage. Placing the house sideways on the lot made the best use of space. This also allowed the home to take full advantage of the prevailing southerly breezes, necessary in the hot summer climate.This style of architecture is called a single house.

A side porch on a single house is called a piazza and is defined as ““a covered open porch or veranda supported by columns or pillars and attached to the outside of a building”. I certainly did not tire of looking into these narrow, deep lots and marveling over the beautifully landscaped gardens and decorated porches.

Notice in the above photo the pale blue painted porch ceiling. To learn more about haint blue ceilings, see a previous post here.

Other key characteristics to Charleston are the abundance of gas lanterns and gorgeous wrought iron gates and fences.

Since the homes are very close to the street, privacy and security are necessary. Ornate entrances are very common here.

Exploring

Grab a good pair of walking shoes and explore Charleston. In addition to gorgeous homes and stately streets, Charleston is home to over 400 churches of a wide variety of denominations. The skyline is punctuated with steeples in every direction. It’s rare to find a view of the Charleston skyline where you don’t spot a stately, soaring steeple. The city’s many churches date back to its founding as the colony of Charles Towne in 1670.

Of course, with many churches come many graveyards. Huge live oak trees and hanging moss are signatures of Charleston, and add to the mystery and history of the tombs.

If you are unable to walk long distances, there are other modes of transportation, such a horse cart tours or pedicabs and of course, ride shares. For some reason, the 2nd week in October is a very busy time in Charleston so I suggest you make reservations for nearly everything ahead of time.

Of course, our favorite part of the city is South of Broad, where all the huge mansions and estates are located next to the water.

Weather

The first two days after arriving, the weather was a bit on the warm side and humid. In literally one day, the temperature dropped significantly and the humidity disappeared for the balance of our trip. At night, it was cool enough for a jacket or wrap.

Restaurants

Again, I cannot stress the importance of reservations if you have more than 2 in your party. Fortunately, we were able to sit at the bar or get into places without reservations. Some of our favorites are:

Delaney Oyster House

Delaney Oyster House, which is right next door to Hotel Bella Grace is such a good restaurant that we visited twice. Not only is the food fabulous, but the bartender is memorable and terrific guy. Situated in an historic home, dining here feels like eating at a friend’s house.

Husk

Centrally located in historic downtown Charleston, Husk transforms the essence of Southern food. According tot their website, the executive chef reinterprets the bounty of the surrounding area, exploring an ingredient-driven cuisine that begins in the rediscovery of heirloom products and redefines what it means to cook and eat in the South. We could not get into the main restaurant but sat at the bar and enjoyed a limited menu. We didn’t feel this was as friendly as the Delaney Oyster House, but the food is good.

Fig

We took a chance and dropped into this restaurant on our last night in Charleston and luckily got a table right on the sidewalk. The evening weather was beautiful and we felt very cosmopolitan having our drinks and dinner out near the street!

All three restaurants are award winners and listed in the best category in Charleston. I highly recommend them.

Other Travels and Observations

We did some exploring in South Carolina (Kiawah Island, Edisto Island, Seabrook Island, Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton, Hilton Head), but I will need to tell you all about that at another time.

Living in the 5th largest city in the U.S., we have city problems. It was so refreshing to go to Charleston and not see graffiti, panhandling, homeless encampments, billboards or a plethora of digital signs. Granted Charleston is smaller than Phoenix, but it is apparent their residents take pride in their history and city as it is immaculate. The people are warm and welcoming too. It is a place I would definitely visit again.

Thanks for joining me today! Happy Wednesday! Please let me know if you have ever been to Charleston and if you loved it as much as I did!