Real EstateThe East Side – A Resident’s Perspective

By Hogan Willis, Marketing Assistant

The Charleston peninsula has over 14 neighborhoods of which I have lived in 4.  I moved to the East Side of Charleston two years ago while attending the College of Charleston to escape the extremely expensive monthly rents that students are forced to pay for oftentimes undesirable living conditions. The East Side has become one of Charleston’s most targeted areas for revitalization and is undergoing a transformation.

I traded in my 600 sq. ft. dumpy King Street apartment for a totally renovated home on South Street – paying much less per month. Currently I live on America Street where I’ve learned to call the East Side home. The neighborhood is full of college students and a young hip crowd, mixed with Charlestonians that have lived in the neighborhood their whole lives.   America Street, once known as one of the worst streets in town, has become an attractive oak tree lined street where you can find neighborhood residents walking their dogs or riding their bikes. A ton of neighborhood revitalization projects and new homes are popping up in the East Side, most done by Luxury Simplified Construction. 

This area of Charleston is just minutes from the Arthur Ravenel Bridge, still referred to locally as the Cooper River Bridge and a favorite route for going for a run or an invigorating bike ride over the Cooper River to Mount Pleasant. In the East Side there is plenty of night time activity too – we have the Palace Hotel bar owned by my neighbor Shep Rose – star of Bravo’s “Southern Charm, ” The Royal American, or “Mash, ” a cozy, upscale American whiskey and craft beer bar that offers a curated selection of domestic whiskeys and local beers and is located in the old Cigar Factory. The current menu has more than 120 American whiskeys and that number is expected to grow. In addition, the cocktail program is small but highly elevated and includes the “Mash Old-Fashioned,” a traditional old fashioned cocktail with their 4 Roses single barrel from Kentucky and exclusive only to Mash. On the fun side Mash offers bocce courts, shuffle board, the 80’s arcade game Defender and an old-fashioned jukebox.

To the west, the trendy Upper King Street (Charleston’s late-night bar scene) is only 4 blocks away.  A selection of gourmet takeout food is just 2 blocks away at  Mercantile, also located in the old Cigar Factory, which includes a sandwich counter, cheese-and-charcuterie stand, café, and bakery as well as a retail area devoted to housewares and cookbooks. The Alley is a stone’s throw away that offers bowling, arcade games, and a fun crowd! One place you have to check out – Hannibal’s Kitchen – Traditional “soul food ” done right – from chicken wings to fried rice and seafood. If you head there, I recommend the pork chops!

This is precisely why so many people want to live downtown on the Charleston peninsula.  Sure there is plenty of history and charm in the better known neighborhoods of South of Broad or the French Quarter, but there are distinctive neighborhoods around the peninsula that offer that and more … a pedestrian friendly lifestyle, suited to those who want to be a part of a vibrant, diverse, urban landscape. 

Thought:  Approximately 40 people move to Charleston per day only to discover that living here offers an array of lifestyle choices … shouldn’t you discover what lifestyle fits you best?