Disclaimer: I do live in Harleston Village and love every bit of it – but that’s not why I think (even KNOW) Harleston Village is the most family-friendly neighborhood in Downtown Charleston.  While each of the neighborhoods has its own distinct beauty and character (for descriptions check out my previous post), Harleston Village wins hands down because of its proximity to anything a family might want and the nature of its homes is just what a family would look for in a safe urban setting.  So here’s my list below – those of you who live here already, what did I forget?

  • Homes are priced from $500,000 all the way up to around $3,000,000 (versus starting at around $850,000 in the other neighborhoods south of Calhoun St)
  • Most homes have a fenced in yard or courtyard providing for kid-friendly playdates – outside!
  • Schools – You are walking distance to many of Downtown Charleston’s private and public schools.  Your little girl can even ride her Barbie Bike if she wants! (Yes, one of my friend’s 5 yr old does it gleefully).  Check out Ashley Hall, Mason Prep, Charleston Day School, and Memminger.
  • Grocery – If you run out of eggs or milk or Goldfish crackers (or just don’t feel like making dinner), you don’t have to mess with the carseat – you can walk to any one of the numerous corner stores in or near Harleston Village.  Check out Queen St Grocery, Bull St Gourmet, Burbages, Wentworth Station, Sergeant Jasper and more….Speaking of dinner, most restaurants Downtown deliver via Charleston Restaurant Runners.
  • Restaurants – And parents, if you want a night out – walk to Vickery’s for casual fare (and of course all the great restaurants King St has to offer) or dine in splendor at Circa 1886, one of Charleston’s AAA four diamond restaurants.
  • Parks – You can walk to some of the greatest parks in Downtown – some of them could be right outside your door.  Colonial Lake has stroller-friendly sidewalks and is about a half a mile around – great for walking with other Moms and Dads.  Moultrie Playground next to Colonial Lake has a fenced in playground, a baseball field, free tennis courts and a basketball court, good reasons to encourage your kids to put down that video game.  And the Horse Lot down the street is a wide open grassy space just for running around.
  • Fishing – You can fish.  Yes that’s right – you can teach your child to fish right Downtown.  Try Colonial Lake or even better, try the lake just off Halsey Blvd across from the Mason Preparatory School. If you really want to get serious, the City Marina is right around the corner and the Battery is too.

So I guess you can see here the theme is WALKING.  Charleston in general is one of this country’s most walkable towns, and Harleston Village as a neighborhood is one of the best of them.  Life experienced while walking is a lively, yet intimate one.  It creates happiness and lets your family experience growing up together in a whole new way.  Harleston Village provides for that kind of life in a beautiful and family-friendly setting, so why not give it a try??

Kristin Walker – Charleston Peninsula Real Estate