Tag: historic Charleston

Charleston’s cobblestone streets are just one of her many charms.  Though there are only eight left now, these historic streets were once much more common. It’s believed that the peninsula once contained over ten miles of cobblestone ways. Thankfully our streets now afford us a more smooth ride for the most part, but we’re still proud of the history the endearing cobblestones hold.

Here are a few facts you may not have known about the Holy City’s cobblestone streets:

So how did cobblestones get here in the first place? When the city was first settled, ships would use the stones as weights, weighing the boats down when they didn’t have enough cargo. Once the ships were emptied, off came the stones to make room for exported goods. Naturally, the smooth stones collected onto the wharves, or wharfs.

Anyone who has ever driven down a cobblestone street knows the bumpiness of the ride all too well. But the stones were a more sensible option than Charleston’s once dirt-based, muddy streets. The smoothness of the cobblestones made streets easier to navigate for the transportation mode of the colonial days: horse-and-carriages, and the addition of stones as streets were preferable to what you can imagine — based on the state of the peninsula now when it rains — were streets filled with mud and water when it rained.

Chalmers Street, nestled in the French Quarter, is definitely the most well-known, and photographed, cobblestone street in the city. It’s also long been called Labor Lane, as rumor has it that way-back-when, a ride on the rockiest of roads caused nine-month-pregnant women to go into labor.

Another well-known cobblestone street in the city is called Adger’s Wharf, which is located South of Broad. Running from East Bay Street straight to the water, the bumpy road was a busy dock, originally called Magwood’s Wharf. But its current name came from a 19th-century Irish merchant named James Adger II who came to Charleston via New York in 1802 as a cotton buyer. He later opened a hardware store and established the Adger Line and became one of the country’s wealthiest men. Today Adger’s Wharf makes for a perfectly lovely shortcut to the harbor — and, if you like, to Waterfront Park — from East Bay.

At the bottom of Broad Street, near the Exchange Building, lies Gillon Street, another example of early cobblestone street paving in Charleston. It’s named after Alexander Gillon, who was a famous commodore of the navy of SC during the Revolutionary War. Later on, he founded the Charleston Chamber of Commerce, which today is the oldest Chamber of Commerce in America.

A slightly more secret cobblestone-filled street is Longitude Lane, though it’s actually more of an alley. It’s a beautiful path that leads to a narrow street with a handful of old single-family houses you’ll instantly picture yourself living in — because who is lucky enough to live on sweet little streets such as these?

67 Warren Street, Downtown Charleston

This Luxurious Queen Anne style home, built in 1878, has undergone a massive renovation throughout the entirety of the home. This charming property features a completely redesigned kitchen, updated bathrooms, fireplaces, HVAC, ceiling fans, electrical wiring, plumbing, new decks, new painting and much more. The main house features a formal living room, formal traditional dining room, as well as a den and a third floor bonus room. The rear of the home consists of TWO Income-Generating, One bed/One bath apartments, both with kitchens, separate entrances & shared washer/dryer. This home ALSO includes an unfinished basement, uncommon in downtown Charleston. This prime location is walking distance to Upper King Street, MUSC, CofC, and Colonial Lake. Off-street parking for 3 cars. Contact Frank Taylor for more information.

Two Cumberland, right next door to The Real Estate Studio at 216 King Street, is a fun store full of jewelry, trinkets, clothing, and home decor. A self-proclaimed “uniquely Southern” shop, Two Cumberland is located on the second story with an enticing stairwell sitting just between The Real Estate Studio and Savannah Bee Company.

Wondering about the name? They moved from Cumberland and Concord Streets a few months ago and decided to keep their name (which was their original address) when they made the move over to King Street. The new store space is significantly bigger then the Cumberland Street space, and the owner believes the consumer traffic will be higher at the new location.

Two Cumberland is the largest retailer of Bourbon and Boweties

Two Cumberland is the largest retailer of Bourbon & Boweties, a locally owned unique jewelry company that offers handmade bracelets, necklaces, and rings right here in Charleston. Carley Ochs, founder of Bourbon & Boweties, still hand selects every stone, meeting stone suppliers and vendors all over the world.

We recommend stopping in if you’re looking for a gift, a souvenir, or something to spoil yourself. You can’t miss the fashionably dressed mannequin that sits on the sidewalk and the bright baskets lining the stairs.  Two Cumberland also offers monogramming and has a huge selection of jewelry in all shapes, sizes, and colors to choose from. Make sure you tell them their neighbors at dunes properties sent you, and then come in to The Real Estate Studio to show us what you couldn’t live without! Follow Two Cumberland on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook.

The featured property this week is 150 Bee Street #611, located in the Bee Street Lofts at Lockwood Boulevard and Bee Street, just adjacent to the Medical University of South Carolina. This 108 unit mid-rise luxury condominium building overlooks the Ashley River and is the most desired address of residency among Charleston doctors, nurses, and medical students who spend a lot of time at MUSC, the VA Medical Center, and Roper Saint Francis Hospital. The close proximity to the hospitals makes is possible for some doctors to do their rounds and return to the comfort and stress-free zone of their own home.

The Bee Street Lofts provide luxury urban architecture, soaring ceilings, gourmet kitchens, luxurious bathrooms with whirlpool tubs and travertine floors, and shows off 11 distinct floor plans with 41 variations. Some of the lofts have a wine fridge, 20-foot ceilings (on the Penthouse floor), and designer stained concrete flooring. The gated parking garage belonging to Bee Street Lofts provides each condo with one designated parking space. There is no guest parking, however, that doesn’t really matter when you are working just a block away! A lot of people automatically dismiss Bee Street Lofts because of the lack of parking, but what they don’t realize is that is is a very green choice worth considering. With the best location for MUSC students and workers and reasonable pricing, Bee Street Lofts are sure to attract a creative, urban mind set.

 150 Bee Street #611 is one of the more detailed and extravagant lofts that Bee Street Lofts has to offer. The view from Loft 611 overlooks the Ashley River and Brittlebank Park. The 6th floor is plenty high enough to be away from the bustle of city living, but just high enough to be eye-level with some of the best fireworks in Charleston. There are two designated parking spaces for 150 Bee Street #611, making this loft a rarity at the complex. The loft features 2 spacious bedrooms with huge walk-in closets, each with a bath and a half for guests. The fixtures and finishes in the bathrooms and kitchen are fit for royalty. Off of the gourmet kitchen is a separate dining room and the grand living area has a balcony with a breathtaking view. Listed at only $459,000, don’t let this piece of Charleston History slip away! Contact Vince Perna for more information on this spectacular listing at Bee Street Lofts.

Discover 59 Anson in the heart of Ansonborough

Located in the beautiful Ansonborough district in Historic Charleston, 59 Anson Street is just steps from the City Market and newly renovated Gaillard Auditorium. Being just two blocks from King Street shopping and dining, 59 Anson Street is the perfect location for someone looking for a luxurious, urban lifestyle.

The quiet, shaded streets of Ansonborough offer an array of grand homes built during the 18th and 19 centuries, and includes the oldest house in Charleston, the Col. William Rhett House, built in 1712. Ansonborough is renowned for Historic Charleston elegance and its atmosphere of sweet serenity, and is one of the most sought out neighborhoods on the Charleston Peninsula. In Ansonborough you will find homes with grand columns and piazzas, roof terraces, wrought iron gates, and intricate gardens.

59 Anson Street is no exception when it comes to the grandeur and elegance of the homes in Ansonborough. There are sweeping city and harbor views from the roof top, as well as the double piazza. The home boasts a generous 4378 square feet and has five bedrooms, three full bathrooms, and two half bathrooms. The gourmet kitchen is a chef’s dream and features new stainless appliances and rich dark cabinets. The master suite features a large walk in closet and an en suite with a soaking tub and walk in shower. This house is completely turn-key ready with a complete interior and exterior renovation in 2010. 59 Anson Street has all new HVAC, electrical, plumbing, flooring, interior and exterior paint, appliances, and bathrooms.

A gourmet kitchen, beautiful fireplace in the living area, and a stunning master suite.

59 Anson has recently returned to the market at $2,199,000.  Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to live in the heart of Historic Charleston. Contact Jennifer Snowden for more information on this gorgeous property.

The Real Estate Studio is currently showcasing local photographer Mark Swick until July 28, 2015. We recently hosted a reception for his beautiful photographs of all things Charleston – window boxes, doors, wrought iron gates, and landscapes that celebrate the beauty of the Lowcountry.  Mark certainly has talent and an appreciation for the architecture and charm of this town.  We sat down with Mark to get the skinny on his photography, and here’s what he had to say…

Photo courtesy of Mark Swick

Dunes Properties: What inspired you to start taking photos?

Mark Swick: I have no formal background in photography, and it did not become a passion for me until I moved to Charleston in 2012. Living downtown and spending lots of time on a bike, I quickly developed an appreciation for the impressive historic architecture on the peninsula. Previously I had only used the camera on my iPhone casually, but I began to take pictures in earnest – mainly of doors and windows. I found myself seeking out entire neighborhoods and canvassing their entrances, gates and flower boxes. I was hooked, and it was around that time that I became more serious about sharing my photographs on Instagram. The support of the Instagram community propelled my interest further, and in 2014 I began shooting with a DSLR and editing primarily on a computer.

 

What is your absolute favorite thing to photograph in Charleston?

After all this time I’m still entranced by Charleston’s different neighborhoods and architecture. I love being a part of this city; photographing Charleston homes and sharing them with others all over the world is my small contribution to what makes the Lowcountry so great.

Windows of Charleston

What do you like to do in your free time besides photography?

I spend a lot of time exploring the city with my girlfriend, trying new restaurants and attending local events. I am also very involved in Charleston’s Jewish community.

Seventeen

Do you plan on venturing into any other types of photography? 

I am really fortunate, especially of late, that my humble photography beginnings have led to new professional experiences. I recently photographed a couple’s engagement proposal, and have also done album cover and profile work for a local country duo. I hope to gain additional experiences in portraiture and event photography — who knows where that will take me!

Angela, Mark, and Emily during the reception at The Real Estate Studio. photo courtesy of LowcountryLoveLetters.com

You can purchase Mark’s from his website, in any size or medium that you would like. You can also follow him on Instagram and Twitter.  dunes properties agents Angela Wicke and Emily Gildea recently caught up with Mark at his Studio reception, and he is featured this week on their blog Lowcountry Love Letters.  Check it out!

Don’t forget to check back in to The Real Estate Studio where we showcase a new local artist every 6 weeks in our space.  We love this town and all the talented people who live, work, and play here.

Vannessa Carter is one of our historic Charleston office agents and she has such poetic love for Charleston we had to let her share her story here:

Vannessa Carter, dunes properties

Where do I begin to describe one of the greatest love stories of my life???

My first visit to Charleston was in 1984 during a college course, studying Civil War history. I can remember walking around the city with my classmates after a trip to Fort Sumter and promising myself that I would live here one day. It took a while but I made good on that promise.

For me, Charleston has been the place of family vacations, a favorite college class, girls’ getaways and falling in love…with both the city and the “Sweet Boy.’ Meeting Kim probably put my plans on a fast track but the city had me at hello, way back in 1984.

You don’t have to take my word for it, Conde Nast says that we are the  planet’s best city for 2012. I am not going to argue with that! Charleston offers two very distinct lifestyles that mix and mingle beautifully. On the one hand we have the beach life. Lazy, sun filled days on the beaches, paddling a kayak or SUP, oyster roasts, bike riding and sunsets. On the other hand we have a historical urban life. Downtown has some of  the best of food and dining in the United States, it is one of the best shopping cities according to USNews & World Report, The Daily Beast sobers us by naming us the fourth drunkest city and Travel & Leisure says that we are the fourth best looking bunch of people in the US.

We seem to be on the radar of every major publication these days. I am very proud to call Charleston my home and was thrilled when my daughter, Warner, recently said that she was going “home” for the holidays. She was talking about Charleston. One of my motives for moving here was that my daughters, family and friends would always want to visit without too much coercion. So far, it seems to be working.

Despite all of the current press about Charleston, it is still a small southern town with only about two degrees of separation between people you meet and people you know. After a year here, I am always shocked at how easy it is to connect the dots among friends. Everyone is very happy these days with all of the attention shining on our hamlet of happy and there are lots of reasons to be so happy.

Charleston is way too diverse to describe it all in one place. Instead of trying to do it here, in other sections of this site I am going to give you descriptions of the different areas of Charleston and what they each offer to make Charleston the sum that is greater than all of her parts.

Bethany Joy Galeotti of CW’s One Tree Hill and 1/2 of the singing duo Everley spent some time in Charleston hiding out from Hurricane Irene and she had fabulous things to say about us on her blog especially about the food- and her in laws are restaurateurs so she has some food review cred…

You’ll have to visit her blog (click on the above link) to see her pictures, but here’s what she said:

To escape the impending hurricane in Wilmington, we dodged down to Charlestown last weekend. Great trip, great food. Lots of history (Charleston is where the Civil War officially started, for those of you who are NOT smarter than a 5th grader) and beautiful architecture. The joke goes that Charleston is the most well built city because they’ve had so much practice rebuilding it. Due to hurricanes and tornadoes and earthquakes and fires, it’s a wonder this South Carolinian history-Mecca is still standing.

This weekend was also the first weekend back for College kids and they were swarming the streets. Believe it or not, I’ve never seen a frat house or sorority up close, so I took some pictures of the ones near our hotel. A bit underwhelming, but interesting nonetheless… I’ll show you those later. My favorite pics, though, were of some local entryways. The doors are painted such great colors.

Ok, we can’t talk about Charleston without talking about its food! I mean, Bon Apetite Magazine’s No. 1 Best Restaurant in America is in this city. And yes, we ate there… HUSK.

The people were incredibly friendly for the amount of snobbery to which they could rightfully lay claim, the atmosphere was warm and the food was awesome. Awesome. We had fried chicken skins in a honey hot sauce, amberjack fish with local greens and oatmeal pie for dessert. Husk’s whole gimmick is that it’s true pioneer cooking. Everything is local. And by everything, i mean if he can’t find an olive vineyard within the southern tri-state area, he don’t cook with olive oil.

Moving on to Husk’s next door neighbor, 82 QUEEN, we had a killer lunch of fried okra w/marmalade, homemade cheddar/chive biscuits, BBQ shrimp n grits, and more.

Thank you so much Bethany Joy for your raves about our town. Thanks for being a fan of Charleston.

Last night I went with a friend to Uncorked – an unpretentious wine bar in Mt. Pleasant’s Belle Hall shopping center off Long Point Rd. Uncorked opened about five months ago. They have a wide assortment of wines, a few craft beers, a decent selection of chocolate and also cheeses.  Charcuterie is coming soon and I can only hope some olives as well.  The owner David Willis, manager William Bennett, and assistant manager Peter Demarest are very informed about their wines and cheeses and happy to share their knowledge and their opinions in a fresh, light-hearted way. In no way is this place boring or snobbish.  It’s an intimate space with a small bar, a sofa, two upholstered chairs and a few tables and chairs inside and out. It’s a comfortable, low-key and yes truly as they claim an unpretentious wine bar.  A perfect place for a first date, a girls’ happy hour, heck, I think I’d have no problem going there alone and reading a book while sipping from a glass of prosecco and nibbling on bonbons (the pecan pie and double shot latte bon bons rocked my sweet tooth).

Sit down, relax, sip, nibble and enjoy!

I must admit I have paid today for my night out at Uncorked, I have a cheese hangover.  Seriously, we ate a lot of cheese and after our chocolate plate, we decided we wanted more – the owner was extra nice and plied us with a few extra cheese options to try. I couldn’t say no. Nothing disappointed.  I don’t know when I’ll be able to eat cheese again and the mention of the word cheese is not sitting well with me today. Which is unfortunate because today I found out about THIS-

Goat~Sheep~Cow. Newly opened at 106 Church St. in downtown Charleston there is a little gem with a Parisian feel and their focus is CHEESE! I read this awesome story on one of my favorite blogs Read Charlie. They have almost 200 kinds of cheeses. Now that is my kind of crazy.  I can’t wait to go there. I think it will have to wait until next weekend, however.  When I do, I will report. But from reading the article and checking out their website, how could they disappoint any cheese lover?

Such a cute store front

While reading Kristin Walker’s blog last night I just thought of all the most excellent blogs out there in the internet world.  What a wonderful way to meet people you would never otherwise, to learn about other places, and you can even learn about where you live.  In this fast pace, quick bite (byte) world of internet communicating with Twitter, Facebook- sometimes you just want to actually read something with substance and emotion.   These are a few of my favorite local bloggers/websites who feature articles about Charleston and other things as well.

Eat Well Charleston by Melissa Ohlson who is  a registered dietician and all about cardiovascular health and feeding her two sons and husband healthy family meals. She shares recipes, tips, healthy choices at area restaurants and more.

The Digitel – All about Charleston- what is going on and what you should be doing.  An easy to follow and eye catching format.  Hip, cool and all that jazz. A little more than a blog but still. And readers can plant “seeds” and start their own stories.  Truly a community site.

Read Charlie– Art, fashion, music, etc. If it’s social, if it’s happening- it’s on Charlie.

Seersucker & Stilettos – Mostly devoted to fashion and shops- great pictures and recommendations. You’ll  probably find a little shop you never heard of before.

The Party Scene – This is the photo equivalent of a social calendar- but after the events have occurred.  It’s just fun to look through their pictures- you always end up seeing someone you know and  regretting you opted to not go to a certain event because it just looked so beautiful and fun afterthefact.

And finally….

Two Doors Down is a newly created blog by Kari Kim and Liz Ryan to share tips on living locally and simply.  Although it is just starting out, it already includes some wonderful posts and promises to be one to read daily.  The ladies spotlight local artisans, offer reading suggestions, recipes, organizational and decorating tips, and give some serious love to worthy local businesses. We suggest you subscribe!

How about you? What are we missing? What’s your favorite local blog?