Tag: hot spots

What’s not to love about Park Circle? One of the trendiest places to live in Charleston right now, it is full of entrepreneurs and young professionals who are turning the area into a perfect place to live and/or spend a day off. Here are 10 ways to treat yourself next time you have some time to spend in PC.

 1.  Zen at Barefoot Yoga

Everyone needs a little zen, which is why it’s essential to have Barefoot Yoga in the neighborhood. Going to Barefoot is on par with a spa visit — total indulgence and totally worth it. The space is calming and quirky, and the staff is warm and welcoming, even for beginners.

@coastbrewing

2. Laid-back brews at Coast Brewing Co.

About a two-minute drive from downtown area of PC is Coast Brewing, where all the Coast beer magic happens. But it’s not just a brewery: you can hang out and consume their brews in a super laid-back setting inside or out. One flavor to try: the Hop Art IPA.

3.  Shave and shoulder massage at Olde Village Barber Shop

Let’s hear it for the beards! Men need pampering too, and that’s their forte at Olde Village Barber Shop. Known for giving one helluva neck and shoulder massage, OVBS is also your PC go-to for a pro shave and a haircut.

@barrelhousespirits

4.  Local spirits at Barrel House Spirits

Owned by local vocalist Emily Richards and her brothers, Barrel House is the only spot to get your liquor in PC. And they have all your favorites and plenty of great local finds, like bottles from Firefly, Striped Pig, and High Wire.

5.  Perfect pizza at Park Pizza + EVO

Park Pizza, y’all. You can’t sit down inside but you can park it outside if there’s a table free (and it’s not raining). Our favorite part? The creative pies. Try the Spaceballs, Teriyabi, She Crab, Bradwell, or the Cordon Bleu. Across the way is E.V.O., another local fave, which features a big dining room, outside tables, a bar full of local brews, and insanely tasty apps, salads, and pizza. EVO uses the freshest SC ingredients, including an Upstate goat cheese fudge for dessert.

@pccreamery

6.  Lemon Crunch cone at Park Circle Creamery

Spoil yourself silly at the relatively new Park Circle Creamery, known for unique ice cream flavors like lemon crunch, german chocolate, Mexican vanilla, and peach pie. Not your unimaginative Cold Stone in any way — just a creative creamery locally owned AND locally loved.

7.  All-day breakfast and more at The Junction Kitchen & Provisions

Not only does the Junction Kitchen & Provisions serve the Park Circle community’s desperate need for an all-day breakfast, but they also offer delicious sandwiches, gluten-free foods, top-shelf dinners, and — provisions! Yep, come and get your local produce, cheese, raw local honey, hen eggs, beer, wine, and cider in one of their grab-n-go coolers. Pretty cool, huh?

@mccarusbeverage

8.  The little PC community also has not one but two places to sip wine and nibble cheese: Accent on Wine and Stems & Skins.

Accent has a sweet and knowledgable sommelier named Hal, serves affordable small boards, and is as unpretentious as it gets. Bonus? Wine on tap! Meanwhile, Stems & Skins not only has your perfect tapas and olives and wine, but also some killer desserts, like peach cobbler that goes great with Prosecco FYI.

9.  Crawfish mac at LoLa

LoLa = Lowcountry cuisine with a Louisiana twist, which is why their must-have is the crawfish mac! Owned by a father-and-son duo, LoLa also gets the cajun-cum-southern vibe right with their etouffee, poboys, and pecan cornbread.

@theorangespotcoffee house

10.  Cha Yen at Orange Spot Coffeehouse

Here you’ll find, by far, the best Thai iced coffee in Charleston. Owned by two old friends, OS also boasts a backyard perfect for sunny days, cold brew coffee, and fresh-baked snacks, like scones and quiche.

What’s your favorite place in Park Circle?

Duck down almost any side street in downtown Charleston and you’ll find some hidden gem of an eatery, shop or art gallery.  One of them is Kudu Coffee Shop. Don’t let their name fool you, though. It’s much more than delicious coffee. They have a decent selection of craft beers and tasty pastries and sandwiches.

I have heard raves about their coffee for years (some say it’s the best locally) even after a recent change of ownership.  I never stopped by until this past Saturday.   I was pleasantly surprised!

A local three piece band  was playing (The V Tones, as the Lee Brothers referred to them in their Travel + Leisure article- Charleston post modern ragtime band) was playing in the nice courtyard area while little birds were bathing themselves in the fountain.

The crowd was an eclectic mix of the adult professional and granola set, parents with young children, college students studying,  friends meeting for drinks, and even some local sci-fi/ fantasy fans playing a collectible card game.  The exterior space is pet friendly and there was an adorable puppy holding court.

Even though the place was busy and the band was playing, I was able to do some writing and enjoy an iced latte in the sunshine. It was a perfect two hour afternoon and the staff was very friendly.

Now for the pronounciation lesson and how to find Kudu.  It’s at 4 Vanderhorst Street .   And how would you say “Vanderhorst?”  I have lived here for many years now and I have heard three things all from born and bred  Charlestonians.  “Vandross,” “Vandraws,” and the phonetic “Vanderhorst.”  Which is right? I don’t know. But I am going to go with the phonetic pronunciation.

My hunt for the proper way to say Vanderhorst led me to this little gem about local South Carolina  pronunciations  .  One of the more fun things about moving/visiting new places is when the words get tricky or are of the more international variety, you get to hear how the region has co-opted the names/words.  But every once in awhile you can get lost. Looking for “Hugee” Street and only seeing Huger street for example.  All part of the fun of being someplace new.