Savannah, Georgia where we lived for a few years is (arguably) just as nice. It has a well maintained old part of the city with scenic squares and 18th century houses. Like Charleston, it has a terrific restaurant scene. So, put Savannah on your list for your next visit.
One of my team mates lives in Charleston. It seems lovely, but the high humidity and heat all year round would be hard for my Anglo-Saxon body to deal with. He’d never told me how pretty it was though. Lovely article and pics, Ed.
I lived in Charleston (well, actually west of the Ashley and then later on James Island) for five years. It is a lovely city, the beaches are gorgeous, and if you’re into sea kayaking it is quite heavenly. The humidity, however, is insane. I don’t know how people survived there before air conditioning was invented. I’m a native New Englander and missed having proper seasons, so we moved back to the North; but Charleston will always have a special place in my heart.
One thing that is strange about the metro Charleston area is that the extremely walkable and charming peninsula is surrounded by a lot of car-centric suburban sprawl. James Island drove me nuts because of the lack of sidewalks and walkability. I remember people honking and yelling at me when I would ride my bike there (this was back in the mid-90s). People seemed to view walking and biking with suspicion in the suburbs, yet everyone agreed that downtown Charleston was so pleasant largely because you could walk everywhere.
Well done! Yeah we love our 2A here in America. We do shoot each to other too much, but the hundreds of millions of firearms in private hands keep the wackos out of government and the evil bastards who do get in from pulling anything truly crazy.
I lived in High Point, the town down the road from Greensboro, from 1985~1991, and my family would often go to Greensboro for shopping and other city things.
In summer 2020 I read a book about Charleston in the years leading up to the US Civil War: 'Madness Rules The Hour'.
The author, Paul Starobin, persuasively argued that the elite of Charleston were the people most responsible for turning the crisis into a war. They were pro slavery fanatics.
One detail I recall was that at 8:50pm each night, a drumbeat would start. This was the signal for all free blacks in the city to be off the streets by 9, with flogging the punishment for those that didn't make it home in time.
Savannah, Georgia where we lived for a few years is (arguably) just as nice. It has a well maintained old part of the city with scenic squares and 18th century houses. Like Charleston, it has a terrific restaurant scene. So, put Savannah on your list for your next visit.
Definitely! There was someone I wanted to visit there but I didn’t have time and couldn’t face any more driving.
One of my team mates lives in Charleston. It seems lovely, but the high humidity and heat all year round would be hard for my Anglo-Saxon body to deal with. He’d never told me how pretty it was though. Lovely article and pics, Ed.
Yeah August doesn’t sound much fun
I lived in Charleston (well, actually west of the Ashley and then later on James Island) for five years. It is a lovely city, the beaches are gorgeous, and if you’re into sea kayaking it is quite heavenly. The humidity, however, is insane. I don’t know how people survived there before air conditioning was invented. I’m a native New Englander and missed having proper seasons, so we moved back to the North; but Charleston will always have a special place in my heart.
One thing that is strange about the metro Charleston area is that the extremely walkable and charming peninsula is surrounded by a lot of car-centric suburban sprawl. James Island drove me nuts because of the lack of sidewalks and walkability. I remember people honking and yelling at me when I would ride my bike there (this was back in the mid-90s). People seemed to view walking and biking with suspicion in the suburbs, yet everyone agreed that downtown Charleston was so pleasant largely because you could walk everywhere.
Nice pics!
Well done! Yeah we love our 2A here in America. We do shoot each to other too much, but the hundreds of millions of firearms in private hands keep the wackos out of government and the evil bastards who do get in from pulling anything truly crazy.
I so enjoy your point of view on America. I love Charleston. Beautiful city and great restaurants.
Great essay, Ed. I’m in Florida and we go to Charleston every couple of years. We absolutely love it.
I lived in High Point, the town down the road from Greensboro, from 1985~1991, and my family would often go to Greensboro for shopping and other city things.
In summer 2020 I read a book about Charleston in the years leading up to the US Civil War: 'Madness Rules The Hour'.
The author, Paul Starobin, persuasively argued that the elite of Charleston were the people most responsible for turning the crisis into a war. They were pro slavery fanatics.
One detail I recall was that at 8:50pm each night, a drumbeat would start. This was the signal for all free blacks in the city to be off the streets by 9, with flogging the punishment for those that didn't make it home in time.