by Jim Morekis
November
Plantation Days at Middleton Place (4300 Ashley River Rd., 843/556-6020, www.middletonplace.org, daily 9am-5pm, last tour 4:30pm, guided tour $10) happen each Saturday in November, giving visitors a chance to wander the grounds and see artisans at work practicing authentic crafts as they would have done in antebellum days, with a special emphasis on the contributions of African Americans. A special treat comes on Thanksgiving, when a full meal is offered on the grounds at the Middleton Place Restaurant (843/556-6020, www.middletonplace.org, reservations strongly recommended).
Though the Battle of Secessionville actually took place in June 1862 much farther south, November is the time the battle is reenacted at Boone Hall Plantation (1235 Long Point Rd., 843/884-4371, www.boonehallplantation.com, $17.50 adults, $7.50 children) in Mount Pleasant. Call for specific dates and times.
December
A yuletide in the Holy City is an experience you’ll never forget, as the Christmas in Charleston (843/724-3705, www.charlestoncity.info) events clustered around the first week of the month prove. For some reason—whether it’s the old architecture, the friendly people, the churches, the carriages, or all of the above—Charleston feels right at home during Christmas. The festivities begin with Mayor Joe Riley lighting the city’s 60-foot Tree of Lights in Marion Square, followed by a parade of brightly lit boats from Mount Pleasant all the way around Charleston up the Ashley River. The key event is the Sunday Christmas Parade through downtown, featuring bands, floats, and performers in the holiday spirit. The Saturday Farmers Market in the square continues through the middle of the month with a focus on holiday items.
Shopping
For a relatively small city, Charleston has an impressive amount of big-name, big-city stores to go along with its charming, one-of-a-kind locally owned shops. I’ve never known anyone to leave Charleston without bundles of good stuff.
KING STREET
Without a doubt, King Street is the main shopping thoroughfare in the area. It’s unique not only for the fact that so many national-name stores are lined up so close to each other but because there are so many great restaurants of so many different types ideally positioned for when you need to take a break to rest and refuel. Though I don’t necessarily recommend doing so—Charleston has so much more to offer—a visitor could easily spend an entire weekend doing nothing but shopping, eating, and carousing up and down King Street. King Street has three distinct areas with three distinct types of merchandise: Lower King is primarily top-of-the-line antiques stores (most are closed Sunday, so plan your trip accordingly); Middle King is where you’ll find upscale name-brand outlets such as Banana Republic and American Apparel as well as some excellent shoe stores; and Upper King, north of Calhoun Street, is where you’ll find funky housewares shops, generally locally owned.
Shopping on King Street never disappoints.
Antiques
A relatively new addition to Lower King’s cluster of antiques shops, Alexandra AD (156 King St., 843/722-4897, Mon.-Sat. 10am-5pm) features great chandeliers, lamps, and fabrics.
Since 1929, George C. Birlant & Co. (191 King St., 843/722-3842, Mon.-Sat. 9am-5:30pm) has been importing 18th- and 19th-century furniture, silver, china, and crystal, and also deals in the famous “Charleston Battery Bench.”
On the 200 block, A’riga IV (204 King St., 843/577-3075, Mon.-Sat. 10:30am-4:30pm) deals in a quirky mix of 19th-century decorative arts, including rare apothecary items.
Art Galleries
Ever since native son Joseph Allen Smith began one of the country’s first art collections in Charleston in the late 1700s, the Holy City has been fertile ground for visual artists. For most visitors, the center of visual arts activity is in the French Quarter between South Market and Tradd Streets. Thirty galleries reside here within short walking distance, including Charleston Renaissance Gallery (103 Church St., 843/723-0025, www.fineartsouth.com, Mon.-Sat. 10am-5pm), specializing in 19th- and 20th-century oils and sculpture and featuring artists from the American South, including some splendid pieces from the Charleston Renaissance; the city-funded City Gallery at Waterfront (34 Prioleau St., 843/958-6484, Tues.-Fri. 11am-6pm, Sat.-Sun. noon-5pm); the Pink House Gallery (17 Chalmers St., 843/723-3608, http://pinkhousegallery.tripod.com, Mon.-Sat. 10am-5pm), in the oldest tavern building in the South, circa 1694; Helena Fox Fine Art (106-A Church St., 843/723-0073, www.helenafoxfineart.com, Mon.-Sat. 10am-5pm), dealing in 20th-century representational art; the Anne Worsham Richardson Birds Eye View Gallery (119-A Church St., 843/723-1276, www.anneworshamrichardson.com, Mon.-Sat. 10am-5pm), home of South Carolina’s official painter of the state flower and state bird; and the more modern-oriented Robert Lange Studios (2 Queen St., 843/805-8052, www.robertlangestudios.com, daily 11am-5pm). The best way to experience the area is to go on one of the popular and free French Quarter ArtWalks (843/724-3424, www.frenchquarterarts.com), held the first Friday of March, May, October, and December 5pm-8pm and featuring lots of wine, food, and, of course, art. You can download a map at the website.
Mayor Joe’s Legacy
Few cities anywhere have been as greatly influenced by one mayor as Charleston has by Joseph P. “Joe” Riley, reelected in November 2011 to his 10th four-year term (he swears this will be his last). “Mayor Joe,” or just “Joe,” as he’s usually called, is not only responsible for instigating the vast majority of redevelopment in the city, but he continues to set the bar for its award-winning tourism industry—always a key component in his long-term plans.
Riley won his first mayoral race at the age of 32, the second Irish American mayor of the city. The first was John Grace, elected in 1911 and eventually defeated by the allegedly anti-Catholic Thomas P. Stoney. Legend has it that soon after winning his first mayoral election in 1975, Riley was handed an old envelope written decades before by the Bishop of Charleston, addressed to “The Next Irish Mayor.” Inside was a note with a simple message: “Get the Stoneys.”
The well-regarded lawyer, Citadel grad, and former member of the state legislature had a clear vision for his administration: It would bring unprecedented numbers of women and minorities into city government, rejuvenate then-seedy King Street, and enlarge the city’s tax base by annexing surrounding areas (during Riley’s tenure the city has grown from 16.7 square miles to over 100). But in order to make any of that happen, one thing had to happen first—Charleston’s epidemic street crime had to be brought under control. Enter a vital partner in Riley’s effort to remake Charleston: Chief of Police Reuben Greenberg. From 1982 to 2005, Greenberg—who intrigued locals and the national media not only for his dominant personality but because he was that comparative rarity, an African American Jew—turned old ideas of law enforcement in Charleston upside down through his introduction of “community policing.” Charleston cops would have to have a college degree. Graffiti would not be tolerated. And for the first time in recent memory, officers would have to walk beats instead of staying in their cars. With Greenberg’s help, Riley was able to keep together the unusual coalition of predominantly white business and corporate interests and African American voters that brought him into office in the first place.
It hasn’t all been rosy. Riley was put on the spot in 2007 after the tragic deaths of the “Charleston 9” firefighters, an episode that seemed to expose serious policy and equipment flaws in the city’s fire department. And he’s often been accused of being too easily infatuated with high-dollar development projects instead of paying attention to the needs of regular Charlestonians, such as perennial flooding problems.
Here’s only a partial list of the major projects and events Mayor Joe has made happen in Charleston that visitors are likely to enjoy:
• Charleston Maritime Center
• Charleston Place
• Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry
• Hampton Park rehabilitation
• King Street-Market Street retail district
• Mayor Joseph P. Riley Ballpark (named after the mayor at
the insistence of city council, over his objections)
• MOJA Arts Festival
• Piccolo Spoleto
• South Carolina Aquarium
• Spoleto Festival USA
• Waterfront Park
• West Ashley Bikeway & Greenway
One of the most important single venues, the nonprofit Redux Contemporary Art Center (136 St. Philip St., 843/722-0697, www.reduxstudios.org, Tues.-Thurs. noon-8pm, Fri.-Sat. noon-5pm) features modernistic work in a variety of media, including illustration, video installation, blueprints, performance art, and graffiti. Outreach is hugely important to this venture and includes lecture series, classes, workshops, and internships.
For a modern take from local artists, check out the Sylvan Gallery (171 King St., 843/722-2172, www.thesylvangallery.com, Mon.-Fri. 9am-5pm, Sat. 10am-5pm, Sun. 11am-4pm), which specializes in 20th- and 21st-century art and sculpture.
Right up the street and incorporating works from the estate of Charleston legend Elizabeth O’Neill Verner is Ann Long Fine Art (177 King St., 843/577-0447, www.annlongfineart.com, Mon.-Sat. 11am-5pm), which seeks to combine the painterly aesthetic of the Old World with the edgy vision of the New.
Farther up King and specializing in original Audubon prints and antique botanical prints is The Audubon Gallery (190 King St., 843/853-1100, www.audubonart.com, Mon.-Sat. 10am-5pm), the sister store of the Joel Oppenheimer Gallery in Chicago.
In the Upper King area is Gallery Chuma (43 John St., 843/722-7568, www.gallerychuma.com, Mon.-Sat. 10am-6pm), which specializes in the art of the Gullah people of the South Carolina coast. They do lots of cultural and educational events about Gullah culture as well as display art on the subject.
Charleston’s favorite art supply store is Artist & Craftsman Supply (434 King St., 843/579-0077, www.artistcraftsman.com, Mon.-Sat. 10am-7pm, Sun. noon-5pm), part of a well-regarded Maine-based chain. They cater to the pro as well as the dabbler and have a fun children’s art section as well.
Books and Music
It’s easy to overlook at the far southern end of retail development on King, but the excellent Preservation Society of Charleston Book and Gift Shop (147 King St., 843/722-4630, Mon.-Sat. 10am-5pm) is perhaps the best place in town to pick up books on Charleston lore and history as well as locally themed gift items.
Along those same lines is the great Shops of Historic Charleston Foundation (108 Meeting St., 843/724-8484, www.historiccharleston.org), with plenty of tasteful Charleston-themed gift ideas, from books to kitchenware, housed in a beautiful building.
The charming Pauline Books and Media (243 King St., 843/577-0175, Mon.-Sat. 10am-6pm) is run by the Daughters of Saint Paul and carries Christian books, Bibles, rosaries, and images from a Roman Catholic perspective.
Housed in an extremely long and narrow storefront on Upper King, Jonathan Sanchez’s funky and friendly Blue Bicycle Books (420 King St., 843/722-2666, www.bluebicyclebooks.com, Mon.-Sat. 10am-6pm, Sun. 1pm-6pm) deals primarily in used books and has a particularly nice stock of local and regional books, art books, and fiction.
Clothes
Cynics may scoff at the proliferation of high-end national retail chains on Middle King, but rarely will a shopper find so many so conveniently located, and in such a pleasant environment. The biggies are: The Gap (269 King St., 843/577-2498, Mon.-Thurs. 10am-7pm, Fri.-Sat. 10am-8pm, Sun. 11am-7pm); Banana Republic (247 King St., 843/722-6681, Mon.-Fri. 10am-7pm, Sat. 10am-8pm, Sun. noon-6pm); J.Crew (264 King St., 843/534-1640, Mon.-Thurs. 10am-6pm, Fri.-Sat. 10am-8pm, Sun. noon-6pm); and American Apparel (348 King St., 843/853-7220, Mon.-Sat. 10am-8pm, Sun. noon-7pm). Of particular note is the massive Forever 21 (211 King St., 843/937-5087, www.forever21.com, Sun.-Wed. 10am-8pm, Thurs.-Sat. 10am-9pm), housed in what was formerly Saks Fifth Avenue. This edition of the well-known tween mecca goes well beyond what you’re probably used to in other markets and features clothes for (slightly) older women as well as a small men’s section.
For a locally owned clothing shop, try the innovative Worthwhile (268 King St., 843/723-4418, www.shopworthwhile.com, Mon.-Sat. 10am-6pm, Sun. noon-5pm), which has lots of organic fashion.
Big companies’ losses are your gain at Oops! (326 King St., 843/722-7768, Mon.-Fri. 10am-6pm, Sat. 10am-7pm, Sun. noon-6pm), which buys factory mistakes and discontinued lines from major brands at a discount, passing along the savings to you. The range here tends toward colorful and preppy.
If hats are your thing, make sure you visit Magar Hatworks (57 Cannon St., 843/577-7740, [email protected], www.magarhatworks.com), where Leigh Magar makes and sells her whimsical, all-natural hats, some of which she designs for Barneys New York.
Another notable locally owned clothing store on King Street is the classy Berlins Men’s and Women’s (114-120 King St., 843/722-1665, Mon.-Sat. 9:30am-6pm), dating from 1883.
Health and Beauty
The Euro-style window display of Stella Nova (292 King St., 843/722-9797, Mon.-Sat. 10am-7pm, Sun. 1pm-5pm) beckons at the corner of King and Society. Inside this locally owned cosmetics store and studio you’ll find a wide selection of high-end makeup and beauty products. There’s also a Stella Nova day spa (78 Society St., 843/723-0909, Mon.-Sat. 9am-6pm, Sun. noon-5pm).
Inside the Francis Marion Hotel near Marion Square is Spa Adagio (387 King St., 843/577-2444, Mon.-Sat. 10am-7pm, Sun. by appointment only), offering massage, waxing, and skin and nail care.
On Upper King you’ll find Allure Salon (415 King St., 843/722-8689, Tues. and Thurs. 10am-7pm, Wed. and Fri. 9am-5pm, Sat. 10am-3pm) for stylish haircuts.
Home, Garden, and Sporting Goods
With retail locations in Charleston and Savannah and a new cutting-edge, green-friendly warehouse in North Charleston, Half Moon Outfitters (280 King St., 843/853-0990, www.halfmoonoutfitters.com, Mon.-Sat. 10am-7pm, Sun. noon-6pm) is something of a local legend. Here you can find not only top-of-the-line camping and outdoor gear and good tips on local recreation but some really stylish outdoorsy apparel as well.
A couple of great home and garden stores are worth mentioning on Upper King: Charleston Gardens (650 King St., 866/469-0118, www.charlestongardens.com, Mon.-Sat. 9am-5pm) is the outlet for a locally originated national mail-order chain famous for furniture and accessories; and Haute Design Studio (489 King St., 843/577-9886, www.hautedesign.com, Mon.-Fri. 9am-5:30pm) is the place for upper-end furnishings with an edgy feel.
Jewelry
Joint Venture Estate Jewelers (185 King St., 843/722-6730, www.jventure.com, Mon.-Sat. 10am-5:30pm) specializes in antique, vintage, and modern estate jewelry as well as pre-owned watches, including Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Cartier, with a fairly unique consignment emphasis.
Since 1919, Croghan’s Jewel Box (308 King St., 843/723-3594, www.croghansjewelbox.com, Mon.-Fri. 9:30am-5:30pm, Sat. 10am-5pm) has offered amazing locally crafted diamonds, silver, and designer pieces to generations of Charlestonians.
Antique shops dominate Lower King Street.
Art Jewelry by Mikhail Smolkin (312 King St., 843/722-3634, www.fineartjewelry.com, Mon.-Sat. 10am-5pm) features one-of-a-kind pieces by this St. Petersburg, Russia, native.
Shoes
Rangoni of Florence (270 King St., 843/577-9554, Mon.-Sat. 9:30am-6pm, Sun. 12:30pm-5:30pm) imports the best women’s shoes from Italy, with a few men’s designs as well. Copper Penny Shooz (317 King St., 843/723-3838, Mon.-Sat. 10am-7pm, Sun. noon-6pm) combines hip and upscale fashion. Funky and fun Phillips Shoes (320 King St., 843/965-5270, Mon.-Sat. 10am-6pm) deals in Dansko for men, women, and kids (don’t miss the awesome painting above the register of Elvis fitting a customer). A famous locally owned place for footwear is Bob Ellis Shoe Store (332 King St., 843/722-2515, www.bobellisshoes.com, Mon.-Sat. 10am-6pm), which has served Charleston’s elite with high-end shoes since 1950.
CHARLESTON PLACE
Charleston Place (130 Market St., 843/722-4900, www.charlestonplaceshops.com, Mon.-Wed. 10am-6pm, Thurs.-Sat. 10am-8pm, Sun. noon-5pm), a combined retail-hotel d
evelopment begun to much controversy in the late 1970s, was the first big downtown redevelopment project of Mayor Riley’s tenure. While naysayers said people would never come downtown to shop for boutique items, Riley proved them wrong, and 30 years later The Shops at Charleston Place and the Riviera (the entire complex has itself been renovated through the years) remains a big shopping draw for locals and visitors alike. Highlights inside the large, stylish space include Gucci, Talbots, Louis Vuitton, Yves Delorme, Everything But Water, and Godiva.
NORTH OF BROAD
In addition to the myriad of tourist-oriented shops in the City Market itself, there are a few gems in the surrounding area that also appeal to locals.
For years dominated by a flea market vibe, City Market (Meeting St. and Market St., 843/973-7236, daily 9:30am-10:30pm) is now chockablock with boutique retail all along its lengthy interior. The more humble crafts tables are toward the back. If you must have one of the handcrafted sweetgrass baskets, try out your haggling skills—the prices have wiggle room built in.
Women come from throughout the region to shop at the incredible consignment store The Trunk Show (281 Meeting St., 843/722-0442, Mon.-Sat. 10am-6pm). You can find one-of-a-kind vintage and designer wear and accessories. Some finds are bargains, some not so much, but there’s no denying the quality and breadth of the offerings.
For a more budget-conscious and countercultural vintage shop, walk a few feet next door to Factor Five (283 Meeting St., 843/965-5559), which has retro clothes, rare CDs, and assorted paraphernalia.
