Historic Downtown Charleston SC Lifestyle and Culture

Historic Downtown Charleston Real Estate Owners Enjoy Southerner's Dream Town

Just a short walk from the most prestigious historic downtown neighborhoods, the city of Charleston, South Carolina, offers the grandest of adventures. Historic sites abound for Charleston real estate owners, offering many interesting insights into Charleston during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Historically, Charleston is best known as the place where the Civil War began on April 12, 1861 when Confederate troops at Fort Johnson fired on the federal strong-hold at Fort Sumter. Liberty Square in historic downtown Charleston is an open, green space dedicated to all who sacrificed their lives in this tragic war. The Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center, located adjacent to Liberty Square, contains historic artifacts, museum exhibits and interpretive programs. Also, ferry boats leave daily from the center to take visitors to Fort Sumter, which is located 3.3 miles southeast of the City of Charleston on a man-made island near the inlet of Charleston Harbor. The South Carolina Aquarium and Charleston IMAX® Theatre, located on Aquarium Wharf next to the Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center, also offer hours of family entertainment.

The Arts
Charleston is literally alive with arts activities, from the ballet to the theater to opera to the symphony, which fill the social calendars of even the most culturally inclined. Since its earliest days, the arts have played an important role in the lives of Charleston real estate owners. For centuries, the city has produced, nurtured, and encouraged artists of all disciplines…its magnificent architecture, natural beauty, moderate climate and colorful people providing an infinite source of inspiration to artists and art lovers, alike.

A visit to the Gibbes Museum of Art reveals much about the city’s commitment to the visual arts. Established in 1858, this fine art museum offers a distinctive collection of historic and contemporary works, as well as a year-round schedule of art exhibitions, programs and family events. The Gibbes has access to a distinguished collection of over 10,000 American works including paintings, prints, drawings, photographs, sculpture and miniature rooms, paying diligent attention to exhibiting the works of Charleston’s own growing number of fine artists.

In fact, fine art galleries line the streets of Charleston’s French Quarter, where locals and visitors comb through the marvelous array of works in search of the next perfect piece to add to their private collections. And one evening each season, the galleries in the historic French Quarter open their doors for a gallery walk that highlights more than 500 artists representing a diverse variety of styles and mediums, from traditional to contemporary.

Museums
An historic city like Charleston is expected to have its share of museums. America’s first museum, the Charleston Museum was founded in 1773. The Museum preserves and interprets the cultural and natural history of Charleston and the South Carolina coastal region. Objects of historic, archaeological, scientific and ethnological interest illustrate the importance of this area. Exhibits focus on early Native Americans, trade and commerce, the plantation system, African-American contributions, and Civil War memorabilia.

Charleston’s Historic Market Hall, built in 1841, is home to the Charleston United Daughters of the Confederacy Museum Considered the fourth most important collection in the world, items on display include the Secession Flag, the first Confederate National Flag to fly over Fort Sumter, regimental and battle flags, dozens of uniforms, and much more.

The Citadel Museum features the history of The Citadel, the military College of South Carolina, from its founding in 1842 to the present. Photographs from the archives highlight the exhibits, which portray the military, academic, social and athletic aspects of cadet life. The museum is located on the beautiful campus of The Citadel, located on the Charleston peninsula.

In recent years, Charleston, South Carolina, has been recognized as one of the top dining destinations in the Southeast. It is constantly stealing the national spotlight in publications like Condé Nast, Food & Wine, Southern Living, Bon Appetit, Wine Spectator, The New York Times, Gourmet Magazine, USA Today and Smithsonian Magazine, as well as on the popular Food Network. Literally dozens of fine restaurants, featuring everything from the area’s own Lowcountry cuisine to about anything imaginable, tempt the most discriminating taste buds.

Shopping
Shopping reigns as one of the locals’ favorite pastimes. Out-of-the-ordinary shopping is within walking distance of many of the historic district’s best addresses – from browsing the famed King Street Antiques District, to trying on the latest fashions from New York and Paris, to haunting one of the city’s many unusual consignments shops for vintage wear.

Charleston real estate owners can also take advantage of the many spa services available in historic downtown Charleston to help ease stress, dissolve away tension, and enjoy a healthful respite from their busy lives.  //