Charleston, South Carolina
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2/20/2012
Charleston, South Carolina is a beautiful city that has a lot to offer people who reside or visit here. I’m from Charleston, as I was born on the old Charleston Naval Base. I’ve seen this city grow tremendously from the 1970’s to the present. Familiar landmarks have been replaced by newer ones, and the infrastructure has been revamped, or new infrastructure built.
I’ve read the many comments that people have posted here about Charleston. There were some extreme negative things mentioned, but please don’t allow such posts scare you away from visiting or relocating here. You have to realize that people provide their input based on their own experiences in any place that they visit. I assure you that Charleston is like any other American city but, with their own character and niche.
It is true that the education here in South Carolina is not up to standard with the rest of the country, but there are numerous private and charter schools that children can attend. My old alma mater is the College of Charleston, which has a very challenging curriculum. In fact, students use to transfer to Ivey League schools from CofC because of the high educational value that this University offers. CofC is only one of many colleges and Universities here in Charleston.
It is very hot and humid here, but what would you expect? Charleston has a sub-tropical climate. Charleston is also a literal swamp that is composed of many inlet waterways and islands. You also have gnats, mosquitoes, and roaches which flourish in this area because of the swamps and moisture that exists here. Charleston is made up of filled in land because of the vast amounts of wetlands that make up this city. That’s why we are referred to as, “The Lowcountry”. We are at or below sea level here on the coast. A lot of our infrastructure is elevated, because of Charleston’s low lying geographical areas. Remember….you are in a swamp here in Charleston.
Contrary to what some people think, Charleston is not a backward city by any means. Charleston boasts about its many firsts here in this country. Here are some examples of this city‘s many firsts: Museum, public library, municipal college (College of Charleston), theatre (Dock Street Theatre), city transit system (Best Friend of Charleston), modern apartment complex (Ansonborough Homes), and one of America’s oldest newspapers, “The Post and Courier” (originally….The News and Courier), and let’s not forget about this country’s first preservation society being established here. Charleston guided other American cities to assist them in their attempts to preserved their historic landmarks. South Carolina Electric and Gas, or just simply SCE&G, was the first utility in America to utilize computers and fiber optic technology. There are many other firsts here, but those listed are the primary ones to mention.
I will admit that our infrastructure is lagging behind. You have to realize that Charleston has been stagnant in its growth since the end of the colonial era, so the need to expand the road systems here have been very slow. It wasn’t until the 1980’s that Charleston starting to boom with its growth. It has been difficult for the planners to keep up with this growth, as they try and anticipate the direction, and the amount of growth expected. Charleston is in a major need of a second interstate system because I 26 is the only major interstate that is a main artery for people to enter and leave the city, though several smaller outlets do exist. We do have I 526, but that’s a beltway system. I was here during Hurricane Hugo in 1989, and the governor at that time reversed all lanes of I 26 to allow people to evacuate. Today, Charleston has nearly 4 times the population that it had 23 years ago.
It is true that the cost of living here is very high, and the wage earnings are extremely low. If you are searching for a more affordable, smaller, or rural place to reside, you may want to consider Goose Creek, Moncks Corner, or Summerville. There are many other cities and townships that make up Charleston, but the ones mentioned are just a few of the main locales that you could look into.
South Carolina and particularly Charleston, take pride in its history. There is a South Carolina history text in the public school system, at least there was when I was in school. This is true because there is so much history in this state. People always talk about the Civil War when it comes to Charleston. In reality, Charleston’s role in the American Revolutionary War was greater than its role in the Civil War. Yes….the first shots of the Civil War were fired here, but most of the battles were fought away from South Carolina. During the American Revolutionary War, there were more battles fought in the state of S.C. than in any of the states of the original 13 colonies. Charleston was also the site of the first decisive victory in the American Revolutionary War at Fort Sullivan (later….Ft. Moultrie), which was commanded by William Moultrie. This fort was built out of palmetto logs which absorbed cannon fire or caused them to bounce off of the fort’s walls. This gave South Carolina its nickname, “The Palmetto State”.
Visit Charleston if you get the chance. As a Charlestonian myself, I welcome anyone and everyone to visit or relocate here. I like the fact that so many people from elsewhere in the country, have chosen Charleston to be their new home. There are bad places as well as good places here. Charleston is no exception from any other American cities, in that respect. The good places well outnumber those areas that aren’t so good to settle in. Please research the history on Charleston, so that you will have a better perspective on this place. Thank you.
Charles | Charleston, SC