Scroll for a quick guide to my downtown Charleston top five! If you’re in downtown CHS, here are some quintessential sights:
The Battery
Sea breezes in your hair, watching the sailboats drift in the harbor. Pick out the house you’d buy if you won the lottery (well, probably several lotteries). It’s one of my favorite places to walk, whether it’s a bright, breezy summer day, a chilly winter afternoon, or not gonna lie, I’ve stood along the railing and watched waves splash up against the wall, just before a hurricane.
Waterfront Park
Home of one of Charleston’s most elusive photo ops, the Pineapple Fountain. Pineapples are known as a symbol of southern hospitality, so it makes sense that this park would be one of the more welcoming places to explore.
There are lots of benches here, shaded by old oak trees. Brick pathways lead visitors to and from historic cannons and monuments. There’s plenty of grassy space where people can picnic and kids can run without fear of tripping on the uneven sidewalks and roads paving the rest of the city.
If you walk down to the pier, there are lovely swings under a shaded cover –fair warning, swings are hard to snag on busy weekends!
Rainbow Row
There are many, many rows of colorful homes in downtown Charleston, but only one is the Rainbow Row. If you spend enough time walking the sidewalks of the Holy City, you’ll hear many a tourist group asking, “is that Rainbow Row?” You’ll find the iconic Rainbow Row nestled along East Bay Street, on the block between Tradd and Elliot.
Randolph Hall
Live oaks adorned with Spanish moss frame the College of Charleston’s most famous building, setting a scene so beautiful, it’s been featured in multiple films, from Cold Mountain to The Notebook. It’s home to the oldest institution for higher education south of Virginia.
Broad Street
One of the best places to catch a sunset in the city can be seen standing on the steps of the old exchange building. The evening sky falls upon the street and it’s little alleys in shades of pink and blue that cotton candy would be envious of. The white steeple of St. Michael’s rises stately above the swaying palmettos that line the street, reflecting the vibrant hues of the sky.
I’m enamored with this gracious city. Its green canopy of live oaks, its salty, humid air, and the charm of its cobbled streets. It’s a city that embraces the old, preserving even the most hopeless remains of architecture. It’s a city that embraces new flavors, welcoming the creative. It’s a city where I want to stay.
Rachel Brei 