Charleston & Charleston Home Magazines

Every time I see Charleston & Charleston Home Magazines I find myself thinking of our hometown as just a little bit more cosmopolitan, ever so slightly hipper; I feel like the lucky local who lives and works and buys groceries in a place people write books about and save up to visit. Cool.

With features on a really great family retreat on Sullivan's Island, artistic Lowcountry couples and the new Charleston County Superintendent of Schools, check out the latest issue of Charleston magazine here: http://www.charlestonmag.com/

My favorite Charleston Home article so far extols the joys of catching, cooking and, of course, eating your own shrimp, complete with photos and recipes. Browse through the whole issue here: http://www.charlestonhomemag.com/

Ship to Shore Housing

What an idea! I love watching innovations like this grow from a mere concept (my introduction at a neighborhood council meeting several years ago) to the first generation model (their first house built in North Charleston in 2004) to the development of a full-scale plan for best use (their hopes to capitalize on both the economic and ecologic benefits of SG Blocks). This will be fun to follow!

"Late last month, [David] Cross, 44, stood outside the ConGlobal Industries North Charleston depot surrounded by the pieces of his first official business deal for his newly formed company, SG Blocks LLC.

Four shipping containers with some missing side panels and apertures for doors and windows sat strapped to flatbed trucks. The next day, the retrofitted cargo containers would be shipped to Fort Bragg in North Carolina, where they would meet up with similarly recycled shipping containers from ConGlobal depots in Jacksonville, Fla., and Norfolk, Va. In a matter of days, the boxes would be welded together and turned into a 5,000-square-foot administrative building.

Though Cross has been at this endeavor for a number of years, with the formation of SG Blocks—the SG stands for safe and green—Cross is hoping to sell his design to the masses as an alternative to traditional housing structures.

It has taken a good deal of time, Cross admitted, to sell the public on the idea that the 4.25-ton cargo containers piling up in port cities courtesy of America’s trade deficit could be recycled into homes that have no resemblance to cargo containers.

Still, Cross is confident the steel containers can provide safer, more durable and environmentally friendly structures for homes than traditional building supplies, and simultaneously bring down homeowners’ insurance rates. "

For the full Charleston Regional Business Journal article: http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/pub/13_17/news/10109-1.html

For the SG Blocks website: http://www.sgblocks.com/

For clips from Bob Vila's show on the container houses: http://www.bobvila.com/BVTV/Bob_Vila/Video-0226-06-1.html

Wall Street Journal Suggests "Selling Houses By the Yard"

The clever title of this article sums it up nicely. An appealing yard – which may not factor into the appraisal at all – can be very significant in the sale of a home and the price received.

"Real-estate agents say a nicely landscaped property can have a pronounced effect on the asking price of a home, depending on the region and the condition of the neighbors' yards. Doreen Drew recently sold a house in Anthem, Ariz., that had sculpted hedges, a lush lawn and a backyard waterfall for $1.1 million, nearly twice the asking price of a similar home nearby with a plainer yard.

Kathleen Wolf, a researcher at the University of Washington in Seattle, recently reviewed several regional studies that used appraisals or sales data to analyze the impact of trees on single-family home prices. She found that, overall, a lot with trees adds about 7% to a home's price. Nearly 20% of buyers say they consider landscaping to be a 'very important' factor in their decision to buy a house, according to a new study by the National Association of Realtors."

For ideas about how to go about realizing some of this landscape profit potential for your home try the "quick fixes" in this article (also from the Wall Street Journal Online): http://www.realestatejournal.com/buysell/tactics/20070821-fletcher.html?refresh=on

For the full Wall Street Journal Online article "Selling Houses By the Yard": http://www.realestatejournal.com/homegarden/20070820-fletcher.html?refresh=on

Outside Magazine LOVES Charleston

Like many of us, the folks at Outside Magazine just can't get enough of this place!

In their August issue they chose the top 18 U.S. "fit, fun, and packed with adventure" locales. Charleston was chosen for the East Coast and listed with this description: "For first-rate Atlantic Coast watersports like surfing, sailing, and sea kayaking, you can't beat metro Charleston's 90 miles of coastline. Culture is both old and new in this 337-year-old port city: Look for homegrown products like aged cigars and black tea, plus a burgeoning design scene and the new Art Institute of Charleston. Throw in a subtropical climate and a refreshingly sane cost of living and you've got a full-fledged urban, and ocean, playground."

Of course they have been tooting our horn for years. In May 1999 Charleston was listed as one of the "Best Places to Have It Both Ways" with "saltwater-marsh paddling before lunch, Spoleto jazz toe-tapping after dinner" cited as evidence.

And in August 2005 a feature story naming Charleston as the "New American Dream Town" introduced their selection with the line, "You can't capture a sense of place and charm in a bottle, of course. But Charleston has come pretty close. "

For the full August 2007 Outside magazine article: http://outside.away.com/outside/destinations/200708/best-towns-2007.html

For the August 2005 article: http://www.crda.org/news_article.shtml?id=467

Lowndes Grove Still Available . . .

Stay the night or host a party at Lowndes Grove and enjoy a few hours of life as part of the Southern aristocracy.

"Lowndes Grove Plantation will continue in its role as one of Charleston’s most popular spots for weddings, cocktail parties and corporate fetes after selling on July 31 for $6.7 million.

The property, which is the only surviving plantation on the Charleston peninsula, was sold to Patrick Properties LLC, the local event planning and restaurant business, which also owns
the William Aiken House, Fish restaurant and the American Theater.

The sale price approached, but did not top, the record outlay for property on the peninsula. A private home at 21 King St. sold June 15 for $7.2 million.

Patrick Properties purchased Lowndes Grove from Alexander and Tina Opoulos, who had purchased most of the property for $1.9 million in 2000 and later bought the adjoining carriage house, investing a total of about $2.5 million in the estate."

For the full Charleston Regional Business Journal article: http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/pub/13_17/news/10114-1.html

For the Lowndes Grove website: http://www.lowndesgrove.com/

For the plantation's historical record: http://south-carolina-plantations.com/charleston/lowndes-grove.html

Charleston's Fire Museum

Just in time for the weekend – if you haven't been to the new Fire Museum yet, there's no time like the present! Very cool, both literally and figuratively, firetrucks built between 1857 and 1969 are showcased in a 27,000 square foot space designed to evoke an old firehouse from the moment you walk through the huge mahogany doors. With interactive exhibits on fire safety, a multimedia presentation incorporating South Carolina history and the history of firefighting and an indoor firehouse pole, slide and climbing area for children, this is a great place to escape the August heat!

Located at 4975 Centre Pointe Drive, near the new Tanger Outlets. Open Monday through Saturday 10am-5pm with last tickets sold at 4pm. 843-740-5550

For more information about the North Charleston & American LaFrance Fire Museum: http://www.legacyofheroes.org/

It's Hot; Let Someone Else Cook!

Everyone knows that Charleston has some of the country's best restaurants from 5-star, 5-course "experiences" to a really great hamburger, but it can be difficult to find reliable information on what to order where and which spots don't really merit their acclaim. I thought that you might appreciate a few links to help you navigate our rich dining opportunities from baguettes to bagels and a romantic night out to a quick lunch with the in-laws!

For the Post & Courier's dining guide: http://www.charleston.net/news/preview/dining/reviews/

For the Charleston's Finest dining guide (with links to reservations): http://charlestondining.com/

For an excellent directory including caterers, bakeries, bars and butchers and organized geographically: http://www.charlestonfoodcompany.com/directory.php

The results are in and the South Carolina Place Name Pronunciation Guide is up! Have fun looking around and, for those of us who have been here long enough to have an opinion, be sure to vote on the two unresolved place names: Cheraw and Clemson:

"Cheraw – chuh • RAW, shuh • RAW
An alert reader sent us a copy of Town of Cheraw Resolution 7-92 that officially designates "chuh • RAW" as the correct pronunciation. It seems actual pronunciations still vary though.

Clemson – CLEM • zun, CLEMP • sun, CLEM • sun
We've heard the ESPN broadcaster's debates, and the Clemson alumni debates, and we've sat around debating it ourselves... Now we'd like to know what YOU say!"

The SC Place Name Pronunciation Guide is here: http://www.sciway.net/ccr/sc-pronunciations.html

New Planning for an Old City

I love to see Charleston's long-term plans for more livable, human scale, as opposed to vehicle scale, neighborhoods taking shape! This place is just getting better and better!

"A 22.5-acre parcel near the Maybank Highway-Folly Road intersection on James Island could become the site of a miniature 'downtown' that will feature upscale homes, high-end retail stores and class A office space. That’s the vision J. Luzuriaga, president of Charleston-based real estate firm J.L. Woode Ltd., has for the heavily wooded property.

Luzuriaga’s general vision of the property’s potential blends with the city of Charleston’s concept of transforming the area surrounding the Folly Road-Maybank Highway intersection into a pedestrian-friendly, mixed-used development where people live, work and shop all within walking distance or a bus ride, thus reducing automobile traffic, said Christopher Morgan, planning division director for the city’s Planning and Neighborhoods Department.

Sidewalks bordered by storefronts, offices and restaurants; tree-shaded streets; parks and other public places; a residential mix of townhouses, apartments, condominiums and single-family detached houses; and a community design in which cars are parked in the rear of buildings is what the city has on the drawing board for that area. It would be dubbed McLeod Village, named for the adjacent McLeod Plantation, the forthcoming home of the American College of the Building Arts, Morgan said.

McLeod Village is one of the city’s 19 proposed 'gathering places,' mixed-used developments built at major intersections. Right now, city planners are focusing their attention on several of those gathering places in addition to McLeod Village, Morgan said. Additional gathering places include the Bees Ferry Road-Glenn McConnell Parkway intersection in West Ashley, the Old Towne Road and Sam Rittenberg Boulevard intersection in West Ashley and the Clements Ferry Road-Interstate 526 intersection on the Cainhoy peninsula, Morgan said."

For the full Charleston Regional Business Journal article: http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/pub/13_16/news/10009-1.html

For Charleston's full city plan: http://www.charlestoncity.info/dept/content.aspx?nid=1304

Charleston Is So Cool!

Sometimes living here we get to focused on the paths from home to work from work to school from school to the grocery store and back home again, forgetting to look around a little more. I thought it would be nice to post a few links to help us approach our familiar territory with the appreciation usually reserved for the unfamiliar.

For instance did you know that Charleston routinely ranks in Travel & Leisure magazine's Top 10 cities in North America? http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2007/results.cfm?cat=citiesusca

Or that you can cruise right out of Charleston Harbor? http://www.port-of-charleston.com/cruises/cruises.asp

Or that the Southern National BBQ & Bluegrass Festival is held right here in August? http://www.boonehallplantation-specialevents.com/

And of course the Charleston Area Visitors Bureau website can give you lots more good ideas: http://www.charlestoncvb.com/

What a gift to be at home in the Lowcountry!

Johns Island's The Villages

Because local residents and the county are committed to maintaining the rural feel of Johns Island new buyers are excited at the prospect of sharing the beauty of the place.

"The Villages in St. John’s Woods, located off Maybank Highway on Johns Island, last month started its third phase of residential development with 40 home lots available. A number of the Lakeside lots border a pond and wetlands. As with The Villages’ Parkside and Woodside neighborhoods, the two previous development phases, which are already built out and contain a total of 148 homes, Lakeside will feature sidewalks, a cul-de-sac and plenty of trees.

The Villages in St. John’s Woods includes wooded wetlands, a six-acre park, a community clubhouse, walking trails and tree-shaded streets. Developer Edward Pearlstine, who purchased the tract in 1996 and began developing The Villages in 2001, set out to maintain the rural quality of Johns Island, Westendorff said.

Preserving Johns Island’s rural flavor is in keeping with Charleston County’s Comprehensive Plan. The plan calls for maintaining the island’s farmland, forests, tidal marshes, wetlands and scenic roads, with development relegated mainly to the Maybank Highway corridor and River and Main roads."

For the full Charleston Regional Business Journal article: http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/pub/13_15/news/9913-1.html