in September 2005
|
features_global.html
|
 |
 |
Insider's Charleston
|
4. Walk the city's prettiest street
"To me Legare Street [pronounced 'Legree'] is one of the most beautiful residential streets in the United States," says Steve Rosenberg, chair of the College of Charleston's Music Department. "The architecture is a mix of West Indies-meets-Europe with plantation-house-come-to-town added in. Walk down it and you'll see, behind the houses' surrounding walls, wonderful subtropical gardens. Look for an iron gate embellished with swords at number 32."
5. Keep your powder dry
"The Powder Magazine [79 Cumberland St.; +1 843 722 9350] is a National Historic Landmark," says Charlestonian Harriott Means Johnson. "It's been restored to resemble its appearance of 1713. Since fire was always a threat in the old city, residents had to store their gunpowder in the magazine. The brick building, with walls three feet thick, was designed to implode in an explosion to prevent fire from spreading. The building's exhibit describes the early history of 'Charles Towne.'"
6. Recharge yourself at the Battery
The Battery—the swath of park and fine old homes at the tip of the peninsula on which the city was built—has kept watch over the comings and goings in Charleston harbor for a century and a half. "Stand at 40 East Bay on High Battery and you can see both the water and beautiful mansions," says Valerie Perry of the Historic Charleston Foundation. "You can see Fort Sumter and Mount Pleasant. At South Battery, stop at White Point Gardens, a public park draped with live oaks. Sit on the benches facing the river or the houses—either is a great view. Look at how the houses are situated to catch the breezes."
7. Find hidden walls
"Along with St. Augustine, Florida, Quebec City in Canada, and Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, Charleston was one of the few walled cities built in North America," says Gary Dow, proprietor of Tavern Wines and Spirits [120 East Bay St.; +1 843 722 4800]. "I have a 1718 drawing with an illustration of the wall, whose brick was held together with tabby, a mortar made of lime, sand, and oyster shells. The city just finished some sewer work nearby and uncovered another section of the wall in the street at 40 East Bay. There's also a section in the Old Exchange Building at 122 East Bay."
8. Go antiquing to your heart's content
"Charleston is a good place for antiques because most of the people who immigrated here—Jews, Huguenots, and the English—were affluent and brought first-rate things," says antiques expert Dawn Evers-Corley. "King Street has become gift shop alley, but there are three or four stores that still sell real antiques. The Jack Patla Company [181 King St.; +1 843 723 2314] has antique silver, furniture, and contemporary English lead garden ornaments. A. Fairfax Antiques [200 King St.; +1 843 853 2400] has period furniture. The jewelry consignment store—Charleston is known for antique jewelry—called Joint Venture Estate Jewelry [185 King St.; 800 722 6730 (U.S. and Canada)] has authentic goods. For art deco items, there's Dailey-Grommé [192 King St.; +1 843 853 2299]. They sell furniture, objects of art, and wonderful deco lighting, which is hard to find." Note: Most King Street stores are closed on Sunday.
9. Market yourself
"Visitors shouldn't miss Market Hall [corner of Meeting and Market Sts.; +1 843 723 1541] and the sheds that stretch east of it. They were the heart of the city's 19th-century commercial district," says carriage tour operator Tom Doyle. "The first shed is now a shop. The others continue to function as an open-air public market. One of my favorite details is the cast-iron rams' heads that stare down from the cornices above the old butchers' section—the market was originally built for perishable foods. Also here is a Confederate museum operated by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. It boasts a lock of Robert E. Lee's hair. The museum's exterior painting is striking—and historically accurate. It's a mustard yellow, and the ironwork is bright green."
10. See pirates in chains
"I like the Provost Dungeon [122 East Bay St.; +1 843 727 2165] because I like pirates," says five-year-old Will Ray. "You won't believe it, but you can have your birthday in the dungeon. You'll see pirates and the city walls. There are robots that talk about the story of the dungeon. You'll learn about pirates like Blackbeard—he was awfully bad." According to Will's mom, Sara, "Very young children might get scared by the animatronic characters, but five-year-olds and up will love it. And adults can tour the upstairs ballroom. This historic building is a great place for a party—George Washington went to one here."
11. Remember the big fight
"I served on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Yorktown (CV-10) from 1942 to 1946," says veteran Don Ziglar, 80. "Now I give tours of the ship [Charleston Harbor; +1 843 884 2727]. This is a real warship. It was in 12 major battles during World War II—from Tarawa to Okinawa. The ship is completely available to visitors—from the bridge to the flight deck to the hangar deck on down to the engine room. Youth groups can sleep over on the weekend as part of the education program. Most tours are 30 minutes, but you'd need a day to see the whole complex, which includes movies, other ships, a Vietnam support base, and the official Congressional Medal of Honor Museum."
12. Step back in time at Middleton
"The beauty of Middleton Place [4300 Ashley River Rd.; +1 843 556 6020] depends as much on the formality of the gardens as on the blooms," says Jan MacDougal, a garden volunteer. They were based on a book written by a student of Versailles. "Middleton is the oldest landscaped garden in America—laid down in 1741 after Henry Middleton married Mary Williams, who owned the house and lands. There are some 40,000 azaleas planted on the hillside. What's beautiful is how the millpond reflects the hillside when you're standing at the house. Walk over the millpond bridge and look back at the house, the abandoned rice fields, and the Ashley River. It's a great attraction to have so close to a city."
|
