Charleston

Living IN
Historic charleston
Photo/Leslie Burden
held in 1761. It is now the oldest church
building in the city. The Charleston Museum
was established in 1773 as the first museum
in what would become the United States.
Several major Revolutionary battles
unfolded around Charleston, and the city
eventually fell under British control for two
years before it was incorporated in 1783.
The College of Charleston was granted
a charter in 1785 and the school garners a
large presence downtown to this day.
In 1824, the Medical University of South
Carolina was founded, becoming the first
medical school in the South. The MUSC
campus and hospital occupy a large area
on the peninsula's western side between
Calhoun and Bee streets, where a cluster of
other health care providers have hospitals,
such as Roper St. Francis and the VA Medical
Center.
Despite a major earthquake in 1886 and
Hurricane Hugo in 1989, Charleston still has
some of the most historic homes and buildings
in the South. A designated “historic district”
preserves many residential properties.
Neighborhoods
The housing options downtown range
from the sprawling pastel-colored multimillion-dollar
homes to new luxury condos
overlooking the Ashley River. The median
price of homes downtown is higher than
surrounding areas.
South of Broad is the neighborhood literally
south of Broad Street that includes the
often-photographed Battery and Waterfront
Park. Full of large traditional homes, this
area has some of the most expensive real
estate in Charleston with most of the houses
Photo/Ryan Wilcox
Above: Second Sunday
is a monthly event,
where King Street
closes to traffic and
pedestrians take over.
Left: A cruise ship
docks in Charleston
Harbor.