CharlestonhomesBrian

The Ravenel Bridge from the air. Opened in 2005, and locals in Downtown Charleston still call it “the new bridge” two decades later. Time moves slow here, and honestly that’s the charm.

www.walshchs.com

Stopped for the bay window, stayed for the window boxes. Downtown Charleston might be the only place where window box plantings are basically a competitive sport. This South of Broad home is showing off.

Two-story bays are rare down here too.

Great block to slow down on.

That blue piazza ceiling is called haint blue, locals say the tradition goes back generations, meant to keep spirits away.

The stars in this South of Broad gate always remind me of the earthquake bolts you see on buildings all over Downtown Charleston added after the 1886 quake. Whether this ironworker meant the nod or just loved stars, look down too. There’s one in the brick.

The House That Tells Its Own Story
See that little box on the gate post? That’s the home’s history, printed for anyone walking by in Downtown Charleston. Neighbors here don’t just own history, they share it. That’s the part I love.

One bold door color on a street full of white clapboard and black shutters. That’s how homeowners add personality in Downtown Charleston.

The split staircase nobody notices in South of Broad. Two stairs curving up to a rounded portico. The front door sits a full level above the street, that’s old Charleston building smart, keeping the living floor up out of the water. South of Broad in Downtown Charleston is full of these. You just have to look up.

Look up at this one, the second-floor porch juts right out over the entry, roof floating on slim columns. South of Broad builders stacked piazzas to catch the breeze on every floor. Little Downtown Charleston details like this are why I never get tired of walking these streets.

See those little scrolled brackets stacked under the bay window? Somebody painted every one of them rose-pink instead of hiding them. That’s the kind of thing you only catch on foot down here in Downtown Charleston. Slow down next time, these blocks reward it.

Buyers ask me this all the time. Can you really get around Downtown Charleston in a golf cart? You can. Street-legal with registration, and it’s half the fun of living on the Peninsula. Spotted this one outside 167 Raw on King Street.