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Scribe| By: Mary Sue Lawrence of Charlotte Observer Staff | |
| Originally Published on: 7/31/05 | |
Charleston's elegant charm and rich culture often sport a high price tag, but locals know it's an affordable city. Here's a little insider info on cooling the hot city's prices.
First, sleep cheap. Stay outside the historic area and drive into town. North Charleston, Mount Pleasant and West Ashley all offer economy options, including Mount Pleasant's Red Roof Inn ($55-$99), just over the new Cooper River bridge.
Downtown, the Notso Hostel is an enclave of 1850s buildings lined with double porches that offers everything from a room with twin beds ($38) to bunks ($19) to camping ($10), all with shared baths, free bikes and a make-your-own-waffles breakfast in the shared kitchen.
In the historic district, you'll get good value if you stay somewhere like Embassy Suites Historic Charleston (from $149), where the free buffet breakfast of hot eggs, grits and bacon and free happy-hour drinks help economize. The fridge and microwave make it easy to enjoy a picnic of sandwiches, popcorn, sodas, wine or even leftovers in Marion Square park, just outside the hotel's door.
Though it's 20 minutes from downtown, a stay at the Middleton Inn at Middleton Place (from $139) comes with a full breakfast, wine-and-cheese reception and free access to the historic gardens, house and nature tours (a $60 value for two).
Bargain shoppers will stop at the Visitor's Center on Meeting Street and go immediately to the Lowcountry Reservation Service, which offers same-day discount reservations to walk-ins.
A recent weekday visit yielded $99 for the Victoria House Inn with a prime King Street address, continental breakfast, wine-and-cheese hour, free parking and evening sherry; $69 for the Best Western at Patriot's Point in Mount Pleasant; and $79 for the Sleep Inn in West Ashley.
On weekdays you'll have the best choices, says Shelley Caraviello with the Lowcountry Reservation Service, but generally expect to score $79-89 weekdays, and from $139 weekends for a hotel, inn or B&B downtown.
If you drive into town, your best parking deal is the $12 all day at the Visitor's Center, where you can hop on the DASH shuttle ($1.25 per ride, 25-cent transfer), which makes stops all over the historic district.
Or flag down a rickshaw driver, who'll take two just about anywhere they want to go in the district for about $7.
Downtown bargains
Downtown, squeeze in next to locals and enjoy the intricate woodwork at Gaulart & Maliclet Fast & French while you munch on the $7.50 lunch special that includes a glass of wine or beer.For $7, chefs-on-the-rise prepare and serve a three-course lunch at Trident Technical College's Palmer Cafι. At Boulevard Diner in Mount Pleasant, there's an old-fashioned Lowcountry veggie plate ($8) or new-fashioned fried eggplant blue cheese sandwich ($7).
Hot dog stands downtown provide cheap lunches that allow you to keep touring. There's usually a stand near Waterfront Park, at the elbow where Vendue Range turns to Concorde, and on Meeting Street near Horlbeck Alley.
Weekday deals abound. Thursdays from 5 to 9 p.m., the bar at Blossom has $5 appetizers (mussels in lobster broth, fried calamari, steamed shrimp, pork tacos) and half-price glasses of wine and beer. T-Bonz Grill (three locations, including one on Market Street) has half-price happy hour appetizers and drink discounts in the bar. Moe's Crosstown Tavern has half-price burgers every Tuesday.
For half-price Cantonese and Mandarin appetizers like mini-chicken lettuce wraps, do happy hour at the authentic Dragon Palace.
For an elegant dinner for two for $40, including wine, in Mount Pleasant, Sette has half-price bottles of wine Monday-Wednesday and a $15 three-course early bird dinner Monday-Thursday.
Jilda's has a varied wine list and blue plate specials like lasagna, bacon-wrapped meatloaf or pork loin every night ($10 with sides and salad, $5 lunch).
Just $14.25 buys you a glass of wine and a two-course French dinner, such as bouillabaisse or beef Provenηal, at Gaulart & Maliclet downtown. Order the happy-hour tenderloin burger with fries ($5) at the bar and you can afford a great bottle of wine at High Cotton.
Don't avoid Charleston's well-known restaurants because they're pricey; just go early for appetizers and ambience, then move on to the cheap-and-cheerful spots for something more substantial. The 3-5 p.m. time slot is perfect for those with kids, who'll love the homemade potato chips with blue cheese at Magnolias ($6.50) or the shrimp and crab-meat wontons ($9.50) at Carolina's. At the wildly popular 39 Rue de Jean, inexpensive options include mussels, sushi, burgers and salads. At Coast, bottles of wine are half-off every Sunday and fish tacos are $3.
The good stuff
Many of Charleston's attractions are free: harbor views, sweeping beaches, cobblestone streets and winding alleys lined with architectural marvels. You can spend hours without spending a penny. Children can romp through White Point Gardens at The Battery, climbing cannons as adults admire the harbor from under a thick oak canopy.
There are water views, swings and a huge, interactive fountain that you just can't resist running through on hot summer days at the free Waterfront Park.
Adults love the pomp and circumstance and kids love the firing cannons at the Citadel's impressive dress parade (free) every Friday at 3:45 p.m. during the school year.
Every Saturday morning in Marion Square, the Charleston Farmer's Market features locally grown produce, an omelette stand, baked goods, live entertainment and more. Afterward, drive out to the beautiful, serene grounds of Mepkin Abbey Monastery (free) overlooking the Cooper River in Moncks Corner. The gift store has reasonably priced, unique items.
Bring a guidebook and do your own walking tour, or just read the historic plaques on most downtown buildings, peek into the gardens or pop into some of the city's beautiful churches -- all free.
The Pink House Gallery is the city's oldest structure, and admission is free; so is admission to the Dock Street Theatre, the Post Office Museum on Broad Street and, across the street, City Hall, with its famous John Trumbull painting of George Washington. It's worth going in search of the 128-acre Magnolia Cemetery, final resting place of thousands of Civil War soldiers, including the famous Hunley crew.
You get a decent discount if you buy combination tickets to the S.C. Aquarium, IMAX and Fort Sumter. The aquarium has free admission all summer for S.C. honor-roll students.
Next door to the aquarium is the Military Museum and Fort Sumter National Monument Interpretive Center, both free. Tours of Fort Sumter ($12; $6 ages 6-11) are a good value, combining a harbor boat ride (a relief on hot days) with fantastic Civil War and battle lore, not to mention climbing opportunities on the rocky fort.
Self-guided tours of the Revolutionary Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island are free; the beach a few yards away makes for a great distraction after your history lesson.
During a visit to the spooky dungeons at the Old Exchange Building ($7; $3.50 ages 7-12) grab a Pirate Scavenger Hunt Kit ($5) so you can stroll Charleston's streets and wander into moss-framed graveyards as kids search for pirate clues.
For a treasure hunt of the modern sort, the covered outdoor City Market has stall after stall of sterling, jewelry, locally made sweetgrass baskets, crafts, stuffed animals and more. Don't want to shell out $25-plus for a locally made sweetgrass basket? The $2 palmetto "roses," supposedly worn by Confederate soldiers in their lapels, make fragrant souvenirs. Two dollars also buys a sugar fix with a warm-from-the-oven praline from Market Street Sweets.
On a really hot day, drive to one of the quietest, most beautiful of the public beaches: Beachwalker Park on Kiawah Island ($5 for parking) has lifeguards, showers and a snack bar.
On nearby John's Island is Angel Oak (free), an amazingly enormous tree thought to be 1,400 years old.
Through Sept. 5, anyone 15 and younger gets in free to the gardens and stableyards at Middleton Gardens.
For more free events, visit www.charlestoncvb.com.
Things To Do and See
The Citadel, Military College of South Carolina; (843) 953-5000.
Charleston Farmer's Market, Marion Square, Calhoun Street between King and Meeting streets.
Mepkin Abbey: www.mepkinabbey.org.
Pink House Gallery, 17 Chalmers St.; (843) 723-3608.
Dock Street Theatre, 135 Church St.; (843) 720-3968.
Post Office Museum, 83 Broad St.; (843) 577-0690.
City Hall, 80 Broad St.
Magnolia Cemetery, 70 Cunnington Ave.
S.C. Aquarium. Hours (through mid-August): 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-6 p.m. Sunday. Admission: $15, $13 for 62 and older; $8 for ages 3-11.. (843) 720-1990; www.scaquarium.org. Combination tickets for aquarium, IMAX and Fort Sumter: $32.50; $30.50 for 62 and older; $19.50 for ages 6-11; $13.50 for ages 3-5; 2 and younger, free.
Fort Moultrie (Sullivans Island): www.nps.gov/fomo.
Old Exchange Building, 122 E. Bay St. Admission: $7; $3.50 for ages 7-12; $6 for 62 and older. Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. (843) 727-2165.
Market Street Sweets, 100 N. Market St.; (843) 722-1397.
Angel Oak Park, 3688 Angel Oak Road, Johns Island. Admission: free. Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 1-5 p.m. Sundays.
Middleton Place, 4300 Ashley River Road. Garden/stableyards admission: $20; 15 and younger free, through September. Prices vary for other attractions. (800) 782-3608; www.middletonplace.org.
RESOURCES
Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, (800) 868-8118; www.charlestoncvb.com.
Charleston Visitor's Center, 375 Meeting St., (843) 724-7174. Lowcountry Reservation Service is located there. Center hours: 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily.
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