Charleston, South Carolina
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| Charleston, South Carolina |
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| Nickname: "The Holy City", "The Palmetto City", "Chucktown", "The Port City", 'Charlie O" "The C-Port City"" | |||
| Motto: Aedes Mores Juraque Curat (She cares for her temples, customs, and rights) | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | South Carolina | ||
| County | Charleston and Berkeley | ||
| Mayor | Joseph P. Riley, Jr. | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 178.1 mi² / 326.5 km² | ||
| - Land | 147.0 mi² / 251.2 km² | ||
| - Water | 17.1 mi² / 44.3 km² | ||
| Elevation | 35.96 m | ||
| Population | |||
| - City (2005) | 115,540 (city proper) | ||
| - Density | 384.7 /km² (996.5 /mi²)/km² | ||
| - Metro | 594,899 | ||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| Website: http://www.ci.charleston.sc.us/ | |||
Charleston (Latin: Carolopolis) is a city in the counties of Berkeley and Charleston in the U.S. state of South Carolina; the city serves as the county seat and largest city of Charleston County. The city was founded as Charlestown or Charles Towne, Carolina in 1670, and moved to its present location in 1680. Up until 1800, Charleston was the fifth largest city in North America, behind Philadelphia, New York City, Boston, and Quebec City. It adopted its present name in 1783. Also known as The Holy City (due to the prominence of churches on the low-rise cityscape, particularly the numerous steeples which dot the city's skyline), Charleston brims with the culturally unique, such as the joggling board.
As of 2005, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population of the city proper as 115,540; making it the 2nd most populous city in South Carolina behind the state capital Columbia. Current trends put Charleston as the fastest growing central city in South Carolina. The metropolitan area population of Charleston and North Charleston was estimated to be 594,899 in 2005 (includes entire populations of Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties). This ranks Charleston-North Charleston as the 2nd largest individual metropolitan statistical area in the state (behind Columbia). Nearly 80% of the Charleston metro population lives inside the city and its surrounding urbanized area (2000 pop.: 423,410).
The city of Charleston is located roughly at the mid-point of South Carolina's coastline, at the junction of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers. Charleston's name is derived from Charles Towne, named after King Charles II of England.
America's most-published etiquette expert, Marjabelle Young Stewart [1], has recognized the city since 1995 as the "best-mannered" city in the U.S, a claim lent credence by the fact that it has the only Livability Court in the country.
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[edit] History
[edit] Early history of Charleston
After Charles II (1660-85) was restored to the British throne after Oliver Cromwell's Protectorate, he granted the chartered Carolina territory to eight of his loyal friends, known as the Lords Proprietor, in 1663. It took seven years before the Lords could arrange for settlement, the first being that of Charles Town. The community was established by English settlers in 1670 on the west bank of the Ashley River, a few miles northwest of the present city. It was soon chosen by Anthony Ashley-Cooper, one of the Lords Proprietor, to become a "great port towne", a destiny which the city fulfilled. By 1680, the settlement had grown, joined by others from England, Barbados, and Virginia, and relocated to its current peninsular location. The capital of the Carolina colony, Charleston was the center for further expansion and the southernmost point of English settlement during the late 1600s.
The settlement was often subject to attack from sea and from land. Periodic assaults from Spain and France, who still contested England's claims to the region, were combined with resistance from Native Americans, as well as pirate raids. Charleston's colonists erected a fortification wall around the small settlement to aid in its defense. Two buildings remain from the Walled City, the Powder Magazine, where the city's supply of gunpowder was stored, and the [2]Pink House, an old colonial tavern.
A 1680 plan for the new settlement, the Grand Modell, laid out "the model of an exact regular town," and the future for the growing community. Land surrounding the intersection of Meeting and Broad Streets was set aside for a Civic Square. Over time it became known as the Four Corners of the Law, referring to the various arms of governmental and religious law presiding over the square and the growing city. St. Michael's Episcopal, Charleston's oldest and most noted church, was built on the southeast corner in 1752. The following year the Capitol of the colony was erected across the square. Because of its prominent position within the city and its elegant architecture, the building signaled to Charleston's citizens and visitors its importance within the British colonies. Provincial court met on the ground floor, the Commons House of Assembly and the Royal Governor's Council Chamber met on the second floor.
While the earliest settlers primarily came from England, colonial Charleston was also home to a mixture of ethnic and religious groups. In colonial times, Boston, Massachusetts and Charleston were sister cities, and people of means spent summers in Boston and winters in Charleston. There was a great deal of trade with Bermuda and the Caribbean, and some people came to live in Charleston from these areas. French, Scottish, Irish, and Germans migrated to the developing seacoast town, representing numerous Protestant denominations, as well as Catholicism and Judaism. Sephardic Jews migrated to the city in such numbers that Charleston eventually became, by the beginning of the 19th Century and until about 1830, the largest and wealthiest Jewish community in North America [3] [4] [5] [6], though there is evidence that these Jews may have played a prominent role in the North American slave trade. The Jewish Coming Street Cemetery, first established in 1762, attests to their long-standing presence in the community. The first Anglican church, St. Philip's Episcopal, was built in 1682, although later destroyed by fire and relocated to its current location. Slaves also comprised a major portion of the population, and were active in the city's religious community. Free black Charlestonians and slaves helped establish the Old Bethel United Methodist Church in 1797, and the congregation of the Emanuel A.M.E. Church stems from a religious group organized solely by African Americans, free and slave, in 1791. The first American museum opened to the public on January 12, 1773 in Charleston.
By the mid-18th century Charleston had become a bustling trade center, and the wealthiest and largest city south of Philadelphia. By 1770 it was the fourth largest port in the colonies, after only Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, with a population of 11,000, slightly more than half of that slaves. Rice and indigo had been successfully cultivated by gentleman planters in the surrounding coastal low-country. Those and naval stores were exported in an extremely profitable shipping industry. It was the cultural and economic center of the South.
From the mid-18th century a large amount of immigration was taking place in the upcountry of the Carolinas, some of it coming from abroad through Charleston, but also much of it a southward movement from Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, until the upstate population was larger than the coastal population. The upstaters were viewed by Charlestonians as being not as polished in many ways, and had different interests, setting the stage for several generations of conflicts between upstate and the Charleston elite.
[edit] American Civil War and Reconstruction
See the main article Charleston, SC in the Civil War.
On December 20, 1860, the South Carolina General Assembly made the state the first to ever secede from the Union. They asserted that one of the causes was the election to the presidency of a man "whose opinions and purposes are hostile to slavery", but there are other numerous causes as well.
On January 9, 1861, Citadel cadets fired the first shots of the American Civil War when they opened fire on the Union ship Star of the West entering Charleston's harbor. On April 12, 1861, shore batteries under the command of General Pierre G. T. Beauregard opened fire on the Union-held Fort Sumter in the harbor. After a 34-hour bombardment, Major Robert Anderson surrendered the fort. Officers and Cadets from The Citadel were assigned to various Confederate batteries during the bombardment of Fort Sumter. Although the Citadel continued to operate as an academy during the Civil War, cadets were made a part of the South Carolina military department along with the cadets from the Arsenal Academy in Columbia, to form the Battalion of State Cadets. Cadets from both institutions continued to aid the Confederate army by helping drill recruits, manufacture ammunition, protect arms depots, and guard Union prisoners. In December of 1864 Citadel and Arsenal Cadets were ordered to join confederate forces at Tullifinny Creek, South Carolina where they engaged in pitch battles with advancing units of General W.T. Sherman army suffering eight casualties. In all, The Citadel Corps of Cadets earned eight battle streamers and one service streamer for its service to South Carolina during the War. The city under siege took control of Fort Sumter, became the center for blockade running, and was the site of the first successful submarine warfare on February 17, 1864 when the H.L. Hunley made a daring night attack on the USS Housatonic[7]. In 1865, Union troops moved into the city, and took control of many sites, such as the United States Arsenal which the Confederate army had seized at the outbreak of the war. The War department also confiscated the grounds and buildings of the Citadel Military Academy, which was used as a federal garrison for over 17 years until its return to the state and reopening as a military college in 1882.
After the eventual and destructive defeat of the Confederacy, Federal forces remained in Charleston during the city's reconstruction. The war had shattered the prosperity of the antebellum city. Freed slaves were faced with poverty and discrimination. Industries slowly brought the city and its inhabitants back to a renewed vitality and growth in population. As the city's commerce improved, Charlestonians also worked to restore their community institutions. In 1867 Charleston's first free secondary school for blacks was established, the Avery Institute. General William T. Sherman lent his support to the conversion of the United States Arsenal into the Porter Military Academy, an educational facility for former soldiers and boys left orphaned or destitute by the war. Porter Military Academy later joined with Gaud School and is now a well-known K-12 prep school, Porter-Gaud School. The William Enston Home, a planned community for the city's aged and infirm, was built in 1889. An elaborate public building, the United States Post Office and Courthouse, was completed in 1896 and signaled renewed life in the heart of the city.
In 1886 Charleston was nearly destroyed by an earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter Scale that was felt as far away as Boston and Bermuda. It damaged 2,000 buildings and caused $6 million worth of damage ($123 million(2005 USD)) , while in the whole city the buildings were only valued at approximately $24 million.
Yet, through many fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, several wars, and urban renewal in the 20th century, many of Charleston's historic buildings remain intact to this day.
[edit] Modern-day
Charleston is a notable tourist destination, with streets lined with grand live oaks draped with Spanish moss. Along the waterfront are many beautiful and historic pastel-colored homes. The city is also an important port, boasting the second largest container seaport on the East Coast and the fourth largest container seaport in North America[1]. It is also the second most productive port in the World behind Hong Kong. Charleston is becoming a prime location for technology jobs and corporations. In the city's downtown area, the medical district is experiencing rapid growth of biotechnology and medical research coupled with substantial expansions of hospital facilities at the Medical University of South Carolina and Roper Hospital. It is also home to the very prestigious all-girls school named Ashley Hall, which was founded in 1909 and the Porter-Gaud School, founded in 1867.
Hurricane Hugo hit Charleston in 1989, and though the worst damage was in nearby McClellanville, the storm damaged three-quarters of the homes in Charleston's historic district. The hurricane caused over $2.8 billion in damage.
In 1993, the world's first squadron of the significant C-17 Globemaster III aircraft was established at Charleston Air Force base.
In 2004, SPAWAR (US Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command) became the largest employer in the Charleston metropolitan area. Until 2004, the Medical University of South Carolina was the largest employer.
Charleston is the home of a Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (CMOP). It is part of an initiative by the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide mail order prescriptions to veterans using computerization at strategic locations throughout the United States.
[edit] Geography and climate
Charleston is located at .GR1
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 347.5 km² (147.1 mi²). 251.2 km² (97.0 mi²) of it is land and 44.3 km² (17.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 15% water. The old city is located on a peninsula at the point where, as Charlestonians say, "The Ashley and the Cooper Rivers come together to form the Atlantic Ocean." The entire peninsula is very low, some of it is landfill material, and as such, it frequently floods during heavy rains, storm surges and unusually high tides. The city limits have expanded across the Ashley River from the peninsula encompassing the majority of West Ashley as well as James Island and some of Johns Island. The city limits also have expanded across the Cooper River encompassing Daniel Island and the Cainhoy area. North Charleston blocks any expansion up the peninsula, and Mount Pleasant occupies the land directly east of the Cooper River.
The tidal rivers (Wando, Cooper, Stono, and Ashley) are evidence of a submergent or drowned coastline. In other words, the original rivers had a lower base line, but as the ocean rose or the land sank, the landform was changed. There is a submerged river delta off the mouth of the harbor, and the rivers are deep, affording a good location for a port. The rising of the ocean may be due to melting of glacial ice during the end of the ice age.
In recent decades, the urban area of the city has become elongated along Interstate 26, while being fairly short from east to west. Today areas with a population density of over 1,000 people per square mile extends continuously from the tip of the peninsula out to the Summerville area.
[edit] Climate
It is also the wettest season with almost half of the annual rainfall occurring during the summer months. Fall remains relatively warm through November. Winter is short and mild, and is characterized by occasional rain. Snow flurries rarely occur. The highest temperature recorded was 104.0°F (40.0°C), on June 2, 1985, and the lowest temperature recorded was 10.0°F (-12.2°C) on January 21, 1985.[2]
[edit] Metropolitan area
The Charleston Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of three counties: Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester. It is also made up of portions of Georgetown, Williamsburg, and Colleton Counties. As of 2005, it was estimated that the center three Counties in this metro had a total population of about 600,000 people. Charleston has several large suburbs. North Charleston is nearly as populated as Charleston itself and ranks as the 3rd largest city in the state. Mount Pleasant and Summerville are the next largest suburbs. The traditional parish system persisted until the Reconstruction, when counties were imposed. Nevertheless, traditional parishes still exist in various capacities, mainly as public service districts. The city of Charleston proper, which was originally defined by the limits of the Parish of St. Philip & St. Michael. It now also includes parts of St. James' Parish, St. George's Parish, St. Andrew's Parish, and St. John's Parish, although the last two are mostly still incorporated rural parishes.
In the more detailed results of Census 2000, the Charleston-North Charleston metropolitan area had a population of 549,033, of which about 78% lived inside the central city and its surrounding urban area. At that time, the Charleston-North Charleston Urbanized Area proper consisted of 423,410 people (including the suburbs listed below). This population makes Charleston-North Charleston and Columbia essentially tied as the two largest individual urbanized areas within the state. The Charleston MSA also includes a separate and much smaller urban area within Berkeley County, Moncks Corner (2000 pop.: 9,123).
[edit] Cities and towns in the metro area
- Town of Awendaw
- City of Folly Beach
- City of Hanahan
- City of Isle of Palms
- Town of James Island
- Town of Mount Pleasant
- City of North Charleston
- Town of Sullivan's Island
- Town of Summerville
- City of Goose Creek
- Town of Moncks Corner
- Town of Hollywood
- Town of Rockville
- Town of Meggett
- Town of McClellanville
[edit] Other unincorporated areas
- Johns Island
- Wadmalaw Island
- Morris Island
- St. Stephens
- Bulls Island
- Dewee's Island
[edit] Military bases
- Charleston Air Force Base
- Coast Guard Sector Charleston
- Charleston Navy Base - (Weapons Station & Naval Prision)It also has a Hospital at the Former Ship Yard in North Charleston.
Charleston Army Depot - In North Charleston
[edit] Economy
Charleston's economy is mainly based on its busy port and tourism.The city is also home to many major companies.
Major Companies in the Charleston Metropolitan Area:
- Amoco-Distribution Center
- Blackbaud Corprate center
- Bosch-Plant
- Carolina First Bank - Charleston Regional office
- Hess-Distribution Center
- Nucor-Plant
- Verizon Wireless - South Eastern Corprate Center
- Vought-Plant for assembling the Dreamliner
[edit] The Port
The Port of Charleston consists of five terminals. Three are on the Harbor and the other two are on the Cooper River just north of the Charleston's bustling harbor. The port is ranked number one in North America by Supply Chain Execs.
[edit] Piers
- Columbus Street Terminal
- North Charleston Terminal
- Union Pier Terminal
- Veterans Terminal
- Wando Welch Terminal
- A new terminal will be built to accommodate the growing needs of the port. It will be located on the former Naval Shipyard Grounds.
[edit] Shopping
- Citadel Mall
- Mount Pleasant Town Center (An outdoor mall in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina)
- North Woods Mall
- Charleston Tanger Outlet Mall (In North Charleston, South Carolina)
- Downtown Shopping District - This includes portions of King Street, Meeting Street.
- Market Square - Home of the city's busy market.
[edit] Culture
[edit] Dialect
Charleston's unique (though vanishing) dialect has long been noted in the South and elsewhere, for the singular attributes it possesses. Alone among the various regional Southern dialects, Charlestonian speakers inglide long mid vowels, such as the raising for /ay/ and /aw/. Some attribute these unique features of Charleston's speech to its early settlement by the French Huguenots and Sephardic Jews, both of which played influential parts in Charleston's development and history. However, given Charleston's high concentration of African-Americans that spoke the Gullah language, the speech patterns more than likely were majorly influenced by the dialect of the Gullah African-American community.
Today, the Gullah language and dialect is still spoken among African-American locals. However rapid development, especially on the surrounding sea islands, is slowly diminishing its prominence.
Two important works which shed light on Charleston's early dialect are "Charleston Provincialisms" and "The Huguenot Element in Charleston's Provincialisms," both written by Sylvester Primer. Further scholarship is needed on the influence of Sephardic Jews to the speech patterns of Charleston.
[edit] Religion
The city has long been noted for its numerous churches and denomination. It is the seat of both the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston and the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina. One of the only remaining Huguenot Congregations in America is located in the city. It also has a large and historic Jewish population. The city is home to many well known churches, cathedrals, and synagogues. The churchtower spotted skyline is one of the reasons for the city's nickname, "The Holy City." Historically, Charleston was one of the most religiously tolerant cities in the New World. Recently, the Episcopal diocese has been one of the key players in potential schism of the Anglican Church. The city is also seeing a growth in its Islamic population.
[edit] Annual cultural events and fairs
Charleston annually hosts Spoleto Festival USA, a 17-day art festival featuring over 100 performances by individual artists in a variety of disciplines. Charleston's "other" festival is the MOJA Arts Festival, which is a major, two-week celebration of African-American and Caribbean arts, music, and culture. The Southeastern Wildlife Exposition is also held in the city, as well as the Charleston Food + Wine Festival, Family Circle Tennis Cup, Cooper River Bridge Run and the Charleston Maritime Festival, which is held annually in May and features tall ships, boatbuilding, and the Charleston to Bermuda Race.
[edit] Media
The local daily newspaper in Charleston is The Post and Courier. Other newspapers include the Charleston City Paper and The Charleston Regional Business Journal. A monthly magazine, "Charleston," explores the cultural life of the city and the surrounding area. Charleston is also home to a website called "The Charleston Crystal Ball" which broadcasts live video of different music venues and pubs around the area, as well as the views of neighboring Folly Beach.
Charleston is also served by many local television and radio stations, and is the nation's 100th largest Designated market area (DMA), with 285,730 households and 0.257% of the U.S. Charleston's major network television affiliates include
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- WCBD-TV 2 (NBC)(CW)
- WCIV-TV 4 (ABC)
- WCSC-TV 5 (CBS)
- WITV-TV 7
- WJRB-TV 18 (TeleFutura)
- WAZS-TV 22 (Azteca America)
- WTAT-TV 24 (FOX)
- WMMP-TV 36 (MyTV)
- WJNI-TV 42 (America One)
- WCHD-TV 49
[edit] Radio
- 1640 XSUR - 70s & 80s ("Surfside 1640")
- College of Charleston Radio COFC RADIO - Streaming on the web, playing everything underground.
- See also: List of radio stations in Charleston
[edit] Museums and historical attractions
As an old colonial city, Charleston has a wide variety of museums and historical attractions. The Old Exchange and Customs House in downtown Charleston, finished in 1771, is arguably the third most important Colonial building in the nation (behind Faneuil Hall in Boston, Massachusetts and Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). The building features a dungeon which held various signers of the Declaration of Independence, and also hosted events for George Washington in 1791, and the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1788. It has also served as a U.S. post office, the first Confederate post office, and was used by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Charleston is the location of Fort Moultrie, which was instrumental in delivering a critical defeat to the British in the American Revolutionary War, and Fort Sumter, the reputed site of the "first shot" of the American Civil War. Patriot's Point, located across the river in nearby Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, is also home to the USS Yorktown as well as several other naval vessels. There are also several former plantations in the area, including Boone Hall Plantation, Drayton Hall, Magnolia Plantation, and Middleton Place. Charleston's premier art museum is the Gibbes Museum of Art, one of the country's oldest art organizations and home to over 10,000 works of fine art. Also the Charleston Museum was the first Museum in the Americas. Other attractions include the South Carolina Aquarium, the Audubon Swamp Garden, Cypress Gardens, and Charles Towne Landing.
[edit] Sports
There are currently no major league, professional sports in the city of Charleston. There are several minor league teams, including the Charleston Battery, a professional soccer team playing in the USL First Division. The Charleston Battery play in the Blackbaud Stadium. The Charleston RiverDogs are a Minor League Baseball team that play in the South Atlantic League and are an affiliate of the New York Yankees. The RiverDogs play at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. The South Carolina Stingrays are an ice hockey team that play in the ECHL and are an affiliate of the Washington Capitals. The Stingrays play at the North Charleston Coliseum. The newest addition to the city are the Carolina Sandsharks of the American Indoor Football Association.
Other notable sports venues in the Charleston area include Family Circle Magazine Stadium (home of the WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament for women, the Family Circle Cup) and Johnson Hagood Stadium (home of the The Citadel Bulldogs football team). Construction of the Palmetto Bowl is expected to begin in 2006 or 2007, depending on the availability of funds. The College of Charleston plans to build Carolina First Center which will seat 5,000-6,000 people for the school's basketball & volleyball teams.
[edit] Charleston in fiction
Several books have been written which utilize Charleston as a setting. In addition, Citadel alumnus and novelist Pat Conroy often writes about Charleston.
The Gullah opera Porgy and Bess is set in Charleston.
Clive Barker's novel, Galilee, takes place partly in Charleston, as does Josephine Humphreys's 1987 novel Rich in Love.
In Harry Turtledove's Timeline-191 alternate history series about a Confederacy that won the Civil War, Charleston suffers an airstrike from an American aircraft carrier in the summer of 1941, in response to the Confederate invasion of Ohio.
Rafael Sabatini's novel, The Carolinian, takes place mostly in Charles Town between the years 1775-9.
The 1991 bestseller Scarlett, sequel to Gone With The Wind, was partially set in Charleston, where Scarlett goes in the hope of getting her husband back. Rhett Butler, in both the original and in the sequel, is originally from Charleston. In fact, Alexandra Ripley, authoress of 'Scarlett', derived inspiration from the city for her novel Charleston and its sequel On Leaving Charleston.
[edit] Infrastructure
[edit] Government
- Mayor: Joseph P. Riley, Jr.
- Mayor Pro Tempore: Deborah Morinelli
- Council Members:
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- Henry B. Fishburne, Jr.
- Deborah Morinelli
- James Lewis, Jr.
- Jimmy S. Gallant, III
- Wendell G. Gilliard
- Louis L. Waring
- Yvonne D. Evans
- Paul Tinkler
- Larry D. Shirley (A proponent of Eugenics.)
- Anne Frances Bleecker
- G. Robert George
- Fire Chief: Russel Thomas
- Police Chief:Edward Hethington (Interim)
- New Chief:Greg Mullen (starts October 1, 2006)- Former Deputy Chief of Police in the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia.
- previously Reuben Greenberg — (He resigned August 12, 2005 amid controversy and unspecified health reasons at the recommendation of his personal doctor, Dr. Allen Rashford. Chief Greenberg had come under fire recently because of actions related to his temper.) Lt. Colonel Edward Hethington is Interim Chief. Greenberg, who served as Charleston's Chief of Police for twenty-three years, has occasionally made national news, if nothing else than for the most basic facts of his background and their uncommon combination in one person (Texan, African American, and Jewish), which has caused consternation in 60 Minutes correspondents (who devoted a segment to him) and Zulus (a Zulu guard is said to have barred him from entering a South African synagogue, insisting that "this place is just for Jewish people, sir" [8]) alike. Greenberg is generally credited with creating a polite police force that kept police brutality well in check even as it developed a visible presence in community policing and a significant reductions in crime rates, which in turn is sometimes credited as an influence on the measures pursued by New York City under Rudy Giuliani's administration.
- New Chief:Greg Mullen (starts October 1, 2006)- Former Deputy Chief of Police in the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia.
[edit] Transportation
The Charleston area is served by Charleston International Airport (IATA: CHS, ICAO: KCHS), which is the busiest passenger airport in the state of South Carolina.
Interstate 26 enters the city from the north-northwest, and connects the city to its airport, Interstate 95, and Columbia, South Carolina. It ends at the Septima Clark Expressway (U.S. Highway 17) downtown, which travels east-west. Interstate 526, or the Mark Clark Expressway, forms a half-circle around the city. U.S. Highway 52 is Meeting Street and its spur is East Bay Street, which becomes Morrison Drive after leaving the Eastside. This highway merges with King Street in the city's Neck area to form Rivers Avenue. U.S. Highway 78 is King Street in the downtown area, eventually merging with Meeting Street to form Rivers Avenue.
The Arthur Ravenel, Jr. Bridge across the Cooper River opened on July 16, 2005, and is the largest cable-stayed bridge in the Americas. The bridge links Mount Pleasant with downtown Charleston, and has eight lanes and a 12-foot pedestrian walkway and a bike lane. It replaced the Silas N. Pearman Bridge (built in 1966) and the Grace Memorial Bridge (built in 1929). These were the largest continuous-truss type bridges in the world, and are scheduled to be demolished by the summer of 2006.
The city is also served by a bus system, operated by the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA). However Rural Parts of the city and metropolitan Area are served by a different bus system, operated by Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Rural Transportation Management Association (BCD-RTMA).
[edit] Schools, colleges, and universities
Charleston is served by the Charleston County School District, which is divided into eight Districts. These eight districts educate approximately 48,500 students from kindergarten through 12th grade, and contain 42 elementary schools, 13 middle schools, 8 high schools, 12 magnet schools, and 4 charter schools. Charleston is also served by the Berkeley County School District in northern portions of the city, such as the Cainhoy Industrial District, Cainhoy Historical District, and Daniel Island.
Charleston is also served by a large number of private schools. To name a few: Porter-Gaud School, Bishop England, Ashley Hall, First Baptist, Charleston Day, Mason Prep, James Island Christian School, and Charleston Collegiate.
Public institutions of higher education in Charleston include the College of Charleston (the nation's thirteenth oldest university and first public university) and The Citadel. The city is also home to Charleston Southern University (affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention), and Springfield College. The city is home to a law school, the Charleston School of Law, as well as a medical school, the Medical University of South Carolina. Charleston is also home to the Roper Hospital School of Practical Nursing and Trident Technical College, and branches of Webster University are also located here.
[edit] Neighborhoods and divisions of the city
Charleston is made up of a main peninsula surrounded by numerous islands and barrier islands that are also part of the Charleston Metro Area. The City of Charleston proper includes the main peninsula, an area west of the Ashley River known as West Ashley, and and an area east of the Cooper River known as East Cooper.
[edit] Peninsula neighborhoods
- Ansonborough
- Cannonborough
- Central Business District
- Downtown
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial District
- Eastside
- Elliotborough
- French Quarter
- Harleston Village
- Historic District
- Mazyck-Wraggsborough
- Medical District
- North Central
- Hampton Park Terrace
- Radcliffeborough
- Shopping District
- South of Broad
- Uptown
- Westside
- Wagener Terrace
[edit] West Ashley neighborhoods
- Orleans
- Saint Andrews
- South Windemere
- Shadowmoss Plantation
[edit] Cainhoy Peninsula/East Cooper neighborhoods
- Cainhoy Historic District
- Cainhoy Industrial District
- Daniel Island
[edit] Squares in downtown Charleston
- Court House Square
- Liberty Square
- Marion Square
- Market Square
- Washington Square
[edit] Parks in the Charleston
- Brittlebank Park & Fishing Pier
- Cannon Park
- Concord Park
- Cornine Jones Playground
- Etwin Park
- Hampton Park (Large beautiful park near the Citadel)
- Harmon Park
- Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park (Home of the Charleston RiverDogs , an affiliate of the New York Yankees)
- Martin Park
- McMahon Playground
- Moultrie Park
- Waterfront Park
- White Point Park & Gardens or "Battery Park"
[edit] Marinas
The Charleston area has a rich maritime heritage, and this is evidenced by the vast number of boats visible in the area's waterways. Marinas in the Charleston area include:
- City Marina
- Ashley Marina
- Cooper River Marina - operated by Charleston County Parks & Recreation
- Charleston Maritime Center
- Buzzard's Roost - John's Island
- Stono Marina - John's Island
- Bohicket Marina - John's Island
- Mariner's Cay - Folly Beach
- Patriot's Point - Mount Pleasant
- Toler's Cove - Sullivan's Island
- Duncan's Boat Harbor - North Charleston
- Isle of Palms Marina - Isle of Palms
- Wild Dunes Yacht Harbour - Isle of Palms
- Charleston Harbor Resort Marina - Mount Pleasant
- Daniel Island Marina - Daniel Island
[edit] Sister cities
Charleston has two sister cities:[3]
[edit] See also
- List of famous people from Charleston, South Carolina
- List of radio stations in Charleston
- List of television shows and movies in Charleston, South Carolina
[edit] Further reading
- Rosen, Robert. A Short History of Charleston. University of South Carolina Press, March, 1997. ISBN 1570031975
[edit] References
- ^ North American Container Traffic (2005), Port Ranking by TEUs as reported by the American Association of Port Authorities.
- ^ Maximum and minimum temperatures from Yahoo! Weather
- ^ Sister cities designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI). Retrieved on June 6, 2006.
[edit] External links
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Quotations from Wikiquote
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News stories from Wikinews
Learning resources from Wikiversity
- City of Charleston Official Website
- Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau
- The Charleston Crystal Ball: Live video feeds from Charleston, SC
- Charleston Metro Chamber Of Commerce
- Historic Charleston by the National Park Service
- Port of Charleston
- Charleston (South Carolina) travel guide from Wikitravel
- CharlestonWiki
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
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City of Charleston |
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|---|---|---|
| Mayor | ||
| Sports Teams |
Charleston Battery-USL | Charleston RiverDogs-SAL | Carolina Sandsharks-AIFA | South Carolina Stingrays-ECHL |
|
| Newspapers |
The Post and Courier | The Charleston City Paper | The Charleston Regional Business Journal |
|
| Television Stations |
2WCBD-TV-NBC | 4WCIV-TV-ABC | 5WCSC-TV-CBS | 7WITV-TV-PBS | 36WMMP-TV-MyNetworkTV |
|
| Squares | ||
| Mass Transit Provider |
