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Coastal Flooding: A Major Concern For The Lowcountry

Featured Image Credit: Time

Did you know that about 175 years ago, the mayor of Charleston offered a $100 gold medal to whoever could solve the city’s issue of coastal flooding?

Yep, it’s true.

We’re now in 2018. No medal was ever awarded, which means the problem was never solved. Now today we are a city full of development and rising sea levels that have near-daily consequences. Tidal flooding has increased over 200% in the last 20 years and the sea level has risen over 6 inches nationally since 1950.

Image Credit:Charles Merry via Charleston City Paper

The Charleston peninsula that sticks out towards the Atlantic Ocean has largely expanded by filling in creeks and marshes. This leaves the streets susceptible because the water has nowhere else to go. Even on the sunniest days, the streets of Charleston can be flooded due to high tides.

These tidal floods are often just a foot or two deep, but they can stop traffic, swamp homes, damage cars, kill lawns and forests, and poison wells with salt.

Thanks to climate change, more severe storms and higher tides are expected to get worse and worse. This means that a city like Charleston that is already prone to severe flooding is in serious trouble.

Image Credit: College of Charleston

“There are three basic approaches to sea level rise,” said Erika Spanger-Siegfried, a senior analyst for the Climate & Energy Program of the Union of Concerned Scientists. “You can defend against the water with walls to keep it out. You accommodate the water by living with it and elevating buildings and creating channels. Or you retreat.”

So if we’re not retreating, what’s being done?

In the 1980s, engineers drew up a master plan for drainage. Since then, millions have been invested into putting miles of horizontal tunnels 150 feet below homes, restaurants, churches, etc. These tunnels will connect with pump stations designed to send floodwater into the Ashley and Cooper Rivers, and eventually out into the Atlantic Ocean. However, this plan will continue to cost the city millions of dollars and take way too long to complete.

While the master drainage plan, like many other suggested plans to fix the issue, has good technical merit, the complexity of the flooding problems are not understood fully and therefore potential solutions are unable to be implemented.

Charleston is taking the threat of coastal flooding and rising sea levels seriously, but there is no doubt that more needs to be done about this issue.

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City Of Charleston Finally Approves Stricter Short-Term Rental Rules

Featured Image Credit: Meet Charleston

It seems like the discussion of short-term rentals in Charleston has been long and drawn-out. Well, that’s because it has.

It was four years ago when short-term rentals were introduced to the Charleston area, with online platforms like Airbnb and HomeAway becoming available to the general public. Since then, Charleston just hasn’t had the resources to keep up with or deal with the influx of 2,000 short-term properties across the Charleston area.

Over the last year, the city has been figuring out a strategy on how to deal with the issue. And this past Tuesday, a new set of rules that allows short-term rentals throughout the Charleston area, but with strict rules, guidelines, and requirements was finalized.

According to the Post and Courier, some of the short-term rental rules that would apply in all cases include the following:

Operators must obtain a special license from the city’s Department of Planning, Preservation and Sustainability and list the registration number on all online advertisements. They will have to present site plans to identify where guests would stay and park their cars.
To be eligible, operators must own and live on the property full time, determined by the 4 percent owner-occupied property tax assessment.
The short-term rental cannot host more than four adults at a time.
Operators must pay business license fees and accommodations taxes.

It creates separate sets of rules for three different areas:

Category 1 includes the Old & Historic Districts on the lower peninsula, but only properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places are eligible for a short-term rental permit.
Category 2 is for the rest of the peninsula, where properties have to be at least 50 years old. The class does not include the Cannonborough-Elliottborough neighborhood because it already has short-term rental rules in place.
Category 3 spans the rest of the city beyond the peninsula, where there will not be an age limit on properties.

There will be a 90-day grace period before these rules fully go into effect.

So what’s our take on it?

We’ve covered the short-term rental topic frequently, discussing how they rid our community of that “close-knit” feeling and create issues with traffic, parking, and noise. As a local, you also have the concern of tourists integrating into residential areas.

Effectively, it makes whole-house short-term rentals illegal. Which is why we are in favor of this decision.

The only way this is now an allowable use is when the property is owner-occupied (with the property tax assessment of 4%) and the owner is physically present on-site. It returns this type of rental to its original intent, which was being able to rent out a spare bedroom to generate some extra income.

The challenge became that people were buying up houses and condos in order to rent them on a nightly basis, which meant they were operating de facto hotels. This negatively affects the availability of housing stock and drives prices even higher, meaning fewer housing options for residents (and also much higher prices to lease or buy a place to live). With these new rules, people can no longer buy houses while living elsewhere just with the intention of renting them out.

Hopefully, these stricter rules can help alleviate the issues associated with tourist congestion, traffic, noise, etc.

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Here Are The Top Reasons We Love Living In The Number One City In The U.S.

Featured Image Credit: Charleston CVB

With Charleston taking the crown for Travel and Leisure’s Top City in the United States (five years running) and coming in at #2 for the World’s Top 15 Cities, we decided to take a closer look at what makes our city so deserving of these gllooorrriioooouuusssss titles.

Trust us, it wasn’t hard, like, at all. Sure, it’s the abundance of yummy restaurants, the southern hospitality, easy access to beaches and a slower-paced way of living, but it’s also so much more than that, and we want to show them some love. So here are our top 20 reasons (not in order whatsoever) to fall in love with our southern charm all over again.

Rainbow Row– because who doesn’t enjoy walking down the street looking like it’s owned by Roy G Biv?

Image Credit: Charleston CVB

2. Cobblestone – You’re able to walk around on the same ground as some major historical figures.

3. Horse Carriages – Because a carriage ride takes us back in time to when our city was full of dirt roads, horses and buggy’s.

4. Historic Downtown – Elegant homes, antique shops, cobblestone roads, confederate jasmine, gas lanterns…what more could you ask for?

Image Credit: Charleston CVB

5. Fort Sumter – Being able to see where the start of one of the biggest wars in history went down is definitely something to treasure.

6. Food – It’s quite overwhelming how many choices we have when it comes to places to eat. But no matter where we decide, there is always somewhere fabulous with excellent service to stuff our faces with homemade meals and local produce.

7. Walk Everywhere – It’s so easy to explore Charleston on foot, and not many major cities can say that. There are plenty of beautiful walking paths and sleepy streets to stroll along.

Image Credit: Charleston CVB

9. The Weather – It’s always sunny in Philadelphia?? Nahhh, try again… it’s always sunny in Charleston.

10. History – Our history is one of the longest and most diverse of any community in the United States, spanning hundreds of years of physical settlement beginning in 1670 through modern times. It was also the leading city in the South from the colonial era down to the Civil War.

11. The Ravenel Bridge – Whether you’re driving, walking, biking or running, crossing the bridge gives you a sense of calmness as you look over the beautiful city.

12. Folly Beach, Sullivan’s Island and IOP – Because with everything there is to do in Charleston, you even have the chance to get sand in between your toes.

Image Credit: Charleston CVB

13. Hootie and the Blowfish – Darius Rucker is like our MVP, next to Bill Murray. Let Her Cry, Hold My Hand and Only Wanna Be With You are always jam worthy. Always.

14. The People – A beautiful city made even more beautiful by its kind-hearted people.

15. Sunsets – Like, seriously, no matter where you are in Charleston they are always perfect.

16. Craft Beer Scene – Breweries are blowing up all over the Lowcountry. Whether you’re in West Ashley, North Charleston or downtown, there is always a hoppy experience that awaits nearby.

17. Shem Creek – Grab a drink with friends on the water, rent a paddle board, take a ride on the Palmetto Breeze Catamaran…there’s so much to do on this little slice of paradise.

Image Credit: Charleston CVB

18. Riverdogs Baseball – In the south, we don’t only take our college football seriously, we also take our baseball seriously too (with serious hopes that Bill Murray makes an appearance at a game!)

19. North Charleston Coliseum – Everyone from KISS, Taylor Swift, Jay-Z, Prince and Ed Sheeran has played there.

20. Events – Every year, people flock to Charleston from near and far for annual events like The Charleston Wine and Food Festival, SEWE, Spoleto/Piccolo, the Volvo Car Open, Southern Ground Music Festival and so much more.

Featured

Downtown Hot Spots With Plenty Of Parking Spots

Featured Image Credit: Facebook/ Revelry Brewing

Sometimes it feels like there are too few parking options for when we want to go eat downtown. Even if you’re lucky enough to find a spot, meter parking will cost you $.025 for 15 minutes. Who has that many quarters on them? If you’re 15 minutes late feeding a meter, expect a ticket tucked under your windshield wiper when you return to your car.

The next best option might seem like a parking garage, but due to all the new development in areas that use to house cheap lots, spots have become more scarce, and not to mention more expensive. It can be super frustrating.

SO, we did the research so you don’t have to. Here are the best restaurant/bars in places in downtown Charleston that offer free parking, whether that be its own parking lot or a few spots that are first come first serve. You can thank us later.

Barsa
Elevated Spanish tapas, paella & cocktails are the draw at this stylish lounge.
Address: 630 King St, Charleston, SC 29403
Phone: (843) 577-5393

Santis
A collection of eclectic chandeliers light up the Mexican & Southwest food & frozen drinks.
Address: 1302 Meeting Street Rd, Charleston, SC 29405
Phone: (843) 722-2633

Little Jack’s
Casual chophouse serving steaks, salads & sandwiches, plus martinis, in vintage surrounds.
Address: 710 King St, Charleston, SC 29403
Phone: (843) 531-6868

The Alley
Bright, cheery hangout featuring 8 bowling lanes, American comfort food & 3 bars with flat-screens.
Address: 131 Columbus St, Charleston, SC 29403
Phone: (843) 818-4080

Workshop
Six vendors share space in this trendy food court, offering coffee & an eclectic mix of cuisines.
Address: 1503 King St, Charleston, SC 29405
Phone: (843) 996-4500

Royal American
Cozy, low-key bar & concert venue featuring local & regional musicians, plus hearty pub grub.
Address: 970 Morrison Dr, Charleston, SC 29403
Phone: (843) 817-6925

Hominy Grill
Busy yet relaxed eatery dishing up Lowcountry classics in homey digs, also popular for its brunch.
Address: 207 Rutledge Ave, Charleston, SC 29403
Phone: (843) 937-0930

Rutledge Cab Co.
American comfort food with a twist, plus drinks, in trendy, retro-style digs with a covered patio.
Address: 1300 Rutledge Ave, Charleston, SC 29403
Phone: (843) 720-1440

Saffron Restaurant and Bakery
Sweet & savory baked goods, a global foods market & a comfortable Middle Eastern/Lowcountry cafe.
Address: 333 E Bay St, Charleston, SC 29401
Phone: (843) 722-5588

Magnolia’s
A refined take on traditional Southern cooking served in a warm, sophisticated environment.
Address: 185 E Bay St, Charleston, SC 29401
Phone: (843) 577-7771

Salty Mike’s
Address: 17 Lockwood Dr, Charleston, SC 29401
Phone: (843) 937-0208

Edmund’s Oast
Hip spot offering New American fare, beer brewed on-site & craft cocktails, plus a patio.
Address: 1081 Morrison Dr, Charleston, SC 29403
Phone: (843) 727-1145

Butcher and Bee
Hip outpost offering a rotating menu of inventive, seasonal cuisine made with local ingredients.
Address: 1085 Morrison Dr, Charleston, SC 29403
Phone: (843) 619-0202

Lewis Barbecue
Texas-style house-smoked meats served in an industrial-hip space with a bar & outdoor tables.
Address: 464 N Nassau St, Charleston, SC 29403
Phone: (843) 805-9500

Taco Boy
Tacos with innovative fillings & frozen cocktails in a funky, vibrant setting, plus outdoor seating.
Address: 217 Huger St, Charleston, SC 29403
Phone: (843) 789-3333

Bay Street Biergarten
Rustic-chic spot for Southern pub grub with Bavarian flair, plus craft beer with pour-your-own taps.
Address: 549 E Bay St, Charleston, SC 29403
Phone: (843) 266-2437

Recovery Room
No-frills bar offering pinball, darts, pool, pinball & bocce, along with wings, sandwiches & beer.
Address: 685 King St, Charleston, SC 29403
Phone: (843) 727-0999

Revelry Brewing Company
Address: 10 Conroy St, Charleston, SC 29403
Phone: (843) 203-6194

Fuel
Refined pub eats with Caribbean twists in a repurposed 1950s-era gas station with a big patio.
Address: 211 Rutledge Ave, Charleston, SC 2940
Phone: (843) 737-5959

Palmetto Brewing Company
Address: 289 Huger St, Charleston, SC 29403
Phone: (843) 937-0903

Fleet Landing Restaurant & Bar
Southern seafood staples served in sleek, light-filled quarters, with a patio overlooking the water.
Address: 186 Concord St, Charleston, SC 29401
Phone: (843) 722-8100

Featured

These Charleston Transportation Solutions Are Exactly What You Need

Featured Image Credit: NeONBRAND on Unsplash

In the wake of new parking regulations in Charleston, the city has come up with solutions for frustrated employees that work downtown. The Greater Charleston Restaurant Association (GCRA) and Charleston Area Hospitality Association (CAHA) are encouraging hospitality employees to find other ways to get to work. So if you’re regularly trying to commute downtown, check out some of these Charleston transportation ideas.

If you’re dead set on driving your own car downtown, there are four garages with discounted rates. The Visitor Center Garage on Mary Street and the Queen Street Garage will have a $7.00 flat rate after 3:00 PM and a $5.00 flat rate after 5:00 PM. The city will prorate if you parked before those times. The East Bay Garage on Prioleau Street and the Majestic Square Garage on King Street will have a $5.00 flat rate after 5:00 PM and will prorate if you parked before 5:00 PM.

If public transportation is more your speed, the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) is improving its services. They’ve launched an app that shows the real-time movement of their vehicles. A park-and-ride lot and shuttle service, operated by CARTA in partnership with the city of Charleston and Charleston county is expected to launch within the next month.

Ridesharing is also a popular option. Both Lyft and Uber have ridesharing services. Lyft Line and uberPool will give you a regular ride and reduce your commuting costs.

Another ridesharing opportunity comes in the form of Lowcounty Go, or Low Go. This commuter services program is an innovation in Charleston transportation. The service connects real people with real commuter solutions to reduce both costs and traffic congestion. People can register and connect with fellow commuters to share in the cost.

So, don’t let rising meter rates get you down. There are plenty of Charleston transportation tools for you to make your commute with less money and hassle.

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Here’s What You Need To Know About Charleston’s Updated Carriage Horse Regulations

Featured Image Credit: Palmetto Carriage Works

In the ongoing debate about Charleston’s carriage horses, much has been said about whether or not the practice should be continued. While all of the criticisms of the horse-drawn carriage business have been countered with facts that prove the horses are well cared for, the City of Charleston is taking further steps to ensure their wellbeing. These steps come in the form of updated carriage horse regulations.

At a recent Tourism Commission meeting, Dan Riccio, the City of Charleston’s Director of Livability & Tourism, announced the city would be implementing changes for the carriage tour industry. The City of Charleston has hired a full-time Equine Manager to monitor carriage tour operations and enforce carriage horse regulations.

The Equine Manager, Shannon Tilman, will bring a strong background in the care of horses. Working with horses all her life, she has also been certified in a number of equine care specialties. These specialties include advanced knowledge of the equine anatomy and veterinary science.

In addition to the Equine Manager, the Tourism Commission Subcommittee also resolved the issue of carriage weights or encumbrance. The concern was that the carriages the horses are pulling are too heavy because the carriage loads aren’t weighed. The city mandates that the encumbrance must be less than three times the horse’s body weight. However, the method used to estimate weight by the carriage companies is the same method used by the US Coast Guard and the airline industry to measure passenger weight. Scales like those used for trucks were proposed, but the process used to estimate weight was found to be satisfactory and the carriage companies had the animals’ welfare in mind when it came to load size.

Another advancement in carriage horse regulations is that carriage tours are now digitally monitored and tracked. The new system allows officials to track weight, route, and passenger volume. These items were previously tracked by hand. The digital method will be more accurate and future enhancements could be made. The digital system was created internally by the City of Charleston IT Department.

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International African American Museum Set To Open In 2020

Featured Image Credit: Provided to Greenville News

History. There is so much of it in Charleston. But not all of it is history to be proud of.

In 2020, Charleston will become home to the International African American Museum. The $100 million, 40,000 square foot facility will teach visitors about African American heritage along and with how freed and enslaved Africans shaped economic, political, and cultural development. All while offering some breathtaking views of Charleston and the Cooper River.

Charleston served as a port for African captives arriving in the U.S, so this museum will connect deeply to the heritage the museum will aim to commemorate. Historians estimate that more than 90 percent of all African-Americans can trace at least one ancestor to this land.

Featured Image Credit: Greenville News

“We’re trying to create an experience that tells the truth about history, that delivers an unvarnished history,” Michael Boulware Moore, President and CEO of the International African American Museum said, “but that does it in a way that people, regardless of their background, walk out feeling uplifted, feeling inspired by the perseverance of the people they’ve learned about, by just the grittiness of what they went through and the fact that they overcame that and contributed great things.”

Moore’s passion for this project hits close to home as his great-great-great grandmother took steps at the exact location the museum is on. This now scenic and beautiful site was once the epicenter of America’s ugliest enterprise – slavery. Nearly 250 years ago, the area was mostly marshlands. That all changed when Charleston merchant Christopher Gadsden converted it into the largest wharf in North America. At first, the wharf was used primarily for the rice industry. It eventually became a hub of the international slave trade.

From 1783 to 1808, approximately 100,000 enslaved African men, women and children were forced into ships and carried on a voyage through darkness across the Atlantic Ocean into the Charleston Harbor.

This museum will connect visitors to their ancestors where it is likely that all African Americans will have a connection through Charleston.

“We know that she landed here. That’s sort of my original anchor to Charleston. It’s really deep emotional territory for me,” he said.

SunTrust Bank, Mara Smalls of Viacom, and Bank of American all made donations to this museum. Marva Smalls of Viacom pledged $250,000 and Bank of American pledged $600,000.

Learn more from our source.

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Busting Common Myths About Charleston Carriage Horses

Featured Image Credit: Blake Williams

Misinformation about carriage horses is rampant in Charleston. People often talk about the issue without having any facts to back up their stances. Well, we’re here to help with that. We’re taking on common myths about carriage horses and busting them with the truth. So, educate yourself on this hot-button issue before you get into that spirited debate. Oh, and don’t forget to resist the Russian trolls!

Image Credit: Blake Williams

Myth: Carriage Horses Work No Matter the Weather

Erroneous! While horses and mules have the ability to adapt to the weather, they’re not asked to perform in extreme weather conditions…and that includes extreme heat. We know it gets hot down here in the summer and the caretakers of our four-legged friends know what to look out for when it comes to an overheated horse. At Palmetto Carriage Works, they take each horse’s temperature after every tour to make sure they are within the normal range. If the horse even approaches having an above normal temperature, they are pulled from working. And if a day reaches 95 degrees or the heat index is 110, there are no tours.

Myth: Carriage Horses Work Long Hours Without Breaks

Lies! The number of hours a horse is allowed to work in a row is highly regulated by the city of Charleston. Palmetto Carriage Works’ horses and mules typically work a five hour day. Plus, the horses get at least a 15-minute break between tours to rest and drink water. And when they’re not working, they have plenty of space in their stalls to eat and relax.

Image Credit: Palmetto Carriage Works & Palmetto Tours Facebook

Myth: Carriage Horses are Made to Carry Backbreaking Loads

Nope! Even a fully loaded carriage isn’t hard for a horse or mule to pull, especially in teams. The tourism committee recently determined that even on a full carriage ride, it would be almost impossible for a carriage to exceed the city’s weight limit due to logistical issues. In Charleston, the weight of the carriages is restricted to a maximum of three times the horse’s weight. While all carriage companies must adhere to this ordinance, it is possible for the horses to pull much more than this. But don’t get all worked up just yet. To give you an idea of just how much weight carriage horses can pull, a regular horse can easily pull a wheeled vehicle that is six times its own weight. Since the average weight of a draft horse is about 1,400-2,000 pounds, that means that one of the larger horses could easily pull up to 12,000 pounds on a wheeled vehicle. A typical carriage load is FAR less than that, and the horses, on average, work five hours per day with breaks.

Myth: Carriage Horses Are Easily Spooked and Dangerous

False! It’s true that horses are firmly in the “flight” camp when it comes to the “fight or flight” response, but Charleston carriage horses aren’t just ordinary horses. They’re highly trained animals that adapt easily to their environments. They know how to deal with pedestrians, cars, sirens, yelling, and other loud noises. Things that might make a typical horse bolt don’t ruffle these quadrupeds.