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Whether
buying a home in Charleston, SC, selling real estate in
Summerville, SC, or relocating to Mount Pleasant, SC, Tim Reese can assist you
every step of the way with your real estate needs.
We would like to welcome you to the beautiful Charleston,
South Carolina area where there is always plenty to do. To
find out more about Charleston, South Carolina real estate
be sure to use
Your Guide in
Community Information. Use the Real Estate Search features to find a home for sale in
Charleston, SC or any one of the many areas such as Mt.
Pleasant, Summerville, North Charleston, Goose Creek,
Seabrook Island, or Kiawah Island.
Community Information
Prudential
Carolina Real Estate serves the entire Charleston, Berkeley,
and Dorchester area!
Quality
of Life
Charleston, South Carolina is considered to be America's
most beautiful city with historic attractions, lovely
churches, museums, and galleries. Everywhere, its old
streets are lined with picturesque and architecturally
significant homes. The surrounding areas offer world famous
gardens, elegant plantations, and superlative white sand
beaches.
Quality education, transportation, health care, a variety of
affordable housing, and low taxes combine to create an ideal
environment for personal and business endeavors.
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Tri-County Recreation
Charleston offers a variety of recreational activities,
from the coastal beaches to the freshwater lakes
in upper Berkeley County. The moderate climate allows the
sports enthusiast year-round outdoor activities.
Beaches
There are public and private beaches scattered along
the coast. In the East Cooper area, you can sun on
the beaches of Sullivan's Island and Isle of Palms or in the
more secluded area of Wild Dunes. To the south of Charleston
is Folly Beach, popular with area surfers. Kiawah Island
offers a public beach with limited parking and Seabrook
Island is private.
Fishing, Boating, and Sailing
Sailing is one of Charleston's favorite year-round sports
with regattas sponsored during the season by the College of
Charleston and area yacht clubs. Fishing opportunities
are abundant whether from a chartered boat for
deep-sea fishing, a local pier, or the surf. Freshwater
fishing is at its best in Berkeley County's Lake Moultrie
and Lake Marion, highly regarded by the nation's
recreational fishermen. Crabbing and shrimping are also
popular leisure time activities. Endless creeks and rivers
provide the best boating, waterskiing, or just exploring
available in South Carolina. Public boat landings abound in
the Metro area with Charleston being home to some of the
finest marinas along the Intracoastal Waterway.
Golf, Tennis, and Swimming
Golf is one of Charleston's most popular sports. From
Patroit's Point Golf Course to the nationally ranked course
at Wild Dunes, there is a course for everyone. Tennis can be
found at private residential clubs, as well as in the city's
parks. Numerous invitational tournaments
throughout the Metro area attract pro players, and also
involve local residents. Novice swim teams, formed in
neighborhood pools, are extremely popular with young people.
Hunting
Sportsmen enjoy hunting quail, dove, duck, and deer at local
reserves. Organized hunts are provided by hunting clubs.
Scenic Attractions
Nature and history enthusiasts will find an abundance of
wildlife refuges and pre-Civil War plantations.
For bird watchers, the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge,
Bull's Island, and Drum Island offer over 250 species. Among
the plantations open to the public are Middleton Place,
Magnolia Gardens, Drayton Hall, Boone Hall, and Cypress
Gardens. back to top
The Arts
The Metro area offers a wide variety of cultural
events year-round. The Charleston Civic Ballet,
Charleston Community Concert Association, Charleston Opera
Company, Dock Street Theatre/Footlight Players, Greater
Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Robert Ivey Ballet, and the
Workshop Summer Theatre perform seasonally.
The Charleston Museum, Gibbes Art Gallery, Historic
Charleston Foundation/The Preservation Society, and the
South Carolina Historical Society are just a few of the
organizations offering workshops and tours
throughout the year.
The Spoleto Festival is an internationally recognized
and acclaimed comprehensive arts festival held
throughout Charleston annually for two weeks at the end of
May/early June. Symphony, dance, theatre, jazz, opera,
chamber and choral music, and visual arts are included in
both Spoleto and Piccolo Spoleto, a simultaneously held
regional arts festival.
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Other Annual Events
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January |
Lowcountry Oyster Festival
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February |
Southeastern Wildlife Expo
Festival of Wines |
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March |
Flowertown Festival
(Summerville) |
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April |
Cooper River Bridge Run
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May |
May Day |
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May/June |
Spoleto Festival
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Sept/Oct |
A Taste of Charleston
Scottish Games
Annual Fall House and Garden Candlelight Tours
Worldfest |
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October |
Moja Arts Festival
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November |
Charleston Cup |
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Nov/Feb |
Visitor Appreciation Days
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December |
Christmas in Charleston
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For more information on annual events, contact
The Charleston Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau at
853-8000.
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Area Facts
The Charleston metropolitan area of South Carolina is a
region where making history means both preserving the
past and having a vision for the future.
Comprised of three counties-Berkeley, Charleston, and
Dorchester-the 2,600 square mile area is one of the
fastest growing metropolitan areas in the Southeast.
In 1990, Charleston was ranked 5th in the nation in economic
growth and 7th in INC. magazine's ranking of the most
entrepreneurial metropolitan areas in the United States.
The region enjoys a stable, thriving economy that includes
one of the nation's finest ports, a skilled
labor force and an outstanding quality of life.
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Population
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|
|
1980
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|
1990
|
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Est. for
2000 |
| Metro
Area |
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430,346
|
|
506,875
|
|
622,500
|
| Berkeley
County |
|
94,272
|
|
128,776
|
|
183,600
|
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Charleston County |
|
276,556
|
|
295,039
|
|
314,200
|
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Dorchester County |
|
59,045
|
|
83,060
|
|
124,700
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Community Services
Contributing to the area's economic well-being as well as th
health of its citizenry is a major medical complex, the
heart of which is the Medical University of South Carolina
in Charleston. Founded in 1842, MUSC is the first medical
college to be established in the South and heads a list of
nine hospitals serving the Tri-County area. The Tri-County
area's hospitals and clinics offer top of the line
health services which are supported by highly
trained technicians. There are a number of nursing homes and
convalescent centers available, along with a large Emergency
Medical Service (EMS).
Churches
Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties have
over 250 churches and synagogues representing over 24
denominations and 4 non-denominational churches.
Consult your Prudential Carolina Real Estate agent for the
nearest church meeting your requirements.
Parks
The Charleston County Parks and Recreation Department
manages numerous parks. The most popular are Beachwalker and
Folly Beach County Parks, along the coast; and Palmetto
Islands County Park offering year-round enjoyment for the
whole family with miles of bicycle trails, paddleboats, and
canoeing, an old fashioned "watering hole" for swimming,
along with picnic facilities and wide open spaces for
favorite outdoor games. Charles Towne Landing allows its
visitors to experience the same wilderness beauty that the
early settlers enjoyed. A natural habitat zoo, landscaped
gardens, and a replica of a 17th century trading vessel
provide a full day of fun for the entire family.
Neighborhood and small city parks offer tennis, golf, and
swimming for the family. In downtown Charleston, the new
waterfront park on the banks of the Cooper River is a treat
for visitors and Charlestonians alike. Plans are in progress
for a nearby aquarium.
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Education
Schools are often a major consideration for families moving
to a new community. During the past few years, a renewed
sense of pride and enthusiasm for public education has
bloomed as a result of some positive steps taken by South
Carolina's state legislators.
The passage of the Education Improvement Act of 1984 changed
the face of public education in South Carolina, making it a
top priority statewide. Called "the most comprehensive
single piece of legislation of 1984", this $218 million
education reform package provided the guidelines and funds
for improvement of the public system.
Although the three counties in the Metro area administer
their own public schools systems, each with its own programs
and emphasis, the high quality of public education is
assured in part by state law. Recently, schools in
Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties have all
earned a number of incentive awards for exceeding
educational goals under the Education Inprovement Act,
demonstrating the remarkable commitment local educators have
made to achieving excellence in public education.
Children must be 6 years old by November 1 to be accepted
into the first grade. A birth certificate and an
immunization certificate are required. The school year in
the Metro area is 180 days long and begins the end of August
or early September and concludes the end of May or in early
June. School bus service is available from the respective
schools.
In addition to the standard curriculum, all counties offer a
variety of programs to meet the needs of both the
gifted and talented student and the mentally, physically,
emotionally, or speech handicapped.
Private/Parochial Schools
The Metro area is home to a number of outstanding private
schools, both independent and religious. These schools offer
a wide variety of educational options.
There are 6 parochial elementary schools and 1 parochial
school in the area. for more information contact the
Catholic Schools Office at 114 Broad Street, P.O. Box 818,
Charleston, SC 29402, or telephone (803) 724-8370.
There are 25 private and parochial schools in the Metro
area. For more information contact the South Carolina
Independent Education Association in Columbia at (803)
736-0346. back to
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