Charleston City Guide Part 1
I was originally going to make one master post of all the places we went to and things we did, but the list keeps getting bigger and bigger, and that post was shaping up to be way too long. Especially since we still have 8 days left as this post goes up! So we are going to break this up into as many parts as it takes (likely 3), so here is part 1!
We were very lucky to stay close to King Street, which is the main street downtown, and are within walking distance from so many amazing places. If you can walk, I highly recommend that for a couple of reasons: parking is very expensive and hard to come by, the streets are super narrow to begin with, on top of having street parking on both sides, golf carts are on the road, and people are walking everywhere! So, if you can swing it, stay close to King Street so you can walk most places, and then take a Lyft if need be to further locations (like Mount Pleasant or Sullivan’s Island).
Kudu Coffee and Craft Beer- this is the first coffee shop I went to down here, and I have been going every morning since! I absolutely love it. Not only is it super close to where we are staying and a very easy walk, but the coffee is delicious and the café is so cute. They have a lot of places to sit inside with free wifi (no outlets though, so charge your tech before you go) and a beautiful courtyard where you can sit as well. The staff are so kind and helpful, and on our first morning in here, they gave us a ton of recommendations and ideas of things to do. They also have pastries, bagels, and some other snacks (none are gluten free, so I wasn’t able to try any), and they also offer beer and wine. Overall, a great option to get your morning jolt and a great place to work.
Rudy Royale- this was where we went the first night in town! Again, very walkable, and it was a great first stop in the city because we got to walk a pretty decent portion of the city, and it was a great way to get to see the layout of it. This was a great place to get some good food and relax after a long travel day, but it definitely wasn’t the best food we’ve had on this trip. The portion sizes were a little inconsistent, but the prices were pretty fair given the kind of food they served. This is a great option if you are down in this area and everything everyone got was good! This was just very average to me, and there are so many other great places to go in the city!
Caviar and Bananas- this is a favorite in the group. They are a cafe with sandwiches, salads, and coffee, with an ice cream stand in the cafe as well. They have great snacks for lunch and a great atmosphere to work in or just chat with friends. They are reasonably priced (big reason it’s a favorite among the grad students), and the portion sizes you get are great. They also have beer and wine, and champagne to purchase as well, and a whole drink case of options if coffee isn’t for you. Very chill vibes, and a very easy place to get a quick bite.
Brown Dog Deli- this place was so cute! The whole shop is in an 80s theme with memorabilia on the walls, and fully 80s decor. They are laptop-friendly, and we worked for a couple of hours in there with no issue and had a great time. They are another lunch spot with sandwiches and salads, coffee and sodas, and have gluten-free options! The food was great and fresh tasting, with great portions for the cost. A great lunch spot off the beaten path, away from the hustle and bustle of downtown.
Fleets Landing- this might be my favorite dinner spot we have gone to so far! The ambiance was great, and it’s right on the water, so sitting outside was a dream. They are a seafood-first restaurant, so keep that in mind, but the food was so good that even if you aren’t a seafood fan, you should try it. The prices do reflect that it is a seafood place, so keep that in mind before you go. The highlight of this place for me was the key lime pie martini. It was SO GOOD. Not overly sweet like it could have been, with a nice tartness to it. This was the perfect dessert to top off the seafood from dinner. They did not have gluten-free substitutions, so I did end up with a Caesar salad with salmon, but it was still so good and so fresh. The seafood pasta was also a fan favorite with the group.
Historic Walking Tour/Ghost Tour- another great way to learn about the city and learn the layout of the city! We used Bulldog Tour Agency (linked above), and the guides we had for both the historic and ghost tours were awesome. They were extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and made the experience truly enjoyable. I learned so much about the city and this whole area that I had no idea about from these two, which was amazing, especially with some little tidbits they threw in about the more salacious parts of the city, which is always fun. Neither the historic nor ghost tours shied away from the racist parts of the history and very openly discussed it, and discussed how the city to this day is working on making things better and making it up to the communities that have been affected. Really couldn’t recommend them more!
That’s it for this one! We have a few days left with more plans of things to do and see while we are here, so the next travel guide will be up next week!
Madey